fides quaerens intellectum
Mar 17 2010
You can find the entire article here:
Genesis, in the first chapter of the Old Testament, is the biblical story of the creation of Earth and life and tells the story in the form of a seven-day period. This essay is not about the seven days (here we will assume that the “days” are allegorical); this is about what Genesis says happened on each of those seven days of creation.
He goes on to aligns science and religion in creative ways.
Mar 16 2010
The blogger – link below – suggests that Christians have a natural privilege in the U.S. akin to other groups who do:
Mar 13 2010
World Nut Daily ran a story a few weeks ago. Supposedly, a Teach wins a major victory for God in school. Now, I won’t get into the fight of whether or not salvation is based on God being in school. What really happened was it was a victory for religious pluralism. Read what the judge said about ‘a’ supreme God. (Not a monotheistic belief, really, but whatever). Further, the school district allowed other displays of other religions, but prevented this teacher from putting up banners with slogans from American history. Was this really a victory for the ‘Christian God’ or for religious pluralism and the ability to accurately describe the American heritage?
“May a school district censor a high school teacher’s expression because it refers to Judeo-Christian views, while allowing other teachers to express views on a number of controversial subjects, including religion and anti-religion?” posited U.S. District Court Judge Roger T. Benitez in his judgment. “On undisputed evidence, this court holds that it may not.”
He continued, “That God places prominently in our nation’s history does not create an Establishment Clause violation requiring curettage and disinfectant for Johnson’s public high school classroom walls. It is a matter of historical fact that our institutions and government actors have in past and present times given place to a supreme God.”
Read the article here:
via Teacher wins major victory for God in school.
By the way, one of the things that the judge did say was:
“Fostering diversity,” Benitez ruled, “does not mean bleaching out historical religious expression or mainstream morality. By squelching only Johnson’s patriotic and religious classroom banners, while permitting other diverse religious and anti-religious classroom displays, the school district does a disservice to the students of Westview High School, and the federal and state constitutions do not permit this one-sided censorship.”
Mar 06 2010
In the parable of the Good Samaritan, Jesus warned religious listeners against what today would be called “ingroup prejudice”: the tendency to think less of outsiders, especially those of another race.
The Samaritan, a member of a group despised by Israelites of that time, proves himself more charitable to an injured traveler than two members of the Jewish clergy.
Devout listeners startled by the Samaritan’s charity would have had to confront a difficult message: Piety and prejudice keep close company.
It appears not much has changed.
A meta-analysis of 55 independent studies carried out in the United States with more than 20,000 mostly Christian participants has found that members of religious congregations tend to harbor prejudiced views of other races.
Read the rest here:
Feb 23 2010
Today, 23 February, several communions celebrate the death of Polycarp, Bishop of Smyrna on the date that Tradition has delivered to us as the day that he was burned alive for his faith.
Continue reading “The Feast Day of the Blessed Martyr Polycarp, Bishop of Smyrna”
Feb 20 2010
Read the whole article:
Newberg argues that religious belief is often personally and socially advantageous, allowing men and women to “imagine a better future.” And he does not contend, as philosophically lazy scientists sometimes do, that a biological propensity toward belief automatically disproves the existence of an object of such belief. “Neuroscience cannot tell you if God does or doesn’t exist,” Newberg states with appropriate humility. Neurobiology helps explain religion; it does not explain it away.
But Newberg’s research offers warnings for the religious as well. Contemplating a loving God strengthens portions of our brain — particularly the frontal lobes and the anterior cingulate — where empathy and reason reside. Contemplating a wrathful God empowers the limbic system, which is “filled with aggression and fear.” It is a sobering concept: The God we choose to love changes us into his image, whether he exists or not.
For Newberg, this is not a simple critique of religious fundamentalism — a phenomenon varied in its beliefs and motivations. It is a criticism of any institution that allies ideology or faith with anger and selfishness. “The enemy is not religion,” writes Newberg, “the enemy is anger, hostility, intolerance, separatism, extreme idealism, and prejudicial fear — be it secular, religious, or political.”
Michael Gerson – Neuroscientist Andrew Newberg on the Brain and Faith – washingtonpost.com.
Interesting, but is there really anything there? Are they just using science to try to explain the unexplainable? And, does this mean that atheists don’t have brains?
Feb 18 2010
Sepp Blatter the boss of FIFA doesn’t want teams to thank God if they win at the World Cup in South Africa later this year. Continue reading
Jan 18 2010
Dr William Lane Craig and Dr Bill Cooke debated the moot “Is God a Delusion?” at Auckland University on 17 June 2008. The debate was chaired by Professor John Bishop and was organised by New Zealand Association of Rationalists and Humanists (NZRAH) and Tertiary Students Christian Fellowship (TSCF) with MandM.
You can watch the rest of the videos at the link below, and please do.
Jan 13 2010
I thought only Christians and Muslims were violent extremists:
The co-editor of a new book on the history of Buddhist violence and warfare explains how the notion of a purely mystical and otherworldly Buddhism—promoted by some of the great interpreters of the tradition—denies its adherents’ humanity.
Monks With Guns: Discovering Buddhist Violence | RDBook | ReligionDispatches.
Dec 31 2009
I don’t think I would take it that far, although there is in the nature of people to destroy. Schaeffer proposes the use of Apophatic Theology, which too me, while useful, may see to restrict orthodox and of course, the exclusivity of Christ.
Continue reading “Can we use Apophatic Theology to prevent Religious Extremism?”
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