Here's a reply that was printed in the paper yesterday:
SIR – Barry ****** (Letters, July 10) says the discovery of the Higgs boson (the “God particle”) has nothing at all to do with any gods or religious ideas.Naturally, I have sent off a response to this letter. The Western Mail has printed plenty of my letters in the past, but just in case this one doesn't get printed, here's what I wrote:
This is surprising since the Bible says that “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1.1). By His own word He spoke the universe into being. Creation is attributed to a sovereign God, not any Higgs boson or big bang theory. Science has made tremendous strides but I think that this theory is a non-starter.
As for evidence of God’s existence, Paul tells the Romans: “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse” (Romans 1.21).
God has manifested Himself in the person of His Son Jesus Christ. The Large Hadron Collider has cost a small fortune. On the other hand Jesus Christ offers us salvation freely having paid the price by His death on the cross.
Professor Higgs declared that he is glad the answer has been found in his lifetime. I pray that both he, Barry ****** and others will find Jesus Christ in their lifetime and see Him with the eye of faith.
CARL HURLEY
Port Talbot
Sir -If this letter gets printed and there are any more responses, I'll post them on here as usual.
In my previous letter I noted that science has at last produced real, physical evidence for the elusive Higgs boson. This is indeed something worth celebrating.
Carl Hurley (Letters, July 13) was seemingly upset by my assertion that the Higgs has more evidence for its existence than God. However, given that apparently the only 'evidence' he can produce is from a book written by pre-scientific Bronze Age tribesmen, my assertion still stands. If that book constitutes evidence for God, then by the same logic Tolkien's writings constitute evidence for hobbits and elves.
As for seeing 'with the eye of faith,' I'd rather base my knowledge and beliefs on evidence. 'Faith' is nothing more than the excuse people give when they believe something for no good reason. It is certainly not a valid basis for making a truth claim of any kind.
2 comments:
The term "God Particle" came from the book "The God Particle / If the Universe is the Answer, What is the Question?," by Leon Lederman & Dick Teresi (first published in 1993 and reissued in 2006), which is in the bibliography of my free ebook on comparative mysticism.
In his 2006 Preface Dr. Lederman, a Nobel laureate in physics, wrote:
Now as for the title, The God Particle, my coauthor, Dick Teresi, has agreed to accept the blame. I mentioned the phrase as a joke once in a speech, and he remembered it and used it as the working title of the book. "Don't worry," he said, "no publisher ever uses the working title on the final book." The title ended up offending two groups: 1) those who believe in God and 2) those who do not. We were warmly received by those in the middle.
14
nice reply :)
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