When discussing Atheism and Christianity, one must be ready to have numerous conversations about science, faith, and history. These conversations often require a great deal of knowledge about a wide array of topics and sub-topics. Many individuals claim that religion and science conflict themselves and are not compatible. In response to those claims Alvin Plantinga wrote Where the Conflict Really Lies: Science, Religion, and Naturalism.

Plantinga’s arguments can be broken down into a few categories:

1.)  Evolution and Christian belief do not conflict

2.)  Divine action (miracles) in the world does not conflict with science

3.)  Quantum mechanics and Divine action are compatible

4.)  There is little but superficial conflict between evolutionary psychology and scripture.

5.)  There is little but superficial conflict between evolutionary psychology and Scripture.

6.)  There is deep concord between Christian Theism and science

7.)  There is vast conflict between science and naturalism

Plantinga’s overall claim and thesis states, “There is superficial conflict but deep concord between science and theistic religion, but superficial concord and deep conflict between science and naturalism.” [1] Although there are many aspects of his argument that I disagree with Plantinga’s philosophical and scientific approach to Dawkins, Darwin, Dennett, and Draper are insightful and interesting.

The argument continues by stating that Naturalism forms a worldview in which there is no God and life after death is pointless. Naturalism is not a religion but it is a lens in which to view and understand the world and as such functions as a quasi-religion. [2] Many individuals with these worldviews state religion and science conflict and therefore are at odds with one another. Interestingly enough science conflicts itself many times yet still is considered reliable and without “conflict” regarding itself.

One of Plantinga’s most interesting arguments is stated best here:

In Plantinga's evolutionary argument against naturalism, he argues that the truth of evolution is an epistemic defeater for naturalism (i.e. if evolution is true, it undermines naturalism). His basic argument is that if evolution and naturalism are both true, human cognitive faculties evolved to produce beliefs that have survival value (maximizing one's success at the four F's: "feeding, fleeing, fighting, and reproducing"), not necessarily to produce beliefs that are true. Thus, since human cognitive faculties are tuned to survival rather than truth in the naturalism-evolution model, there is reason to doubt the veracity of the products of those same faculties, including naturalism and evolution themselves. On the other hand, if God created man "in his image" by way of an evolutionary process (or any other means), then Plantinga argues our faculties would probably be reliable.[3]

Let me try to re-word this a little

Plantinga’s evolutionary argument against Naturalism is centered around the tension developed between Darwinism/biological evolution and philosophical naturalism. The argument goes something like, the combination of philosophical naturalism (no supernatural deities exist) and the evolutionary argument when combined (and they always are combined by Atheist and Naturalists) lead to self-defeating claims, if both evolution and naturalism are true. As a result, the probability of having reliable cognitive reasoning concerning truth and other faculties is low.

What are your thoughts about Plantinga’s premise?

Does religion and science conflict?

Are religion and science compatible?

This past Monday our doctorate cohort chatted with Matt Casper about Christianity and Atheism. In preparation for this conversation we read a book entitled Jim And Casper Go To Church: Frank Conversations About Faith About Faith, Churches, and Well- Meaning Christians. The backstory behind this book is really quite interesting.

Upon reading this book there are several things that stand out to me. Each of these things captivated my thoughts and caused me to ponder my own actions as I interact with those who do not believe in Jesus and even more specifically those who do not believe in a God of any kind and call themselves Atheist.

Upon visiting these ten churches Matt Caper points out eleven items which he particularly reflects upon:

1. What is, and how compelling is, the call to action? 

2. How is the Word of God integrated into practical examples of living the faith? 

3. What prior knowledge and belief does the church assume attenders posses?

4. Is the church more interested in conversation or conversion? In dialogue or debate?

5. How accessible is the heart and mind of the ministry?

6. In the church engaging people or performing for them?

7. How realistic is the teaching? Is it the result of proof-texting or contextualization?

8. What is the church's capacity for listening?

9. Is this a body of believers who are more interested in serving or in being served?

10. What makes a church genuine and authentic in its interaction with people?

11. How honest are Christians in discussing the cost of following Christ? (1)

What great insights and questions from an individual visiting some of the "largest" and "best" churches around the United States. So many times Christians get comfortable with tradition, themselves, or their environment and forget about the individuals visiting our congregations and looking at things for the first time. Now, granted one must understanding the purpose of the church before being able to answer these questions correctly, but I am not sure most of our churches today can answer these questions. Should the church focus on these things? If so, why did no many of the churches that Jim and Casper visited fail to meet these things? Is the churches focus in the right direction? All of these and so many more are valid points of contention.

Look Rabbit:

Let me make this note before I continue, As Matt Casper and other non-believers visit our churches on Sunday morning the church is designed for believers to meet and worship together. In Acts 2 they met from "house to house." Who met? The believers. There are things no outsider will completely feel comfortable with in an environment designed and focusing on Christians. However, it is the other six days in the week as individuals live, work, play, raise families, and go about their lives that they must reach out and develop relationships with others, not to say Sunday is off limits, only to point out so often we do things backwards. We live as Sunday is to reach others and Monday - Saturday is for us to live life how we want and if we feel like it we may interact with those who are not Christians. Sunday is for believers, the other six days are to reach the world. 

Many individuals when they find out a person are an Atheist treats that person different from other people who do not believe in Christ but believe there is a God. Perhaps our fear of them pervades our minds so much that we are afraid to have a conversation with them or even get to know them. Maybe people fear that they do not have good enough apologetics for their faith so they fear discussing it with someone who completely views the world from a different perspective.

When a believers meets someone who is an atheist and they do discuss faith and worldviews, they often find it necessary to try on convert that Atheist on the spot without regard for wisdom, timing, relationship, and even just plain common sense. As I read this book, I noticed a friendship that grew between Matt Casper and Jim Henderson. This friendship did not grow out of staunch debates but out of mutual respect and conversations that developed over a period of time. That relationship laid the foundation for conversations between these men. Matt Casper did not convert as a result of this experience, but if he were to ever change his mind about faith, Jim would probably be his first call.

