tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76236887073921059962024-03-13T10:09:44.862-07:00Genesis and ScienceOne humble man's look at Science from a Christian perspective.Science Geekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18377107762432992818noreply@blogger.comBlogger17125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7623688707392105996.post-30990269053180543522015-12-14T10:53:00.001-08:002015-12-14T11:28:10.046-08:00Are we all a cosmic accident? Science suggests not...I have no idea if anyone reads my blog anymore as I update it so infrequently. However, I'm going to go ahead and share this here. I cannot expound upon this as it sums up current scientific evidence for a Creator far better than I can.<br />
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<span style="color: #0000ee;"><u>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=spdgQPJWLfE</u></span></blockquote>
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Science Geekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18377107762432992818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7623688707392105996.post-33577147976147072782015-04-03T16:06:00.003-07:002015-12-14T11:53:24.838-08:00False Prophets and Christian YouthIt has been a long time since I've written in this blog. Far too long.<br />
<br />
Originally, I started it as a conduit for whatever I felt the need to share about how Science and Christianity are intertwined, contrary to common belief. This blog was also started while I taught Science in a Christian school. My subject matter drifted a bit, I no longer teach in Christian education, and it has lain fallow...until now.<br />
<br />
While this post is not about Creationism, and it's not about teaching, it is about spiritual warfare and raising kids up the way they should go. <br />
<br />
To put it bluntly, I am grieved for this generation. I am saddened and grieved and appalled at what the youth of today are learning and what they are NOT learning.<br />
<br />
I am grieved that today's youth have a clear tendency to view Scripture through worldly lenses rather than viewing the world through God's Word.<br />
<br />
I am grieved that kids can be so adept at "playing Christian," and when they are out in the world among others, they conform just as adeptly to the world's expectations.<br />
<br />
I am grieved that kids are not taught that sin is sin...it's a "choice," a "lifestyle," or "oppression."<br />
<br />
I am grieved that there are profession Christians who will teach today's youth that the Bible is irrelevant today, that the Old Testament no longer matters, and that the epistles are historical documents instead of timeless Scripture.<br />
<br />
I am grieved that the kids who DO know and follow the Truth cannot even speak the Truth openly for fear of bullying, persecution, censure, punishment...and that's here in the US, not ISIS-controlled Kurdistan.<br />
<br />
I am simply grieved. Deeply and honestly grieved.<br />
<br />
I recently heard a great lesson on false prophets, and the Scripture for that lesson comes to mind:<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: red;"><span class="words-of-christ" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #dd0000; font-family: "times new roman" , "times" , serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; text-indent: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;">Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There he is!’ do not believe it.</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman" , "times" , serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; text-align: justify; text-indent: 16px;"> </span><a data-datatype=""bible+esv"" data-reference=""Matthew 24:24"" href="https://www.blogger.com/null" rel="milestone" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); color: navy !important; display: inline-block; font-family: 'Times New Roman', times, serif; font-size: 16px; height: 1em; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; text-indent: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 0px;"></a><span class="words-of-christ" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #dd0000; font-family: "times new roman" , "times" , serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; text-indent: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;">For </span><span class="words-of-christ" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #dd0000; font-family: "times new roman" , "times" , serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; text-indent: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;">false christs and </span><span class="words-of-christ" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #dd0000; font-family: "times new roman" , "times" , serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; text-indent: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;">false prophets will arise and </span><span class="words-of-christ" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #dd0000; font-family: "times new roman" , "times" , serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; text-indent: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;">perform great signs and wonders,</span><span class="words-of-christ" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #dd0000; font-family: "times new roman" , "times" , serif; font-size: 10.5600004196167px; line-height: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; text-indent: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;"><i> </i></span><span class="words-of-christ" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #dd0000; font-family: "times new roman" , "times" , serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; text-indent: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;">so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect.</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman" , "times" , serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; text-align: justify; text-indent: 16px;"> </span><a data-datatype=""bible+esv"" data-reference=""Matthew 24:25"" href="https://www.blogger.com/null" rel="milestone" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); color: navy !important; display: inline-block; font-family: 'Times New Roman', times, serif; font-size: 16px; height: 1em; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; text-indent: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 0px;"></a><span class="words-of-christ" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #dd0000; font-family: "times new roman" , "times" , serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; text-indent: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;">See, </span><span class="words-of-christ" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #dd0000; font-family: "times new roman" , "times" , serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; text-indent: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;">I have told you beforehand.</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman" , "times" , serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; text-align: justify; text-indent: 16px;"> </span><a data-datatype=""bible+esv"" data-reference=""Matthew 24:26"" href="https://www.blogger.com/null" rel="milestone" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); color: navy !important; display: inline-block; font-family: 'Times New Roman', times, serif; font-size: 16px; height: 1em; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; text-indent: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 0px;"></a><span class="words-of-christ" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #dd0000; font-family: "times new roman" , "times" , serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; text-indent: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;">So, if they say to you, ‘Look, </span><span class="words-of-christ" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #dd0000; font-family: "times new roman" , "times" , serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; text-indent: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;">he is in the wilderness,’ do not go out. If they say, ‘Look, he is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it.