Higgs boson, aka "god particle"

[solaphyde]

The higgs boson was tagged the "god particle" because of the field being so significant, and permeating all known reality. Many secular scientists are anti-Christ (whether admitting it or not) and so I know why many "hate" the term. Nevertheless, speaking of God, I'm curious about some scientists advocating that because the standard model is correct, that this supposedly means that we now know that the higgs boson is the most basic component to all of reality. Or is it? Do we know?

As a Christian, of course I believe that there is a personal dimension that comprises ultimate reality, and this ties into the age old philosophical question of the One and the Many, whereby if impersonal particles were the most basic component to reality then there'd only be abstract unity, thus no personal realm. Yet, we are personal, hence me writing this and you reading it. So to tie this all together, of course I believe that Jesus Christ is the Word and upholds all things by the word of His power, not that the higgs boson is ultimate reality.

It seems to me that every time science advances and we discover more about what things are made of and how they work that secular scientists turn into naturalistic high priests and are quick to declare that "God is dead". They are religious about ending religion and replacing it with their own religion of non-religion. Whereas the Christians response to the finding should be "praise God! Look how amazing he made this!"

So what are your thoughts? Does/can the Higgs disprove God, or does it glorify him in that we see more about how he made our universe?

Thanks,

Cameron

[Ivellious]

Many secular scientists are anti-Christ (whether admitting it or not) and so I know why many "hate" the term.

I'm not so sure that all that many scientists hate the term "God Particle." The term itself is simply not accurate, and gives the public an idea of what the Higgs Boson is that isn't true. I think some scientists are bothered by the notion that calling something the God Particle gives it some special religious meaning or significance when, in reality, it doesn't at all. Likewise, while it is a big discovery (provided their data is what reports say they are, which we'll know when they actually publish their research papers on it), it doesn't answer all the scientific questions of physics. It's just a piece of the puzzle.

Also, how are many scientists anti-Christ/God/religion/etc.? Sure, some are outwardly anti-religion, but I don't think most scientists are anti-God at all. Being secular in their work (which is how science operates) does not equate them to being anti-Christ.

Nevertheless, speaking of God, I'm curious about some scientists advocating that because the standard model is correct, that this supposedly means that we now know that the higgs boson is the most basic component to all of reality. Or is it? Do we know?

Provided that this discovery holds true, then the Higgs boson is the most basic particle that we will have ever witnessed. Is there nothing smaller/more basic? I can't answer that, but it's not out of the question to say that there may be many more types of particles that make up the universe that we have yet to discover. It isn't that long ago that the notion of particles smaller than electrons might have sounded absurd, but today we clearly know there are smaller things out there.

It seems to me that every time science advances and we discover more about what things are made of and how they work that secular scientists turn into naturalistic high priests and are quick to declare that "God is dead".

I haven't heard a single scientist say that the discovery of the Higgs boson destroys religion. I'm not even sure how it could if someone wanted to say it. No credible scientist will tell you that science has disproved, or ever could disprove, God. Nor can science as we know it prove God's existence.

Seriously, this discovery and 99.9% of all scientific discoveries have literally nothing to do with the discussion of God's existence.

They are religious about ending religion and replacing it with their own religion of non-religion.

You, along with many other religious folk out there, come off as slightly paranoid when you say things like this. There is no anti-religion conspiracy among scientists to eliminate Christianity from the Earth. Now, there may be a strong sense among scientists to keep science secular because religious views are not scientific, but that's different from being anti-religion.

Does/can the Higgs disprove God

Like I said before, not even a little bit. This discovery does nothing to prove or disprove God in any way, shape, or form.

[neo-x]

Does/can the Higgs disprove God

This is not a good question.

I think Ivellious' response is good enough as it is. But to reiterate, I would say just because you see Dawkins on the TV and his anti-religion agenda, I wouldn't worry about this. No scientist, in his right mind would pursue science only to prove or disapprove God. They won't be even worried about it.

[Silvertusk]

Like Ivellious said - the Higgs boson is just a particle and has nothing to do with religion. It could just be one of the components that God used to make all matter. The higgs particle itself has not creative power and it itself was created in the big bang.

[solaphyde]

Thanks for the replies. That helps.

Here is a link where CNN assumes there is some kind of "naturalistic proof" due to the higgs. Sadly, Michio Kaku doesn't even catch her on it and never take the opportunity to set her straight. Instead he comforts her disbelief with talk of multiverses, something they both have faith in.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NTVT-MlRq6o

You mentioned that science is secular and that's how it works. You may agree with this, but I'd point out that science in itself isn't secular, we have just made it that way over the last 200 years. I believe science is a reflection of God's nature, and that scientific endeavor is part of God giving us dominion over the world. The irony is that unbelievers can do better science than Christians, yet still reject the God of science. And the other irony of ironies is that Christians can worship the God of science, yet have really bad science.

The majority of scientists in the West over the last 2000 years were theists, and the scientific revolution was began by deists. I don't mean to come across as worried when I say things like "anti-Christ". That is a bit harsh, I understand. What I'm getting at is that I firmly believe that when the Triune God is not glorified in all things, even science, that we end up preferring foolishness to truth, hence scientists now preferring to say there is a multiverse, rather than a personal prime cause. They still want to somehow assume that there is an eternal impersonal cause, rather than a personal one.

[1over137]

I know and wikipedia states as well that:

"Usually this nickname for the Higgs boson is attributed to Leon Lederman, the author of the book The God Particle: If the Universe Is the Answer, What Is the Question?, but the name is the result of the insistence of Lederman's publisher: Lederman had originally intended to refer to it as the "goddamn particle"."

Goddamn because being elusive. Scientists were trying to find it for ages. And publisher renamed that to God particle.