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Language Of God
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$ 14.07
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$ 15.99 |
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$ 1.92 (12%) |
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| Item Number |
34768 |
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Item Description...
Overview
A head of the Human Genome Project and former atheist presents a scientific argument for the existence of God, revealing how science can support faith by citing the areas of nature that can and cannot be fully explained by Darwinian evolution.
Publishers Description
Dr. Francis Collins, head of the Human Genome Project, is one of the world's leading scientists. He works at the cutting edge of the study of DNA, the code of life. Yet he is also a man of unshakable faith in God and scripture.Dr. Collins believes that faith in God and faith in science can coexist within a person and be harmonious. In The Language of God he makes his case for God and for science. He has heard every argument against faith from scientists, and he can refute them. He has also heard the needless rejection of scientific truths by some people of faith, and he can counter that, too. He explains his own journey from atheism to faith, and then takes readers for a stunning tour of modern science to show that physics, chemistry, and biology can all fit together with belief in God and the Bible. The Language of God is essential reading for anyone who wonders about the deepest questions of faith: Why are we here? How did we get here? What does life mean?
Community Description
The longtime head of the Human Genome Project and a former atheist, Collins makes a strong case for how evolution can be directed by God. He also offers an awe-inspiring tour of the complexities of genetics and DNA, revealing the secrets of God's manual for growth and the continuation of life. "Of enormous value,"---First Things. 304 pages, softcover. Free Press. Please Note, Community Descriptions and notes are submitted by our shoppers, and are not guaranteed for accuracy. |
Item Specifications...
Pages 305
Dimensions: Length: 0.75" Width: 6" Height: 8.5"
Weight: 0.4 lbs.
Binding Softcover
Release Date Jul 1, 2007
Publisher Simon & Schuster
ISBN 1416542744
EAN 9781416542742
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Availability 70 units.
Availability accurate as of May 25, 2012 11:53.
Usually ships within one to two business days from Johnson City, TN.
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Reviews - What do our customers think?
 | Biologos not new, and wished he would have went further Apr 23, 2007 |
| Overall, I was impressed with Dr. Collins attempt to reconcile the age-old eternal question: how did we get here? I was less impressed with how he answered the question. As a lawyer (and certainly not a scientist), I thought that many of his arguments were unsupported. For instance, he posits that randomness in the fossil records appear random to us but not random to God who is eternal. In essence, it is inferred that Dr. Collins is arguing that God set evolution in motion to create man. However, he cited no evidence to further this point. Furthermore, I found his reference to the Human Genome Project largely irrelevant to the thesis presented in his book. While certainly admirable, Dr. Collins' leadership in lifting the veil on our genetic code did little to elucidate the ultimate inquiry. Dr. Collins warns the seeker to not reply on what he coins as the "God of the gaps" position due to advances in filling of the fossil record. But he provided no real specific examples of how the fossil record has been filled. And Dr. Collins' "biologos" is nothing new in the literature. The idea that evolution was (and perhaps still is) the mechanism by which God used to "create" has been advanced by writers such as MIT scientist Dr. Gerald Schroeder. In his book, The Science of God, Dr. Schroeder outlines in great detail and clarity the competing arguments of creationism versus evolution. Dr. Schroeder also does a better job in reconciling the "six days" and 15 billions years dilemma. Both experts scored high on using the fine-tuning of the universe as support of a Supernatural force. Aside from the astrophysics, however, I was looking for more in depth analysis from Dr. Collins on how genetics and biophysics could be potential evidence of a Creator. I did enjoy very much Dr. Collins' candid and "human" approach to the topic. I also related to his personal story quite well. In sum, Dr. Collins' attempt to answer the age-old eternal question should be respected but the answer falls a bit short of its intent. A great listen in audible version. | | |  | The squaring the cercle Apr 16, 2007 |
Creation or Evolution? This is the dilemma.
Creation and Evolution? This is the problem:
Creation of Evolution? This is the squaring of the cercle.
Francis Collins prefers to solve the problem.He agrees Darwinian evolution, but only till then the life of the spirit appears.He agrees only theistic evolution."God chose the elegant mechanism of evolution to create ...animals of all sorts...God intencionally chose the same mechanism to give rise to special creatures who would have intelligence...will.."
What type of mecanism? "...the master plan of the same Almighty who caused the universe to come into being.. and set its physical parameters just precicely right to allow the creation of stars,planets,heavy elements and the life itself." Master plan that calls to mind design idea that implies the man as unique creature." But humans are also unique in ways that defy evolutionary explanation and point to our spiritual nature." Collins therefore approaches the two poles of the problem to the highest degree of harmony.But not so much they fuse together achieving the squaring of the cercle.
