The Prism and the Rainbow

Heard Jody Martin talk about his book today for Darwin Week.  It was excellent.  I don't remember the last time I heard such a good talk.  He was funny, clear, intelligent, humble, and most strikingly to me, confident.  In the beginning I shamefully cringed a little when he said something like the "majesty of God" in front of all these people from South Campus.  I was thinking, "Did he really just say that?  These atheists are probably laughing inside!"  (And I rightfully say "atheists"; there was a girl wearing a "UGA Atheists" shirt.)  But as the talk progressed and he proved himself to be a coherent, compelling, and witty intellectual, I was nothing but proud of all that he was doing on the podium.  To stand in front of what could be a room full of atheists and talk about God in a way that is true yet inoffensive to non-believers, and about science in a way that is true yet compelling to fundamentalists!

He had that authority over scientists because he is a well-respected scientist himself.  This is exactly the kind of thing I want to do.  Hopefully this unnecessary fight between science and religion will be a smaller issue when I'm older, but something in that direction.

I'll leave you with this wonderful quotation by William Bragg (of Bragg's law!), in reply to whether science and religion are opposed to one another:

Religion and science are opposed...but only in the same sense as that in which my thumb and forefinger are opposed -- and between the two, one can grasp everything. 

(Hot danggg!!  You go Sir William!)