Page 143 - The Qur'an Leads the Way to Science
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Scientists of Faith
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L Louis Pasteur (1822-1895)
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Pasteur is one of the greatest figures in the history of science and
medicine, chiefly because of his establishment of the germ theory of
disease, and his strong opposition to the theory of evolution. He was the
first to explain the organic basis and
control of fermentation, and as his Louis Pasteur
research led him further and further
into bacteriology, he isolated a
number of disease-producing
organisms, and developed
vaccines to combat them – notably
the dreaded diseases of rabies,
diphtheria, anthrax, and others –
as well as the processes of
pasteurization and sterilization.
Pasteur, who was a firm
believer in God, was the object of
fierce opposition because of his
resistance to Darwin's theory of evolution. He was a defender of the
compatibility of science and religion, which he would often emphasize in
his writings. As he put it:
The more I know, the more does my faith approach that of the Breton
peasant (i.e., the faith which is serene, complete, unquestioning) 110
Little science takes you away from God but more of it takes you to
Him. 111
W i l l i a m T h o m p s o n ( L o r d K e l v i n ) ( 1 8 2 4 - 1 9 0 7 )
William Thompson (Lord Kelvin) (1824-1907)
Lord Kelvin is recognized as the leading physicist of his time, and is
also known for his strong faith in God. He is held in high regard in the
scientific community for his contributions to physics and mathematics, as
well as his practical inventions. He developed a successful method to
liquefy hydrogen and helium. He established the scale of absolute
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