When Collins mentions Pontifical Academy of Sciences makes me to come in mind one of its affiliates, medicine's Nobel Prize John Eccles.He agrees Darwinian evolution as well, but only a theistic one.He writes:" There is a Divine Providence operating over and above the materialist happenings of biological evolution." ( Evolution of the Brain ). " Since materialist solutions fail to account for our experienced uniqueness I am constraind to attribute the uniqueness of the Self or Soul to a supernatural creation...each Soul is new Divine Creation..." ( Evolution of the Brain ).These scintists did great services to the belivers and to the not belivers, showing a great courage. Greatest courage, therefore, will show those who will try to square the cercle, reducing the evolution to one creature, non sapareted fron the creation itself.Creation implies movement,chage, improvement. Cration cannot be static.The same life is " motus ab intrinseco".
Nowadays there is indeed a growing suspicion that the evolution itself learns how to evolve more effectively. This is enshrined in the new conceptof evolvability. Evolution as a intelligent, sapiens creature?
Finally,special gratitude is due to Francis Collins for handing his ideas by deactivates affects like calmness, quietude, peacefulness and acceptance ( another name of agape ).Currently, instead, the scientific debate about evolution and creation is frequently embittered by toxic emotions.Truth in the mind is never plain ( like some metals not pure in the natural state ).Truth in the mind is always amalgamate with some emotions and motivations,as in the attitudes, values, and prejudices. Excited idea can turn into and ideal and an ideology.
e.tiberi
P.S. Sorry for my improbable English. | | |  | the language of dishonesty Apr 16, 2007 |
Collins is dishonest with himself and us.
Christianity makes very specific claims (Jesus's mom was a virgin, we need to accept Jesus as the unique son of the creator of the Universe in order to be saved, etc...). But none of these specific items are ever dealt with. Instead, he chooses to talk about God in the most generalized way, as some sort of higher power. In this way, he broadens the scope of the definition of the word "God" to include many, many possibilities, making the idea much more plausible. All of the arguments he puts forth for the Christian God could also be used for Zeus.
So Mr. Collins, how about getting a little more precise next time. Stop using your credentials to promote ignorance and dishonesty, for us and for yourself.
| | | | An Unscientific Approach Apr 8, 2007 |
After viewing the recent CNN article and the interview of Dr. Collins, my biology colleagues are quite puzzled: how a scientist with such high credentials can say things so illogical? My tentative answer is that a good scientist may not necessarily use scientific methods all the time, just like a mathematian who can not balance his check book.
In the article on CNN, Dr. Collins was quoted saying "... whose claims about being God's son seemed to demand a decision about whether he was deluded or the real thing." So, Dr. Collins, instead of using a scientific approach to look at this question, made a leap of faith: it is real.
If a student had done the same thing to a scientific problem with such leap, he or she would have been ridiculed. A scientific approach should require that Dr. Collins address a series of questions: How was the Bible written? Did Jesus say that? Or did the auhtor of the Gospel put it there?
What did it mean when people said 'Son of God' at that time? There are so many different potential answers to this question. But Dr. Collins has only two words: either yes or no and he was compelled to make a decision
about someting uncertain.
The reason that Dr. Collins did not seem to apply the same scientific rigor he applied to the human genome project to answer this question is perhaps he does not really care about the validity of his answer. This may seem to contradict his effort of writing such a book and making public statements about his faith. But there are other evidences that Dr. Collins has not at all excised scientific discretion when he tried to answer questions in areas where he is not an expert such as morality and mathematics. If he really wants to understand why mathematics works, he should try to do mathematics. It is very interesting that some biologists are now wondering whether what he is doing is moral - using his scientific credibility to promote in a sense a religious belief. | | | | Collins' fails to deliver on the title's promise of evidence for belief Apr 7, 2007 |
| I heard the author interviewed on "Fresh Air" discussing this book, but I missed parts of the discussion and did not hear him present any evidence supporting his belief in God as a scientist. So, I decided to read the book and learn what he had to say presented in his own words. Given his reputation as a scientist, I was very disappointed on his failure to provide any evidence for belief in God. Although he clearly identifies the flaws in Intelligent Design and the typical "God in the gaps" arguments that are made based on a lack of understanding of Darwin's Theory of Natural Selection, he falls into those same traps when discussing areas outside of his field, such as history, anthropology and physics. If you are not already a believer who is willing to accept matters on faith, you will not find anything new or any actual evidence for belief here. But, on a positive note, and the reason for my three stars, is that the book is well written, and Dr. Collins does an excellent job of explaining in contemporary terms the manner in which Darwin's Theory of Natural Selection accounts for the diversity of life we find on Earth without the involvement of a Creator, as well as debunking any scientific patina for creationism and intelligent design. For that, as well as his description of his work on the human genome project, the book is worth the read. | | | Write your own review about Language Of God
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