The motivation for this blog is simple: I started it with the intent of putting to the page many ideas and loose thoughts about the interplay between science and faith as I have experienced them through my time as both a Christian and practicing scientist. As well, I also want to use this blog as a sounding board for more general thoughts about theology, philosophy, and the state of the church in America, among many other topics. I have found that over the past few years, I have grown increasingly restless in my seeming inability to articulate my feelings on these matters verbally with my friends and colleagues, but yet my thoughts, questions, and overall passion for this area of inquiry simply will not be quelled. Like the prophet Jeremiah, I simply cannot hold it in anymore (Jeremiah 20:9), not because I hold myself in any particular high regard, but because I truly feel that the Lord has placed it upon my heart to discuss these matters in some venue, and a blog seemed a natural place. This also dovetails with my desire to enter into a conversation with my friends and readers, who come from all manner of perspectives and religious or nonreligious backgrounds. I strongly believe that one can learn as much or more from those who disagree as with those who agree, and my hope is that those who visit this blog will be enriched as much as I hope to be enriched from writing it!
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Dan,
I happened here by stumbling upon a comment of yours on Bad Astronomy. It is a pleasure to read thoughts akin to my own on the interplay of faith and science. The hard shift to the left within much of the scientific community is both sad and amusing. Sad because of the hatefulness expressed towards any sort of spiritual reference, and amusing that the so called open-minded have closed their minds to the possibility of God.
Thanks for taking the time to put your thoughts into words, and your tribute to your Grandmother was beautiful.
Regards,
Jack
Jack,
Thank you for your encouraging words! I very much appreciate them. I definitely agree with the basic sentiment of your assessment of at least some sectors of the scientific community. I still think the community as a whole is not overtly hostile to religion, but there is a minority who has been growing in influence, if not numbers, that insists on perpetuating the “warfare” model of science and religion, and is otherwised convinced that religion is a serious threat that must be purged from scientific discourse. Obviously, I disagree with this stance, and this blog is an attempt to address that by voicing my experiences as both a practicing scientist and a person of faith, a juxtaposition that stymies more than a few of my atheistic friends and colleagues in the sciences ;). On the other hand, some of this hostility is for good reason: there are many sectors of Christianity in the West that have been perpetuating a faith vs. science war of their own, either overtly, or more subtly, for quite a while now, and I share some of my secular scientist colleagues’ frustrations in this regard. I will have more to say about this in future blog posts, so stay tuned!