Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Priest-Cosmologist Wins $1.6 Million Templeton Prize
New York Times ^ | 03/13/2008 | Brenda Goodman

Posted on 03/14/2008 5:08:51 AM PDT by iowamark

The $1.6 million Templeton Prize, the richest award made to an individual by a philanthropic organization, was given Wednesday to Michael Heller, 72, a Roman Catholic priest, cosmologist and philosopher who has spent his life asking, and perhaps more impressively answering, questions like “Does the universe need to have a cause?”...

Much of Professor Heller’s career has been dedicated to reconciling the known scientific world with the unknowable dimensions of God.

In doing so, he has argued against a “God of the gaps” strategy for relating science and religion, a view that uses God to explain what science cannot.

Professor Heller said he believed, for example, that the religious objection to teaching evolution “is one of the greatest misunderstandings” because it “introduces a contradiction or opposition between God and chance.”

In a telephone interview, Professor Heller explained his affinity for the two fields: “I always wanted to do the most important things, and what can be more important than science and religion? Science gives us knowledge, and religion gives us meaning. Both are prerequisites of the decent existence.”

Professor Heller said he planned to use his prize to create a center for the study of science and theology at the Pontifical Academy of Theology, in Krakow, Poland, where he is a faculty member....

On returning years later to Poland, where Communist authorities sought to oppress intellectuals and priests, Professor Heller found shelter for his work in the Catholic Church. He was ordained at 23, but spent just one year ministering to a parish before he felt compelled to return to academia....

The prize will be officially awarded in London by Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, in a private ceremony on May 7 at Buckingham Palace.

(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; News/Current Events; United Kingdom
KEYWORDS: award; creation; creationism; evolution; heller; michaelheller; poland; templeton; templetonprize
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-6061-80 ... 121-124 next last

Michael Heller, 72, winner of this year’s prize. He says science and religion “are prerequisites of the decent existence.”

Templeton Prize bio

1 posted on 03/14/2008 5:08:52 AM PDT by iowamark
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: iowamark

Mark for later read.


2 posted on 03/14/2008 5:24:07 AM PDT by DB
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: iowamark
Professor Heller said he believed, for example, that the religious objection to teaching evolution “is one of the greatest misunderstandings” because it “introduces a contradiction or opposition between God and chance.”

One really needn't work too hard to find clues as to why NYT finds it useful to run such a story.

Separately, let's distinguish, please, between "the theory of evolution" as a cause for the existence of life or species, and "evolution," which is synomymous with "adaptation," as a natural occurance manifested in existing life and species.

Yeah, do you think we're smart enough to make that distinction, academia? Do you, NYT? If I can do it, you can do it. If you want to.

3 posted on 03/14/2008 5:26:14 AM PDT by the invisib1e hand (A moderate Muslim is one who acts like a Christian,.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: the invisib1e hand
Oh yeah I meant to ad, "there is no contradiction between God and chance." It's another of his tools.
4 posted on 03/14/2008 5:27:23 AM PDT by the invisib1e hand (A moderate Muslim is one who acts like a Christian,.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: the invisib1e hand
Yeah, do you think we're smart enough to make that distinction, academia? Do you, NYT? If I can do it, you can do it. If you want to.

Yes, but most evolutionists are NOT smart enough to made that distinction - or at least they pretend not to be.

5 posted on 03/14/2008 5:30:41 AM PDT by Titus Quinctius Cincinnatus (Men fight well when they know that no prisoners will be taken.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: iowamark

LOL, I thought it was Priest-cosmetologist and I was picturing this priest cutting hair and doing nails and my gaydar went crazy. LOL


6 posted on 03/14/2008 5:33:11 AM PDT by Mercat (The LORD is my Banner)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: the invisib1e hand
I thought about posting the London Times article: Professor wins prize for maths link to God but I thought that the title was borderline sacrilegious.
7 posted on 03/14/2008 5:34:23 AM PDT by iowamark
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: Alamo-Girl; betty boop; marron; curiosity

Interesting God/science article ping...


8 posted on 03/14/2008 8:34:50 AM PDT by TXnMA (Don't vote for McCain. Vote AGAINST the Democrats!!!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: iowamark

Good for him. The problem with the epoche has still not been worked out and more should give it a try.


9 posted on 03/14/2008 8:37:48 AM PDT by RightWhale (Clam down! avoid ataque de nervosa)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: TXnMA

Thanks for the ping!


10 posted on 03/14/2008 8:46:46 AM PDT by Alamo-Girl
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: TXnMA; IowaHawk; Alamo-Girl; hosepipe; marron; metmom
Much of Professor Heller’s career has been dedicated to reconciling the known scientific world with the unknowable dimensions of God.... In doing so, he has argued against a “God of the gaps” strategy for relating science and religion, a view that uses God to explain what science cannot.... Professor Heller said he believed, for example, that the religious objection to teaching evolution “is one of the greatest misunderstandings” because it “introduces a contradiction or opposition between God and chance.”

