It’s been quite a while since Francis Collins, the former head of the NIH and one of the Founder of Biologos, published his NY Times bestseller, The Language of God. His new book is something entirely different. It is an attempt by a scientist who is also a very committed Christian to suggest ways America could get beyond the divisiveness, vitriol, cynicism about our basic institutions, hatred, and violence that has all been tearing at the very fabric of the cloth that binds this country together. As such, it is a very timely book, and all 288 pages should be read carefully. For a country that has been suffering from truth decay, and ignorance of or basic denial of actual facts, this book provides a way forward that does not lead forward to chaos or autocracy as opposed to democracy, a way forward that does not compromise our grasp on reality, or for that matter our freedom of religion.
So what are the things Francis suggests? For one thing it reminds us that while all of us are entitled to our opinions we are not entitled to opinions that contradict the fundamental facts that can be verified from a careful examination of the empirical evidence. There really is an objective reality outside the movie that is playing inside our head, and we all need to learn how to use good critical judgment when we are bombarded by all sorts of deceptive social media claims touting conspiracy theories and outright lies, for instance about who won the 2020 presidential election, or the notion that all our major problems could be solved by closing our southern borders with a better wall, right after we expelled all the immigrants we can find. It might be useful to remember that apart from Native Americans, all of us came to this country as immigrants, whether recently or since the 16th century. All of us, and there is a reason why the inscription on the Statue of Liberty reads in part ‘Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free…”
Collins insist that while we all have some degree of cognitive biases , it is also true that we have the ability to do critical thinking, even about our own opinions and it would be healthy if we regularly had meaningful, respectful discussions with people we disagree with. Francis thinks this could help heal some of the divisions in our country. He also thinks we need to do a better job of paying attention to experts in science and other fields are telling us about reality. Neither arrogance nor ignorance will help us save our country any more than racism or hatred will. And if one is a Christian one has a duty to love one’s neighbor, and as Jesus said, even love those we perceive to be enemies.
Francis admits that rebuilding trust in government, in educational institutions, in science, in church or synagogues is at this point a long term project, but he thinks we all have a duty to contribute to the solution to our divisions, not to the problem itself by supporting ideas and persons that simply further divide us. He has given us some practical solutions, and some websites and organizations that could help us mend our fences, rather than tearing them all down.
Thank you Francis for this. We needed this book right about now more than ever before.
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