Unnecessary Necessities (Part 2)

Does scientific progress require Darwinian evolution?

Part 1 began a discussion of major scientific accomplishments credited to Christian believers. The facts of history stand against the idea that religion has to be jettisoned for real science to proceed. A related contention is that Darwinian evolution is the foundation on which all modern science is built. Some skeptics will emphasize this claim more than others, but there are a lot of ways in which the suggestion is put forward. ‘All progress is dependent on acceptance of this fact,’ so they say, ‘and to deny naturalistic evolution is to put a halt to all scientific progress!’

Here, in Part 2, we continue to look at accomplished religious scientists. Please note that Darwin published his theory of evolution in 1859. All of the scientists listed below were contemporary to or after that publication. Skeptics often beg the question by saying that the brilliant minds of the past would have accepted Darwin’s theories, given the chance. History begs to differ. In fact, it clearly speaks against the idea that real scientists have to accept either atheism or naturalistic evolution in order to advance science.

James Young Simpson (1811-1870) was a pioneer in anesthesia and gynecology, and also a devout Presbyterian. He once told a reporter that his greatest discovery was “When I learned Jesus Christ had died for my sins.”

Louis Pasteur (1822-1895) was not only a father of modern germ theory, but he also put the experimental nail in the coffin of spontaneous generation. His work in medicine included development of a rabies vaccine, methods for preventing food spoilage (hence ‘Pasteurization’), and discoveries in crystals. He was the consummate experimentalist; as a result he was highly critical of Darwin’s theories of evolution, noting that they could not be confirmed or disproved in a laboratory setting. His autobiographical works indicate his staunch belief in God: “The more I study nature, the more I stand amazed at the work of the Creator.”

William Thomson (Lord Kelvin) (1824-1907) developed the absolute temperature scale still named for him. His contributions to thermodynamics, physics, telegraphy, navigation, and geology are immense. Thomson was a life-long, committed Christian. As a sort of “old-earth-Creationist”, he was particularly critical of Darwin’s theory of evolution, noting that the time between Earth’s habitability and the modern day was not long enough to allow for gradual evolution to occur.

Joseph Lister (1827-1912) had limited choices in education, as many schools in his day did not admit Quakers. Fortunately for science, the University of London was not one of them. Lister noted that research regarding sanitization was largely ignored by the medical community. He took Pasteur’s work to heart and began implementing sterilization procedures in his hospital work. He continued his research into sterilization, and is credited with founding the concept of a sterile medical environment. Lister was also instrumental in advancing several other forms of surgery, including brain operations and mastectomies. He eventually abandoned the Quakers, becoming an Episcopalian, and never wavered in his belief that God was directing Him.

James Maxwell (1831-1879) was a devout Christian who helped lay the foundations of modern science through his discoveries in electromagnetism, light, and gases. His work was crucial in the development of Einstein’s special relativity and quantum mechanics. Maxwell is often mentioned among the most influential scientists in history, along with Newton and Einstein.

Max Planck (1858-1947) was the Nobel Prize-winning physicist whose work laid the foundations of quantum theory. He was a tolerant, but staunch, Christian believer. Planck considered atheism to be an obsession, rather than a valid worldview. His work was important to the developments made by Einstein, and Planck himself helped to expand the theory of relativity.

Ernst Chain (1906-1979) was a theistic and highly orthodox Jew. Chain shared in a Nobel Prize for his work on penicillin, and went to great lengths to be sure that his children’s education included religious training. He defended his religious beliefs publicly. As an ironic side-note, Chain is mentioned in the “God Is Imaginary” site just a few paragraphs after making the absurd quote given in the introduction to part 1. He was pointedly critical of naturalistic evolution: “To postulate that the development and survival of the fittest is entirely a consequence of chance mutations seems to me a hypothesis based on no evidence and irreconciliable with the facts." He also said, “a very feeble attempt [naturalistic evolution] is, based on such flimsy assumptions, mainly of morphological-anatomical nature that it can hardly be called a theory,” and “I would rather believe in fairies than in such wild speculation.”

Wernher von Braun (1912-1977) is considered the founder of modern rocketry, and the father of the United States space program. His religious beliefs and scientific knowledge were never at odds: “My experiences with science led me to God. They challenge science to prove the existence of God. But must we really light a candle to see the sun?.” It has been said that the United States would have taken decades longer to reach the moon – if they reached it at all – without von Braun’s leadership. Von Braun attributed his decision to work for the US after World War II to a desire to see his rocketry used for less tyrannical purposes than Hitler had: “we felt that only by surrendering such a weapon to people who are guided by the Bible could such an assurance to the world be best secured." Von Braun would not be amused over skeptical claims of Hitler’s Christianity: “he was wholly without scruples, a godless man who thought himself the only god, the only authority he needed.”

God-believers are involved in modern science even today, despite the animosity leveled at their beliefs. Consider some quotes from Nobel-winning scientists, as well as some of the many accomplishments of Christians in modern science:

Charles Townes: “I strongly believe in the existence of God, based on intuition, observations, logic, and also scientific knowledge.”

Robert Millikan: “Let me, then, henceforth use the word God to describe that which is behind the mystery of existence and that which gives meaning to it. I think you will not misunderstand me, then, when I say that I have never known a thinking man who did not believe in God.” And, “To me it is unthinkable that a real atheist could be a scientist.”

William Philips: “I believe in God. In fact, I believe in a personal God who acts in and interacts with the creation. I believe that the observations about the orderliness of the physical universe, and the apparently exceptional fine-tuning of the conditions of the universe for the development of life suggest that an intelligent Creator is responsible. …I believe in God because of a personal faith, a faith that is consistent with what I know about science.”

Arno Penzias: “The best data we have are exactly what I would have predicted, had I had nothing to go on but the five books of Moses, the Psalms, the Bible as a whole.”

Joseph Murray: “We’re just working with the tools God gave us. ...There’s no reason that science and religion have to operate in an adversarial relationship. Both come from the same source, the only source of truth - the Creator.”

Raymond Damadian patented the MRI, and worked to develop its clinical use. When the Nobel Committee finally recognized this achievement, he was left out. Many observers, both secular and religious, have suspected that this snub was a result of his outspoken religious views: Damadian is a “literal-six-day-young-earth-creationist”.

Graeme Clark, who developed the cochlear implant, is noted to be religious. This has been noted in interviews, and he has been asked if he sees a contradiction between religion and science. His response: “No, I don't. Some of the greatest scientists early on were Christian, and did so because of their faith. And today there are many.”

John Polkinghorne is considered one of the world’s great quantum physicists, and helped to discover the quark. His credentials and abilities are undeniable, even to the most irrational of atheists. Richard Dawkins himself has indicated both his respect for Polkinghorne’s scientific ability as well as consternation over his belief in God.

Alister McGrath represents another challenge to critics like Dawkins, as a theologian with a background in molecular biophysics.

The list could go on, but the point should be clear. Many of mankind’s greatest achievements, which have added considerably to our understanding of the universe and to our quality of life, were made by men of faith. They didn’t set God aside when they put on their lab coats. They didn’t set their brains aside when they put on their church clothes. Science and faith don’t contradict! Furthermore, rejection of naturalistic evolution does not make one an unfit scientist. Naturalistic evolution isn’t a requirement for understanding most aspects of modern biology, let alone fields like physics, chemistry, or aviation. Those who claim otherwise are ignoring history in favor of an ideological straw man.