Francis Collins, the director of the US National Institutes of Health, has urged Americans to recommit to "truth and reason," the Huffington Post reports.
In his remarks accepting the 2020 Templeton Prize, Collins lamented divisions in the US, particularly when it comes to science, according to the Huffington Post. For instance, it says he is concerned that simple, science-backed acts like wearing a mask to prevent the spread of SARS-CoV-2 have become controversial. "What should have been harmony in the name of saving lives has become a conflict," he said, according to the Huffington Post.
The Huffington Post notes that while Collins did not name President Donald Trump, he also underscored the importance of choosing leaders who are "healers, promoters of truth, the rule of law, advocates of spiritual anchoring, and proponents of love, respect, justice, and compassion."
Collins was awarded the $1.1 million Templeton Prize for showing that science and faith are compatible. When Collins was announced as this year's recipient, Heather Templeton Dill noted in a statement that Collins has "advocated for the integration of faith and reason, demonstrating how religious faith can inform and inspire a rigorous quest for knowledge of the natural world through the sciences."