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This time of year we celebrate
faith related events that
sometimes are challenged or renewed by social discussions. How do
you see faith and science? This month's column explains my view
through the subject of evolution.
ON EVOLUTION—A VIEW FROM ONE KANSAS RESIDENT
On Tuesday, November 13, 2007, after watching the
Newshour With Jim Lehrer on PBS, it was announced that Nova was presenting
a piece about a court case regarding parents who sued a school board that
voted for Intelligent Design to be taught in 9th Grade Biology
Class. The Judge was
interviewed on the Newshour and he explained more about the case.
I was happy to hear that the Judge ruled in favor of the parents.
So I kept the TV on to find out how the two sides presented their
case to the Judge.
After watching the great, two-hour Nova special, both
sides stated their views and it was clear that Darwin’s Theory of
Evolution remains a respected theory in the scientific world because new
scientific advances such as Genetics continues to provide evidence to support Darwin’s Theory.
The side of Intelligent Design said that they are not
trying to go against a respected theory, they are only wanting to include
Intelligent Design as another approach to studying science. But according to the rules of science where theories must
continually be tested and verified, Intelligent Design had a weak argument
of claiming that Intelligent Design is science.
Next, the slam-dunk witness to the case that helped
the parents was a lady who combed through documents that showed how the
verbage of “Intelligent Design” was really “Creationism” disguised
as Intelligent Design. The
people who were revising the documents used the magic of word processing
and while inserting the words, “Intelligent Design,” to replace the
word, “Creationism,” forgot to erase “Creationism” so a word
combining the two was shown in court.
This violated the Constitution. Why did the founding fathers insist on separation of church
and state in the classroom or government?
They saw firsthand the negative effects of the grip of religion
over monarchs. This religious
power was not always good. There
was evidence then to support this and it seems there’s plenty in modern
day also. This is not to say
that religion is bad. Religion
has also done good things, and for those who have had a positive
experience with religion, they turn to their faith many times in their
lives.
The Nova special showed that there is a strong force
out there in support of Intelligent Design to be taught to the youth in
the classroom.
Fortunately, there is also a much stronger force that
supports science, scientists and their respect for Darwin’s Theory.
It seems both sides will continue to fight it out, to
the point that the judge and his family were threatened by Intelligent
Design supporters. None in
the side of the parents and scientists threatened the judge.
In search for peace, one of the scientists featured
in the Nova program says that faith and reason should complement each
other rather than fight each other. This
was spoken while he was shown at his church worshipping.
There are many examples where faith and science go
hand in hand. For instance, a
pregnant woman is in the hospital about to give birth to her first
child. She is facing the
unknown, so she prays for a safe delivery, while all around her are
scientific advances to help ensure she has a higher chance for a safe
delivery.
Another example is at popular athletic events.
The athletes wear scientifically designed shoes and gear and after
a touchdown look up to the sky. Or
during a basketball game, an unfortunate accident happens, and the athlete
must go to the locker room to be x-rayed by doctors who have scientific
training, while the athlete, himself, may be praying or audience members
are praying for him, especially when spectators clap for the well-being of
an athlete.
How many times have we prayed because of the weather
while at the same time scientific work has helped us monitor the clouds so
that for the most part, we can avoid deadly storms.
You may also observe or remember many other examples
where faith and science go hand in hand.
Why waste time seeking superiority of one over the other?
Finally, as presented in the Nova
documentary, a student’s artwork
mural showing how man evolved from apes was stolen and destroyed. So the question is asked, did man evolve from apes?
Does it really matter? Evolved
or not, we all breathe the same air.
We live in the same planet. We
have eyes, a nose, and limbs. Even
if human eyes, nose, and limbs did not evolve from apes, does it really
matter? We must breathe the
same air. Stop breathing the
same air the ape breathes; then indeed, you have a stronger case of being
unattached. Because of this
obvious, shared need for survival, how can one not recognize that we are
indeed related? So if we are
related, why waste our breath claiming we did not evolve from apes, or for
that matter, any other animal or creature?
If the Intelligent Design supporter still wants to
wedge himself apart from the ape, the frog, the fish or some other
creature, by not acknowledging the Theory of Evolution, that’s fine.
But being separate does not make you exclusive from the things that
connect us, including the need to breathe the same air. Differences
become superseded by our fundamental relationships.
- Marina Rundell
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Viggo Mortensen related information:
Interesting Excerpts from the novel, The Sun Over
Breda, by Arturo Perez-Reverte. The
novel is the third of the Captain Alatriste books that have been
translated into English. You
can buy the movie, starring Viggo Mortensen as Alatriste
here. Because the DVD is from Spain, it is in Non-USA
format. However, Pilar
sent me a copy from Spain and I was able to watch it on my computer, so it
will also work in your computer, hopefully.
It is in Spanish, but you can select to have subtitles in English.
From Page 28:
“For their part, the Catholic states of the south,
though still loyal, were beginning to grow weary both of the cost of a war
that had been going on for eighty years and of the excessive demands and
damage done by soldiers who are increasingly thought of as occupying
troops. All these things were
poisoning the air, and to that we must add the decadence of Spain itself,
in which a well-intentioned but ineffective king, an intelligent but
overly ambitious prime minister, a sterile aristocracy, a corrupt
officialdom, and a clergy as stupid as it was fanatic were hurtling us
headfirst into the abyss.”
From Page 62:
“The tercios had been waging war against the
entire world for a long century and were beginning to not know precisely
why, whether it was to defend indulgences or to enable the Court of Madrid
to continue believing, amidst its balls and soirees, that it still ruled
the world.”
From Page 220:
“At that point Breda was no longer a matter of
military interest to Spain but, rather, one of reputation. The world was in suspense, awaiting the triumph or the
failure of the troops of the Catholic King.”
Viggo Mortensen upcoming work:
Perceval Press has
Twilight of Empire available for free. You pay for shipping
only. Click
here.
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Russell Crowe upcoming work:
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Daniel Craig’s movie,
The Golden Compass, with
Nicole Kidman, opens Friday, December 7, 2007.
Daniel Craig is in
the front cover of GQ Magazine, December 2007 issue in newsstands now.
Daniel Craig upcoming work:
_____________________________________
Orlando Bloom upcoming work (Nothing new listed):
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Pierce Brosnan upcoming work:
From Brosnan's Official Site Home Page:
November 27, 2007
Dear Friends,
Season’s Greetings.
I’ve just returned from the beautiful Greek islands of Skiathos and
Scopolos, where I was filming Mamma Mia this summer and into the
fall. I had a wonderful time working with Meryl Streep, Colin Firth,
Stellan Skarsgard, Julie Waters, Christine Baranski, Amanda Seyfried, and
Dominic Cooper.
This January I’m off to South Africa to begin filming an action /
adventure picture called Vanilla Gorilla. Married Life,
an ensemble piece, written and directed by Ira Sachs and starring
Christopher Cooper, Rachel McAdams, Patricia Clarkson and myself is due
for release this winter. In fall 08, I will return as Thomas Crown, which
will be directed by Paul Verhoeven.....
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Articles
on Writer's Strike 2007
 
 
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