National Institutes of Health Director Urges Americans To Believe Science

Francis Collins, director of the National Institutes of Health, is decrying the political polarization that has led some Americans to question the science behind climate change and COVID-19.

“Of all the developments that cause me concern over the past few years, none is greater than the growing disregard of maintaining a high standard of objective truth,” said the 70-year-old geneticist and devout Christian, who received the award for demonstrating how science and faith are compatible.

These divisions are taking place against the backdrop of climate change, which Collins called the “greatest long-term threat to our planet.” Although the data clearly demonstrates that climate change is real and that human activity is largely responsible for it, people still doubt the science, he noted.

The president was initially resistant to wearing face masks himself to combat COVID-19 and has also publicly clashed with Anthony Fauci, who leads the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

Earlier this month, Collins said he was “puzzled” and “disheartened” by Trump’s decision to hold a campaign rally in Michigan that drew several thousand attendees, many of whom were not wearing face masks or socially distancing.

As a former atheist who embraced Christianity in his 20s, Collins has invested time in reaching out to those in his faith community who are wary of science.

Public opinion polls have shown that white evangelicals, in particular, have generally been less worried about contracting COVID-19 and are more ready for life to return to normal than other faith groups. They are the demographic least likely to believe that climate change is occurring and the most likely to say that police killings of unarmed Black men are isolated incidents