John Polkinghorne - In Quest of Truth

Religious belief can guide one in life or strengthen one at the approach of death, but unless it is true it can do neither of these things and so would amount to no more than an illusionary exercise in comforting fantasy.

Danger of the Certain

Doubt does not exist within the religion. Regardless that history shows a number of religions that eventually disappeared once their believers died, believers are certain they are right. Science questions everything devotees of religion question little if anything.

 

Stories in the bible such as how we came into existence do not match up with what is known. Biblical stories of the flood are little different than flood history of many civilizations and leave questions believers do not ask.

 

Christian religion teaches there is a loving God who will torture us for ever except for the intercession of Jesus, an innocent who had to be killed to let him intercede. One of the reasons the loving God will torture us for ever is if believers listen to a female teacher.

Calvin Coolidge

Leaving the presidency following five and a half years, Calvin Coolidge wrote:

"It is difficult for men in high office to avoid the malady of self-delusion. They are always surrounded by worshippers. They are constantly and for the most part sincerely assured of their greatness."

Did the founders of our country envision professional politicians? Did the early Christians envision professional preachers? Where does the Bible authorize a professional preacher to manage the church office; supervise the office staff; publish the weekly news letter and be the source of biblical knowledge for the congregation all paid for by contributions originally meant for the poor saints in Jerusalem? 

Martin Luther believed anything the Bible does not expressly prohibit, is permissible. Apparently the Church of Christ does too. 

At what point is the church no longer the church but just another man made organization?

Difficult Choice

If God is willing to prevent evil, but not able; he is not omnipotent.

If he is able, but not willing; he is malevolent.

If he is both able and willing; whence cometh evil?

If he is neither able nor willing; why call him God?  

 

---Epicurus

Education Not a Threat

I often hear folks caution students going off to college to not lose their faith. To some, education is a threat in that it brings to light new possibilities including the possibility the Bible does not say what they have been taught it says.

 

An advantage science has that the bible does not share is the thousands of scientists trying to prove it wrong. Science does not reward corroboration and the inability to disprove something lends credibility to it just may be true. Christians rarely challenge what the local congregation's spokesperson tells them the bible says.

 

Most Christians live in a cocoon where everyone is pretty much like the other. When we step outside the cocoon we occasionally see that reality is a bit different than what we believe. 

 

In classes I like to listen to those in the cocoon. Children have angels and that sort of thing. Did you know there is a market in the sex slave business for 4 to 7-year-old girls? Where are the angels? Where is God? On the other hand God will protect us.

 

Recently I read "A Train in Winter" by Caroline Moorehead.  It is the story of 230 women who were either part of the French resistance during the WWII German occupation of France or were in the wrong place at the wrong time; everyday people whose lives were turned into a Hell on earth. But I am sure it would not have happened if they had been Christians. Maybe they just did not pray enough.

 

Maybe "new" does not cause the youth to lose their faith but expand it? Research suggests they want to be more than an audience on Sundays.

 

 

Motivation

In the most recent House to House; Heart to Heart the cover article is "do you think you are the only ones going to Heaven?

Later, on page 5, there is All Things Considered; 4 Pictures of Faith. I am not aware the bible tells us their motivation but do you suppose Abraham, David, or Job was focused on being saved or going to Heaven or did Abraham just believe God, David had confidence, or did Job just have hope for a better tomorrow? They had a relationship with God much like with a friend. Do we have or even want a relationship with God or do we follow him only because we want something he has and if it were possible we want it with or without God? The author in one book I have read on the subject asked the question would we be happy in Heaven even if God was not there.  Since people argue that is not possible I ask the question would avoiding Hell be good enough for us. 

Last month when we attended the Church of Christ on Hilton Head Island it struck me like us church is assembling to hear a man talk. Was church to Abraham, David or Job assembling to hear a man talk? Are we just a group of rule-keepers and does that lead us to believe we are the only group keeping all the rules?

John Jenkins
865-803-8179  cell
Gatlinburg, TN



Email: jrjenki@gmail.com
Blogs: http://littlepigeon.blogspot.com/
         http://alumcave.blogspot.com/

 

"I do not feel obliged to believe the same God who has endowed us with sense, reason and intellect has intended us to forgo their use"

Galileo Galilei, an Italian physicist, mathematician, astronomer, and philosopher

 

The Story of Stuff: http://www.storyofstuff.com/

Why you don't really have free will

http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/opinion/forum/story/2012-01-01/free-will-science-religion/52317624/1

"Youth" and Darwin's Evolution

A while back I mentioned the "youth" of today will give more credibility to Darwin's Natural Selection / Evolution than we do.

