Testimony of a hard scientist

[ianvass]

 My dad has a PhD in Analytical Chemistry, and has worked in the hard sciences his entire career. He recently wrote up this essay on his experience and thoughts of being a hard scientist and a believer at the same time.  It was a fascinating read - I hadn't heard many of these thoughts or stories before.

It is found at this link.

Comments

[tongodeon]

I don't see a problem with your dad's dietary restrictions whether they're cultural, religious, or totally arbitrary. Deciding not to eat meat or drink coffee or alcohol is about as problematic as deciding not to wear shorts or the color yellow. Food is an important part of culture, and it can be rude or isolating to shun participation in cultural rituals, but that's true of any personal choice and it's not a big deal.

My major problem is the point that he barely addresses:

this revelation thing is an inner experience that does not map to the world we live in. I cannot communicate the feeling of the touch of the Spirit beyond my own skin. I can only state that it exists, testify to the possibility that it can be felt, and warrant that the feeling is as unique and identifiable as the savor of salt.There are objective chemical tests to determine the physical presence of salt, which might make that a bad analogy. "Joy", "fatigue", or "conviction" might be better examples of "inner experience" which indisputably "exist", "can be felt",