Throughout history, most scientists have been believers in God, but during the last few centuries the scientific trend has been toward atheism. God's laws are so effective that the universe seems to just run itself. Scientists have been very successful explaining many phenomena without the need for any intervening hand from deity. But now the trend toward atheism may be reversing. It had been assumed at that time that as scientists discovered more and more of the laws of nature that the trend would increase until virtually all scientists were atheists.
New books hail the divine in physics, biology, even computer information theory.
By one report, US higher education now boasts 1,000 courses for credit on science and faith, whereas a student in the sixties would have long dug in hardscrabble to find even one. The authors of that article set out to determine whether the atheistic trend in science had increased or not. Gallup surveys suggest the same about the general population. This recent poll may have detected the bottom on the cycle and the percentage of hard scientists who are believers may well now begin to increase. Before looking at evidence supporting this position, let's consider the thoughts of two of the greatest scientists on their belief in God.