</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman" , "times" , serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; text-align: justify; text-indent: 16px;"> </span><a data-datatype=""bible+esv"" data-reference=""Matthew 24:27"" href="https://www.blogger.com/null" rel="milestone" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); color: navy !important; display: inline-block; font-family: 'Times New Roman', times, serif; font-size: 16px; height: 1em; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; text-indent: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 0px;"></a><span class="words-of-christ" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #dd0000; font-family: "times new roman" , "times" , serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; text-indent: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;">For as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be </span><span class="words-of-christ" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #dd0000; font-family: "times new roman" , "times" , serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; text-indent: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;">the coming of the Son of Man.</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman" , "times" , serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; text-align: justify; text-indent: 16px;"> </span><a data-datatype=""bible+esv"" data-reference=""Matthew 24:28"" href="https://www.blogger.com/null" rel="milestone" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); color: navy !important; display: inline-block; font-family: 'Times New Roman', times, serif; font-size: 16px; height: 1em; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; text-indent: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 0px;"></a><span class="words-of-christ" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #dd0000; font-family: "times new roman" , "times" , serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; text-indent: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;">(Matthew 24:23-27)</span></span></blockquote>
</blockquote>
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Satan has his hooks far too deeply into today's youth, and far too many adults are letting it happen. <br />
<br />
Beware of false prophets and weigh EVERYTHING in the light of Scripture. <br />
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<br />Science Geekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18377107762432992818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7623688707392105996.post-11296738849874982062012-09-07T09:14:00.001-07:002012-09-07T09:15:24.634-07:00Stewardship and ChildrenAs most Christians already know, God created everything and therefore owns everything in the universe (<a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis&version=NIV" target="_blank">Gen 1:1</a>). As fewer Christians know, we have been put in charge of this creation and everything in it (<a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis&version=NIV" target="_blank">Gen 1:28</a>). With this Dominion Mandate, as it is known, comes responsibility to care for the creation properly. This is the Biblical concept of stewardship.<br />
<br />
The Apostle Paul walked with God and clearly understood stewardship well: <br />
<br />
- "For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, God’s building (<a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Cor%203:9&version=NIV" target="_blank">1 Cor 3:9</a>)."<br />
- <span class="text 1Cor-6-19" id="en-NIV-28487">"Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own;</span> <span class="text 1Cor-6-20" id="en-NIV-28488">you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.</span> (<a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Cor%206:19-20&version=NIV" target="_blank">1 Cor 6:19-20</a>)"<br />
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We are also charged with the proper education of children: "<span class="text Prov-22-6" id="en-NIV1984-17022">Train<sup> </sup>a child in the way he should go,</span><span class="indent-1"><span class="indent-1-breaks"> </span><span class="text Prov-22-6">and when he is old he will not turn from it. (<a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Proverbs+22%3A6&version=NIV1984" target="_blank">Prov 22:6</a>)"</span></span><br />
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I am increasingly concerned about what I see as a lack of stewardship in the Christian community, especially as it applies to 1 Cor 6:19-20 and Prov 22:6. Our bodies are temples for the Spirit, and as such should treat them well. We must also train children in the way they should go. However, I continue to see people mistreat and abuse their bodies, and I continue to see people training children to do the same.<br />
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I am especially concerned with how we are training up the next generation of Christians. Here's just a few examples of what I have seen: <br />
<ul>
<li>Youth leaders encouraging all-night praise events... </li>
<li>Popular Christian artists blasting people's ears at concerts...</li>
<li>Christian school teachers and administrators encouraging kids to pull all-nighters to succeed, sometimes even encouraging the use of coffee and energy drinks to make it happen...</li>
<li>Youth being told, either in words or in actions, that LOUD PAINFUL music is a required part of genuine, authentic worship...</li>
<li>Youth on Christian school events being required to stay up late for a "message," often one of dubious worth...</li>
<li>Youth being told by Christian school personnel that sleep is a "crutch." This one isn't even funny as a joke...</li>
<li>Youth being shown poor examples of adult behavior, such as speeding, excessive drinking, excessive use of caffeine, skipping sleep then driving, etc. </li>
</ul>
Now, I'm not pointing fingers here, and I'm not naming any names nor am I asking you to draw any conclusions beyond face value. I will freely admit that I've been guilty of demonstrating poor stewardship myself. I was once notorious for my coffee consumption, I have given athletes a starkly poor example of physical fitness and I have been known to get far less sleep than I should.<br />
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However, I am admitting my poor example and taking steps to fix it. There are far too many Christians out there who demonstrate poor stewardship to the youth in their lives and do not recognize it. Even worse, there are those who see their poor stewardship as their own "personal freedoms" and defend their destructive behaviors. Even worse still are those who see poor stewardship practices as part of worship or as part of being a Christian. <br />
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Doesn't the enemy take a lie and inject JUST enough truth to make those lies sound true? Does a partial truth make something good? Think on this: how much rat feces would you accept in your brownie batter and still be willing to eat those brownies? <br />
