The Science and Religion: The Nobel Price Awarded Scientists about Religion

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  2. მეცნიერება და რელიგია, ნობელიანტი მეცნიერები რელიგიის შესახებ
  3. Pataridze, Tamara
  4. Various approaches to the problem of correlation between science and theology
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  6. Theodore Gignadze
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    1. The priest Theodore Gignadze discusses the issue of the attitude expressed in the scientific circles, and specially, in the circles of the Nobel Price winners towards the religion, Creation and towards the connection between the science and religion. He discusses selected quotations found in the writings of Nobel Prize awarded scientists.

      Gignadze argues that the largely spread opinion pretending that the Nobel Prize winners are mostly atheists isn’t accurate and appropriated. We always notice, indeed, the attitude of many researchers showing themselves embarrassed to speak about God. According to the conferences given to the large public, this attitude appeared to be proper also to Georgian physicist Gia Dvali (professor of physics at New York University's Center for Cosmology and Particle Physics and at LMU Munich, and is a director at the Max Planck Institute for Physics, Munich): says Gignadze.

      Nevertheless, there are scientists awarded with the Nobel Prize who have expressed their devotion being astonished by the precise laws of nature seemed to be administered by the supreme intelligence. Let us quote some of them:

      William Daniel Phillips, American physicist, Nobel Prize in Physics: The majority among the people who are the Nobel prize winners believe in God, but they don’t speak openly about this. I believe in personal God. I believe that the regulation which was necessary for the development of the life in the universe speaks about the existence of its intelligent creator. Many things are absolutely non understandable in science without divine interference.  

      Richard Errett Smalley, Professor of Chemistry and Professor of Physics and Astronomy at Rice University, in Houston, Texas: The truth is in Christianity. The precise laws of nature shape the human’s perspective of existence. In the Divine euconomy we have a role to play consisting in the expression of love for each other. We should collaborate for the accomplishment of divine providence.

      Christian Boehmer Anfinsen (Nobel Prize in Chemistry): Only an unwise man can stay without faith. Our existence can be explained only if it is supposed to be regulated by transcendental and omniscient being.

      Joseph Hooton Taylor, astrophysicist and Nobel Prize in Physics: There is no contradiction between science and religion. The scientific discoveries give us more knowledge about the Creator.

      Arno Allan Penzias, American physicist, radio astronomer and Nobel laureate in physics : The data we dispose would be compatible with my views even if I had only the Bible at my disposal.

      Isidor Isaac Rabi, American physicist, Nobel Prize in Physics: The physics consolidate me in my piety. Indeed, thanks to it I started to think about the initial reasons of everything and it brought me close to my God.

      To stress his point Gognadze notices that the cosmological argument was already expressed in the Bible. For example, Paul, in his Epistles to the Romans 1.20 says: “how to observe the universe and see the Creator behind:For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse”.