A hero for our times...

A little while back, Kat and I had the opportunity to hear Francis Collins speak at a local university. Collins is the the national director of the human genome project and also an evangelical Christian. His book, The Language of God, published a year and a half ago has been a best seller, and has been a really pivotal book for Kat and I as it relates to sharing science, and specifically evolution, with other Christians.

Here is a link to the story and podcast of his presenation: http://www.pointloma.edu/Biology/ScienceEducationPrograms/Dr__Francis_Collins_Visits_PLNU.htm

Anyways, the cool thing was that Kat got to have dinner with Collins and 50 or so professors before the speech. She sent him a follow-up note, and this was his response:

Dear Kathryn, Thanks for your encouraging note of April 15. For a source of information about the history of creationism, Ron Numbers book "The Creationists" is by far the most authoritative and objective. You can find it at Amazon, see http://www.amazon.com/Creationists-Evolution-Scientific-Creationism/dp/0520083938 Evolution may be neutral about our place in the tapestry of life, but God (the author of evolution) apparently is not! There is evidence that selection has continued to operate upon us rather recently (think skin color or the ability to digest lactose), but that doesn't seem to affect the Imago Dei. Blessings, Francis

I can't express enough how impressed I am with this man. He is a solid scientist and grounded Christian. I hope through his efforts, and not the foolishness of movies like Expelled, that common ground can be found between the two camps.