Recently been thinking about Science and faith, and the relationship I have with both. I am an atheist, have been since being of the age to work out for myself what religion and faith meant (for me). I went to Catholic school in UK, but did not enjoy R.E. and church. 1/N

Religion wasn’t imposed strictly in the household, my father isn’t religious but my mum was raised Christian but wasn’t strict regarding religious practice and church going. At a young age I liked reading and thinking around this topic. 2/N

Many, in the past and today, have expressed some form of faith. Einstein eluded to God in the famous ‘God does not play dice’ & ‘subtle is the lord but malicious he is not’. But when pressed for details, many state that God is a stand in word for the complex world around us. 3/N

I, personally, have never felt convinced by statements of Gods/beings/spirits that act omnipotently or exist in realms where we cannot observe. I also don’t believe in ‘Spinozas’ God or see personal (to me) value in a personification of nature. 4/N

I am in constant awe of the fantastic and mesmerising beauty and richness of nature, and think that nature doing what it does without invoking God is sufficient for me. I think it is even more amazing how Science can actually allow humans to glimpse into how nature works! 5/N

I understand how in many communities, faith and belief in God(s)/beings/spirits have tremendous value. I often think I am an odd one out not sharing this. 6/N

For those Black scientists of faith: Does faith and your religion provide another form of motivation for your science? Does it give you a sense of community and togetherness? Have there been any conflicts between the two in your life? 7/N

I haven’t seen any widely open Black atheists on here, but I think such reflections and discussions are useful in exploring how Black people experience and do Science. 8/N

Remember, a part of doing objective science is being aware of any bias you might have from your personal views (from faith and/or non-faith based ideas). As a community we should not exclude those who hold personal views that we don’t agree with. 9/N

In any case, i trust the long and slow machinery of science: that experiments and calculations that are reproducible and useful in predicting natural phenomena will tend to be adopted. Let’s ensure we assess scientific material objectively and with an open mind. 10/N

Finally, I want to share my joy of doing physics and science with anyone who also gets enchanted by the spell binding richness of our natural world . Science and nature is for everyone. 11/11