If you’ve ever had any kind of conversation with a hard core Darwinist, especially of the most ignorant kind, you’ll have heard the phrase, “Evolution is a fact.” This statement is affirmed in the most cocksure way, as if nobody with half a brain would question it. Or if you work in the biological sciences, or work at a university, Darwinian orthodoxy is the faith that shall not be questioned. You know how weak a position or idea is if totalitarian tactics are required to silence heretics, and keep everyone else in line. Reminds me of a certain virus that too shall not be questioned. We find, however, when we question “the narrative,” whatever that is, that maybe there are other ways to look at things, other facts to be considered that challenge the orthodoxy. It so happens that Darwinian evolution (random mutation through natural selection, and magically everything that exists, exists!) is a very weak orthodoxy, and a truly open-minded inquisitor will likely find it so regardless of whatever religious presuppositions he brings to the table. Neil Thomas is one of those, and I think you will enjoy hearing about his journey to Darwinian skeptic even as an agnostic. It’s a fun interview, and you’ll remember it next time some snotty Darwinist insists that, “Evolution is a fact!” Uh, no is it not!
I’m reading a wonderful book by Nancy Pearcey called Saving Leonardo: A Call to Resist the Secular Assault on Mind, Morals, & Meaning. You can tell she was deeply influenced by the great Francis Schaeffer as she weaves the implications of thought through history and expertly ties them to the consequences that inevitably follow. If we are not “thinking God’s thoughts after him,” in the words of Johannes Kepler, they will lead to destruction, and there is plenty of evidence of that as she details in the book. I want to quote a section of a chapter called “Meaningless Materialism” because it is brilliant. Every Christian in our secular age needs to understand what she’s saying about materialism, and its inherent weakness, it’s pathetically inherent weakness. Since the so-called Enlightenment, Christians have been on the defensive about the ultimate spiritual nature of reality; materialism reigns in secular cultures. But it is materialists who must defend their materialism, but they can’t. So they mostly don’t try; we ought not to let them get away with that. We can have every confidence that the Christian view of reality is infinitely more plausible, and defensible, than the materialists view. I encourage you to take the time to read Nancy closely, and understand her argument; it is faultless.
Well, he didn’t really do that, but he almost gets there as he’s trying to describe the mystery of being in such a musical zone that it boarders on the transcendent. He doesn’t exactly say that either, but what he describes is certainly akin to an other worldly experience. I yelled out loud as he struggled to explain this, “Pat, it’s God!” If you don’t know who Metheny is, he’s a guitarist and musical genius. I was exposed to his music in the early to mid-1980s, and he was a companion for decades. I don’t listen to much music anymore given my preference for learning, but when I saw this long interview of Pat by Rick Beato, it was something I couldn’t miss. It’s pretty technical stuff at times, as Beato has created quite a following exploring musical theory in popular music, but it’s an especially fascinating conversation for those of us who know that melody, harmony, and rhythm can only exist because God exists. (more…)
Now that’s a real click bate title! I bet there’s never been one like it. What in the world does it mean? Well, I’m glad you asked. We all have heard of organic food, you know, stuff that’s natural and supposedly better for you than non-organic stuff. It supposedly doesn’t have pesticides or GMOs if it comes out of the ground, or isn’t given hormones or antibiotics if it’s fish, fowl, or mammal. For the latter, they’re supposed to be grass fed or cage free, and live their short lives not part of the big industrial machinery food industry. Most people know that. But what about epistemology? Far fewer have ever heard the word, let lone what it means. That’s a shame because it’s something they encounter every day of their lives whether they know it or not. That’s what it is, what we know, how we know, why we know, and the study thereof. Or think we do. But, what in the world does epistemology have to do with organic food? More than you might think. (more…)
Instead of giving my wife flowers or taking her out to a nice dinner for this the 34th anniversary of our marriage, I thought I’d give her a blog post. It’s easier, and less expensive. Not to mention that it will last longer. It’s this kind of thoughtfulness that has kept her putting up with me for all these years, or maybe it’s the mercy and grace born of the cross of Christ to which we dedicated our lives before we ever met. I’ll go with mercy and grace! Any successful marriage that stands the test of time needs plenty of both. When we were walking into church this morning, Sarah, that would be my bride, needed a reminder of how long we’ve been married (you lose track after a while), and when I said 34 years, she replied, “Holy crap!” I know! The swift passage of time is a cliché I’ve commented on many times on this blog, but no matter how many times you talk about it, it is still incomprehensible just how swift that passage really is for we mere mortals. Since this is a post about marriage and not time, I’ll stay focused on the former. (more…)
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