Tried With Fire

If you think science and religion are at odds, think again. The Creator/creature distinction of Christian orthodoxy had a direct effect on the development of the scientific method. This would have been impossible for animists, pantheists, and panentheists because the line between a Creator and His creation is blurred. This is yet another example of how one's worldview, which includes the doctrine of God, effects everything. God does not inhabit the world the way a dryad inhabits a tree; He is not the personalization of natural forces. He is not the world's "soul"; He is its Creator. It is the work of His hands, as a vase is the work of the potter. The opening lines of Genesis 1 stand in stark contrast to more ancient religions in rejecting any religious status to the sun, moon, and stars... Dutch historian of science R. Hooykaas describes this as the "de-deification of nature." Natural phenomena - sun, moon, forests, rivers - are no longer seen as the ...

Scandals involving Christian organizations/celebrities broke shortly before I went on vacation. I told my daughter it was probably a good thing I was taking an Internet break. I tend not to be a big "issue" person, but I make a very strong exception when it comes to abuse and any alleged cover-up within the Christian community. I thought time and distance would cool-off my response. Evidently not. I am still grieved and heartbroken. I get a gnawing pit in my stomach every time a fresh account is made public of alleged abuse within Christian circles. This not only includes abuse in its criminal forms but spiritual abuse as well. This causes me to wonder -  does spiritual abuse provide the necessary cover under which other forms of abuse can hide in a Christian environment? Having witnessed several incidents over the past decades, there is nothing so disheartening as Christian leaders sweeping sin under the rug. When the scandal involves celebrities, the news spreads far...

Science and God by Scott Petty, Matthias Media, 2011, 108 pages. Science and God is one of six books written by Scott Petty for Matthias Media. Each book in this series addresses typical questions asked by the 14-20 age group. The author begins by addressing the false dichotomy between science and Christianity. He advocates a multiple-layered approach where science answers questions from observing the physical universe and Christianity answers metaphysical questions such as the existence of God and the purpose and meaning of life.  Petty cites examples of well-known modern scientists who profess Christ as well as ones throughout history to illustrate that science and Christianity are friends. He then goes on to cover the Big Bang theory with its evidence that points to a beginning of the universe, not unlike the creation account in Genesis 1. The book then  looks at the universe's fine tuning which also seems to indicate a Designer rather ...