Science and religion

This began as a comment to something Huw wrote on Doxos. But it kept getting bigger and bigger. So, here it is.

I read the article on ID. I didn't reach the same conclusion Huw did (e.g. "ID is bunk.") What I saw was hubris on the part of the science industry. (I refuse to call it a 'community') This arrogance is especially revealed in Krauss's comparison of the ID proponents to Holocaust deny-ers. Also in this statement in the last paragraph: "Those that survive decades - centuries - of scientific scrutiny end up in classrooms, and those that don't are discarded." (Centuries? Very little science has been around for centuries.) This bias in favor of "science", especially a "scientific" view of the world that says only matter exists is widespread, idolotrous, and belicose.

Stephen Hawking wrote in "A Brief History of Time" with the assertion that science can ‘know the mind of God’. Stephen Weinberg ends "The First Three Minutes" by pronouncing the universe ‘pointless’ and human life ‘a little above the level of a farce.' John Maddox, former editor of Nature, has hinted darkly that ‘it may not be long before the practice of religion must be regarded as anti-science.’ (Nature, 368 [1994], p. 185). Carl Sagan in a hideous mockery of St. John's Gospel said in "Cosmos", "In the beginning was hydrogen". These four and many others have arrayed themselves against God. Their idols are not of gold or stone but are still works of human thought.

Dawkins said: ‘There is no need to think of design, purpose or directedness. . . . There is no mystery. . . . It had to happen by definition.’ (The Selfish Gene [Oxford, Oxford University Press, 1989], p. 13).

In my own experience in school I have experienced this hatred of God on the part of scientests. They usually use straw man arguments (the Shroud of Turin and Galileo) which are are easly refuted, but the animosity is palpable. To all of them I would just say, "tell it to Michael Faraday".

The English physicist/chemist/inventor Michael Faraday believed that God made the universe , and that He was serious about the "uni" part of that word. Faraday's knowledge of God lead him to say, "Nothing is too wonderful to be true." My chemistry textbook talks about Farady's contribution to understanding electricity and electromagnetic induction, but does not mention his faith in God that compelled him to study God's work, and to understand the relationships between forces and substances. (In addition to being the father of modern electronics he is also owed a debt by every chemist in the world as he also invented the Bunson Burner.)

There are many such discoverers; many men loved God, believed God, and went out into the world to see how God had made it. Among them Joseph Balmer who believed God designed the universe, and set out to reveal that design. And to a certain degree he was successful. He discovered the spectral lines (they are called 'Balmer Lines' now.) emited by excited hydrogen atoms, and became the father of spectrascopy. Without spectrascopy, Dawkins and Hawking would be unknowns.

But that is just orderliness. Any good mechanic is orderly. But God is also moral. He is Good. And it was the conviction that God is good that led Thomas Edison to say ofter many many failures, ‘Somewhere in God Almighty’s workshop is a dense woody growth, with fibres almost geometrically parallel and with practically no pith, from which we can take the filament the world needs.’ He knew electric light was good and could not imagine God not providing a way for it to be.

We call this conviction of Edison's the anthropic principle: That the universe exists to sustain man. We, Christians belive this, mainly, because God loves man. (He died for us. What other proof do we need?) But this anthropic principle is not something that only Christians such as Edison see. It is seen by athiests, too. In the September 2004 issue of the journal Science (subscribe here) it was stated that the math that explains the universe just doesn't make sense if you take people out of the equations. Granted, it doesn't say there is a God, or a designer, but it comes pretty darn close.

Silver bells, silver bells...

I'm thinking about Christmas. I know, it's not even St. Matthew's Day and I'm thinking about Christmas; am I nuts? Maybe. Nevertheless, Cyndi and I have already begun planning our annual 3rd Day of Christmas Party. Cyndi says we are inviting the whole Parish this year. Last year we had 15 and it was cramped. I don't know how we will squeeze everyone in. Nevertheless, we are going to try. Might have to be just cocktails and Chrstmas cookies. Won't be room for dinner. I don't know. I guess we'll have a better idea about what to do when the RSVPs come back.

Also, I just turned down an invitation to a Christmas party. It is going to happen during Advent. I tried to explain to the invitor that it would be too difficult for me to do an attitude jump from Advent to Christmas to Advent and then back to Christmas a few days later, that I really value the Church's penetintial seasons. I don't think he understood. I think that one of the worst things about the Protestant Reformation is the near total abandonment of the Church Calendar.

