All Discussions - Christians in Science

Steve Jones on Radio 4

Simon — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 09:55:07 -0400

Almost drove my car off the road in annoyance with Steve Jones on radio 4 this morning promoting his new book "The Serpent's Promise" where he supposedly "side-steps the science and faith issue". Of course he does nothing of the sort.

Perhaps most annoying was when he said something along the lines of: "Many UK Christians admit the flood, six-day creation, mental illness being caused by demons etc. are metaphors, however when I ask them where the metaphors end they get stuck... because if everything is a metaphor there is no point in believing". He obviously thought himself very clever to come up with this argument, indeed so clever that he didn't seem to realise how he has just shown himself completely ignorant of every subject outside of biology. Has he ever read any anthropology, philosophy, theology or even literary criticism? In this regard he is almost as ignorant as the YEC's and ID'ers he likes bashing.

The best analogy I can think of is that if I were to utter the phrase "it's raining cats and dogs", the YEC's would insist that cats and dogs were actually falling from the sky, whilst Steve Jones and his ilk would claim that because cats and dogs were not "actually" falling from the sky my utterance must be considered wrong/ignorant/evil etc. Both positions somewhat miss the point.

the experience hasn't been obtainable, in case her hold appeared to be rejuvenated

fryetuxn — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 08:08:39 -0400

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Christian Postgraduate Conference, 21-23 June 2013 - Transforming the Mind

AnthonySmith — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 09:32:07 -0400

For any postgrads and postdocs out there...

Transforming the Mind 2013
The 11th Annual National Christian Postgraduate Conference, for postgraduate students & postdoctoral researchers

“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind...”

Are you studying for a masters or PhD while seeking to follow Jesus Christ? Are you a Christian working in a university or other academic centre and struggling to find people who understand your calling? Transforming the Mind could be the most important date in your diary this year!

Come and unwind in the beautiful setting of Dovedale House and share your busy life with other students and young academics. This unique weekend features talks by experienced speakers, group discussion, outdoor leisure and worship time, all in fellowship with other Christians as we seek to integrate academic life with faith in Christ.

Coming from many disciplines, nations and cultures, we meet together to encourage each other and explore what God is calling us to be and to do in the university and beyond. We ask questions about our faith, our work, our relationships and our world, seeking to share wisdom and to learn from each other by God’s Spirit.

Transforming the Mind challenges us to offer ourselves ‘as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God’, being ‘transformed by the renewing of [our] mind’ (Romans 12:1–2).

This year's conference is scheduled for 21-23 June, in the picturesque setting of Dovedale House, in the Derbyshire Dales.

Speakers: Donald Hay, Roy McCloughry and Maithrie White.

Registration

Cost, including all meals and accommodation, and transport from Derby rail station if requested:
* £90 / £80 (students and unwaged) / £65 (students and unwaged, before 10 May)

If the cost is a problem for you, please email enquiries@christianpostgrad.org.uk with a brief explanation of your circumstances, as we have some bursaries available.

For more information and registration, see:
    http://christianpostgrad.org.uk/

The conference flyer and poster are available here:
    http://christianpostgrad.org.uk/docs/ttm2013_flyer.pdf
    http://christianpostgrad.org.uk/docs/ttm2013_poster.pdf

Facebook event page:
    https://www.facebook.com/events/525652060800424/

Genesis 1 & 2

croc — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 10:01:33 -0500

Gavin

Re comments made in previous thread I've just read

http://creation.com/genesis-contradictions

Equivocation

Simon — Sat, 02 Mar 2013 18:46:31 -0500

From wikipedia:

Equivocation ("to call by the same name") is classified as an informal logical fallacy. It is the misleading use of a term with more than one meaning or sense (by glossing over which meaning is intended at a particular time). It generally occurs with polysemic words (words with multiple meanings).

I am increasingly convinced that most of the problems in the "evolution debate" are caused by people mixing up the word evolution with the meaning of terms such as social Darwinism, humanism, scientism, naturalism, atheism etc.

Furthermore this problem is not confined to the word evolution. Fairly recently a number of us discovered the need to distinguish between the words Christian, faith, religion, belief, theology and scripture as we were all pretty much agreeing, but using different words to mean the same thing.

So far from being a side issue, I think semantics is vitally important to ensure everyone is understanding each other, and thus we should all attempt to try and define terms before we get into too much of a fight.

Privillaged Opportunity.

truth13reigns — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 13:56:47 -0500

Halo everybody,
My name is Ron. I come from just outside London, England. I regret to say that I come to this site with no serious academic qualifications. I certainly don't come from a scientific background.
I am a Christian with an open and very inquisitive mind. The more I learn and discover, the more I have personally become convinced in the validity of a Creator, Designer God.
At the same time, I have become more and more disenchanted and convinced that the Darwinian view that all life is the product of unguided naturalistic processes is just completely unsatisfactory.

I am absolutely convinced on the basis of the evidence (witch I won't go into here at the moment)
that the universe and life have an intelligent cause and purpose.

When I was young I lived very near the Natural History Museum in London, it's a beautiful building and I was a regular visitor. As you enter, immediately on you right hand side there is a huge statue of Charles Darwin. This whole place is a huge shrine to his and his followers unquestioning closed world view. However the building and gardens surrounding it are beautiful and well worth a visit if you haven't already done so.

