Tried With Fire

"Poets say science takes away from the beauty of the stars - mere globs of gas atoms. Nothing is 'mere.' I too can see the stars on a desert night, and feel them. But do I see less or more? The vastness of the heavens stretches my imagination - stuck on this carousel, my little eye can catch one-million-year-old light... Or see them [the stars] with the greater eye of Palomar , rushing all apart from some common starting point when they were perhaps all together. What is the pattern, or the meaning, or the why? It does not do harm to the mystery to know a little about it. For far more marvellous [sic] is the truth than any artists of the past imagined! Why do the poets of the present not speak of it?" ~ Richard Feynman I agree with the eminent Dr. Feynman that science does not detract from the beauty of nature. But I would add that knowing Who created it doesn't diminish the wonder of science. As David wrote in Psalm 19, "The heavens declare the glory of...

I may need these sooner rather than later. ht: Tom Gauld

ht: You're All Just Jealous of my Jetpack

Messier 94 galaxy Now that my daughter is at university, I've been able to vicariously enjoy tidbits from her classes. In her astronomy class, her professor said there are four fundamental forces in physics - strong nuclear, weak nuclear, electromagnetic, and gravity. Which one do scientists know the least about? The answer is gravity. I found this very interesting because gravity is so common that we take it for granted. Yet this force is still a mystery to the best brains in physics. But for those who believe in a Creator God, we may not be scientific geniuses, but we can acknowledge gravity as His handiwork. So for this thankful Thursday, I am thankful for the privilege of knowing God as Redeemer and Creator. I am thankful that I can see and experience the work of His hands, and this leads me to worship Him.

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 ...

A letter to the editor from a male mechanical engineering student at Eastern Washington University recently went viral. This letter was addressed to the women in his engineering classes and highlighted the subtle discrimination toward women in this field of study. One statement was of particular interested to me because my experience was more like that of this male student: I did not, for example, grow up in a world that discouraged me from focusing on hard science.  I grew up in a Christian family with several female scientists including my mom. I studied chemical engineering and computer science in the 80's when women were beginning to break into these previously male-dominated fields. I don't recall any derogatory attitudes. The course material alone was sufficient to weed out students from the programs regardless of their gender. After grad school, my first manager and client contacts were women. So based on my limited observations, I don't think discouraging g...

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 ...