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Think about it. Pray about it. If you're part of the problem, fix it. Science Geekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18377107762432992818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7623688707392105996.post-54800671289213783792012-05-31T20:26:00.003-07:002012-05-31T20:26:32.462-07:00An open door....?A door that I thought was shut appears to be creaking open. <br /><br />There is a new job opening that seems PERFECT for a man of my unique qualifications, but my last two attempts at the SAME position were met with rejection. <br /><br />Perhaps God is reminding me to be persistent?<br />
<br />
<span class="reftext"></span><i>Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. <span class="reftext"></span>For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; <span style="color: red;">and to him who knocks, the door will be opened</span>. (Matthew 7:7-8)</i><br />
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OK, God. I'm knocking. Let not my will, but thine be done. <i><br /></i>Science Geekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18377107762432992818noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7623688707392105996.post-86551945768691250222012-05-27T07:41:00.000-07:002015-12-14T11:28:52.305-08:00Doors closing...It has been quite a while since I have posted to this blog, but it's time.<br />
<br />
Once again, I see a door closing that probably was never really open in the first place.<br />
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Oh, sure...it looked like an ideal situation 3 years ago, but now in retrospect there were enough signs to the contrary. Over the last three years, they simply accumulated to the point where it finally got through even my densely-constructed skull. <br />
<br />
OK, God. What do you have for me next? <br />
<br />
I'm a dyed-in-the-wool creationist, so I would be automatically excluded by the public schools and post-secondary institutions. The list of private schools with whom I'd be comfortable working is short, and none of them are in need of my services at this time. <br />
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Perhaps my task is not to bring scientific apologetics to our community, but rather to be the provider for my family as my wife continues writing? <br />
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Who knows?<br />
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Well, we all know who knows, but it's not His timing yet.<br />
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There are times when I wish I could see a page or two of the playbook...not the whole thing, mind you...just a page or two. Then I realize that if I could actually handle it, I'd probably get to see it.<br />
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God, it's in your hands.Science Geekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18377107762432992818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7623688707392105996.post-25741916150273582722011-07-31T18:33:00.001-07:002012-05-29T11:53:53.326-07:00EntitlementOne of the things that bothers me about this world is the sense of entitlement so many people seem to have.<br />
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People who feel that the speed limits do not apply to them and they are entitled to drive as fast as they want.<br />
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People who are horribly immoral because they feel it's their right to love whomever, whenever and however they choose.<br />
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People who think the world owes them a living.<br />
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People who will do whatever they want whenever they want because they insist it's their right to have it.<br />
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The list goes on.<br />
<br />
It all started this week when I decided to take my boy camping. We showed up and got a very good spot right on the lake. On the first day we splashed around in the water and had loads of fun. The second day was the same...until the entitled people started showing up.<br />
<br />
The guy next to us apparently felt it was his right to correct his many dogs by grabbing them by the ears and jerking them around. The guy who showed up around noon with his jet skis apparently thought it was his right to park his stuff right in the beach spot where we had been for the last 24 hours. The kids who seem to feel it's their right to curse up a storm no matter who's listening.<br />
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Then there's the <i>pièce de résistance</i>, the couple.<br />
<br />
They were obviously full of themselves, both of them bronzed to the shade of molasses, neither of them modestly dressed. To call their attire "bathing suits" would be generous. They walked right out into the spot where my son was playing, stood in the water and proceeded to paw each other. And kiss. And paw some more.<br />
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After several minutes of this, they apparently decided that their skin wasn't baked enough, because they went up on the beach and exposed even more of themselves for over an hour.<br />
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Was there anything that could be done? According to the park ranger, Nope. Neither of them was "naked" by a legal definition, but I think even Victoria has more secrets than these people that day.<br />
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And why do people do such selfish, self-centered things? They feel they're entitled to it.<br />
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In fact, the only thing we are entitled to is death and punishment. Our sin and the sin in the world before us has brought curse upon this earth and this people and if all were "fair" we'd all be separated from God for all eternity.<br />
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Thank the Lord there is Grace. God's Grace keeps us from what we deserve, and there but for the Grace of God we go.<br />
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While unsaved people selfishly assert their "rights" by doing what they please, those saved by Grace humbly and gratefully accept the gift.<br />
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Examine who you are and how you react when things are "unfair"or you feel your "rights" have been affronted. Remember that the Lord's people are not of this world, we are a light on a lampstand, a city on a hill. We should have no entitlement issues.Science Geekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18377107762432992818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7623688707392105996.post-84770025368948179862009-05-21T20:16:00.000-07:002012-05-29T11:57:19.793-07:00Closed doors.When God closes a door, He means for it to be truly closed.<br />
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I keep reminding myself of this, and sometimes God reminds me Himself. You see, my school can't afford to keep three teachers, so I as the junior of the three gets cut. It's totally understandable, but the unfortunate fact is that I will no longer be teaching at this school.<br />
<br />
(insert sound of door shutting here)<br />
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The school board was gracious to let me know with plenty of advance notice so that I could job-hunt. In my search, I found what seemed to be the PERFECT job for me. I applied, I had 4 interviews, from the HR director all the way up to the president. It seemed I was golden. In like Flynn. Counting chickens before they hatched....<br />
<br />
Then, a few days after the last interview, the question came: would I have a problem teaching evolution? I told the the truth, of course.<br />