I remember that when I was a kid my dad had a sermon about dealing with dissapoinment. And in that sermon, one of the illustrations he gave of dissapointment was the day after Christmas. "The sadest day of the year", he would say," Is December 26. For weeks there has been an excitement, a growing sense of expectation, a feeling that something big was about to happen. But then the presents are opened, and the dinner is over, and the next day you just ask yourself 'is that it? is that all?'" He was right. For Protestants December 26 is an ugly dissapointment; it hasn't been sanctified.

Actually, even uglier than that, I have a memory of when I was 11 that is horrible. I opened all of my presents and was sad not that it was over but that I didn't get more. No happiness. No joy. Just lust for toys and then guilt for not being thankful. To this day whenever I am feeling like I deserve better than I have that memory comes rushing back to me like a freight train crossing Kansas.

But now, when I wake up on December 26 it is still Christmas. And when I sing "Good King Wenceslas" on December 27 I understand why it is a Christmas Carol. And even without presents, I am happy just to be in Church for several days and rember that God became man to save me. It is hard to want more when God has been given. And then we move right from Christmas to Theophany, and from Theophany to the Meeting of Jesus in the Temple, and then to Lent (depending on where all the heavenly bodies are), and then the Annunciation, and PASCHA and Pentecost and and and.... and it keeps on going! It never stops. Orthodoxy is the energizer bunny of religions, but better; none of our vestments are pink.

Oh, I came across this really interesting website. It kind of goes along with the practice Cyndi and I have established: Every one gets cookies, or something knit by Cyndi, or invited to the 3rd Day of Christmas (AKA Feast of St. Stephen) Party. Buy nothing, but still give.

Ass kickin' and a cool photoshop

Aikido tonight was pretty good. learned a new throw. Oh, by the way, what I have discovered about Aikido is that you don't really throw people; you mostly get out of the way and help them fall down. Nevertheless, I got my ass kicked tonight. It was my fault, I had a lot of momentum going into a falling back roll and and went too far. Not only that but I forgot to move my head out of the way. OUCH!!! And then near the end of class when I was tired, I sat down instead of rolled and sent a jolt trhough my spine. OUCH! I stood off the mat for the last 15 minutes of class. But the throw I learned was cool!

Aikido and Orthodoxy: At first I was a little freaked out that I had to bow toward a picture of the founder of Aikido at the beginning and end of every class; that is what I do to Icons. But tonight I remembered that just as I do not worship Icons, yet I bow to them, and just as Abraham bowed to the people he bought land from with out worshiping them, I can bow to a picture of the founder of Aikido (he was a nut, if you ask me.) and not worship him.

Oh, the PhotoShop: If you were a nerd (like me) 20-25 years ago you will recognize this scene.

Oh, one more thing. As I was putting the little boy down for his nap today, I sang to him "The Streets of Laredo". After the line "....I am a young cowboy and I know I've done wrong", the little boys said "Me a cowboy". Now here is why this is so cute.... he has never seen a cow boy. I said "It hard work to be a cowboy"
"Okay"
"You have to strong to ride a horse all day"
"Ride horse?" (Big eyes)
"Do you think you can do that?"
"Yeah"
"You'll have to wear a hat and drive cattle and sleep out on the range"
"Me have a hat. Cowboy. Mooo."

Oh, one last thing, Speaking of cowboys reminded me of this.

You know you are old when....

...you are explaining to a fellow student at school that the kilt he is wearing is a forign tartan (boyd clan) but that , if he wants to, he can easily wear an American tartan, such as the U.S. Navy, the U.S. National, the Citadel, or even the California State Tartan - and his girlfriend asks if you will be the faculty advisor for their new Celtic Club.

Cool thing

Over on Doxos, Huw has this cool thing called Patristic Roulette. I don't know if he has an engine that scours patrisitc texts and pops out these little gems, or if he types in a new one each day - regardless, it is cool. Here is the one I saw today:

"The man who decides to struggle against his flesh and to overcome it by his own efforts is fighting in vain. The truth is that unless the Lord overturns the house of the flesh and builds the house of the soul, the man wishing to overcome it has watched and fasted for nothing. Offer the Lord the weakness of your nature. Admit your incapacity and, without your knowing it, you will win for yourself the gift of chastity." - St John of the Ladder

I guess I'm going to have to buy a copy of The Ladder and read it. (When I am through with school.)

A quick review

Yesterday I got the results back from last thursdays chemistry quiz. I got a 50%. What does that equal? F! I got an F! It is my first earned F! Thankfully that quiz is only 5% of my grade for the course. My error? I miscalculated the mass of the most common isotopes of a few elements.

