I don't think it's a coincidence that so many great mathematicians and scientists in history felt that their work was bringing them closer to an understanding of God.
This was actually the crux of my thesis for that paper, that faith is so much more than blind devotion, but to come to these truths independently, and that through the search for knowledge we are thereby brought closer to God through constant challenge and perseverance. I do suppose there are limits in that search to the extent of breaking certain laws of nature and humankind, but that's a whole other can of worms to get into. Off topic, do you ever read C.S. Lewis? Easily one of my favorite authors, who I'd say probably laid a huge foundation for my own personal set of beliefs, and what it means to have questions and issues of faith.
that through the search for knowledge we are thereby brought closer to God through constant challenge and perseverance
Yes, I think about this often during difficult times. Some people think Cecil B. DeMille's narratives in The Ten Commandments are boring, but I really like them, especially when Moses is sent out into the desert to rule over scorpions, and he says: "Learning that it can be more terrible to live than to die, he is driven onward through the burning crucible of desert, where holy men and prophets are cleansed and purged for God's great purpose, until at last, at the end of human strength, beaten into the dust from which he came, the metal is ready for the Maker's hand".
Sadly, I have a reading deficit I keep meaning to fill, which includes authors (like Lewis, Tolkien, Carroll) that I read some of as a child, but need to revisit as an adult, to see the deeper meanings in the works. Maybe as woke cancel culture pushes us all from our professions, I will have more time for this : )
This was actually the crux of my thesis for that paper, that faith is so much more than blind devotion, but to come to these truths independently, and that through the search for knowledge we are thereby brought closer to God through constant challenge and perseverance. I do suppose there are limits in that search to the extent of breaking certain laws of nature and humankind, but that's a whole other can of worms to get into. Off topic, do you ever read C.S. Lewis? Easily one of my favorite authors, who I'd say probably laid a huge foundation for my own personal set of beliefs, and what it means to have questions and issues of faith.
Yes, I think about this often during difficult times. Some people think Cecil B. DeMille's narratives in The Ten Commandments are boring, but I really like them, especially when Moses is sent out into the desert to rule over scorpions, and he says: "Learning that it can be more terrible to live than to die, he is driven onward through the burning crucible of desert, where holy men and prophets are cleansed and purged for God's great purpose, until at last, at the end of human strength, beaten into the dust from which he came, the metal is ready for the Maker's hand".
Sadly, I have a reading deficit I keep meaning to fill, which includes authors (like Lewis, Tolkien, Carroll) that I read some of as a child, but need to revisit as an adult, to see the deeper meanings in the works. Maybe as woke cancel culture pushes us all from our professions, I will have more time for this : )