<br />
(insert sound of door shutting loudly here)<br />
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I think it's clear that I would have been tempted to compromise on my principles had I worked there. Would I have actually compromised? I don't think so, but now it's a moot point: the temptation will not arise.<br />
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I'm reminded of the Lord's prayer:<br />
<br />
<blockquote>
Our Father in heaven,<br />
hallowed be your name,<br />
your kingdom come,<br />
your will be done<br />
on earth as it is in heaven.<br />
Give us today our daily bread.<br />
Forgive us our debts,<br />
as we also have forgiven our debtors.<br />
<span style="color: #3366ff;">And lead us not into temptation, </span><br />
<span style="color: #3366ff;"> but deliver us from the evil one.</span><br />
- Matthew 6:9b-13</blockquote>
<br />
<br />
He certainly led me away from a possible temptation. Perhaps He even led me away from a snare that the evil one has laid for me. Who knows? At this point, only God.<br />
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And that is why we should always trust Him.Science Geekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18377107762432992818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7623688707392105996.post-64158292379470495382009-02-15T19:10:00.000-08:002009-02-15T19:21:40.880-08:00Out of the Mouths of babes...This last week we observed the 200th birthday of two very important historical figures. In fact, before last week, I never even envisioned these two as contemporaries. The first is the man known as the Great Emancipator, none other than Abraham Lincoln. The second…well, he has done little to emancipate anyone.<br /><br />I’m talking about Charles Darwin, author of Origin of Species. Many scientists since Darwin’s time have embraced his theories in the hope that someday there will be hard evidence to support them. Despite their best intentions, the evidence has done little to support evolutionary theory, and has even swung many scientists to the opposing viewpoint.<br /><br />Still, this doesn’t keep people from treating evolutionary theory as proven fact. After all, it’s taught that way in our public schools and kids’ textbooks, so how is the general public to know the difference?<br /><br />I’ll tell you how: education. This brings me to the main point of this post.<br /><br />See, today my young son found a nice little book in the library about horses. He loves learning and has many interests ranging from dogs to bugs to all things sports. So today he read something in his book about how horses evolved. Then, he asked me what evolution was.<br /><br />Loaded question out of the mouths of babes, eh? Really, I'm glad he asked...<br /><br />Here’s my best recollection of the conversation:<br /><br /><blockquote>Boy: “What’s evolution?”<br /><br />Dad: “Well, let me explain it like this: What do you need to make a toy car?”<br /><br />Boy: “Well….metal, bolts, tires…rims…(long silence)…”<br /><br />Dad: “What else does it need?”<br /><br />Boy: “Um…plastic, paint…and instructions!”<br /><br />Dad: “O.K…So imagine you had all those parts in the box, but you don’t have the instructions. Imagine you shake them up for a REALLY long time.”<br /><br />Boy: “O.K.”<br /><br />Dad: “So if you shake this box up for a long time, and you have no idea what the instructions are, will you someday get a toy car?”<br /><br />Boy: “No.”<br /><br />Dad: “Will you figure out the instruction book?”<br /><br />Boy: “No.”<br /><br />Dad: “Well, people who believe in evolution don’t think God made anything. They think that life came from pond scum and there was just a lot of “shaking” going on and then animals formed and turned into other things over millions of years AND they wrote their own instruction books.”<br /><br />Boy: “That’s silly.” </blockquote><br /><br />Out of the mouths of babes indeed.Science Geekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18377107762432992818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7623688707392105996.post-50201927012975968732008-08-29T12:56:00.001-07:002008-08-29T13:14:26.631-07:00Back to SchoolThat time is near, and I am (hopefully) ready. My kids are prepared, excited even. My students, at least those with whom I've spoken, are jazzed and ready to be officially one grade higher.<br /><br />Sounds like any school around the world, right? Well, yeah...but it's SO much more than that. What is truly unique about this school year is the fact that we KNOW without any shadow of a doubt that it is all directly from the LORD and His Will for us.<br /><br />I teach Middle School Science at a small Christian school (see my <a href="http://genesisandscience.blogspot.com/2008/06/science-lord.html">previous post</a> about starting this position). At the end of last school year we were, quite frankly, not sure our school would even exist. However, we as a school family took time in June for prayer and discussion. We then cast aside those doubts and, as one body, took a leap of faith.<br /><br />The LORD, who is always faithful to us and ALWAYS knows what is best for us, almost immediately rewarded our faith in Him and His Work.<br /><br />Now we look back on the stress we placed upon ourselves and laugh. God's got it all under control.<br /><br /><a name="25" href="http://net.bible.org/verse.php?book=Mat&chapter=6&verse=25"><span class="vref"></span></a><blockquote><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">Therefore I tell you, do not worry</span><sup style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"> </sup><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">about your life, what you will eat or drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Isn’t there more to life than food and more to the body than clothing? </span><a style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);" name="26" href="http://net.bible.org/verse.php?book=Mat&chapter=6&verse=26"><span class="vref"></span></a><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">Look at the birds in the sky:</span><sup style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"> </sup><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">They do not sow, or reap, or gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds</span><sup style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"> </sup><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">them. Aren’t you more valuable</span><sup style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"> </sup><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">than they are? </span><a style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);" name="27" href="http://net.bible.org/verse.php?book=Mat&chapter=6&verse=27"><span class="vref"></span></a><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">And which of you by worrying can add even one hour to his life?