Whether we agree with their conclusions or not science believes they are correct and that they can prove it. Creation cannot be taught in schools because it cannot be proved. So far my conclusions after reading several books on the subject stand firmly on the "how can I argue" side. When engineers tell me a computer runs at nano-second speed (a billionth of a second) I do not argue. Without the same tools how can I disagree with their conclusions? When science says the earth is 4.5 billion years without the same tools who can disagree? When Christians say the earth is 10,000 years old they leave a lot of questions unanswered.

Nature abounds in catastrophes, disasters, imperfections, dysfunctions, suffering and cruelty. Tsunamis destroy and kill; volcanoes erase cities; floods and droughts bring ruin to farmers. Scientists say the human jaw is poorly designed, parasites kill millions of humans every year and make additional hundreds of millions sick. About 20 percent of all human pregnancies end in spontaneous abortion during the first two months; that is 20 million natural abortions every year.

There is extreme cruelty in nature i.e. predators eating while the prey remains alive; male leaders killing all the young; when a mother stops nursing she mates. One lion was clocked at 157 matings within a 55 hour period.

Are those the work of a loving creator or the results of the clumsy evolutionary process?

In the January 2010 issue of Smithsonian magazine there is an article about the Dead Sea scrolls. The article says the thousands of tourists who flock to Qumran each year, where the scrolls were discovered, are told the site was once home to a Jewish sect called the Essenes, who devoted their lives to writing and preserving sacred texts. An Israeli archaeologist disagrees, and says the settlement was originally a small fort that was later converted into a pottery factory to serve nearby towns. Which story sounds better to the tourists? Do they want to know the truth or do they want to continue to believe what they want to believe even if it might be false?

The bible is not a science book. We know scientifically that the sun does not move and the earth does not stand still, even though the bible gives examples of both. The bible tells us what God did not how he did it. Science believes they know how he did it at least those scientists who believe in God. The church fought for a long time before it accepted that the earth is not the center of the universe. Today what the church needs to understand is the complete story of creation. Refusing to discuss it or to learn about it does not help. To declare it a miracle stops all discussion possibly leaving the truth undiscovered. Do Christians want to know truth? I am curious to know Brad Harrub's opinions.

 

John Jenkins
865-803-8179  cell
Gatlinburg, TN



Email: jrjenki@gmail.com
Blogs: http://littlepigeon.blogspot.com/
         http://alumcave.blogspot.com/

 

"Good judgment comes from experience, and a lot of that comes from bad judgment."

--- Will Rogers (1879-1935)

The Story of Stuff: http://www.storyofstuff.com/

"Youth" and Darwin's Evolution

A while back I mentioned the "youth" of today will give more credibility to Darwin's Natural Selection / Evolution than we do.

Whether we agree with their conclusions or not science believes they are correct and that they can prove it. Creation cannot be taught in schools because it cannot be proved. So far my conclusions after reading several books on the subject  stand firmly on the "am not convinced" side. When engineers tell me a computer runs at nano-second speed (a billionth of a second) I do not argue. Without the same tools how can I disagree with their conclusions? When science says the earth is 4.5 billion years without the same tools who can disagree? When Christians say the earth is 10,000 years old they leave a lot of questions unanswered.

Nature abounds in catastrophes, disasters, imperfections, dysfunctions, suffering and cruelty. Tsunamis destroy and kill; volcanoes erase cities; floods and droughts bring ruin to farmers. Scientists say the human jaw is poorly designed, parasites kill millions of humans every year and make additional hundreds of millions sick. About 20 percent of all human pregnancies end in spontaneous abortion during the first two months; that is 20 million natural abortions every year.

There is extreme cruelty in nature i.e. predators eating while the prey remains alive; male leaders killing all the young; when a mother stops nursing she mates. One lion was clocked at 157 matings within a 55 hour period.   

Are those the work of a loving creator or the results of the clumsy evolutionary process?

In the January 2010 issue of Smithsonian magazine there is an article about the Dead Sea scrolls. The article says the thousands of tourists who flock to Qumran each year, where the scrolls were discovered, are told the site was once home to a Jewish sect called the Essenes, who devoted their lives to writing and preserving sacred texts. An Israeli archaeologist disagrees, and says the settlement was originally a small fort that was later converted into a pottery factory to serve nearby towns. Which story sounds better to the tourists?  Do they want to know the truth or do they want to continue to believe what they want to believe even if it might be false?

