Re: Hoyle

Glenn Morton commented:

> Most people thought he was a crank in his later years and given that he
> refused to accept the clear evidence for the Big Bang (for theological
> reasons--he thought it was religious) he probably was.
>

I think the problem is a little more of a puzzle.

It's natural to have "great ideas", some of which work, and some (many?)
of which don't. I think where a scientist begins to turn into a crank is
when the scientist becomes so obsessed with their own great idea that
the scientist can no longer accept that he/she could be wrong.

When I see people like that, I wonder how they got that way. In many ways,
these people appear perfectly rational on many things.

It's like a faith gone mad. To be a creative scientist, you _have_ to have
some faith. But maybe the problem is that these scientists have built
a faith on their ideas. When Job says, "I know my Redeemer lives",
he speaks where he has nothing to assure him of this. Science cannot
answer Job's statement of faith any more than his friend's theology can.
On the other hand, scientific questions do have answers, and one must
yield to them. It might be right in some cases to press on, but one has
to keep in their minds eye the real possibility that the idea is wrong.

From what I have read of Hoyle (or more irritating Duesberg), it seems
like that is at least _some_ part of the problem --- kind of rocketed
through the ranks too quickly for their particular personalities.

Faith in God is certainly rational if it is the only way that one can get
up in the morning and live another day or endure hard suffering with
integrity. However, faith in one's ideas is quickly heading down the
slippery slope toward the irrational.

I fear it is a disease that could infect almost any person given the
right conditions.

By Grace alone we proceed.
Wayne
Received on Mon Feb 9 10:51:59 2004