I think Christ portrayed that beautifully in the New Testament. It seems people genuinely felt loved by Christ as he spoke with them even when telling them they lived in sin. That love was not superficial but genuine. Perhaps the key to future conversations with Atheist and others who do not believe are not just endless debates but a relationship that fosters the opportunity for someone to accept the faith we share.

One thing that Casper seemed to point out, allot, among the various churches is the sense of community and love for those around them. Every person in the world regardless of faith backgrounds desires to feel welcomed, accepted, and loved. Now, I am not saying that we condone things against what we believe and what the Bible teaches, but I am saying that maybe our love for others is the key to reaching them. I John 4:19 say’s We love Him because He first loves us. I wonder how much truth there is, in that, in relation to how we love others.

In our chat Mr. Casper stated how his worldview of Atheism "simplifies life." What simplifies my life is the understanding that I am not required to understand everything or be perfect but that I have a creator that loves me and no matter what takes place I can trust in Him. Is this blind faith? I do not think so, it is based on so many evidences that I will discuss next time, but for now maybe the greatest thought I have had over understanding Jim and Casper is to risk more relationally. You never know what God might do.

1.) Jim And Casper Go To Church. pg. xii

Santa Claus, The Easter Bunny, and the Tooth Fairy all have one thing in common they are mythical figures that represent something in our Western Culture. Sure, St Nick was a real man but the modern day Santa, along with the North Pole, and all the Elves are just something our culture has made up. Some might say the danger of fairy tales and legends leads people to discredit faith, maybe there is no such thing as God? Maybe God is something we conjure up in order to give our lives meaning or hope? Or to try to make sense of a world filled with problems and un-explained things.

Many Atheists claim that believing in God is as ridiculous as belief in the Easter Bunny. They claim neither can be proved, and in fact, they are right. Neither can be proved. At some point faith is required to believe in something that has no concrete in your face evidence. Christians would argue there is sufficient evidence for God, but the evidence Atheist seek is irrefutable, in your face, proof, and to that, Christians cannot respond with an answer that will placate them.

However, before I begin to look specifically into today’s topic let me ask a question. The vast majority of the world believes there is some type of God/supreme being/creator. They may not agree on who or what God is but they do agree on the point of life after death, divinity, etc. When Atheists claim that belief in God is like belief in the Easter bunny, it seems to me like a fisherman telling a story about a fish they caught one night. “The man claimed it was ten feet long but onlookers pictures reveled it was barely two feet.”

Recent statistics claim only 1.5 – 4 percent of Americans claim “no higher power exists” It seems to “reason” that perhaps the 96-98.5 percent of Americans might just be on to something about God/a higher power. [1] Besides I think only 1.5 – 4 percent of the population has ever really believed in the Easter Bunny and within those two statistics there is not much comparison.

The heart of today’s post:

Peter Boghossian is a Philosophy instructor at Portland State University. Among being and avid teacher and lecturer Mr. Boghossian is perhaps most know in many circles for his work regarding atheism. In the articles and video lectures that I looked into, Mr. Boghossian seemed a bit cynical towards questions regarding faith. Statements like “when you are ready to leave the kids table to and come to the adult table than we can have a discussion,” Is just one of many statements that is demeaning to “Faith” based beliefs. Perhaps his bluntness is why he is so attractive to many college students. He is strait forward and clear about what and why he views things the ways he does. Over the next couple of paragraphs I intend to look at several statements Mr. Boghossian has made, you can access these talks and articles by viewing my post yesterday. [2]

“Certain processes of reasoning are better than other process and reasoning.”

This I would agree with. There are certain forms of reasoning that yield better results than others. However to say, “all faith based processes leads one away from the truth,” is an unreasonable statement. Can you prove this? According to “reasonable methods,” does scientific methods prove all faith-based reason is faulty? One may argue that the scientific method leads to increased accuracy compared to that of faith based reason, and that is why it should be preferred but is it more accurate? How would one prove that it is more accurate? If one did look at faith-based reason in comparison to other forms of reason, saying faith based seems a bit too broad. To be more specific look at faith based Protestant Christian reason and compare it to other forms of reason and determine the answer being more specific, instead of broad sweeping statements that are much easier to make and harder to pin against the wall.

Science and the scientific method as a form of reason have lead many individuals to faulty conclusions. Just looking at the history of science and our cultures beliefs, as a result of what science has taught us, shows scientific reasoning has often been wrong. Is the Earth flat or round? Does the earth revolve around the sun or the sun the earth? Is your appendix needed or worthless, do your tonsils have any use or should we get rid of them without regard. Are eggs and bacon good for you to eat or bad (depends on the surveyJ), and is Pluto a plant? A few years ago it was. All of these things seem small but all are things that science has changed its stance on over the years and this list is by no means exhaustive.

Subjective vs. Objective Beliefs

SUBJECTIVE EVIDENCE is evidence that you cannot evaluate -- you have to simply accept what the person says or reject it.

OBJECTIVE EVIDENCE is evidence you can examine and evaluate for yourself.

Faith by nature is subjective but that does not mean that there is not objective evidence to prove one faith or at least validate the foundational elements on one’s faith leading to a lesser “leap of faith” for the believer. When it comes to the Scriptures there or many things we believe by faith but their also or many things that have been verified to be true about our faith. Claims’ made in the Bible once believed to be true and subjective now proven to be true through evidence and, therefore, now objective instead of subjective. It is not all or nothing as many Atheists make it to be.