I am feeling really pressed for time. I am 1 week behind on homework for clinical procedures, and I just missed turning in a math homework assignment. (worth 3% of my grade)

I got the results back from Tuesdays Math test. I got a B. I'm very happy about that because I thought I flunked it. Heck, had I been grading it I woould have given me an F. But, I'm not complaining.

I was so tired in school today this afternoon tat I fell asleep during clinical procedures.

On the apartment front I got to break the lock on an apartment and make sure it had really been abandonded. THe people who used to live there sneaked (snuk?) out with out paying last month's rent. Happily I have a new tenant moving in on the 15th. But before that happens I have to get all new appliances, carpet, linoleum, and paint. Oh, and I will need blinds too. Uggh.
I just remembered the blinds makeer we use is back logged. (Note to self: Talk to boss about going off the vendor list to get blinds.)

Channel Surfing

You have to check out Election Night Channel Surfing (Monday, October 04, 2004) over at Big Matt's blog

First math test, apartment manager woes

I think I did okay. I'm not sure. 20 percent of the questions were asked in a way that I did not understand. I was just given this:

f(x)=(a-2), (2a)(x*x)+(4/3)-(3x/(3*3))-a

and that was all.

So, I just plugged in a a number for "x" and simplified the expression just to show the professor that I know what functions are but other than that, I don't know what he was asking for. It was very frustrating.

The rest of the test was just inequalities of the square-root, linear, and absolute value varities. It was easy. The problem is that in this class 80% is a C. So if I blew the 20% that I didn't understand I am in bad shape.

Hmmm. It is two and a half weeks since I gave everyone here at the complex a warning that I was going to cut locks off of the storage lockers. It has been 2 weeks since I actually cut the locks off. Tonight someone asked me what happened to their locker. I was a little bit stunned. They've only recieved the original letter and two (TWO!) written notices that I am taking all their stuff to the dump if they don't claim it. Still 1/3 of the tenants have not responded.

Wow! What a weekend!

I don't even remember most of Saturday. Oh! Wait, yes I do. I was in class from 8 to 4. Then zoomed up I-280 (one of the most beautiful roads in Amerca) to go to Confession.

As long as I am on the topic of Confession, I never feel like I do a good job at it. I think it is bcause I have read things like this. But I just don't talk like that. Besides, I would just feel proud of myself if I did say confession like that. I'm really good at acting religious. I'm not very good at being real. Besides, I suppose if I ever tried to do a confession like the one I provided a link to, well, Fr. Victor or Fr. David would just tell me to start over.

After church we ate at Goat Hill Pizza (pictures here)on Potrero Hill. (Our traditional meal is a medium pepperoni, mushroom, and red onion - green salads with blue cheese dressing - root beer. They always bring the little boy a bowl of black olives kindey beans. Of course, he turns the olives into finger puppets.)

Church this morning was very excellent. In general, Orthodox sermonizing isn't as entertaining as Protestant preaching. But I am getting used to it. Fr. David talked about both the Gospel and the Apostol reading today. Summary: die to yourself if you really want to live.

Ran some errands after church. Took a nap. Cyndi hemmed some pants for me. (My aikido uniform and my medical scrubs.)

Did homework. Cyndi is a big help to me.

Came across this funny map of Florida on Get religion. All I have to say about it is this: God chastizes those whom He loves.

T-Shirts and Architectre, Saints and War, Saint Nicholas, Blue Stars

Item #1: I came across an unusual website today. It has nothing to do with architecture. (It is a website at which you can buy limited edition t-shirts.) But it says something about architecture, something I agree with.

"To understand, look at architecture, where we see two kinds of buildings. First there are old buildings, made with care and dedication, often built by hand. They were created not as mere shelter, but as a testament to the people who lived or worked inside. Those people took pride in their families, businesses, and heritage.
Then there are modern buildings, often prefabricated and unremarkable in appearance. These structures are cheap and efficient, built to meet the needs of the bottom line rather than the individual. Whereas older buildings often provide a visitor with a sense of a places unique culture and history, modern building are devoid of such feeling."

I enjoyed reading the stuff on this website. Maybe, you will, too.