</span><sup style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"> </sup><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">Why do you worry about clothing? Think about how the flowers</span><sup style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"> </sup><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">of the field grow; they do not work</span><sup style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"> <a href="http://net.bible.org/bible.php?book=Mat&chapter=6#n39" name="v39" onmouseover="jumpVerseNote('n39');"></a></sup><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">or spin. </span><a style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);" name="29" href="http://net.bible.org/verse.php?book=Mat&chapter=6&verse=29"><span class="vref"></span></a><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his glory was clothed like one of these! </span><a style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);" name="30" href="http://net.bible.org/verse.php?book=Mat&chapter=6&verse=30"><span class="vref"></span></a><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">And if this is how God clothes the wild grass,</span><sup style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"> </sup><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"> which is here today and tomorrow is tossed into the fire to heat the oven,</span><sup style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"> <a href="http://net.bible.org/bible.php?book=Mat&chapter=6#n41" name="v41" onmouseover="jumpVerseNote('n41');"></a></sup><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">won’t he clothe you even more,</span><sup style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"> </sup><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">you people of little faith? </span><a style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);" name="31" href="http://net.bible.org/verse.php?book=Mat&chapter=6&verse=31"><span class="vref"></span></a><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">So then, don’t worry saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ </span><a style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);" name="32" href="http://net.bible.org/verse.php?book=Mat&chapter=6&verse=32"><span class="vref"></span></a><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">For the unconverted</span><sup style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"> <a href="http://net.bible.org/bible.php?book=Mat&chapter=6#n43" name="v43" onmouseover="jumpVerseNote('n43');"></a></sup><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">pursue these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. </span><a style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);" name="33" href="http://net.bible.org/verse.php?book=Mat&chapter=6&verse=33"><span class="vref"></span></a><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">But above all pursue his kingdom</span><sup style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"> <a href="http://net.bible.org/bible.php?book=Mat&chapter=6#n44" name="v44" onmouseover="jumpVerseNote('n44');"></a></sup><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">and righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. </span><a style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);" name="34" href="http://net.bible.org/verse.php?book=Mat&chapter=6&verse=34"><span class="vref"></span></a><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">So then, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Today has enough trouble of its own.</span> - Matt 6:25-34</blockquote>Science Geekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18377107762432992818noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7623688707392105996.post-53122720214021856082008-07-08T10:40:00.000-07:002008-07-08T18:43:45.473-07:00It's all about ME!On Sunday, my wonderful wife indulged me yet again...we went down to the 16-plex to see the new <a href="http://www.indianajones.com/site/index.html">Indiana Jones</a> movie. The flick itself was not really anywhere near Indiana Jones standards, but that's another blog entry.<br /><br />We got there almost two hours early, so we nosed around the shopping center in the <a href="http://www.theoldmill.com/">Old Mill District</a>. What I saw looked like a strip mall straight out of an affluent suburb: trendy clothing stores whose daily revenues could feed a Third-World country for a year, restaurants offering hamburgers for $18 (more than BOTH our movie tickets combined), and an expanding Victoria's Secret outlet with 2-story pictures of underwear-clad models on the front of the building. Honestly, it seems VERY out of place in the middle of rural Central Oregon.<br /><br />The most ridiculous sight involved the historic old mill.<br /><br />See, this town used to house one of the largest sawmill operations in the world. After operations shut down, the mill sat abandoned and was prey to vandals. When someone started renovating it, many locals rejoiced. As for me, I thought they were going to set up some kind of museum.<br /><br />There's an REI store in there now...what a blow to the history of this town.<br /><br />Now, for reference, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bend,_Oregon">Bend</a> is not huge. It HAS grown significantly in the last few years (50,000 people in 2000 to 78,000 in 2007), but there's not really a lot of people there. What in the world keeps these places in business?<br /><br />I can sum it up into one phrase: "It's all about ME."<br /><br />Our world has drifted away from the greater good, morals, ethics and simply doing the right thing towards a self-centered society. To the guy who steps in front of cars without looking, blithely assuming that pedestrians always have right-of-way, to the teenybopper who sprays clouds of scent into the air in a store with no mind on whom she douses, to the person who blows off their bills because they can get away with it, we are a self-centered bunch of people.<br /><br />Self centered people will do what they do best: spoil themselves. They will go up to their ears into debt just so that they have the latest clothes, the nicest house and the coolest car/motorcycle/boat/ATV. This is why such a small town can support such a decadent retail industry.<br /><br />Honestly, I blame Darwin.<br /><br />No, really. Follow me here: Darwin suggested that we were not created but evolved. People decide that if we evolved, then maybe God doesn't exist. If God doesn't exist, then nobody's watching if I do this...or this...or maybe even THIS...<br /><br />See where I'm going from here? Granted, it's not all Darwin's fault, but before Darwin the atheist movement had no real foothold in the sciences; the majority of scientists were openly Christian. Now the number of American scientists openly professing Christ is but a small fraction of the whole. The majority of the rest are devoutly atheist and profess Darwinian theory. And hey, if a scientist says it, it's gotta be true, right?<br /><br />My point, and I do have one, is that our society is "all about ME." The tweener who demands (and gets) the latest fashions and newest cell phones, MP3 players etc. and her parents who overspend in the hopes of peace and quiet at home. The woman who murders her unborn child because having a baby at this point in her life would be "inconvenient." The scientist who will reject all that is good and Holy for the sake of being right in the eyes of the world.<br /><br />Maybe these changes to our society are the reason why it's tough for even Christians to see that it's all, and I mean ALL, about GOD.Science Geekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18377107762432992818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7623688707392105996.post-6362900485220431642008-06-20T15:00:00.000-07:002008-08-29T20:39:31.397-07:00Disinherit the WindSo when you hear "Scopes Monkey Trial" what do you think? What images come to mind? I know after watching <a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inherit_the_Wind">Inherit the Wind</a> back in college, the images were pretty clear: fanatical Southerners espousing Christianity, an oppressed Science teacher who is just trying to teach what he feels is the truth and an attorney who is simply interested in Justice.<br /><br />Up until recently, I had chalked this up as yet another example of the Lord's people trying to do things their own way and messing things up in the process.