Francis Crick and James D. Watson Autographed Signed Letters Regarding God.

CRICK, Francis and James D. Watson.

Item Number: 32088

Two letters on their respective letterheads from the founders of DNA regarding their belief in religion and faith. The letters were in response to the recipients letters to Crick and Watson, asking about their personal belief in God and religion. Crick writes, Dear Mary Lou, Thank you for your very nice and enthusiastic letter. My pologies for not replying sooner but I’ve been very busy. No, I don’t believe in God, or in a soul apart from the body, nor do most of my friends, so you will find that most scientists agree with you. Best wishes for 1979, Yours sincerely, Francis Crick.” Watson writes, “Dear Ms. Gillen: I have no interest in religion. Yours sincerely, J.D. Watson.” Matted and framed. The entire piece measures 15.5 inches by 25 inches. A unique, telling piece from these two giants in the field of science.

When they revealed DNA's double helix structure in 1953, Francis Crick and James Watson helped to invent biotechnology, provided the foundation for understanding the diversity of life on Earth, revealed the mechanism of inheritance and shed light on diseases such as cancer, and even the origins of antisocial behavior. From Copernicus to Charles Darwin, scientific discoveries have had a habit of offending religious susceptibilities. Most scientists, even Darwin, tread warily and avoid attacking religion, but Watson and Crick are both outspoken atheists. Crick said: "The god hypothesis is rather discredited." Indeed, he says his distaste for religion was one of his prime motives in the work that led to the sensational 1953 discovery. "I went into science because of these religious reasons, there's no doubt about that. I asked myself what were the two things that appear inexplicable and are used to support religious beliefs: the difference between living and nonliving things, and the phenomenon of consciousness." The antipathy to religion of the DNA pioneers is long standing. In 1961 Crick resigned as a fellow of Churchill College, Cambridge, when it proposed to build a chapel. When Sir Winston Churchill wrote to him pointing out that "none need enter [the chapel] unless they wish", Crick replied that on those grounds, the college should build a brothel, and enclosed a cheque for 10 guineas. "My hope is that eventually it will be possible to build permanent accommodation within the college, to house a carefully chosen selection of young ladies in the charge of a suitable Madam who, once the institution has become traditional, will doubtless be provided, without offence, with dining rights at the High Table," he wrote.