Is it crazy to be Christian?

The October 25, 2009 issue of Our Sunday Visitor contains a brief opinion piece entitled, “Is belief in God sign of ‘dementia’?” It includes a reference to the New York Times and says that the Times had included reference to the possible “dementia” of the new director of the National Institutes of Health, Dr. Francis Collins.

No,” I said to myself. “Surely the Times wouldn’t say such a thing!!”

So I did a web search and found the article in question: a profile of Dr. Collins, an evangelical Christian, published on October 5, 2009.

In this article, the Times speaks of several controversies surrounding the NIH director. It says, “First, there is the God issue. Dr. Collins believes in him. Passionately. And he preaches about his belief in churches and a best-selling book. For some presidential appointees, that might not be a problem, but many scientists view such outspoken religious commitment as a sign of mild dementia.”

You've got to be kidding.

At any rate, apparently Collins didn’t always profess a belief in God. Some years ago, a patient asked him what he believed, and it struck him that this was a question that merited consideration. He explored the question for a period of years and ultimately came to believe in God.

The Times goes on to say, “Critics like the physicist Robert L. Park contend that the moment was nothing but a hormonal rush. That a man with a medical degree and a Ph.D. in chemistry failed to diagnose the problem and instead gave it higher meaning ‘is enough to cause concern,’ said Dr. Park, a professor at the University of Maryland noted for his attacks on ‘voodoo science.’”

Another scientist who was concerned about the possible impact of faith on Dr. Collins’ ability to lead the NIH was Dr. Irving L. Weissman, director of the Stanford Institute of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine. Ultimately some of his fears were allayed when Dr. Collins promised him “not to let faith interfere with scientific judgment”.

In fairness, the remainder of the New York Times article (found here) doesn’t focus on the problem of merging faith and science. Rather it mentioned such key issues as the mode of transportation chosen by Dr. Collins and his predecessor (a motorcycle and a bicycle, respectively).

Aat any rate, fter the first 1/3 or so of the article, the Times finally begins to focus a bit on factors other than whether Dr. Collins’ faith is the result of either dementia or raging hormones. Ultimately the Times does spend a bit of time considering Dr. Collins’ scientific record.

As a Christian, I resent the insinuation that my faith may be the result of either mental illness or hormonal imbalance. As a Christian, I object to the Times putting Collins’ faith at the head of the list of reasons to be concerned about the suitability of Collins for his position.

____________________________________

Don't forget to visit Jen's place for Friday's 7 Quick Takes. You'll find her here.

And don't forget to enter this week's photo contest, which you can find here.