Moral Values

Moral values are something that without a guideline is as subjective as it comes. One Country kills people who steal, others cut of their hands, some imprison for years, and others you might get off with a warning. Some countries have child labor laws, equality regulations, public conduct policies, and general laws that disallow or allow various random activities. How does one rate which laws should be changed and which laws should stay? Are those laws reviewed based on local society, a country, what is best for global culture? If your morals say one thing and mine say another whose morals do you interact by? Why? Faith based reason and specifically Biblical based reason allows a foundational place to start in understanding and making moral laws. Is this bad” are we better off evolving and making up our own moral guidelines as we evolve? And who is to say if we do evolve that all evolution is good? If we evolved to euthanize elderly adults is that right? The sanctity of life is not an evolutionary bi-product but something that faith-based reason has yielded. From a survival of the fittest mentality the weak die and the strong live. To say that our very essence for survival has evolved into moral beings over the centuries is ridiculous.

Delusions

Mr. Boghossian states that the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) is what is used to determine mental disorders. He states that the DSM notes several things that make up mental illnesses but stipulate that religion is exempt from their definitions. Peter, however, compares the two by stating religion is a delusion. I must admit there are certain faith based practices that I do feel are delusions, J and I could spend time comparing various faith traditions, but this is not the purpose of this article. Stating that faith based reason is a delusion is like saying that all love is unreasonable. Some might say that love is a delusion itself, but in actuality love is what ties two people together and helps two narcissistic individuals sacrifice their desires for the needs and wants of their children. Love is often subjective and hard to prove but still love is the bedrock of humanities interaction with each other. Love is a motivator. I can try to prove love to my wife but at some point she must console to trust me and that my actions and words are true reflections of my heart. For this she needs faith. Faith in me and in the fact that what I tell her and show her is true. God is similar. I can show you all the proofs that exist and point to a divine creator and I can tell you of His great love but at some point you must have faith to bridge the gap. This is true for almost every area of life. Regardless if I sit on a chair, ride in a car, sleep in my bed, or turn on the stove faith is at least some part of my daily actions. Faith the chair will hold me, the pilots can fly, my family will be safe will I sleep, and my stove will not burn down my house. Yes, this faith is based on passed experiences, other people’s gifts and talents, and in manufacturers that I have never met but faith nonetheless.

Whether you do or do not believe in a higher power, faith is required for you to make up the difference of your belief. The question is “does one have enough faith to be an Atheist?” For me, that answer is no.

Tomorrow, I will look into conversations and reading from Matt Casper. I will say that there are some things that I have learned from interacting with Matt, perhaps relationship and respect is key to these type discussions.

Atheism is defined, by Webster, as a disbelief in the existence of deity, the doctrine that there is no deity.

Over the course of the last two weeks my last doctorate class has looked into the subject of Atheism. During which time we have chatted with two known Atheist’s Peter Boghossian and Matt Casper.

Over the next week I will blog about Atheism, daily, and look into the conversations that have taken place between our cohort group and each of these individuals. In addition, I will address a few books and thoughts about Atheism and connect these conversations to a much larger conversation about Faith, in particular, Christianity.

For example, Peter Boghossian claims “all faith based processes for reasoning are faulty.”  Is that true? Why or why not? Does faith based reason force the individual(s) down pre-set lines of thinking and reasoning that have faulty premises? Does it require more “faith” to believe in nothing as opposed to something? All of these are just the genesis of questions that will be addressed in the next week.

Here are a few links that will allow you to watch and hear about some of the things we will be conversing about this week, take a look and tell me what you think.

• "Faith as a Cognitive Sickness": (5 minutes)
• "Jesus, the Easter Bunny, and Other Delusions: Just Say No!" (90 minutes)
• "Interview with Peter Boghossian" http://www.philosophynews.com/media/mp3/boghossian_podcast.mp3 (60 minutes)
• "The rise of atheism in America" http://theweek.com/article/index/226625/the-rise-of-atheism-in-america
• "Faith No More" http://www.portlandmercury.com/portland/faith-no-more/Content?oid=5876950

Google is moving from an information based engine to a knowledge based engine.

Over the years Google has grown tremendously. The information it has acquired from its users is mind-blowing the question is is there a limit to what they will be able to do with this information and do they or will they ever know too much?

Regardless, this new technology is pretty impressive and I hope it helps with my doctorate research:)

The 12 books that he reviews are:   

·  Principia Mathematica by Isaac Newton (1687) 

·  Married Love by Marie Stopes (1918)

·  Magna Carta by Members of the English Ruling Classes (1215)

·  The Rule Book of Association Football by A Group of Former English Public School    Men(1863)

·  On the Origin of the Species by Charles Darwin (1859)

·  On the Abolition of the Slave Trade by William Wilberforce in Parliament (1789)

·  A Vindication of the Rights of Women by Mary Wollstonecraft (1792)

·  Experimental Researches on Electricity by Michael Faraday (1839, 1844, 1855)

·  Patent Specification for Arkwright's Spinning Machine by Richard Arkwright (1769)

·  The King James Bible by William Tyndale and 54 Scholars Appointed by the King (1611)

·  An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations by Adam Smith (1776)

·  The First Folio by William Shakespeare (1623)

I must admit that I have not read any of these works except for the Bible, although not the 1611 version. I have read quotes, paragraphs, heard references about, and studying some of the ripples that some of these books have created. In the next couple of paragraphs it is not my desire to confirm nor deny Braggs affirmations of these twelve books. My desire is only to think about a few questions that were raised in my mind as I read through its pages. So let me set up these questions.

Over the past few months I have read and interacted with several books that I would have normally overlooked. Among these books there are four that stand out in correlation with 12 Books That Changed the World. The books are Raeper and Smith, A Brief Guide to Ideas; Forrester, Consider; Brooks, The Social Animal; and Taylor, A Secular Age.

