Essay series addresses “big questions”

By David Daniels and ChristianWeek | July 9, 2010

Does the universe have a purpose? Will money solve Africa's development problems? Does science make belief in God obsolete? Does the free market corrode moral character? Does evolution explain human nature? Does moral action depend on reasoning?

These are just a few of the big questions engaging people who wrestle with the challenges of living in our complex world. The John Templeton Foundation, guided by its motto, "How little we know, how eager to learn," is attempting to address these questions in their Big Questions Essay Series.

The "Big Questions" initiative encourages respectful, open-minded dialogue between scientists, theologians and other leaders in their respective disciplines, to stimulate new thinking on the pressing questions of the day. The six questions listed above have already been addressed by the foundation, and more are coming in the future.

Eight to 13 recognized leaders provide a short, succinct answer to each question, allowing the general public to see how leading thinkers approach significant questions affecting life on this planet. Perusing the series reminded me of R.C Sproul's The Consequences of Ideas: Understanding the Concepts that Shaped Our World (Crossway Books, 2009). Ideas are powerful, and how we arrive at those ideas is critically important if we are going to successfully face the complexities and quandaries of contemporary life.

Of the six questions already explored, I am particularly interested in the one about science and God: "Does science make belief in God obsolete?" As a conservative, evangelical Christian, my immediate response is to deny that science renders belief in God obsolete. And while I come to that question with a settled answer, I find it enlightening and worthwhile to hear the reasons for why some think otherwise.

Steven Pinker, a professor of psychology at Harvard, says science does rule out belief in God if by science we mean "the entire enterprise of secular reason and knowledge." He includes history and philosophy in his definition. He claims that belief in God was attractive because it "promised to explain the deepest puzzles about origins," including why anyone should act morally. However, according to Pinker, the deeper we probe these questions "the less reason there is to believe in God."

On the other hand, William D. Phillips, a Nobel Laureate in physics says "Absolutely not!" He argues that the world is filled with far too many questions that science cannot answer, because scientific questions require "hard evidence, reproducible experiments, and rigorous logic to support any scientific hypothesis." Scientific questions must, in principle, be able to be "falsifiable." By contrast, Phillips contends, a religious statement such as "God loves us and wants us to love one another" is not subject to scientific scrutiny, simply because it is not a scientific question. "Science is not the only useful way of looking at life."

Along with Pinker and Phillips, 11 others—theologians, philosophers, scientists of various kinds—provide their unique perspective on the legitimacy, or lack thereof, for belief in God. Their responses, unsurprisingly, range from a confident "No, not at all" to an equally certain "Yes."

So far, my reading in the series confirms that the Templeton Foundation's desire to "promote a dialogue that transcends familiar rhetoric and stock answers," is reasonably achieved. But there are the expected exceptions.

For example, no one familiar with the evangelistic fervor of the new atheists will be surprised with the monotonously familiar rant of Christopher Hitchens. As for whether or not science renders belief in God obsolete, Hitchens condescendingly replies, "No, but it should." What follows is an arrogant, dismissive piece of toxic overstatement, far removed from the "informed, open-minded dialogue" transcending "familiar rhetoric and stock answers" desired by the Templeton Foundation.

However, despite these occasional lapses, and some who take the opposing view of Hitchens can be equally obnoxious, the "Big Questions" series is a value resource for encouraging deep thinking about substantial issues facing us today. They are an excellent resource for study groups and reading clubs—for anyone hungering to think deeply about big questions.

And here's the really good news. All of these discussions are available free of charge to anyone anywhere. Click here to read individual articles or download PDF versions of each booklet.

For those who prefer ink and paper, the foundation will mail them to you free of charge. Their address is: John Templeton Foundation, 300 Conshohocken State Road, Suite 500, West Conshohocken, PA 19428.