<br /><br />Earlier this month I read an essay that addressed quite a few common perceptions of the Scopes "Monkey" trial, otherwise known as <a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scopes_Trial">State of Tennessee v. John Scopes</a>. This essay, titled <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/093276651X?ie=UTF8&tag=httpwwwgoodco-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=093276651X&SubscriptionId=1MGPYB6YW3HWK55XCGG2"><span style="font-style: italic;">A Second Look at Fundamentalism: The Scopes Trial and Inherit the Wind</span></a>, was written by a historian named Nicholas M. Aksionczky. <span style="font-style: italic;">A Second Look</span> is essentially a thesis intended to cut through the sensationalism and present the Scopes trial as "...one of the most misunderstood and distorted events in American History."<br /><br />Honestly, I was surprised. Even I as a Christian thought that the dramatic portrayal of <span style="font-style: italic;">State v. Scopes</span> was supposed to be historically accurate. Heck, most of the scientific community refers to the play or movie when they mention the trial.<br /><br />That should have been my first clue.<br /><br />The dramatic productions (a 1955 stage play, a 1957 screen play and a 1988 TV version) present John Scopes as an oppressed teacher, the prosecutor (and pretty much all Christians) as fanatical and portrays the entire trial as part of a Crusade against "reason" by a bunch of backwards hillbillies. Contrary to popular opinion about <span style="font-style: italic;">Inherit the Wind</span>, this does not reflect reality. Let's look at some reality:<br /><br /><blockquote>-> In January 1925, the State of Tennessee passed the Butler Act which stated:<br /><blockquote>"That it shall be unlawful for any teacher in any of the Universities, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Normal_school" title="Normal school">Normals</a> [teachers colleges] and all other public schools of the State which are supported in whole or in part by the public school funds of the State, to teach any theory that denies the Story of the Divine Creation of man as taught in the Bible, and to teach instead that man has descended from a lower order of animals."</blockquote>This act and the fact that it passed the Tennessee State legislature reflects the prevalence of Christian Fundamentalism in the state at the time.<br /><br />-> Before the trial, John Scopes was merely a substitute teacher and football coach. He taught Physics, not Biology. He was later quoted as saying "...I wasn't sure I had taught evolution" and that he was "afraid that if I was put on the stand I would be asked if I actually taught Biology."<br /><br />-> John Scopes was not specifically persecuted for teaching or not teaching something. He was recruited by the ACLU so that they could challenge the Butler Act. They actually meant to lose so that they could take the case to a higher court.<br /><br />-> The portrayal of Christians in the dramatic presentations do not reflect the actual goings-on inside the courtroom and really don't reflect Fundamentalist beliefs of the time.<br /><br />-> While there were some dramatic outbursts, overall the trial was reasonable. In fact, the most inflammatory rhetoric of the time actually came from an agnostic newspaperman by the name of H.L. Mencken. During his coverage of the trial, Mencken took libel and defamation to new levels, and Mencken's hateful words against Christians are still parroted by atheists today.</blockquote><br /><br />So essentially, the landmark case that opened the door to exclusively teaching evolution in public schools really wasn't so landmark after all. In fact, it was one of the first high-profile events that paints a facade of "reasonable" science vs. "backwards" Christianity.<br /><br />Mencken's ideas are still prevalent in scientific circles today. To an atheist scientist, if you are Christian then you are against everything for which science stands. This paradigm, as widely accepted as it may be, is simply and unequivocally false.<br /><br />The study of the sciences has, until recently, been a Christian pursuit. Don't believe me? Ask Nicolaus Copernicus, Johannes Kepler, Galileo Galilei, Rene' Descartes, Blaise Pascal, Robert Boyle, Sir Isaac Newton, Carolus Linnaeus, Michael Faraday, Charles Babbage, Gregor Mendel and Max Planck just to name a few. These are people whose contributions to the sciences are not disputed by atheists. However, atheist scientists choose to ignore the fact that every one of these people and MANY more saw the sciences as a way to understand God's Creation.<br /><br />It wasn't until the widespread acceptance of Darwinism that the pendulum swung away from this approach to science. Now, "big science" is to the point where if a scientist even mentions the possibility of a designer in a class or publication, that researcher puts his/her career at serious risk (see previous entry "<a href="http://genesisandscience.blogspot.com/2008/06/on-ben-stein-and-chuckie-d.html">On Ben Stein and Chuckie D.</a>")<br /><br />It's time for the world to see once again that science is the pursuit of knowledge and understanding. Suppressing good science simply because it disagrees with Darwinism and an Old-Earth worldview is not acceptable. It's time for science-minded Christians to stop riding the fence and to stand up for what is right. It's time for Christian schools to build strong science programs and train up the future scientists of the world.<br /><br />It's time for the atheist choke-hold on science to end. Start by reading <span style="font-style: italic;">A Second Look</span>, and let the Lord lead you from there.Science Geekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18377107762432992818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7623688707392105996.post-45819634409276030982008-05-07T19:25:00.000-07:002008-06-20T20:08:39.397-07:00On Ben Stein and Chuckie D.On Friday, my incredible wife indulged her science geek husband. We went to see the new documentary "<a href="http://www.expelledthemovie.com/playground.php">Expelled</a>" starring Ben Stein. All pot-stirring aside, this movie is a great wake-up call to anyone who thinks the scientific community is always open to new evidence.<br /><br />First, let me just point out that there is currently a movement among scientific circles that suggests very strongly that there is order in the universe that could not have arisen without someone or something controlling it. Essentially, order does not arise on its own from chaos as Darwin suggested, so people have lately been questioning Darwinian dogma, much to the chagrin of other scientists. This movement is commonly known as "Intelligent Design" or ID for short.<br /><br />Now, for a science-minded Christian, the concept of ID is nothing new...the Book of Genesis says God created the universe, and it's the job of the scientist to determine what He did, how He put it together and maybe even how He did it in the first place. No issues here.<br /><br />However, once you propose such an idea to an atheist scientist and challenge his neo-Darwinist religious dogma, he or she goes on the attack. You don't even HAVE to mention a deity...the attack on Darwin's ideas alone is tantamount to heresy in atheistic circles.<br /><br />Basically, the prominent scientists featured in "Expelled" have been excluded from academia because they have in some way, shape or fashion promoted ID. Not promoted religion per se, but promoted the idea that SOMEthing had to put it all together. And really, when you look at the universe in enough detail, there's no other conclusion.<br /><br />I highly recommend this film to everyone. Not just Christians, not just scientists, but everyone. Don't just blindly believe what the public schools fed you in Biology class...think about the possibilities other than Darwin's outdated theory.