A Weblog Dedicated to the Discussion of the Christian Faith and 21st Century Life

A Weblog Dedicated to the Discussion of the Christian Faith and 21st Century Life
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I do not seek to understand that I may believe, but I believe in order to understand. For this also I believe, –that unless I believed, I should not understand.-- St. Anselm of Canterbury (1033-1109)

Tuesday, November 12, 2013

Internet Wanderings

I've been sick since Sunday afternoon, so I haven't done much other than read as I have been able to concentrate. So, below I have listed some places I have roamed on the Internet Highway while trying to rest.
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Ted Gossard reflects on Job: "Yes, it is by faith we know certain things, like we’re told in Hebrews, that the world was framed/created by the word of God. But that very same faith is ready to acknowledge that it is God who knows everything and we don’t. It is God who is at work in the wonder of all that means, and we can’t fully track with it. One of our biggest problems is supposing that we have the answers to everything. We can point to the answer in Jesus: the way, the truth and the life. But often we have to leave it at that."


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Ten famous people killed by bad medicine: "In the past, medicine was not so much a science as a cross between amateur alchemy and compensated sadism. And the worst quackery wasn't just inflicted on the poor and obscure. There's a long list of famous people who were most likely killed by bad medicine. Here are ten you may not know."
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Are the worship wars ending? Thom Rainer thinks it's possible. "For decades church members have been fighting, splitting, and lamenting the state of music in our worship services. But when it's all said and done, it's largely about preferences. And no issue seems to bring out the worst in us as our preferred music style."
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Democrats can be just as anti-science as Republicans: "I'm the first to admit that there are elected Republicans with a terrible understanding of science-- Representative Paul Broun of Georgia, an M.D. who claims evolution and the Big Bang are "lies straight from the pit of hell" is one rather obvious example-- and many more with substantial room for improvement. But Republicans, conservatives, and the religious are no more uniquely "anti-science" than any other demographic or political group. It's just that "anti-science" has been defined using a limited set of issues that make the right wing and religious look relatively worse. (As a politically centrist atheist, this claim is not meant to be self-serving.)"

"Set aside the fact that twice as many Democrats as Republicans believe in astrology, a pseudoscientific medieval farce. Left-wing ideologues also frequently espouse an irrational fear of nuclear power, genetic modification, and industrial and agricultural chemistry-- even though all of these scientific breakthroughs have enriched lives, lengthened lifespans, and produced substantial economic growth over the last century.
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John Byron reflects on God and beer: "...there are some who are now moving to introduce beer as a regular part of their worship service and evening hymn sings. NPR ran a story recently about how a few churches are trying to stave off decline by holding services accompanied by craft beers."

"As much as I love both beer and theology, I do wonder to what end this sort of worship experience will lead. I am not sure if the ultimate reason they are gathering is so that they can focus together on the worship of God and the good news of the gospel or so that they can down a few beers. While meeting people who "love God and craft beer" does appeal to me, I do think, however, the church is about more than finding people who have things in common with us. Certainly that will be the case in many or our worship experiences, but I am not sure that should be what attracts us to one another. Moreover, while I am certainly not one to insist that all worship of God most take place in a church, I do wonder if moving the church into the bar will help attendees focus more on God or their beer."
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Roger Olson outlines wrong approaches to Christianity and science: "One wrong approach is to trim 'Christianity' to fit whatever 'science' seems to be saying. This is the accommodationist approach. It appears in all versions of 'naturalistic theisms' including process theologies. As one pundit put it, 'theology was so afraid of being kicked into the ditch by modernity that it jumped there to avoid the pain of being kicked.'"

"Another wrong approach is to resist science to the point of rejecting even its material facts. Most conservative Christians have long accepted the truth of the heliocentric system and that the earth is round so that heaven is not 'up.' (Although I once heard a Christian evangelist argue that heaven is truly 'up'-- from the north pole because all maps show that as 'up' from anywhere on the planet.) But many Christians seem simply to want to stick their heads in the sand and ignore science (if not demonize it)-- except for its technological creations (e.g., cancer treatments)."

"A very common wrong approach, however, is to redefine 'Christianity' so that its 'essence' cannot be undermined or supported by science. Theology and science exist in water tight, separate compartments. This results in theology's irrelevance to public truth and its reduction to an esoteric 'science.'"

"Finally, some Christians wrongly take the'“two truths' approach. For them, scientific facts can contradict Christian beliefs but somehow both are to be embraced."

"Probably no single issue has caused as much consternation and confusion and loss of credibility for theology as its various approaches to science."
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And finally, there are thirteen words that will sabotage your job interview: "Everyone knows that certain vocabulary words are off limits during a job interview. If you really want impress your future boss, profanity, racial slurs or details on your latest drunken escapade are obviously off limits. But even when you're on your best behavior, there's a risk of sending the wrong message by letting one of these 13 seemingly innocuous words slip. Experts give us the rundown on the words that should be left at home the next time you're interviewing or professionally networking."

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