Conversion to Christianity Collins's conversion to Christianity is detailed at the beginning and end of
The Language of God. He grew up in an agnostic family, and knew at an early age that he wanted to be a scientist. At first, he was interested in the physical sciences, since "biology was rather like existential philosophy: it just didn't make sense" (page 181). However, nearing the end of his Ph.D. program, Collins took a biochemistry course and became interested in the field. He entered medical school and began genetic research and a clinical practice after graduating. In one instance, Collins was asked by a Christian patient about his spiritual beliefs. He did not really have an answer; Collins then decided that he should confirm his atheism by studying the best arguments for faith. A pastor directed him to
Mere Christianity by C. S. Lewis, which he cites as the main cause of his conversion.
Moral Law Another section of
The Language of God focuses on the
argument from morality. Moral Law is very important to Collins: "After twenty-eight years as a believer, the Moral Law stands out for me as the strongest signpost of God" (p. 218). Moral Law is an argument for the existence of God; Collins quotes C. S. Lewis to describe it: "The denunciation of oppression, murder, treachery, falsehood and the injunction of kindness to the aged, the young, and the weak, almsgiving, impartiality, and honesty." Collins argues that all cultures and religions of the world endorse a universal, absolute and timeless
Moral Law, which is documented in the
Encyclopedia of Religion and Ethics as a unique property that separates humans from animals. The Moral Law includes altruism, which is more than just reciprocity ("You scratch my back, and I'll scratch yours"). His second argument is: "Selfless
altruism presents a major challenge for the evolutionist" (p. 27).
Intersection of science and faith Collins argues that science and faith can be compatible. In an interview on the
Point of Inquiry podcast, he told
D. J. Grothe that "the scientific method and the scientific worldview can't be allowed to get distorted by religious perspectives", but that he does not think "being a believer or a non-believer affects one's ability to do science." He also said that "the faith that Richard Dawkins|[Richard] Dawkins describes in
The God Delusion isn't the faith I recognize," and that, like him, "most people are seeking a possible harmony between these worldviews [faith and science]." "BioLogos" expresses the belief that God is the source of all life and that life expresses the will of God. BioLogos represents the view that science and faith co-exist in harmony. However, this did not become the most widely used definition of that name. Instead,
BioLogos became the name of the science and faith organization Collins founded in November 2007. The organization BioLogos now prefers the term "
evolutionary creation" to describe its position regarding evolution and Genesis. ==Reception==