Follow with me for just a second:

Have you ever thought about why you are the way you are? The color of your hair, eyes, and skin? The shape of your head? The length of your legs vs. that of your torso? What about why you act the way you act? Why do you think certain ways? Are Irish people really “hot headed?” If your Jewish, does that mean you have a greater tendency to make more money?

Truth be told, some of these areas are determined by your parents and others by culture.

”Each of us has a mixture of ideas in our heads about ourselves and the world. These ideas have come from somewhere…why were these ideas thought of at all? And what is their importance?” (Smith, 11) If you understand the history of an “idea” you can “see yourself and your own ideas against a background and a history- as  part of a whole philosophy which is still being written every time we think about something.” (Smith, 11) The result, A better understanding of why you think the way you think and why certain ideas lead to certain places.

The Point…”More than ever we need to capacity to think, and decide on what basis our lives should be lived.” (Smith, 12) This capacity to think is essential to answer the big questions about life, reality, and God.

           Brooks argues the premise that “we are not primarily the products of our conscious thinking. We are primarily the products of thinking that happens below the level of awareness.” (Brooks, viii) Our brains can take in 11 million pieces of information at any given moment but is only consciously aware of 40 of them. (Brooks, viii) Therefore, we are shaped, formed, and impacted by more than we can imagine.

Brooks gives four goals for his writings:

1.)  Researchers have looked into various aspects of the unconscious but have not pulled it all together. This book is an attempt to create a narrative that begins that process.

2.)  The understanding we have over the conscious and unconscious has great influence over how we act or react to our societies. Emotion is a weighted as reason and social connections are as important as individuality.

3.)  There are numerous social, political, and moral implications to this research. The impacts of understanding the unconscious affect everything.

4.)  To counteract bias in our culture. The unconscious writes the autobiography of our species. The conscious makes the obvious decisions but those decisions are already influenced and to some extend pre-determined by the unconscious. (Brooks, x-xi)

Taking all this information into consideration lets look at two more areas.

           We live in a fast passed society. Running from one activity to the other, always checking texts, Facebook updates, and emails while trying to meet the demands of our careers only to fail in taking the time to ever stop and just reflect on what we are doing.

          Forrester’s book is a compelling, illustrative, refreshing insight into why individuals and organizations must begin to pro-actively carve out “think time and reflection time.” (Forrester, 18) Think time is purposeful pieces of time set aside to think about our schedules, tasks, assignments, lives, dreams, and creativity, it forces us to consider. Reflection is a purposeful act of stepping back, reconsidering fundamental assumptions we make and the possible consequences of future actions. (Forrester, 18)

 “Ideas are out there, Insights and innovation await us only if we are capable of stepping outside the frenzied worlds of data and distraction that wash over us…technology is not the destination…The power of reflection lies not in how much time we allocate to it. The power of reflection lies in how we choose to use that time and what structure we bring to the fleeting disjointed moments we are afforded” (Forrester, 216)

So what does this mean? Has any of this or all of this effect our lives today? Are we products of are unconscious, environment, are our ideas our own or a result of those things that influence us?

          We cannot understand our present situation by a single ideal type, but if we understand ourselves to be moving away from an Age of Mobilization and more into an Age of Authenticity, then we can see this whole move as in a sense a retreat of Christendom. I mean by Christendom a civilization where society and culture are profoundly informed by Christian faith.” (Taylor, 514) Taylor does not negate the fact that the church will be forever informed and impacted by Christianity but he points out the fact that through time people will be less and less kept within faith by some political, group, or socially ethic identity. People will begin to develop other spiritual practices, i.e. meditation, charity work, study groups, pilgrimages, prayer, and a host of other options. People will still look for opportunities to connect with something bigger than themselves. The days of peremptory authority are coming to an end and a quest for spirituality, community, and acceptance are here. The term Taylor uses is “diffusive Christianity.” (Taylor, 518) The result will be more and more individuals living within the penumbra of the church. “To most it is obvious that a decline in belief and practice has occurred…the belief enjoyed by earlier centuries has been lost. This is the major phenomenon of secularization.” (Taylor, 530) The truth is that know one except God understands what the future holds and what this new age will yield.

Ok now lets return to Bragg, taking into account the four books that we just skimmed through,

          Why do we know what we know about the universe? A billion galaxies, with an average of a billion stars in each galaxy, with the average distance between each start 30 trillion miles. The principles of time, force, motion, gravity, acceleration, fluid dynamics, orbital movements all find their way back to Newton, and Principia.

          This book is considered the foundation for evolutionary science. Inheritable genes, natural selection, and populations changing to their environment eventually creating a new species is at the heart of this read. Controversy among Evangelical church arose at the turn of the 20^th century, and many churches polarized themselves from secular culture and the scientific world as a result. Today, evolution is taught in every public school across America and Biblical creation is omitted. Darwin’s name and the Origin of Species may be better recognized than the truths in the Bible in some parts of the world.

          Almost a hundred years after the Protestant Reformation began with Luther’s 95 Thesis and almost two hundred years after the inventing of the Gutenberg printing press the 1611 King James Version of the Bible was produced. During the last 400 years arguably, no translation has been printed more than the KJV, although this includes all versions of the KJV. It is estimated that approximately 6 billion copies of the Bible have been produced over its lifetime. The KJV Bible has influenced presidents, kings and queens, leaders from all over the world, and Martin Luther and his 1963 “I have a dream” speech.