The bible is not a science book. We know scientifically that the sun does not move and the earth does not stand still, even though the bible gives examples of both. The bible tells us what God did not how he did it. Science believes they know how he did it at least those scientists who believe in God. The church fought for a long time before it accepted that the earth is not the center of the universe. Today what the church needs to understand is the complete story of creation. Refusing to discuss it or to learn about it does not help. To declare it a miracle stops all discussion. But the truth may still be hidden. Do Christians want to know the truth? I am curious to know Brad Harrub's conclusions.  

John Jenkins
865-803-8179  cell
Gatlinburg, TN



Email: jrjenki@gmail.com
Blogs: http://littlepigeon.blogspot.com/
         http://alumcave.blogspot.com/

 

"Good judgment comes from experience, and a lot of that comes from bad judgment."

--- Will Rogers (1879-1935)

The Story of Stuff: http://www.storyofstuff.com/

Christians Live in a Fantasy World of Prayer

Every week I receive emails encouraging me to pray for Janelle Arthur to continue on American Idol. Paul Jolley is also a member of the Church of Christ but was eliminated early in the Top 10 competition. So much for God helping members of the church.

Silly Story

It is said that the bible starts with a silly, unscientific story of how the world was made in seven days.  Christians are disturbed by the fact that those who take the bible seriously do not agree on the creation account. Some think the only faithful interpretation is the young-earth, literal view of the Genesis days that was made famous by Archbishop Ussher (1581 – 1656) who gave 4004 BC as the date of the origin of the earth. His calculation, based on the days in Genesis 1 as twenty-four-hour days of one earth week at the beginning of the universe does not coincide with current scientific estimate of around four billion years.

 

Others hold the text can be understood in agreement with contemporary science. Such old earth creationists are split over the validity of Darwin's theory of evolution. Others argue that the Genesis account was written to communicate timeless theological truth and attempts to harmonies with science are misguided.

OT Not Written To Us

The Old Testament does communicate to us and it was written for us and for all people. But it was not written to us. It was written to Israel and through Israel to everyone else. Since it was written to Israel it is in a language that most of us do not understand, and therefore requires translation.  But the language is not the only aspect that needs to be translated. Language assumes a culture, operates in a culture, serves a culture, and is designed to communicate into the framework of a culture. Consequently, when we read a text written in another language and addressed to another culture we must translate the culture as well as the language if we hope to understand the text fully. 8

Christians Argue for ID

When Christians argue for intelligent design (ID) to be taught in public schools they typically avoid explicit reference to God.

 

They argue ID is scientific rather than religious and occasionally suggest the designer could be a space alien or a time-traveling cell biologist but they offer no serious alternative to God as a designer. ID's religious nature is evident because it involves a supernatural designer. In one court case the judge observed, "that several individuals who so staunchly and proudly touted their religious convictions in public, would time and again lie to cover their tracks and disguise the real purpose behind their ID policy.

 

In Matters Obscure

Concerning teaching evolution in schools Christians need to understand that science is here to stay. Regardless the flaws and unknowns Christians may see in scientific knowledge, science will continue its attempt to solve the puzzles of the world of nature; evolution.

The church's condemnation of Galileo did not bring astronomy to a halt. Quite the opposite we have a more informed awareness of the universe.

Those who find fault with the theory of evolution may want to keep it out of the school curriculum but millions of dollars will continue to fund thousands of scientists doing research of evolution.  Thousands of scientists are doing everything they can to overthrow the current theory of evolution and so far have been not succeeded. On the other hand Christians do not question their convictions.

Nature abounds in catastrophes, disasters, imperfections, dysfunctions, suffering and cruelty. Tsunamis destroy and kill; volcanoes erase cities such as Pompei and Herculaneum, killing all their citizens; floods and droughts bring ruin to farmers. The human jaw is poorly designed, parasites kill millions of humans every year and make additional hundreds of millions sick. About 20 percent of all human pregnancies end in spontaneous abortion during the first two months. That is 20 million natural abortions every year. Is that the work of a loving creator or the results of the clumsy evolutionary process?  

