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.
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?
Jan 28 2010
There is increasing concern about the end of the world and 2012, but what did Christ say would be the greatest deception of the last days? Check out this interesting article!
Dec 14 2009
It’s a big word this time of year:
Continue reading “Parthenogenesis – The Virgin Birth, Not Just for Christmas Consideration”
Dec 01 2009
I reckon that this is more of a discussion piece, but what do you feel about Climate Change and how do you approach environmentalism?
Two Canadian church leaders who will be attending the U.N. Climate Change Conference next month believe faith and science “must intersect” at the highly- anticipated gathering of world leaders.
Continue reading “Faith, Science ‘Must Intersect’ in Climate Talks, Say Canadian Church Leaders”
Nov 10 2009
The power to resist temptation has been extolled by philosophers, psychologists, teachers, coaches, and mothers. Anyone with advice on how you should live your life has surely spoken to you of its benefits. It is the path to the good life, professional and personal satisfaction, social adjustment and success, performance under pressure, and the best way for any child to avoid a penetrating stare and a cold dinner. Of course, this assumes that our natural urges are a thing to be resisted – that there is a devil inside, luring you to cheat, offend, err, and annoy. New research has begun to question this assumption.
Nov 03 2009
Not really within the scope of the blog, but pretty cool nevertheless.
A 35-mile rift in the desert of Ethiopia will likely become a new ocean eventually, researchers now confirm.
The crack, 20 feet wide in spots, opened in 2005 and some geologists believed then that it would spawn a new ocean. But that view was controversial, and the rift had not been well studied.
Continue reading “Giant Crack in Africa Will Become New Ocean”
Oct 22 2009
Dr Aubrey de Grey, co-founder of the Strategies for Engineered Negligible Senescence Foundation (SENS), thinks we are if scientists can find a cure for Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s disease and cancer.
Continue reading
Oct 12 2009
Yes, that search term just brought someone to my blog.
Maybe they landed here or here.
Oct 03 2009
Jim Linville has posted a trip around the blogosphere concerning the new information releases on Ardi.
What motivated this post was my perusal of the TOP 50 Bibliobloggers list, since I’m now on it (!), and the discovery on that list of some other bloggers who have mentioned Ardi already. So here they are, Ardi according to some Bibliobloggers.
Jim, first, call me Joel.
Of course, I’d like to say that we will get all the nifty answers when we all make it to heaven…but…I’m pretty sure you have to first believe in heaven to be considered for the trip. Frankly, given all the new math, nifty scientific evidence, and ideas pulled from a hat which forms the complete implausibility of evolution, just not sure why one couldn’t just simply relax and believe that at some point, something had to create such a well ordered universe.
Oh, and Jim (x2), enjoy your last few days of number 1…
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