Science and Creation

I've been reading G.K. Chesterton's Orthodoxy lately and he brings to mind a few interesting problems for modernist philosophy.

• Skepticism is skeptical about everything but it's own skepticism.
• Questioning your own existence is absurd, who then is questioning your existence?
• The scientific method is good for demonstrating everything but the scientific method.
• To eliminate morality from decision making is to enforce a "non-morality" morality.
• To preach that their is no such thing as love is loving (all acts of sharing (preaching in this case) are an act of love no matter how minimal they seem at face value).
• In order to will something, one must will not everything else. Thus to will everything is to will nothing... is to not will at all.

Ultimately these problems in modern philosophy have been resolved by Wittgenstein, that truth relies on a mechanism he called "word games". He presents a fairly cogent argument as well. However, even Wittgenstein had to admit, if everything is a word game then why listen to him?

And thus we find ourself in the post-modern predicament: ever skeptical, ever self doubting, hopeless, eating our own tails.

In what then can we hope, can we believe?

Is there biblical warrant for belief in a soul which is both eternal and seperate from our body? Theologically, do we need a soul to maintain our Christian belief in Sin, Salvation and Resurrection?

I have come lately to see that much of the traditional notion of a soul as something distinct from the body doesn't find support in the Scriptures. Furthermore, medical science shows that much of our behavior, emotion, memory and other mind/soul functions are really brain functions. Brain functionality is in essence a body function. What then would a soul be?

Last, I don't think that it is a Christian idea that when one dies his soul departs from his body and goes to heaven to be with God. This is actually more of a platonic ideal mixed with Descartes and folklore (see wikipedia's view on that for instance). Scripturally and doctrinally, Christians have beleived in "The Resurrection of the Body"... not the migration of the soul (presumably to Heaven or Hell or some intermediate place).

Am I way off here?

What are the implications that man is a whole being made in God's image and not a mind-body as Descartes and the Platonists propose? What does Jesus mean when he says we will be resurrected like he was resurrected... especially if our bodies are totally decomposed by the time he makes his reappearance?

I recently finished the book "The Wisdom of the Subconcious Mind". I was blown away with it and wrote a review of it on Goodreads.com which I wanted to post here.

But I also wanted to ask everyone who may read this post... what do you think about the Subconscious mind? Do you agree with the fact that it influences almost everything we do? If it influences everything we do, then why has the Church so vigorously denied it and all things psychological instead of embracing its practices of understanding our minds?

Below is my review of one of the most fascinating books I've read this year. I hope that you choose to pick up a copy and read it.

=> Read more!

According to wikipedia, the first modern human in the evolutionary chain, homo sapiens, arose about 250,000 years ago.

The article states that there is very little variation in genetic material between homo sapiens as compared to many other animals. This gives us reason to believe that homo sapiens has changed very little in the last 250,000 years.

According to this article, the first culture sprung up in China about 9,000 years ago and a mere 5,000 years ago the Sumerians invented writing.

=> Read more!

The documentary that this trailer is for (Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed) is coming out in theaters today across America. It documents how scientists are forbidden from questioning the theory of evolution. If they do, they risk losing their tenure, jobs, reputation, or worse. This should be a great movie to spark design vs. evolution discussions so hopefully we can discuss it in this feed after watching the movie. Let me know what you think about it!

I'm reading through Genesis right now and have been noticing some interesting details about creation that I haven't noticed before. For example, during the flood account in Genesis chapter 7 the Bible states that:

¹⁸And the water prevailed and increased greatly upon the earth; and the ark floated on the surface of the water. ¹⁹And the water prevailed more and more upon the earth, so that all the high mountains everywhere under the heavens were covered.

I understand that some people argue that Noah's flood could have been a localized flood instead of a world wide flood, but this passage seems to rule out the possibility of this flood not being world wide. When it says that all the mountains under the heavens were covered with water, that doesn't seem to leave any mountains on the earth remaining uncovered.

Also in Genesis chapter 9 after the flood has receded, God makes His "Rainbow Covenant" with Noah and all creation stating:

¹¹"And I establish My covenant with you; and all flesh shall never again be cut off by the water of the flood, neither shall there again be a flood to destroy the earth" 

To me, this promising from God seems to negate the possibility of God allowing global warming to cause world wide flooding that would turn the earth into a "water world". This doesn't mean that there can't be localized flooding, but there cannot be another world wide flood to wipe out all creation. 

Fearfully and wonderfully made we are... Psalm 139:14

from guardian.co.uk

A molecular model showing all the different molecules, both RNA (turquoise, green and yellow) and protein (purple and orange), that make up the ribosome, the RNA and protein found in all cells
Photograph: Venki Ramakrishnani/Wellcome Trust

Originally found here.