          The Magna Carta was the first document to protect some individual right and attempt to limit the kings power. The First Folio contains all but five of Shakespeare’s plays, his contribution to the arts may never be rivaled. Adam Smith a brilliant economist at the beginning of the rise of industrialization gave understanding to the benefit of free markets to their societies. William Wilberforce decide to move against the slave trade industry instead of slavery by itself and in 1789 brought a bill to the Parliament, called Abolition of the Slave Trade. A Vindication of the Rights of Woman fought for the right for the education of women and argues that necessity as a result of her influence in her children and husbands life. Michael Faraday pioneered the way into the possible uses of electricity, his experiments have motivate thousands to try the impossible. The Rule Book of Associated Football brought together worldwide the rules for one of the largest and most loved sports in the entire world. Marie Stopes book talk about sexual desire and equality in marriage before culture accepted such conversations

 The last paragraph follows each contribution in the order it was written. My question...since these are all British works, did each one influence, in some way, the others?

Did the Magna Carta some seven hundred years later help Marie Stopes find the courage to write about what she did?

Was each author a product of their culture or were they leading thinkers and innovators of their time?

Has the 1611 King James Bible influenced the entire civilized world, and if so how has that impacted our life?

Have you ever taken the time to stop and consider why these books were written, or why any book was written and why you are the way you are?

What would the world be like without these contributions?

Possibly the most important question, for me, did my lead mentor Jason Clark see all the connections between these books and that is why he had us read them? If we are going to lead others we must understand how we have been lead.

·       Bragg, Twelve Books that Changed The World.

·       Raeper and Smith, A Brief Guide to Ideas.

·       Forrester, Consider.

·       Brooks, The Social Animal.

·       Taylor, A Secular Age.

Today as I sit on my couch and begin to write this post, I am reminded how much I have learned over the past two years in my doctrinal studies. Recently, we read a book entitled Global Warming: A Very Short Introduction written by Mark Maslin, and once again my mind was stretched as I was challenged to wrestle with the issue of global warming in a mature and intelligent manner. Many of my cohort mates have already written very thorough and riveting posts about this very controversial subject.

Russ Pierson, one of my co-students at George Fox has particular interest in this field as much of his research is within the field of environmental sustainability. He wrote a great post regarding this topic http://blog.russpierson.com/the-man-behind-the-curtain-a-review-of-mark-m and referenced all the other posts that each cohort student posted this past week. For further reading about this topic I encourage you to go to Russ’ site and read his post and the other posts he references.

For a brief moment I will recapture many of the great arguments that Maslin introduces throughout his book. He captures the heart of the question, what is Global warming and continues with a brief introduction to the history of this debate. He continues to tread through the vast domain of significant scientific evidence for climate change while quickly giving a model for the future. He ties up his writings by looking into the impacts and surprises within the field of global warning and finishes with an introduction to the politics, solutions, and possibilities of a zero-carbon future.

Maslin believes that “Global Warming is the most important science issue of the 21^st century, challenging the very structure of our global society.” (loci 354) For those who might think that this issue is relatively small effecting only a limited number of issues, Maslin writes, “the problem is that global warming is not just a scientific concern, but encompasses economics, sociology,, geopolitics, local politics, and individuals’ choice of lifestyle.” (loci 354)

I must admit that my mind is still processing the proposed causes and future implications of global warming. Many Christians do not find global warming to be a concern for them in their lives. In my observation, this is mostly in response to their eschatological beliefs. Why have concern if the Lord is returning soon anyway? Why be a good steward of this planet if Christ will “remake’ heaven and earth?

Genesis 1:26-28 (ESV)

26 Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”

27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.

28 And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion (rule) over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”

When we read this passage of Scripture we see two fundamental aspects:

1.)  God made us in His image and likeness (both male and female).

2.)  God intended us to exercise dominion within creation.

The first word “subdue” is the Hebrew word kabas and the word “dominion” radah. Most accurately the word subdue refers to the agriculture and using the land to live off and within. The word dominion has in some ways a strong implication of “imposing one’s will upon another.” (Wright 50) However we must be reminded we are made in the Image of God. Upon this understanding we are in no way to exhibit abuse upon or within what we rule over but grace. We see God passing on His kingly authority over to us for the care taking of His creation. This responsibility is given to us by the Creator. *

If any would wonder as to how the King of kings is described in the Scriptures, one only has to look at Psalms.

Psalm 145:1-21 (ESV)

1 I will extol you, my God and King, and bless your name forever and ever.

2 Every day I will bless you and praise your name forever and ever.

3 Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised, and his greatness is unsearchable.

4 One generation shall commend your works to another, and shall declare your mighty acts.

5 On the glorious splendor of your majesty, and on your wondrous works, I will meditate.

6 They shall speak of the might of your awesome deeds, and I will declare your greatness.

7 They shall pour forth the fame of your abundant goodness and shall sing aloud of your righteousness.

8 The Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.

9 The Lord is good to all, and his mercy is over all that he has made.

10 All your works shall give thanks to you, O Lord, and all your saints shall bless you!

11 They shall speak of the glory of your kingdom and tell of your power,

12 to make known to the children of man your mighty deeds, and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.

13 Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures throughout all generations. [The Lord is faithful in all his words and kind in all his works.]

14 The Lord upholds all who are falling and raises up all who are bowed down.

15 The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food in due season.

16 You open your hand; you satisfy the desire of every living thing.

17 The Lord is righteous in all his ways and kind in all his works.

18 The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.

19 He fulfills the desire of those who fear him; he also hears their cry and saves them.

20 The Lord preserves all who love him, but all the wicked he will destroy.

21 My mouth will speak the praise of the Lord, and let all flesh bless his holy name forever and ever.

If we than are to rule and have dominion over the Earth, the same qualities and attributes should be spoken of us in regards to the things we have dominion over.

If we continue to read through Genesis we see a closer look into our responsibilities in chapter 2.

Genesis 2:15 (NIV)

15 The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.

As we continue to exegete this passage we notice two words that rise to the surface. The first of these two words is work, the Hebrew word is ʿāb̠ad̠, “to serve.” So as we cultivate and work the Earth, the root of our responsibility is to serve creation. This is an amazing thought because it fits into the character and nature of Christ as we study His life in the Scriptures. Christ came so that the world through Him might be saved. He came to serve God in obedience and serve mankind in and through His death. Paul teaches in Ephesians 5 that the Husband is to lay down his life for his bride as Christ layed down His life for the church. All throughout Scripture we see that with true dominion and authority lies a great responsibility to serve and sacrifice.

