Techcordance

Embedded in a digital age

by Joe Silino

Being a techie without a scientific background is a very frustrating existence at times. The nature of most geek types is one of curiosity, exploration and a sense of wonder at the intricate design the universe exposes to even the least knowledgeable among us. I enjoy consuming information about things that are admittedly over my head in the hopes that I might glean some information helpful to my understanding of the way God works in nature and how the laws of nature and human existence interact.
One very interesting conversation I listened to recently was about the way in which God intervenes in the world or as some wonder, if at all.   Is it  1) creation and observation 2) through natural processes 3) special events within nature 4) miracles 5) or all of the above? This third aspect of intervention, special events within nature, was the topic of the conversation and in particular the idea of God and quantum mechanics. The idea that God might suspend the laws of physics to intervene in nature is abhorrent to many scientists but quantum theory says that this realm of reality runs by its own rules. We can not understand the sub-atomic world in terms of cause and effect, predictability or even the affect of the very one doing the observing. It is within this framework that some scientists propose that here, God could be continually active in His creation without suspending the laws of physics, and observers wouldn’t even be aware. The idea of determinism within a reality that works outside of nature is one that is familiar to Christians. God is not limited by space-time dimensions but is outside this realm. When I think about this it inevitably leads me to another tenant of my faith. God at work in the universe, affecting all of nature, space and time in an unseen Cosmic Transaction that determines the purpose of human existence in not only a physical sense but in a metaphysical way. The Incarnation and redemption of mankind by the Creator Himself is an article of faith and should not be a point of ridicule by scientists or anyone else. We can all think of strongly held beliefs in the world of science that cannot be proven. If theres a way to theorize God at work in the world of quantum physics it shouldn’t seem implausible for scientists to at least consider that He might also be at work outside of space and time.

Arson

TYLER — Court records indicate one of the suspects arrested on an arson charge in the burning of churches in East Texas had assault rifles and books on demons and atheism in his home.
Investigators also say 19-year-old Jason Bourque left graffiti in the bathroom stall of a ranch store. The Dallas Morning News reports today that court documents say Bourque carved an upside-down cross topped by flames into the bathroom wall, along with the words “Little Hope was Arson.”
Little Hope Baptist Church was the first of 11 churches that were torched in what authorities believe was an arson spree.
Bourque and 21-year-old Daniel George McAllister were arrested and charged Sunday with a single felony arson charge.
Attorneys are not commenting publicly because of a gag order.

Avatar


With “Avatar” now the highest-grossing movie of all time, some evangelical Christians are wondering how to respond to the cultural phenomenon.
Some have slammed the film for promoting pantheism and an anti-human message. Others have joined fellow moviegoers in literally applauding the film as the credits rolled on the big screen.
And still others have not denied the entertainment value, but are concerned that Christians are getting caught up in the culture and raising fewer questions.
“Evangelicals are now consumers of popular culture as if there are no moral questions about it,” said Dr. R. Albert Mohler, Jr., president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, at a panel discussion Thursday.

Tebow Ad

The national director for Generation Life says it comes as no surprise that liberal groups are upset over a Super Bowl ad featuring Tim Tebow and his mother.Focus on the Family produced the 30-second spot, which is slated to run during the CBS broadcast on Sunday and reportedly will feature Pam Tebow recounting her decision to carry Tim to full-term, despite a doctor’s advice to have an abortion due to health concerns. Liberal and feminist groups were quick to denounce the ad, even though it has yet to be previewed, and Brandi Swindell, founder and national director of Generation Life, contends the heated opposition shows the liberal groups’ true colors.

The Book of Eli

The new motion picture, The Book of Eli, is still filling up movie theaters.The Bible is at the center the post apocalyptic film. But there is some debate about whether it’s a Christian film.Actor Denzel Washington portrays Eli, a man who survives a world war and holds the one remaining Bible. Eli is on mission to protect the book as he takes a 30 year westward walk across the country.

March

While pro-life supporters marched in Washington, D.C., on the anniversary of Roe v. Wade, Friday, an abortion-related trial began in Kansas.Scott Roeder confessed to killing Dr. George Tiller who was one of the few late term abortion providers in the country.As Roeder’s murder trial gets underway on the 37th anniversary of the ruling that legalized abortion, activists on both sides of the issue focused in.The prosecution began by playing 911 calls from witnesses.Police say Roeder walked into a Kansas church last May, and shot Tiller at point blank range and threatened two others.”I saw out of my right vision. I saw a flash and I heard a pop, to me sounded like a balloon popping,” witness Kathy Wegner recalled. “Then I just saw Dr. Tiller just fall flat on his back. I just saw him flat on his back and I thought, ‘why is he there?’”

Collins

Let us now praise famous geneticists. President Obama did the right thing Thursday by nominating Dr. Francis Collins, the “genome guru” in the mellifluous words of the Associated Press, to head the National Institutes of Health. Collins is highly likely to receive Senate confirmation and become one of the world’s most influential scientists, with an annual budget of almost $30 billion to use in support of human flourishing.
Collins, 59, is best known for directing the successful effort to sequence the humane genome, the DNA that makes up the human physical blueprint. But there’s more: Earlier this year, I heard him before a sophisticated New York audience speak of his personal faith in Christ, and he did so credibly and winsomely. He said it would require more faith not to believe in “a designed universe” than to see it as God-made. So, is Collins a proponent of Intelligent Design (ID)? Perish the thought! Yes, he speaks of “pointers to God from nature,” including “the precise tuning of 15 physical constants—if you tweak their values by a tiny fraction, it doesn’t work.” But he takes pains to argue for “theistic evolution” and recently set up the BioLogos Foundation, funded with a Templeton Foundation grant. According to its website, BioLogos “is the belief that Darwinism is a correct science.”
Let’s be clear here: Collins is not an atheist like many Darwinians. He told the New Yorkers that “atheism is the least rational of all the choices.” He’s not a deist: He believes not only that God got the ball rolling, but that miracles can happen, although not very often. He believes in Christ’s resurrection. But he doesn’t seem to have a high view of Scripture, which is where we primarily learn about Christ’s resurrection. Here’s just one example: Collins’s BioLogos website declares, “It seems likely that Adam and Eve were not individual historical characters, but represented a larger population of first humans who bore the image of God.” Many subsequent figures in the Bible, preeminently Jesus, referred to Adam as an individual: Were they deluded? But I’m not so worried about Collins’s theological statements: Many readers can exegete them and come to their own conclusions.

Gideons

Missouri’s South Iron School District has received a favorable court ruling.
The lawsuit goes back to 2006, when the American Civil Liberties Union sued the South Iron School District for allowing The Gideons International to distribute Bibles on the school campus and in the classrooms. A judge initially barred the distribution of the Bibles in the classroom, which prompted the school to enact a policy that would allow the distribution of secular and religious material just outside the classroom, and students who were not interested in the material could simply walk by.
The judge issued an order against that policy as well. Matt Staver is the founder of Liberty Counsel, which is representing the school district.

Reasons

Lifeway Research

Fleecing the Flock

With unemployment being sky high and climbing it seems that a person who is looking for work need only look to the ministry to make his or her fortune these days. Take the case of one David Cerullo, the CEO of Inspiration Networks. According to the Associated Press, Cerullo is in the process of building a multi million dollar home estimated to be between nine and twelve thousand square feet on Lake Keowee in Lancaster county South Carolina. Cerullo has built Inspirations Networks out of what was left of the now defunct PTL network, which stood for Praise the Lord (or to some it meant Preachers Taking Loot) of Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker fame.