Item #2: Some time ago I was engaged in a conversation via letters with the Secretary of the OPF, Jim Forest. (He is also the person who helped me overcome my last objection to Orthodoxy.) One of the things he told me is that "there is no just war theory in the Fathers." Maybe there isn't, at least not like the Roman Catholic Church's just war theory; the Orthodox church has never been too big on defining the mystery out of things. Nevertheless, there is some talk about war in writing of the Church- more than I expected. Here are two quotes:

"It is not permissible to murder anyone, yet in war it is praiseworthy and lawful to slay the adversaries. Thus at any rate those who have distinguished themselves in war are entitled to and accorded great honours, and columns are erected in memory of them reciting their exploits. So that the same manner in some respect at some time but in another respect and at some other time when there is a good occasion for it, may be allowed and permitted." - Saint Athanasius

"Our Fathers did not consider murders committed in the course of war to be classified as murders at all, on the score it seems to me, of allowing a pardon to men fighting in defense of sobriety and piety. Perhaps though, it might be advisable to deny them communion for three years on the account that they are not clean handed." - Saint Basil


Item #3: My favorite picture of St. Nicholas

Item #4: Perhaps, you know a woman who has children serving under arms? Thank her for the gift she has given you. Find out if she has a Blue Star Banner; if she does not, buy one for her.

A boiled down post

Over at Jim's blog there is a post about a political commercial. I've refined his post down to this essence:

How many lives have been saved by stem cell research?
How many people have died for stem cell research?

Wow! Those are good questions.

Read his whole post here.

Today

Woke up early. Made breakfast (baccon, sliced apples, toast w/ butter and honey, coffee) for Cyndi and the little boy. As we were getting dressed he said "Go to beach?" Cyndi said "Why not?" I said, "Okay!" So, Cyndi went to work and me and the little boy went to the beach.

Getting to the beach at Santa Cruz from San Jose means taking Hwy 17 "over the hill". It is a pretty (and dangerous) drive through a redwood forest. Today it was foggy.

When we got to the beach it was too cold to go swimming. So we just walked around and played in the sand. There were some people playing volly ball. A couple of sail boats were anchored about 100 yards out from the breakers. I made a necklace out of dried kelp for the little boy. It took a while, but I think I finally got him to understand that his necklace has nothing to do with Saint Nicholas.

When it got too cold by the water we walked up to the boardwalk. All the rides were closed, but the arcade was open. At first I wasn't going to go in. (I don't like the noise of video ardades.) But then I remembered all the fun I had playing ski ball in that very arcade when I was a boy. I wondered if they still had the old machines. They didn't. They had brand new souped up ski ball machines!!! Well, I bought the little boy two games. He won six tickets and then traded them for a smiley face ring, 4 plastic centepedes, and 1 plastic scorpion. He was very happy. Oh, but you should have heard him scream with delight as he played the game. It was soooo excellent!

After ski ball we drove out on the municipal warf. (It is really a pier but they call it a warf. I don't know why.) We looked at sea lions lounging on the rafters of the warf. (I guess they thought it was too cold to be in the water, too.) The boy really enjoyed that. Then we bought some fried calimari and french fries from the resaurant at the end of the pier. We also fed some french bread to the gulls.

We got home about 1:30 in the afternoon. We took a nap together. Then I dropped the little boy off at my mom's house on the way to school.

Cyndi quit her job today. She is tired of recruiting and is going to be working for the company I work for. They are going to pay for her to go to school and get a real estate license. She is totally stoked. This is such a great thing for us. Right now she spends 10-11 hours per day at work PLUS 2 hours commuting. With her new job, she will be on call all the time, but generally, will have a 100% flexible schedule. Oh, and she found out that she is getting a huge bonus from her current employer.

We both had very good days.

Diffuclties

I have discovered over the last few days that it is impossible to do homework while the little boy is awake. Blogging is easy. Working around the apartments is easy. Cooking is easy. Those don't requre though. But homework, especially, math is impossible. Today has been very difficult. He tore a page out of my math book. He insisted on sitting on me. I just gave up. He has been dancing and jumping yelling "I love daddy". I just felt like throwing him across the room and yelling "shut up and be still." (Don't worry , I didn't do it.) But I guess I'll just have to do homework at night after school while he and his mother are sleeping. This is going to be a hard quarter.

Dog Notes

A seminarian at Holy Cross is posting notes from his dogmatic theology class. Pretty interesting.

Examples:

* The whole of God's plan for salvation is manifested and recapitulated in the three main Sacraments of our Church: Baptism, Chrismation and Eucharist. In the early Church (and today), the Orthodox liturgy of initiation -- the making of a Christian -- included all three, even as salvation does. To be saved we must become a *new* creation, we must die and rise with Christ (Baptism); we must be filled with the Holy Spirit, whom Christ sends to us as a seal and comforter (Chrismation); and we must be in communion with Christ as we sanctify the world (Eucharist). The rite itself includes the fullness of revelation, and our askesis is to maintain and re-live this.