The second word that we see in this passage is the word “take care.” The Hebrew word for this word is samar it means to ‘keep something safe.” So by placing these two words together we see that mankind has the responsibility to serve and keep safe the creation that God has blessed mankind with. Basically we see a symbiotic relationship in which creation provides for mankind’s needs, food, shelter, and clothing, and mankind provides for creations growth, care, and oversight.

According to the Westminster Confession of Faith, “Mans chief end is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.” We are not the only ones that Glorify God, creation joins in this privilege and together we sing His song of Glory.

Both Saint and Creation long for the return of Christ and the restoration of all things. Until that time we are given the responsibility, the charge, the task of keeping watch over the creation God has made. One might wonder the validity of the Global Warming debate and even filter that thorough their own eschatological beliefs, but how should one respond to the charge of mankind upon the consummation of this earth. If we are to be faithful believers walking in obedience to Christ we must at least acknowledge our responsibility to become better stewards of the many blessings God has bestowed upon us. To be honest with you, it is my observation that we fail to take care of the wonder that is Creation.

As I close these thoughts I will leave you with this Psalm…We join in with creation because we have a relationship with each other. It provides for us as we take care of it.

 Psalm 148:1-14 (NIV)

1 Praise the LORD. Praise the LORD from the heavens, praise him in the heights above.

2 Praise him, all his angels, praise him, all his heavenly hosts.

3 Praise him, sun and moon, praise him, all you shining stars.

4 Praise him, you highest heavens and you waters above the skies.

5 Let them praise the name of the LORD, for he commanded and they were created.

6 He set them in place for ever and ever; he gave a decree that will never pass away.

7 Praise the LORD from the earth, you great sea creatures and all ocean depths,

8 lightning and hail, snow and clouds, stormy winds that do his bidding,

9 you mountains and all hills, fruit trees and all cedars,

10 wild animals and all cattle, small creatures and flying birds,

11 kings of the earth and all nations, you princes and all rulers on earth,

12 young men and maidens, old men and children.

13 Let them praise the name of the LORD, for his name alone is exalted; his splendor is above the earth and the heavens.

14 He has raised up for his people a horn, the praise of all his saints, of Israel, the people close to his heart. Praise the LORD.

Maslin, Global Warming: A Very Short Introduction.

Christopher Wright, The Mission Of God's People.

* Much of the exegesis was introducded in this blog as a result of Wrights writings. for continual study of this topic see this book.

Shelley Trebesch in her book Isolation; A Place of Transformation in the Life of a Leader does a wonderful job taking the reader on a journey through what it means to be isolated and what it looks like when an individual is going through a season of Isolation. 

Throughout my life there are numerous lessons that I have learned, one of which, it is often lonely in places of leadership. Yes there are friends and family to share in community and fellowship, but the leader often carries a burden that few understand and can truly relate with. Sometimes this loneliness is realized in periods when the leader goes through Isolation.

“All leaders face deep processing at some time in their lives. Many do so more than once. Deep processing refers to those activities that God uses to force a leader to seriously evaluate life and ministry. God uses such activities as isolation, conflict, and life crises to deepen a leader’s relationship with God, to create a sense of utter dependence upon God, and to build foundational leadership character qualities in their life.” (v)

When Isolation occurs there are often two types of responses:

1.)  Some individuals say, If this is how God is, I will have no more to do with Him…rejecting the isolation experience.

2.)  Others, respond by going deep with God in re-shaping themselves…they walk  through the dessert, finely coming out able to comfort others going into periods of isolation.

Over the course of this book the reader is taken through a journey of illustrations. After which Isolation is defined and structured into a framework to build from. Once the reader understands what Isolation is, and is able to, hopefully, identify if they are in a period of isolation, several Old and New testament examples are given to further illustrate Biblical examples of “Dessert, Wilderness, or as Trebesch calls Isolation experiences.

Fundamentally, there are two types of Isolation experiences voluntary and involuntary. Regardless of which type, the leader, will enter a four-fold stage of stripping, wrestling with God, Intimacy, and Release to Look toward future ministry. The process will help yield fruit in the future of the leaders life in ways never before imagined. The broken ground has been prepared and Inward Transformation, Spiritual Transformation, and Ministerial Transformation are the new offspring.

Psalms 42 is an excellent source for understanding the heart of a leader undergoing isolation. It begins, “As the deer longs for flowing streams, so my soul longs for you, O God…” Have you ever been there, in a season of life where your heart cries out for God to pour out His love, healing, and anointing on your life? This is not a cry for blessing but renewal, hope, and joy. It is a time when you feel empty and undone and crave a touch from the master, a whisper a glimmer of affirmation, life, and renewal.

If you have been through a period of Isolation or are currently in a period, Trebesch points out six things to enhance your learning process during this time: Honesty, remembrance, hope, being mentored, listening to God, and embracing isolation. It is in and through these six areas that a leader can fully begin to grasp what it is that Christ is doing in their lives.

Finally, as each leader goes through isolation, they will often, as a child on a car trip, ask are we there yet? Trebesch gives a timeline as a guide to the dessert experience that will help each leader understand the markers of their individual journeys.   

This book is an excellent read and engages its reader to think about themselves and their journeys along the way. Many leaders are great at seeing the work of God in other individual’s lives but poor at seeing it in their own. Let me close with the analogy.

When a butterfly or a moth enters into the point of their life when they wrap themselves into a cocoon, which is also known as a chrysalisis, it is time for them to start undergoing metamorphisis. During this stage in the butterly or moth's life, they do not eat or drink anything. Instead, they are in a type of hibernation that will last for anywhere from a few days to several months. There are some butterflies who go into their cocoon and stay there throughout the entire winter and then it emerges as an adult in the springtime.

