I'm a lifelong atheist and a molecular biologist with a passion for science and a passionate opposition to its enemies.
Peter Higgs has been a prominent figure in the world of physics for decades, but since the confirmation of the existence of the particle he postulated in 1963, he has become a household name and is in hot demand for interviews for general audiences. He gave one such interview to the Spanish daily El Mundo (you can see relevant bits in English here). There is no real reason to ask a world-renowned scientist about religion, but Higgs was game. He gets this a lot, I’m sure, since the popular name of the Higgs-Boson particle is “the God particle.” The fact that Higgs himself did not give it this name, does not approve of it, and admits that the name itself was originally slated to be the “Goddamn particle” doesn’t seem to faze reporters one bit. This is the God particle guy, so questions about religion are automatically relevant! Read more
The governing body of the Church of England, the General Synod, blocked a proposed change in its policy that would have allowed women — already members of the priesthood — from becoming bishops in the church. For the proposed changes to be accepted, two-thirds of the members in each governing body of the church would have had to vote in favor of the change. This was achieved in two of the bodies, the House of Bishops and the House of Clergy, but was narrowly defeated in the House of Laity. So the Church of England will remain with its feet planted firmly in the 19th century for at least another five years. Good. Read more
