Professor Richard Dawkins interviews Father George Coyne about his faith

Professor Richard Dawkins interviewed Father George Coyne for his program "The Genius of Charles Darwin." Although the interview did not make the program, it was a remarkable interview, and it can now be seen on the Internet.

Professor Richard Dawkins interviewed Father George Coyne for his program "The Genius of Charles Darwin." Although the interview did not make the program, it was a remarkable interview, and it can now be seen on YouTube. For anyone even remotely interested in the relationship between science and religion, this interview is a must. One of the marvellous things about this interview is that both George Coyne and Richard Dawkins are showing that the accusations, the bigotry that often marks this type of discussion is not necessary, that it is perfectly possible to have a civil, but frank exchange of views, leading to a good general impression of where both parties stand. The interview is about an hour long, so I can't describe everything here, and it would be a superfluous exercise anyway. All it takes to know what is said, is to click on the image of the video. I believe that the most important moment of the interview happens after approximately 40 minutes in the interview, at the start of the fifth clip: Richard Dawkins explains how he feels that the ability of science to explain how big, complicated things can come into being by simple means from simple beginnings, makes God seem increasingly superfluous, even though it does not disprove the existence of God. George Coyne himself puts it this way: "[...]I do not need God[..]". He says that the God in whom he believes is a God who gave himself superfluously, whether he needed him or not.

This is religious faith, Richard, and I can't pretend, I can't prove it to anyone, because if I did, it would not be religious faith.

A few other salient points, taken rather haphazardly: George Coyne: "The best scientific explanation we have of the origin of the universe and everything in the universe, including all living systems and ourselves is by what I call neo-Darwinian evolution." Note the word "scientific." That is important, because it does introduce some ambiguity in what he is saying. He could, for example well mean something like this: "it is the best scientific explanation, but there is a religious explanation which is far superior." However, that does not seem to be the case. He explains that he is trying to avoid the word "theory" because this word is often interpreted in American English as meaning "it's just a theory," something he disagrees with. George Coyne: "The idea of bringing in something supernatural, I think, is a caricaturization of what religious faith is all about." George Coyne: "God is not a God of explanation. If I was seeking for a God of explanation for evolution, I'd probably be an atheist.[...]If all I'm looking for is explanation, I'd be driven to atheism." Richard Dawkins: "It's faith and you can't question faith." George Coyne: "That is correct. It's too deep inside me." George Coyne: "There is a lot of ignorance, because Churchmen do not always express themselves clearly. [...] The reason that intelligent design appeals to religious people is because what I have said before, they look to God as a God of explanation and to have a God who designed all of this is clearly something they would want because if God did not design it, who did? And the answer scientifically is of course, nobody. " George Coyne: "Religious thinkers always want to have God in the picture, and God doesn't want to be in the picture." For anyone interested in the religion-science debate, no matter on which side of the fence, this is an interview that is not to be missed.