Professor Owen Gingerich, while a very intelligent cosmologist, seems to pass off any of the difficult questions regarding his feelings about God and Science to the philosophers and the theologians, preferring to maintain his position as a scientist. He based his theories on a gut reaction of how things should be. He says he cannot prove it but he does believe. When asked how we could have such an omnipotent and benevolent creator when there is so much evil and suffering in the world, he quips that we ought to leave that problem to the theologians. He gives the same basic response to the hopelessness involved in getting in touch with other universes although the Christian faith is largely based around the idea of another untouchable universe called heaven.
I can find some relatively relatable points in his vague description of God as some supreme, transcendent super intelligence, manifested in prophets throughout the ages. But then he goes on to say that this is implemented most fully through Jesus Christ and his compelling story. Dismissing Buddhism and other religions for their enormous burden of superstition (not accounting for Christian superstition!) His problem with Pantheism is that there is no place for a personal God which is an important and satisfying part to professor Gingerich to (a personal god gives us the possibility of a relationship and helps us make ethical decisions and relate to each other).
Since a universe created by God gives us a sense of design and purpose, Professor Gingerich was asked what he felt the purpose was. His response was that the purpose is to study and understand the universe; to examine and use what we find to enhance relationships. It seems like that is quite a justification for his own life (as a cosmologist). In fact, in my opinion, it seems that most of his answers were quite self centered in that way. If a personal god is most satisfying and Jesus' story is most compelling and students of the universe are most satisfying to god then lucky Mr. Gingerich, he seems to be on a direct path to 'heaven.' Either that or he seems to have manifested his ideals about religion and the world to suit his life and lead him to believe he is doing right by god. What about others who believe that they are doing right by god but believe in a pantheistic view or a buddhist perspective or choose to examine human relationships rather than the broader spectrum of the universe? Are they condemned to hell because they are not believers in jesus as their savior?
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