With a New York bestseller book (The Language of God) already under his belt, Dr. Collins is no stranger to the book writing process. The second to a series of books named “The language of…”; “The Language of Life” is the first one to focus on the theme of personalized medicine in the modern world. Both “The language of God” and “The Language of Science and Faith” focus on reconciliate science and religion, from a scientist stand point.
Francis S. Collins is a renowned geneticist who originally became Ph.D in Physical Chemistry at Yale University and later on, a Medical Doctor at University of North Carolina. As soon as he graduated he was offered a fellowship in Human Genetics at Yale University under the guidance of Sherman Weissman, currently Sterling Professor of Genetics. In the late 1980’s Collins became known in the field of Medical Genetics for his development of positional cloning, a technique that allows to locate a hereditary disease-causing gene by studying the inheritance pattern within a family. Working with his method researchers found the genes responsible for diseases like Cystic fibrosis, Huntington’s disease, Neurofibromatosis, Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia type one, and Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria Syndrome. In 1993 Dr. Collins succeeded Dr. James D. Watson as the director of the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI), overseeing the role of the United States in the mapping of the human genome. In 2009 President Obama personally recommended Collins to lead the National Institute of Health (NIH) where he works until present day. Francis S. Collins is by no means a bragging individual, bits and pieces of his accomplishments are scattered throughout the book and he makes no big deal about it; instead he j...
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...ok goes back and forth between factual writing and narrative making it really confusing. To add to the confusion there is a Glossary for “scientific words” which means if you do not understand something you will have to go back and forth pages. Most of the things touched in the book we have already discussed in classes like General Biology, Molecular Genetics and Bioanalytical Techniques. I feel the book is geared towards people with some degree of knowledge in Biology (like High School students) and an interest in Genetics and honestly society works now on instant gratification, why would I have to pay to hear the opinion of an incredibly accomplished old man when I can look up in the internet the opinion of someone maybe less ignorant than you and form myself an opinion based of someone else’s firm opinion.
Works Cited
Francis S. Collins "The Language of Life"
Have you ever questioned scientists religious beliefs? A young girl asked, and got a vague answer. Phyllis Wright, a sixth grade girl, wrote to Albert Einstein, asking him if scientists pray, and if they did, what they would pray for. When reading Einstein’s response, you get a very unclear answer to this question most people think about. The speaker of this letter is Albert Einstein; a man who is widely considered the greatest scientist of the twentieth century. The attended audience at the beginning was just Wright, and maybe some of her peers. Today, the intended audience is anyone who is interested on this topic along with high school students. Einstein uses multiple literary devices throughout his letter, including ethos, logos, and pathos, to answer the young girl's question about praying.
In 1936 a sixth-grade student by the name of Phyllis Wright wondered if scientists pray, and if so, what for. She decided to ask one of the greatest scientists of all time, Albert Einstein. A while later he wrote a letter back to Phyllis with his response. Understanding the context and purpose of his response assist in analyzing its effectiveness. After receiving a letter from such a young student, Einstein aimed to provide Phyllis with a comprehensible answer. He intended for his response not to sway her in one way or another, but to explain science and religion do not necessarily contradict each other completely. By using appeals to ethos, pathos, and logos, Einstein achieved his purpose by articulating a response suitable for a sixth grade
“The lack of conflict between science and religion arises from a lack of overlap between their respective domains of professional expertise—science in the empirical constitution of the universe, and religion in the search for proper ethical values and the spiritual meaning of our lives. The attainment of wisdom in a full life requires extensive attention to both domains—for a great book tells us that the truth can make us free and that we will live in optimal harmony with our fellows when we learn to do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly.”
Science and faith are generally viewed as two topics that do not intermingle. However, Andy Crouch’s work, Delight in Creation, suggests that there is an approach to both faith and science that allows support of scientists in the church community. There is an approach that can regard science as a career that can reflect the nature of God.
The relationship of science and spirituality can be a debate that many people have conceptualized. Jacalyn Duffin’s uses her historian and physician background to lead her to an important exploration of medical saints who spark miracles in the postmodern world that contribute to her three main observations. Duffin studies why physicians ignore miracles and prayer, why are miracles mostly about illness, and Comas and Damian in Toronto. Her personal scholarly experiences along with her first-hand observation with miraculous cure influence her work and accomplishments with “Medical Saints: Cosmas and Damian in a Postmodern World”. The book leaves the reader with a idea and understanding of the concepts Duffin studies to further develop the authority so more contributions can be made for this field. This book will give the reader an idea of these medical saints and how it is significant in the postmodern world today.