<br /><br />Oh yeah, and my favorite part is near the end and features prominent atheist and evolutionary biologist <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Dawkins">Richard Dawkins</a>. When questioned about how order may have come out of chaos, Dawkins is clearly spitballing...he rambles out all kinds of speculations and finally concludes that IF a superior intellect did influence life on our planet, then it couldn't have been God...it must have been aliens.<br /><br />Um..yeah. So the clear implication is that an atheist scientist will let his atheism cloud his science and he will choose the incredibly improbable concept of extraterrestrial life over the much-documented, much-discussed (and very REAL) Creator of the universe.<br /><br />Got Bias?Science Geekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18377107762432992818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7623688707392105996.post-79696868688392101692008-03-31T19:24:00.000-07:002008-06-20T20:07:30.428-07:00On Sheep and MenMy in-laws have a small sheep ranch out near Albany. Out there, I’ve seen the miracle of birth during lambing season, I’ve learned that sheep poop gets EVERYWHERE and that sheep are about the DUMBEST animals on the face if the planet.<br /><br />No, seriously. They are REALLY dumb. Someone recently told me a story of a ewe who jumped up onto a 55-gallon drum and got stuck...she simply couldn’t get down off of a barrel. Apparently, this stupid wool-ball sat there balanced on this barrel with her legs dangling until she starved to death. Not too smart, eh?<br /><br />Sure, we’re pretty smart creatures...arguably the smartest ones on the planet. To quote Douglas Adams :<br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family:arial;"><blockquote>"On the planet Earth, man had always assumed that he was more intelligent than dolphins because he had achieved so much - the wheel, New York, wars and so on - whilst all the dolphins had ever done was muck about in the water having a good time. But conversely, the dolphins had always believed that they were far more intelligent than man - for precisely the same reasons."</blockquote></span><br /></div><br />But seriously, when it comes down to it, God has put us in charge of this planet and everything on it. We’re the stewards of this world until He comes again.<br /><br />So this begs the question in my mind: if we’re so smart and sheep are so dumb, why does Christ refer to us as His sheep? In the secular world, people who blindly follow someone or something are sometimes referred to as "sheeple." Atheists will derisively refer to Christians as sheep, citing the stupidity, timidity and flock behavior of domestic sheep. So, given this, why are we sheep?<br /><br />It doesn’t sound like something one would WANT to be, but I for one don’t mind being a sheep in the Christian sense.<br /><br />Let's first look at the sheep.<br /><br />Sheep (Ovis aries) are quadrupedal ruminants. They are fully herbivorous, and have cloven hooves. People raise them for their wool and meat and are often used in biological experimentation. Oh yeah, and by human standards, they’re dumber than a box of rocks.<br /><br />Now, as far as sheep are concerned, they know exactly what they need to know to get by: find food, find water, reproduce, care for lambs, eliminate waste and avoid potential predators. If you set a sheep loose in a pasture, they will live their lives happily as long as they have what they think they need. Oh, sure some lambs will be taken by coyotes, some ewes will leave lambs behind, mother ewes may die, some rams will butt their children to death...but the sheep as a whole don’t usually care too much.<br /><br />However, the sheep rancher (or shepherd) has a lot invested in these stupid wool-balls and he doesn’t want to lose livestock. He’ll inoculate them against disease, provide food and water for them, guide them to where they need to go, keep the lambs near their mothers and bottle-feed lambs who lose their mothers.<br /><br />Jesus Christ is the Good Shepherd...the best ever. He doesn’t want to lose any "livestock," so to speak: He doesn’t want to lose a single human being to the evil one. We go through our lives in our "pasture" doing exactly what we think we need to do, but the Good Shepherd knows what we need MUCH better than we do. Like an earthly shepherd cares for his livestock, Jesus guides us, feeds us (spiritually and physically), "innoculates" us against evil...and honestly, He is God...He is much wiser than I could ever be.<br /><br />Now, the analogy only goes so far...for example, Christians shouldn’t just blindly follow religious leaders. We should instead learn everything we can about the Lord through scripture and prayer and judge everything in light of scripture.<br /><br />Still, I’d rather trust the Good Shepherd over any human being, no matter how smart they think they are. After all, they are sheep too, whether they like it or not...they just may be in the wrong pasture.Science Geekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18377107762432992818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7623688707392105996.post-74053130337143532702008-03-07T19:23:00.000-08:002008-09-01T14:55:06.543-07:00Martian Death FluYears ago a very funny smart alec by the name of Dave Barry wrote an article about the flu. Here’s an excerpt:<br /><br /><blockquote>"We have the flu. I don’t know if this particular strain has an official name, but if it does, it must be something like ’Martian Death Flu’. You may have had it yourself. The main symptom is that you wish you had another setting on your electric blanket, up past ’HIGH,’ that said ’ELECTROCUTION.’"</blockquote><br /><br />My recent (and rare) bout of flu is nothing like what Mr. Barry describes, but I can sympathize.<br /><br />Now, I have a list of questions that I want to ask God once I go to heaven. Among these questions are: Why are we here? Why do people insist on hating each other? What the heck is up with the platypus?<br /><br />I have a new addition to this list: Why are there viruses? I mean, in all my years of studying science, I have never found even one positive effect of a virus. As one scientist put it, a virus is "bad news packed in protein."<br /><br />Perhaps the answer lies in one of the "Deadly Sins"...pride. We as human beings have delved the depths of the ocean, walked on the moon and probed the outer reaches of our solar system. Some scientists have even been so proud as to supplant the Lord with worship of science.<br /><br />We are, as a whole, a VERY prideful species of beings.<br /><br />The fact that we can, at any time, be laid low by a barely microscopic chunk of genetic material is very humbling to even the staunchest atheist. As a Christian, I know that I can take the lesson that this little virus teaches me and apply it to the rest of my life, thus being even more of a witness for the Lord.<br /><br />Too bad more people don’t see it this way.Science Geekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18377107762432992818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7623688707392105996.post-80046850223952095892007-09-03T19:22:00.000-07:002008-06-20T20:05:42.725-07:00Attack of the Mushroom-head Spandex Mutants!Alright, I love a good bike ride as much as the next guy. I think those Tour de France racers are awesome. I'll do a 15 mile bike ride over a 2 mile run any day, and I've done stuff on my bike that makes my wife cringe in fear for my well-being.<br /><br />Just wanted it to be clear where I'm coming from. With that said...