Letters

I'd like to weigh in with some observations concerning the compatibility between religion and science discussed in recent editorials. Scientists who believe in a volitional God aren't going against any scientific evidence. Indeed, it's hard to imagine what could constitute scientific proof that God doesn't exist. Phrasing this another way, the existence of God is not a fully testable proposition. If the question of the existence of God is viewed from a scientific perspective, this untestabil

Written byDavid Wolpert
| 2 min read

Register for free to listen to this article
Listen with Speechify
0:00
2:00
Share

I'd like to weigh in with some observations concerning the compatibility between religion and science discussed in recent editorials.

Scientists who believe in a volitional God aren't going against any scientific evidence. Indeed, it's hard to imagine what could constitute scientific proof that God doesn't exist. Phrasing this another way, the existence of God is not a fully testable proposition.

If the question of the existence of God is viewed from a scientific perspective, this untestability is in fact quite a shortcoming. Occam's razor frowns heavily upon untestable hypotheses. What's more, there is no evidence for God, the belief of human beings in such a deity being easily explicable in psychological terms. In addition, every hypothesis put forward by religion which is testable and which has been questioned by science (the age of the Earth, for example) has, after exhaustive study, been found to be wrong.

None of this actually ...

Interested in reading more?

Become a Member of

The Scientist Logo
Receive full access to digital editions of The Scientist, as well as TS Digest, feature stories, more than 35 years of archives, and much more!
Already a member? Login Here

Meet the Author

Published In

Share
Image of a man in a laboratory looking frustrated with his failed experiment.
February 2026

A Stubborn Gene, a Failed Experiment, and a New Path

When experiments refuse to cooperate, you try again and again. For Rafael Najmanovich, the setbacks ultimately pushed him in a new direction.

View this Issue
Human-Relevant In Vitro Models Enable Predictive Drug Discovery

Advancing Drug Discovery with Complex Human In Vitro Models

Stemcell Technologies
Redefining Immunology Through Advanced Technologies

Redefining Immunology Through Advanced Technologies

Ensuring Regulatory Compliance in AAV Manufacturing with Analytical Ultracentrifugation

Ensuring Regulatory Compliance in AAV Manufacturing with Analytical Ultracentrifugation

Beckman Coulter logo
Conceptual multicolored vector image of cancer research, depicting various biomedical approaches to cancer therapy

Maximizing Cancer Research Model Systems

bioxcell

Products

Sino Biological Logo

Sino Biological Pioneers Life Sciences Innovation with High-Quality Bioreagents on Inside Business Today with Bill and Guiliana Rancic

Sino Biological Logo

Sino Biological Expands Research Reagent Portfolio to Support Global Nipah Virus Vaccine and Diagnostic Development

Beckman Coulter

Beckman Coulter Life Sciences Partners with Automata to Accelerate AI-Ready Laboratory Automation

Refeyn logo

Refeyn named in the Sunday Times 100 Tech list of the UK’s fastest-growing technology companies