...he reader, which creates many questions about the particular subject of genetic engineering. It also conveys the authors idea, that we really need to be careful about what we do with this new scientific marvel, effectively to the reader, thus raising the reader's awareness about genetic engineering.
It is estimated that around a dozen U.S. children will die in faith-healing cases each year. Typically associated with Christianity, Faith healing is founded on the belief that certain people or places have the ability to cure and heal sickness, disease, or injuries. Typically this “healing” is associated by a close connection to a higher power through prayer, divine intervention, or the ministration of an individual who claims himself as a healer. Faith has been scientifically proven in the field psychology to yield benefits to health. Although faith has promised a greater wellbeing for many individual’s lives, it has yet to be a significant replacement for medication many people but relaying on faith as a means for medication.
In Gattaca, the plot focuses on the ethics, the risks, and the emotional impact of genetic testing in the nearby future. The film was released in the 90s; yet in the present, the film does not give the impression of science fiction. Today, genetic testing is prevalent in many aspects of the scientific community. This paper will describe genetic testing, its purpose, diagnostic techniques that use genetic testing, relating Huntington’s disease to genetic testing, and the pros and cons of genetic testing.
Scientism is the view that knowledge of reality should only be gained or is best gained through the scientific process or research. This statement though sounds logical; it implies that something cannot be known or believed if it is not scientifically gained knowledge. Scientism is not science; it is a view about knowledge. Scientific statements are facts, but statements of facts cannot explain moral and ethical judgments that evaluate facts claims as being good or bad. It is therefore important to distinguish between scientific claims (90% of Americans think racism is wrong) and values (racism is wrong). Science forms a part of ethical or ought statements but these statements goes beyond what science offers. Not making this distinction leads to the fallacy of obtaining an ought from an is. Relativism is another viewpoint that upholds that there is no concept such as “the ultimate truth” and every belief or knowledge is relative to how it is perceived by an individual or culture. For, example things that Americans value or prioritize like independence or equality might be irrelevant in another culture. The adverse effects of concepts such as scientism and relativism has led to nonscientific claims being trivialized in the healthcare system. However new interest has been generated in spirituality in the healthcare system and Duke University has formed a center in 1998 to promote religion and spirituality in health through research (Grand Canyon University, 2015). This in my opinion is a much needed venture resolve these tensions as the Bible reminds us that in the last days even the elect may be
Boston: Bedford/St. Martin,. 304 - 316 mm. Print. The. Newman, Stuart A.. “The Hazards of Human Developmental Gene Modification.”
“As physicians have always their instruments and knives ready for cases which suddenly require their skill, so do you have principles ready for the understanding of things divine and human, and for doing everything, even the smallest, while remembering the bond which unites the divine and human to one another. For you will not do anything well affecting humans without at the same time referring to things divine; or the contrary.”
Between.(Of Several Minds)(A Multiyear Study Funded By The Ford Foundation Called,' Altering Nature: How Religious Traditions Assess The New Biotechnologies')." Commonweal 14 (2004): 8. Academic OneFile. Web. 15 Mar. 2014.
...ninteresting to me, probably because of all the footnotes. Another problem I had with this book was all of the big, scientific words Oliver used. It seemed like jargon to me. Perhaps I don’t have an abundance of scientific vocabulary. Another thing that annoyed me with this book was how hard it was to find. It was only in public libraries, no book stores, and all the copies in Contra Costa County were already checked out. Eventually we found a copy of the book at the Menlo Park public library. Thank goodness by aunt lives near there and was able to get it for me.
Doctors, nurses and other providers are challenged on a daily basis in an attempt to consider and assimilate their patient’s different religious backgrounds and beliefs. The recent trends and strong indications of religious vitality and diversity present a pressing need to recognize various faith traditions in healthcare ethics (Reimer-Kirkham, Grypma, & Terblanche, 2013). Christianity and Buddhism, two of the most widely practiced religions today, bring their own viewpoints concerning healthcare. These religious beliefs may have similar ideas with regards to illness and healing. However, the differences in health practices and the approach to achieving optimal
In healthcare organizations, medical staff must conform to their hospital and their country’s code of conduct. Not only do they have to meet set standards, they must also take their patient into consideration. When making a decision upon a patient, medical staff must recognize religious backgrounds and spiritual beliefs. By understanding a patients’ beliefs and their belief system, a medical worker can give the patient their deserved medical assistance without overstepping boundaries or coming off as offensive. The practices and beliefs of four religions will be articulated throughout this essay to fully understand how religion can either help or hinder the healing process.