<br /><br />I have noticed over the years that certain bike riding people have caused mutations to their own bodies and minds. No, I'm not talking about soft-tissue injuries and broken bones...I'm talking widespread physical and mental changes and alterations. I call them the Mushroom-headed Spandex Mutants, or MSMs. In fact, I notice such a deviation from the normal Homo sapiens sapiens, that I'm even thinking of renaming them Homo sapiens spandexicus.<br /><br />The mutations in these people are thought to be caused by the unique combination of spandex, car exhaust, human sweat, adrenaline and testosterone exacerbated by a few good falls to the pavement. Geneticists are still examining the genome, so we're not quite sure yet.<br /><br />It isn't hard to view these species in their natural habitat. In fact, anyone who lives near mountains can spot them. Some notable characteristics:<br /><br />- protective helmet permanently fused to the cranium, giving the MSM's head a distinct mushroom shape.<br />- brightly-colored spandex fused to the dermis, often replaced by outright shedding rather than the gradual sloughing of epidermis in Homo sapiens sapiens.<br />- blatant disregard for traffic laws and personal safety shown as they ride near the edge of a crumbling road as 55-80 mph traffic passes. This characteristic suggests a significant dampening of the normal human intellect, possibly due to spandex poisoning.<br />- spandex-enhanced androgeny that, along with the helmets, masks most secondary gender characteristics from cursory observation. Occasionally, tertiary gender characteristics are seen (pink spandex, for example), but they cannot be used as a reliable indicator of gender.<br /><br />While solitaries are sometimes seen, they are usually pack creatures with a clear societal structure. The alpha individual is usually at the head of the pack on the trek uphill. While these colorful mutants can be seen just about anywhere there's a hill, I have personally seen them:<br /><br />- the road around Crater Lake, a road characterized by a crumbling shoulder and high dropoffs<br />- riding along Hwy 22 in Oregon in the middle of smoke from the Black Butte fire<br />- Hwy 285 and just about every other dangerous narrow mountain road in central Colorado<br />- Interstate 90 @ Snoqualmie pass, despite Washington state laws restricting bike travel on the Interstate<br /><br />Forget bird-watching...go check out your local MSMs!<br /><br />Just be careful not to hit them with your car....<br /><br />SHARE THE ROAD!Science Geekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18377107762432992818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7623688707392105996.post-37783262984247908472007-08-22T19:21:00.000-07:002008-06-20T20:04:28.435-07:00Devolution of EvolutionMy wife and I recently went to see Stanford Professor and author <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joan_Roughgarden">Joan Roughgarden</a> give a presentation on her new book, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Evolution-Christian-Faith-Reflections-Evolutionary/dp/1597260983">Evolution and Christian Faith</a>. As a Christian who studies and teaches science, I was very interested in what she had to say.<br /><br />I will preface my comments by stating that in her presentation and her book, Dr. Roughgarden demonstrates VERY clearly that she is a sincere Christian and a dedicated scientist. Her views and her book are an attempt to rectify differences between her faith and her science and to bring harmony to what is often a very vitriolic debate.<br /><br />However...<br /><br />What I see in her book and heard from her personally suggests to me VERY strongly that she is looking at the Bible through evolution-colored glasses. She attempts to use scripture to bolster evolutionary theory, but the verses she chooses and the connections to evolution are a bit of a stretch. For example, she uses the Biblical account of the creation of flora and fauna to demonstrate the evolutionary "tree of life" commonly found in Intro Bio textbooks. She speaks of Biblical accounts referring to Christians being of "one body" and concludes that Christ Himself alluded to common evolutionary ancestry.<br /><br />It seems very clear to me that Dr. Roughgarden is unwilling to give up any what she has been taught and has taught about evolution, even if a literal interpretation of the Bible says differently.<br /><br />I recognize this clearly because that is where I used to be in my faith. As my depth of understanding of scripture has changed, so too my view of the sciences has changed. Rather than simply accepting evolutionary theory as taught in the secular Universities, I default to the Biblical account. Unless a scripturally sound compromise is presented, I cannot believe otherwise.<br /><br />The root for Dr. Roughgarden's difficulty, I wager, is described on page 10 of her book where she concedes that her depth of understanding of the Bible is far from her depth of understanding in evolutionary theory. As she points out, she has been teaching evolutionary biology and ecology for thirty years and has made a lifelong study of the subject.<br /><br />This is a very large investment of herself and it is fully understandable that she is loathe to recant what she has promoted for three decades. What she needs to realize is that you cannot compromise on scripture simply because it doesn't agree with your worldview. God's law is based on love and it is just, but it is absolute.<br /><br />No "ifs" "ands" or "buts" about it.Science Geekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18377107762432992818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7623688707392105996.post-24842351180739473772007-08-07T19:19:00.000-07:002008-06-20T20:03:28.418-07:00Science & the LORDSo this school year I was hired as a science teacher at a small Christian school. Most of my secular colleagues would gape incredulously at this, as they and pretty much the ENTIRE scientific world are pretty sure the two are mutually exclusive.<br /><br />I beg to differ.<br /><br />In fact, my love for science and the study of God's universe only serves to strengthen my faith.<br /><br />"But...but...but...." I can hear them stammering, "but what about the theory of evolution? It's been PROVED and has supplanted the need for 'god' in modern times!"<br /><br />Proved, eh?<br /><br />Try reading the thoughts of Michael Behe who has pointed out that evolutionary theory, while it can be made to make sense on the "macro" level, cannot stand up under biochemical analysis.<br /><br />Oh, and by the way...Dr. Behe is not a Christian...<br /><br />Try reading the thoughts of Francis Collins, a VERY highly educated scientist who turned to Christ from atheism in his study of the human genome.<br /><br />Even better, take a look at the recent news regarding Homo habilus and Homo erectus. For quite a while, scientists, teachers and professors have been insisting that H. habilus was the evolutionary precursor of H. erectus. But now...OOPS! they were wrong.<br /><br />Stir into the mix the fact that several of the "icons" of Darwinism (the Miller experiment, Haeckel's embryos, mammalian fetus "gills") are based on faulty assumptions, incorrect procedures or outright falsehood.<br /><br />Don't get me wrong, folks...I am not bashing science. Quite the opposite. Current evolutionary theory is the absolute best that secularists can come up with given their assumption that there is no God.<br /><br />But what a limitation!<br /><br />Frankly, I prefer my knowledge that everything that we see and know came about by the divine workings of an omnipotent loving God. Knowing that God can do ANYTHING opens up SO many more doors in scientific exploration!Science Geekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18377107762432992818noreply@blogger.com0