5th Op-Ed

5th Op-Ed
Science is in the Details
By: Sam Harris

In his article, Sam Harris steps outside the line to attack Francis Collins’ way of thinking and try to win people over to his side (him being the author of The End of Faith). In this article he first lays out all that Mr. Collins has accomplished (like leading the Genome Project) to then question his compatibility for the job of head of the National Institute of Health. Harris explains what Collins believes by using his slide show that he showed a group of students at the University of California at Berkeley. In short, what Harris finds troubling is the fact that God, at the particular time in evolutionary history, gave man a soul, free will, and the knowledge of good and evil. This small belief which has had no affect on his success in the past is a serious concern to Harris because Mr. Collins will be in charge of a $30 billion health budget and will be representing the USA. Harris then goes on the subtly call anyone who believes in anything but total evolution an idiot. He compares it to understanding that there are particles in air. That it may be hard to understand, but we higher level people know it to be true. Also, thinking like a scientist is at the very hardest with religion. Harris is worried that Collins’ religion will not allow him to accept the truth in certain situations. That when confronted with a new scientific truth, that he will just insist it is God’s doing and can not fully understand it.
In this article, Harris basically just attacks Collins’ views and tries to make his ideas seem immature. He writes by starting out stating his concern, then giving some facts, informing us why we should be concerned, and then finally ending it by making it seem that Obama has made a very bad decision. I believe that this article is unreasonable and unnecessary. First of all, Mr. Collins has accomplished a ton in his scientific career and his faith has never held him back. This is a minor issue in this country if that. I can’t believe that there are many other people out there like him (as his says) that are losing sleep about such an issue. Even with Harris’ doubts, Mr. Collins will do very well in his position.