I find it so frustrating that when school children visit that place they are taught with such unquestioning certainty that Darwin's view of science can be the only valid explanation of all reality.
No descent or opposition will be tolerated.

It appears to be the same with the whole British establishment including the BBC.

I also find it frustrating that eminent respected people like Professor Brian Cox and David Atenborough and their ilk talk about evolution as if it is an established undeniable fact.

Michael Gove, the minister for education here is now saying that Evolution must be taught to primary aged school children. Richard Dawkins doing somersaults of joy. I'm not talking about variation in species or some examples of natural selection con firing advantageous survival traits.

Even the name of Darwin's book, is so misleading,The Origin of Species. As far as I understand it the scientists from that side of the argument have not even come close to explaining the origin of life and the universe.

Now this is my problem.
There is practically nobody among my family and friends, that are even remotely interested in this subject.
I am not a regular church goer. I certainly never come into contact with anybody that is interested in scientific matters. If I were to mention Stephen Meyer and Signature in the Cell, or Michael Behe and Darwin's black box.
I'm not joking, they would think I was mad. I tried to engage a friend the other day about the wonder of protein synthesis whilst I was trying to educate myself on the internet about the phenomenon of all life only having left handed amino acids. He ran from me as if I had the plague.
Can you imagine how frustrating this.

So this is why I turned up here.
I need your Help!
I'm looking for a buddy or a mentor or a friend that would be prepared to help when I need to talk to somebody, and maybe sometimes share a bit of your knowledge with me.
Critics on the other side of this debate will accuse me of indulging in confirmation bias. I don't think I am. I am trying to employ a bit of critical thinking, and to discover some nuggets of truth that will equip me to challenge some of the misconceptions that are being forced on us all.

Interestingly I'm sure there are many people just like me that are fed up with being mislead and lied to.
If any body feels they would like to help me let me know. I would be grateful. I am looking forward to trawling through the posts and maybe participating a little.
Thanks. Ron

Biology Teacher Wannabe (Secondary School)

MarkH — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 11:12:44 -0500

Hi, I'm Mark. I'm a 27 year old Christian from North West England and I obtained my Bachelors degree in Natural Science (I focused on Ecology, Geology & Plant Biology). I love Science and Math - I got A* in GCSE Math, Biology and Chemistry and A in A-level Math, Biology and AS Chemistry. Right after my degree I went to South Korea to teach English as a foreign language, to enjoy a new environment and new challenges, and to save up to participate in volunteer conservation projects (that would hopefully get me some experience necessary to get a conservation-type job). That didn't happen though and I stayed in South Korea for two years, and then moved on to teach English in public elementary schools in Japan for three years and this is where I am today as I type this - in Japan (and married). I love teaching.

Well I'm planning to have mini-Marks soon and my wife will stop working for several years and so I am planning to return to England next year to get QTS as a Secondary School Biology teacher. I'm hoping to meet and talk with some Christian Biologists (both Evolutionary and OEC/YEC), especially based in the U.K., before I commit to such a career. Yoroshiku onegai shimasu.

Mark

The intelligibility of the Universe

Crypto — Tue, 18 Dec 2012 11:13:43 -0500

As far as I know, the order that
we can perceive in the universe is achieved through the action of natural laws.
If these natural laws were not both intelligible and rational, scientific
knowledge would be impossible. In other words, science would be impossible if
the universe were not logical, intelligible and ordered. As Christians, we know that the universe is rational
and intelligible because it was created by a rational and logical being: God.
Now, from the point of view of an atheist, what’s the origin of these
properties (intelligibility, rationality) of the Universe?

Hell.

bonnie43uk — Wed, 16 May 2012 01:14:25 -0400

What are your personal views on Hell?

I would imagine that most of you people in here dont believe in the literal "fire and brimstone" eternal hell. (though i could be surprised).

With my catholic upbringing as a child, hell was taught to us as a real place that existed, this idea stayed in my head well into my teens, it's taken quite a few years to wean myself off of this concept. My brother in particular was affected quite badly with threats of hell, .. these have even accompanied him into adulthood in various guises.

Do you simply see hell as a place that is somehow "not with god"? which could mean some kind of an eternal emptiness. I'd be quite happy with that really, .. it reminds me of Mark Twains quote when asked about death .."I was nothing for billions of years, and it didn't inconveinience me in the slightest"

It would be interesting to hear any personal views of hell.

How do organic molecules know where to go?

rkandreasen — Thu, 02 Aug 2012 01:23:55 -0400

When I am teaching the central dogma of biology: DNA-RNA-protein-trait, it strikes me that non-living molecules inside cells seem to be acting with purpose. We speak of RNA polymerase unwinding and unzippling DNA, mRNA is formed, introns are cut out, exons are put back together, cap and tail get added, the finished mRNA goes to a ribosome where all of the appropriate tRNAs bring in the right amino acids as anti-codons match codons. The amino acid chain gets folded into shape and goes to do whatever job it is supposed to do.

How do all of these molecules know to do this? It seems like they are all acting with purpose. Is there a deeper biochemistry that I am not aware of? My degree was marine biology, not molecular biology, so is there really a lot more chaos than what is taught in your high school biology book?

Respectfully submitted,
Robbie