A butterfly's cocoon is known as a chrysalis. This is a word that has been derived from the Greek word for gold. The cocoons of butterflies who belong to the Nymphalidae and Satyridae families are suspended from a silk pad that has abdominal hooks. On the other hand, Swallowtails and Sulphurs butterflies have a silk girdle that supports their mid-section. Approximately 1 day before the adult butterfly emerges, the cocoon of many species becomes transparent.  The Monarch butterfly.

http://www.cocoon.org/cocoon-articles/butterfly-moth-cocoon.shtml

Let’s connect some dots:

Imagine the cocoon experience being “isolation” in a leaders life… give me some latitude for a moment. During this time there is no food or water, only shelter from God. This tight small space has no special rooms or attractive areas it just serves to protect. This process might last a few days or several months, no one knows except God. Removal to soon from chrysalisis/isolation might, and often, results in death because all cycles are needed for a healthy exit from isolation. Just before this time ends, the leaders life becomes transparent with his or her followers. Their image is surrendered to God, masks are removed, agendas or foregone, and the leader stands only to reflect the truth of God in their lives. They care nothing for the pretend and only want what is real. The end result, the ability to fly and see things from a perspective never before realized, the process is called isolation because it purifies you like fire only to yield purity of motives, thoughts, and actions. Just as the cocoon is the fire for the butterfly so is the dessert for the leader.

No matter where you are at in your leadership journey may God not allow you and I to be removed from Isolation before we are ready to be transformed into who He desires for us to become. May we rest in our cocoons until we become transparent to those we lead and may that transparence help others along the way.

Media… what is media? How has it impacted your life? Could you imagine a life without media? Do you even realize the media that surrounds you every day?

“In general, ‘media’ refers to various means of communication. For example, television, radio, and the newspaper are different types of media. The term can also be used as a collective noun for the press or news reporting agencies. In the computer world, "media" is also used as a collective noun, but refers to different types of data storage options.”*

Another definition is “an intervening substance through which something else is transmitted or carried on. An agency by which something is accomplished, conveyed, or transferred.”**

Media is something that has come to surround every aspect of our lives, like air, it is something that we do not even realize is there but in its absence everything is drastically altered.

In much of my doctorate studies this semester we have read numerous books regarding a variety of subjects from sexuality to how the Evangelical mind is today, to more recent reads that deal with a secular age to the benefit of reflective thinking and think time. Many people may look at all the books we have read and wonder how they relate to each other, how in the world do they tie together. Without going into detail, which I will do in a later post, as I have read each of our reads I have been forced to see how various lines of thought affect and effect, while even sometimes infecting various lines of thinking. Everything we have read somehow ties itself together like some type of tapestry. Understanding why we think the way we think about gender and sexuality and what influences our thoughts today. The impact that the cognitive shift of society has had on the Evangelical mind and being aware that are understanding of Christ can help create a foundation that leads us throughout life. As we live this life, many ideas we have are a result or product of what is going on around us, and much of our thoughts are influenced by our environments. Understanding this leads us to a proper understanding of the secular age, much of us now live in. Even with all of this new ‘conscious’ understanding we have little understanding of the millions of stimuli that our unconscious process every minute. “We are not primarily the products of our conscious thinking. We are primarily the products of thinking that happens below the level of awareness.” *** Wow, now that thought will mess you up. Or maybe it’s the thought you don’t know your having...   All of this leads us to the point of thinking about what was just read, but wait, your email is dinging and you just receive a new text message. Your behind and work and you forgot that your spouse needed you to pick up a few items before you get home. Life is so busy we fail to stop and consider what is going on around us, taking time to think and reflect on what we are doing in order to avoid mistakes and failure in the future. But stop, wait, the future we no longer have time to think about is here today and the decisions of yesterday continue to force new decisions today.

All of this is what we are learning as we interview the global tapestry together. How do we as Christians lead globally today? We cannot lead others if first we cannot lead ourselves and without understanding ourselves we are of no use to others.

This leads me to last weeks read New Media 1740-1915 edited by Lisa Gitelman and Geoffery B Pingree.

So how does New Media fit? “All media were once new media, and our purpose in these essays is to consider such emergent media within their historical contexts – to seek out the past on its own passed terms.”**** In such a short time the internet has gone from a specialized field into t network that impacts almost everyone. It has re-structure how many of use live our lives. In terms of power…that is some force!

This is no the only end to which this text desires to arrive. In addition to acknowledging diverse media for almost two hundred years, the desire, is for one to grasp how “media acquires particular meanings, powers, and characteristics. (xii)   

By understanding our historical contexts in media and how culture and media merged to propel new media we can gain greater insight into our current media and culture phenomena and gain insight in how to better ‘consider’ what we must do in order to lead and guide those of current and future generations. Every action we take does produce a re-action. The question is, what actions are we currently producing and what re-actions are we creating. It is through history that we gain our largest insight into the future, but do we even understand our past and how media and other things effected and affected our forefathers?

This is why this topic is so important today. Possible the greatest factor in influencing and altering our lives (media) truly touches ever part of our being. By adding this piece to our tapestry prayerfully we will continue to develop insight in how to better love, lead, and learn eventually becoming the practitioners that our cohort desire to become.

Bonus Features:

In New Media there is a large section that focuses on the Telegraphy. Much of the conclusions drawn are the similarities that the telegraphy yielded to its generation as what the Internet yields to current generations within the area of autonomy. Even romance novels like Wired Love were written about telegraphic romance much like today’s blogging romances and avatar lives. A reality we create that is not real.

What are your thoughts on this correlation and the impact of Virtual worlds today?