--- Augustine of Hippo (354 - 480) with specific reference to Genesis said:

"In matters that are so obscure and far beyond our vision, we find in Holy Scripture passages which can be interpreted in very different ways without prejudice to the faith we have received. In such cases, we should not rush in headlong and so firmly take our stand on one side that, if further progress in the search for truth justly undermines this position, we too fall with it."

 

 

 

Which Sixth Grade?

Folks say the bible was written at the sixth-grade level the question is which sixth-grade? The six-grade today is more advanced than the sixth-grade of hundred years ago which was more advanced than the equivalent 1,000 years before that which was more advanced than the equivalent in the time of Moses. So which sixth-grade do they mean?

 

The books of the bible were written at a level that was comprehendible by the people living at the time.

Concerning Science

Concerning science Christians continue to believe the sun rises and sets, the moon shines and the sky is blue all proven by science to be not true.

God Does Not Protect the Innocent

Recently there were stories in the news of a woman babysitting for a child put that child in cold bath water and set the child outside in the cold weather. The child's body temperature was around 87 degrees. Another story was of a couple who punished their child by putting him in an oven. But Christians continue to groupthink that God is in control and will answer their prayers for safety, health and comforts. Folks around here are "rooting for Reagan." Why would God select Reagan out of the thousands or maybe hundreds of thousands of children who die each day of sickness, ill treatment of the people around them? If God is not going to protect the innocent of his creation he will not protect anyone. Christians also believe God knew those children were going to be tortured and still caused them to be born. Did God cause or let? As with those children and thousands like them God will let bad things happen to Christians whose prayers land on deaf ears.

 

Evolution 1 Creation 0

One advantage evolution has over creation, which supports its veracity, is the fact that scientists around the world are trying to disprove evolution while Christians continue to groupthink that the days of creation in Genesis were 24-hour days and the earth is 6,000 years-old.

 

More than 100 insect species have developed resistance to DDT in parts of the world where spraying has been intense. Although these species had never encountered this synthetic compound, mutations gave them some advantage that allowed them to survive in its presence. That adaptation was rapidly multiplied by natural selection.

 

The same goes for disease-causing bacteria and parasites to antibiotics and other drugs as a consequence of the same process. When an individual receives an antibiotic that specifically kills the bacteria causing a disease such as tuberculosis the majority of bacteria die but some may have a mutation that provides resistance to the antibiotic. These resistant bacteria will survive and multiply and that antibiotic will no longer cure the disease. That survival is considered natural selection.

 

Evolution is considered known science today while creation cannot be known and is unprovable

 

Those factual examples cause me to wonder how natural selection has affected human-beings.

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What Government Prohibits Government May Permit

Recently a republican announced he has changed his position on the subject and now supports same-sex marriage. Also recently Hillary Clinton announced she has now changed her position on the subject and supports same-sex marriage. It appears the subject is gaining momentum. What I have suggested appears to be coming to be and that is when Christians depend upon government to support their moral views they must be prepared to accept what government prohibits government may permit.

The Real Problem

Reference previous email, the field of science called embryology offers a complex sequence of naturalistic cause-and-effect for the development of a child. Christians' biblical belief does not associate God's work only with those aspects that remain a mystery. God is involved with the entire process start to finish.  He made us so that the process can work the way it does and Christians believe each child is his handiwork. To accept that does not require that Christians reject the science of embryology.

This is also true in history. Christians believe that God is in control of history and shapes events moment by moment. Despite that claim no historian is able to see God's hand clearly, though depending on one's presuppositions one may conclude that God is at work. Some of those conclusions would be the result of incredible coincidences, while others would be the result of that which is otherwise unexplainable.

Christians believe that God controls history, but they do not object when historians talk about a natural cause-and-effect process. Christians believe God controls the weather, yet they do not denounce meteorologists who produce their weather maps day to day based on the predictability of natural cause-and-effect processes. Why can't evolution be thought of in similar terms?

It would be unacceptable to adopt an evolutionary view as a process without God. It would equally unacceptable to adopt history, embryology or meteorology as processes without God. The fact that embryology or meteorology do not identify God's role or that many embryologists and meteorologists do not believe God has a role makes a difference. Christians can accept the results of embryology and meteorology, regardless of the beliefs of the scientists, as processes that Christians believe describe in part God's way of working. Christians do not organize campaigns to force academic institutions that train meteorologists or embryologists to offer the theological alternative of God's role. Why do you suppose Christians' response to evolution is any different?

Do you suppose Christians' misunderstanding the true meaning of Genesis 1, 2, and 3 is the cause of the disagreement?