Has Science Buried God?












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            * Has Science Buried God?
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            On Thursday, November 6, the Faculty of Arts of Charles University hosted a lecture by Pro

            Lennox, Professor of Mathematics and Philosophy of Science in Oxford University, titled “H
            God?” The vast interest in this topic was clear from the moment I arrived at the venue in 
            Arts main building. With every seat in the Great Lecture Hall filled 10 minutes before it 

            and standing space at a premium I was taken aback by the sheer number of people who had ve
            that dreary night to see Prof Lennox speak. The reason behind the enormous attendance soon
            Prof Lennox began his lecture, he truly possessed everything that was needed for a discuss

            as complex and controversial as this; a remarkable intellect, a flare for public speaking,
            for the topic, and most importantly a willingness to approach the topic with logic and rea

            his views and their downfalls openly and honestly. 

            <blockquote class="rightfloat"> <p> An interesting distinction made by Prof Lennox was bet

            the gaps” and his own view of God. </p> </blockquote>
            In his opening point he referred to two scientists, Peter Higgs and William Phillips, one 
            one Christian, both Nobel Prize winners. What he said about these two was that “what divid

            their science but their world view”. This is a theme that occurred throughout the talk, th
            science that was differing for the most part, but the world view of the people taking part
            very evident in the contrast between Isaac Newton and Stephen Hawking. Newton saw gravity 

            exists but Hawking sees it as proof that God doesn’t exist. So what has changed in the tim
            two great minds? The easiest answer is the world views with Christianity no longer at the 
            in the scientific community, being mostly replaced by atheism. Where once you were thought

            believe in God, it now seems more and more as if you will be thought a fool for believing.
            An interesting distinction made by Prof Lennox was between a “god of the gaps” and his own
            stated that if you believe God is a “god of the gaps” then you are forced to choose betwee

            science as science explains the things once thought to be the work of a god, such as thund
            the view which seems to be held by Hawking, is in contrast to the view held by Newton and 
            see God as a God of “the whole show”, therefore the more they learn of the world through s

            they believe in a God who has created it and marvel at his work.
            Lennox seemed to feel that many people are confused as to the nature of scientific explana
            the law of gravity does not tell you what gravity is, in fact nobody knows what it is, it 

            what it does. He believes that an explanation through science and one through God do not c
            other, much like the scientific explanation of boiling a kettle of a heating element causi
            molecules to vibrate extremely fast does not contradict the explanation that it is boiling

            a cup of tea. He appeared to be saying that both are valid explanations which come togethe
            fuller picture.
            One of his more striking arguments was against one of the most common points made during t

            debate which is if God created everything then who created God. To this he simply said tha
            God was created, an idea which goes against the Christian faith which says that God is ete
            a very difficult concept to grasp and to accept without faith in its truth and a divine po

            opposing side says that at one point everything came from nothing, an equally difficult an
            idea. I feel it best to leave the contemplation of these ideas to greater minds than my ow
            find it difficult to fully understand or explain.

            By the end of the lecture I was perhaps a bit overwhelmed by some of the concepts however 
            entranced and I think most importantly I had been made to really think about the topic and
            standpoint on it. It is this I feel, making people think, that is the most important outco

            or debate. As students we should always be questioning both what were are told and what we
            believe to know and Prof Lennox certainly made me do just that.