How has media impacted your life?

Are you a product of media? Or is media a product of you?

* http://www.iwebtool.com/what_is_media.html

** http://www.thefreedictionary.com/medium

*** The Social Animal David Brooks

**** New Media xi

It was 1996 and I was playing in a soccer tournament my senior year of high school. Soccer was a passion of mine, I had and would compete in many other games that year, I also worked on numerous projects to pad my high school transcripts. Yearbook, community service, teacher's assistant, AP classes, and church work were just a few of the things that I was involved with. Every morning my day would begin and there was a list of things I had to accomplish. Now don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed doing all of those things, but they filled most of my time. After I graduated I 199, I enrolled in college classes and begin my “educational career.” Shortly after I started my first class I went to a friends house, for a party, and met a young girl who was a senior at the school I graduated from. We talked for hours and eventually that summer after she graduated went on our first date. A little less than two years later we married and now are about to celebrate our 13^th year of marriage with two wonderful boys.

One night, a year or so after our wedding date, we began to reminisce about when we first met. I reminded her of the night that I saw her standing in the kitchen talking with her girlfriends and our friend’s party. I laughed, as I continued to describe the outfit that she was wearing and the topics we discussed. At the end of telling her all about what I remembered she looked at me and smiled. Her reply was priceless, “that’s not when we first met. We met each other at school several times over the last two years, the first time was in 1996 during a soccer tournament your were playing. I was sitting in the stands watching my future husband play soccer.” I remember looking at her with this awkwardly puzzling look, only to dig into the recesses of my mind to try and remember talking with her to no avail. She continued describing everything I wore that day including the bandana and different color socks (my trademark). She concluded with telling me that she told her best friend that day as she watch me play, that she would one day marry me.

I had no idea! No clue! I saw her but never saw her. How stupid was I? This hot attractive girl having several conversations with me and me not remembering, are you serious?

She laughed after I stumbled with my words and said “that’s ok I love you and I got you now.”

So the question I ask myself even to this day is “How do I not see what was right in front of me?”

Let me illustrate this a little further…

Years ago a world renowned violinists names Joshua Bell was asked to play pieces composed by Bach and Beethoven in the D.C. subway station. This recent Grammy award winning musician a few days earlier played in front of a packed house with tickets costs that reflected his excellence.

The video above is a clip of that day in the subway. Of the 1070 people who passed only seven stopped and twenty-seven others who gave a total of $32.00. Over a thousand people witnessed excellence that day and never knew. Many people might argue various reasons why people failed to recognize Bells genius but regardless of your take on this experiment the outcome begs us the think.

Why was perfection ignored?

Three years later Bell made this remark about that day. “Engaging in classical music required a commitment few people on a morning commute are willing to make.” (215)

Classical music requires one to think through a performance and soak in the complexity, unity, and dissonance of a given piece. In short competing tones are brought in harmony through the direction of a conductor. To appreciate this is to lose yourself and become a part of what surrounds you as you listen.

Listen to the clip again, but this time close your eyes and allow the piece to generated images, thoughts, and visions throughout your mind. Allow the notes to dance across your mind. For two minutes become a part of what you hear.

Daniel Forrester in his book Consider tells of this very powerful story and concludes with this statement, “if the surge of modern life so overpowers us that we are deaf and blind to something like that – then what else are we missing?” (216)

Forrester’s book is a compelling, illustrative, refreshing insight into why individuals and organizations must begin to pro-actively carve out “think time and reflection time.” (18) Think time is purposeful pieces of time set aside to think about our schedules, tasks, assignments, lives, dreams, and creativity, it forces us to consider. Reflection is a purposeful act of stepping back, reconsidering fundamental assumptions we make and the possible consequences of future actions. (18)

Today, we are stimulated by so many different things, technology is at our fingertips like never before. The average person spends 32 hours a month online.* Email, text, Facebook, Skype, Internet, smart phones, pads, pods, and various other devices compete for our time, talent, and attention. With the blending of work and home life it is getting harder and harder for people to take the time out of there schedule and develop a discipline of thinking.

In a world of fast-paced high performance careers we fail to “consider” the possibilities that lie before and continue to make decision after decision just for decision’s sake. True “reflection is personal and true reflection can be painful.” (19) It is my observation, from my own life, that the reason we fail to consider, think, and reflect is because we are afraid.

Afraid of what we might find of we actually reflect. Often times the things we uncover are the very things God is calling us to change. Many times we are frustrated with why things are done the way that they are done. When we take time to consider, what once was foggy, blurry, and distant, becomes bright, clear, and close up. We see, understand, and know what we must do but out of fear refuse to continue to consider the options at hand. The result, we reject by our own ignorance the potential beauty that lay at our feet.

Forester uses individuals, non-profits, organizations, military history, and everyday stories to describe to benefits to faithfully developing the art of ‘think time and reflection.’

“Ideas are out there, Insights and innovation await us only if we are capable of stepping outside the frenzied worlds of data and distraction that wash over us…technology is not the destination…The power of reflection lies not in how much time we allocate to it. The power of reflection lies in how we choose to use that time and what structure we bring to the fleeting disjointed moments we are afforded” (216)

As dissonance is to beautifully masterfully composed music, so dissonance is in our lives. The conductor is the one who brings unity among instruments, he or she combines everything to perfection, just as it is through “considering” that we bring unity into our lives. Allowing think time and reflection to guide and direct what we do.

What a tragedy it would have been if I would have missed the very thing that for years stood right in front of my eyes, what if in my busyness I would have never seen Tiffany, my bride! Next to Christ, she truly is perfection and through the dissonance of our lives we are making a beautiful composition together and all it took was a moment in time that I stopped and had a conversation, I considered and my life has changed forever.

* http://www.comscoredatamine.com/2011/01/average-time-spent-online-per-u-s-vis...