* The Holy Spirit played a great role in the life of Christ Himself: Christ was incarnated by the Spirit and raised by Him (the Creed emphasizes the former and St. Paul the latter). Thus, the *mystical* Body of Christ is vivified by the Spirit as well.

A letter to Dr. Bouteneff

Dear readers,

If you followed a link to this post and were looking for my words to Dr. Bouteneff, well.... I deleted them. I wish I had never written them. After he wrote back to me I realized that he is well intentioned and even though I think he is wrong in politics, he is more holy than I am.

Pie, Godfather, Theologians, and a Hymn I grew up singing.

I'm baking an apple pie. I put it in the oven about 7 minutes ago. Very excited. When Cyndi and I read the Little House books to each other we noticed that our forefathers often ate pies for breakfast. So, tomorrow we will have apple pie - made from all organic ingredients. I even grated the nutmeg myself. Problem with the top crust though. A little worried. But I think Cyndi and the little boy (who have been in bed for a couple of hours) will be happy in the morning.

Note about the little boy: He has seen some pictures of his Godfather. Now evertime he sees a bald man with a beard he says "Godfather?"

Working on a reply to Dr. Bouteneff's paper. I'll post it here when I finish it and send it to him.

All evening I've been hearing this song in my head:

Are You Washed in the Blood?

I grew up singing this song almost every Sunday. Oh, how my heart aches for all the people I used to go to church with. They introduced me to Jesus. They taught me the Bible. They asked me, "Are your garments spotless? Are they White as snow? Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?" I wish God would do something and cause them to see that Orthodoxy is the Church who's porch they are standing on.

Problems, the little boy, lots of comments

I have a major plumbing problem going on here at the complex. One leak turned out to be three leaks. Walls being torn out. Tenants disturbed. ARRRRGH!!!!

I've been so busy with stuff that the little boy has been bored. I'm going to go play with him on the grass in a minute. Right now he is playing with his adding machine, an old IBM.

I needed to have a lease ready for signature today but my prionter isn't working. ARRRRGH!!!!

Erica wrote a little post about the inner life of the Holy Trinity that has generated more than 40 comments.WOW!

Ever wonder which Chronicle of Narnia are you?

Click here and find out.

I've been wondering about a couple of things, does anyone know what to think of that prince in the Silver Chair? Who is he? What are we supposed to think of him? The three heroes are easy. Actually, the invisible knight is hard to understand, too. Hmmm. If anyone has any ideas I'd love to hear them.

joke

There is this atheist swimming in the ocean. All of a sudden he sees a shark in the water, so he starts swimming furiously towards his boat. As he looks back, he sees the shark turn and head towards him. He's scared to death, and as he sees the jaws of the great white beast open, revealing its horrific teeth, the atheist screams, "Oh God! Save me!"In an instant, time is frozen and a bright light shines down from above. The man is motionless in the water when he hears the voice of God say, "You are an atheist. Why do you call upon me when you do not believe in me?"Confused, and knowing he can't lie, the man replies, "Well, that's true I don't believe in you, but how about the shark? Can you make the shark believe in you?" The Lord replies, "As you wish," and the light retracts back into the heavens. The man feels the water move once again. As the atheist looks back, he can see the jaws of the shark start to close down on him, when all of sudden the shark stops and pulls back. Shocked, the man watches as the huge beast closes its eyes, bows its head and says, "Thank you Lord for this food which I am about to receive..."

Aikido and evening prayers

Tonight was my first aikido class. First impression: It is a lot of hard work. Second impression: Oh, I like this thing about not hitting back. All we have to do is get out of the attackers way. How neat! Third impression: Why does the instructor keep talking about energy flow? Am I going to find out in a couple of weeks that this is incompatible to Christ?

Prayer. The little boy and I did evening prayers together. He got a new Icon (the Resurrection of Jesus) and was pretty excited about seeing it in his Icon corner. After prayers I bless him with the candle and invoke the prayers of the saints of the day and the Holy Prophet Samuel. As I'm walking out the door he says "More daddy". So then I do it again and name a bunch more saints, usually moving West to East, e.g. Ss. Herman, Innocent, Alexis, Raphael, Patrick, Columba, Brigid, Edward, Martin, Iraneus, Ambrose, Gregory, Anthony, Athanasius, ....ending with the Theotokos).
Now, here is the cool value added benefit (When I was in advertising I talked about 'cool value added benfits' a lot. I kinda miss talking like that.): I am learning about all of these saints I name and am beginning to love them. I kind of expected to learn about them but I never expected to begin to feel love for them. But when I am praying I am filled so with the memories of what they have done and how they finished their races, and now they are praying for my little boy... I can hardley keep from crying long enough to finish praying.