It seems to me that the entire universe exists in a tension between that which does not change (God's Will and Word) and that which does (i.e., "chance"). Ultimately, God is not "of the gaps"; He is the foundation of everything that exists, the ultimate source of the order of the changeable things....

I'm thrilled that Professor Heller has been honored with the Templeton Prize.

Thanks so much for the ping to this excellent article TXnMA, and to Iowahawk for posting it!

11 posted on 03/14/2008 9:14:21 AM PDT by betty boop (This country was founded on religious principles. Without God, there is no America. -- Ben Stein)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: betty boop
It seems to me that the entire universe exists in a tension between that which does not change (God's Will and Word) and that which does (i.e., "chance"). Ultimately, God is not "of the gaps"; He is the foundation of everything that exists, the ultimate source of the order of the changeable things...

Indeed. Thank you for sharing your insights, dearest sister in Christ!

12 posted on 03/14/2008 9:16:20 AM PDT by Alamo-Girl
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: the invisib1e hand
Oh yeah I meant to ad, "there is no contradiction between God and chance." It's another of his tools.

Professor Heller agrees with you. It's made very clear in the article. Why the hostility?

13 posted on 03/14/2008 9:47:32 AM PDT by curiosity
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: Titus Quinctius Cincinnatus
". . . most evolutionists are NOT smart enough to made that distinction - or at least they pretend not to be."

'pretend' is the operative word, I think.

14 posted on 03/14/2008 10:34:16 AM PDT by YHAOS
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: betty boop
In doing so, he has argued against a “God of the gaps” strategy for relating science and religion, a view that uses God to explain what science cannot....

God explains everything.

Science being able to offer its own non-God explanations for things doesn't mean that they are correct explanations, nor that we don't need God any more, nor that He isn't what's behind everything any way.

Following that line of reasoning, when we are finally able to explain everything, then God will not be relevant because He's not needed anymore to explain what we don't understand.

God is far more than a handy catch-all excuse to explain what we don't understand. People who think that have a very warped and incomplete view of who God is and what He's about.

15 posted on 03/14/2008 11:29:40 AM PDT by metmom (Welfare was never meant to be a career choice.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: betty boop; Alamo-Girl; Quix; Forest Keeper

[ a tension between that which does not change (God’s Will and Word) and that which does (i.e., “chance”). Ultimately, God is not “of the gaps”; ]

Things that are thingly and things that are not thingly dancing with each other. Amazing how magnetism, heat, and light and even conductance morph into electricity and electricity morphs into them.. I suspect these other scientific variations of “dance” have been considered also..

Charleston, bob*, boogie, boogie down*, bunny hop, caper, careen, cavort, conga, flit*, foot it*, foxtrot, frolic, gambol, get down*, hoof it*, hop, hustle, jig, jitter*, jitterbug, jive*, jump, leap, one-step, prance, promenade, rhumba, rock, sambo, shimmy, skip, spin, step, strut, sway, swing, tango, tap, tread, trip, truck, twist, two-step, waltz, whirl

Amazing what “matter”(whatever that is) can do ain’t it..

http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html


16 posted on 03/14/2008 11:35:47 AM PDT by hosepipe (CAUTION: This propaganda is laced with hyperbole....)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: hosepipe
Thank you so much for sharing your insights, dear brother in Christ!
17 posted on 03/14/2008 12:01:01 PM PDT by Alamo-Girl
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 16 | View Replies]

To: TXnMA

Thanks for the ping! This is fascinating stuff!


18 posted on 03/14/2008 12:38:29 PM PDT by curiosity
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: iowamark; informavoracious; larose; RJR_fan; Prospero; Conservative Vermont Vet; ...
+

Freep-mail me to get on or off my pro-life and Catholic List:

Add me / Remove me

Please ping me to note-worthy Pro-Life or Catholic threads, or other threads of interest.

19 posted on 03/14/2008 12:45:09 PM PDT by narses (...the spirit of Trent is abroad once more.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: iowamark

As a rule, the Templeton Prize winners are indeed deserving of the award, unlike the Nobel or the Pulitzer Prize winners, which have grown more and more politicized and perverse over the years.

The New York Times article doesn’t give a very clear explanation of his work, but that’s not really surprising. This is an area that the Times will never really understand.

Maybe we’ll read more about it in a future issue of First Things.


20 posted on 03/14/2008 1:24:54 PM PDT by Cicero (Marcus Tullius)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-6061-80 ... 121-124 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson