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Next time an Internet atheist claims science caused him to discard God, offer to trade books with him

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Recently, friend Douglas Ell gave a talk on his book, Counting To God: A Personal Journey Through Science to Belief, at MIT:

Blurb from MIT maven:

What if you could combine the best of science and religion, and leave the worst behind?

The best scientists are precise, thorough, and open minded, willing to change their opinions if, and only if, the data calls for change.

Religion brings out the best in people when it calls forth nobility of spirit, a sense of the grandeur and wonder of nature and a uniting, not dividing, sense of purpose.

Doug Ell’s new book, Counting to God, is an approach that combines the best of science and religion. He leaves the dogmatism and narrow-mindedness which infects much religion – and also much science – behind, and uses scrupulous analysis to make a convincing case that the most advanced, sophisticated thinking in science not only allows for the idea of a designed universe, but encourages it.

How careful is the science? Counting to God has been endorsed by a number of leading scientists, including the head of the physics department at MIT.

But Ell won’t preach at you – consider the science – make up your own mind.

I highly recommend this thoughtful exploration of the relation between science and spirituality, two seemingly opposed descriptions of our world. Posed as a personal journey, Doug asks “How can we relate the descriptions of the spiritual and physical worlds?” Doug takes on the biggest questions of our time: cosmology, the origin of the universe and the biochemistry of genetics in a relevant and accessible way. Whether you agree with him or not, you will enjoy and learn from this book.

-Professor Peter Fisher, Head of the Department of Physics, MIT

Thing is, the Internet atheist won’t read the book, but you might be hearing from him less often, which is a feature, not a bug.

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6 Replies to “Next time an Internet atheist claims science caused him to discard God, offer to trade books with him”

  1. 1
    bornagain77 says:
    July 13, 2014 at 5:59 am

    Just finished his book and lent it out to a friend. Nicely written. He has an ability to make complex subjects easily accessible.

  2. 2
    ayearningforpublius says:
    July 13, 2014 at 10:17 am

    I’ve not read this book, but another I recommend is Professor Edgar Andrews’ book Who Made God? at http://whomadegod.org/
    No … I’m not offering to trade since I’ve already given my copy away. But I would like to read Counting to God

  3. 3
    Barb says:
    July 14, 2014 at 9:01 am

    http://www.science20.com/write.....9982?psych

    All Internet atheists should consider that article required reading. Here’s an excerpt:

    Your fundamental beliefs are decided by much deeper levels of consciousness, and some may well be more or less set in stone.

    This line of thought has led to some scientists claiming that “atheism is psychologically impossible because of the way humans think,” says Graham Lawton, an avowed atheist himself, writing in the New Scientist. “They point to studies showing, for example, that even people who claim to be committed atheists tacitly hold religious beliefs, such as the existence of an immortal soul.”

  4. 4
    Silver Asiatic says:
    July 14, 2014 at 10:19 am

    Fascinating article. Religious instinct and spiritual belief is universally experienced in humanity – even among atheists.
    Interesting but not surprising, the researchers conclude this is due to evolution or social conditioning, but never suggest that it might be because God actually does exist.

    But as higher levels of education spread, will starry-eyed spirituality die out and cooler, drier atheism sweep the field, as some atheism campaigners suggest? Some specialists feel this is unlikely. “If godlessness flourishes where there is stability and prosperity, then climate change and environmental degradation could seriously slow the spread of atheism,” says Lawton in New Scientist.

    Strange comment … I don’t understand. If there are more atheists in stable and prosperous societies then climate change will kill them off? Environmental degradation will convince more people that God exists? Or possibly, a higher proportion of atheists will die off than of believers – thus atheism won’t spread?

    That’s the predictive and scientific power of sociology and evolutionism at work. 🙂

  5. 5
    bornagain77 says:
    July 16, 2014 at 4:45 am

    Doug Ell at MIT Counting To God – video
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qVK1L-bXr1Q

  6. 6

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