[For the uninitiated: Theomorph is an atheist lexivore and Jerry Nora is a Catholic MD/PhD student with penchant for bioethics. – Funky]
A week ago, Theomorph posted some thoughts about cloning on his blog. Below I have the questions that he poses in bold and his own answers in italic, and my own counterpoints are in plain text.
Tuck in, and happy debating!
June 22, 2005
I still get a number of hits to my post about the firing of Christian talk show host Marty Minto. I never quite finished it because I got tied up in more important things, so I decided to come back and do just that. For those interested, the original entry can be found in its entirety (misspellings, bad grammar, and all) here.
“In one poll, 87 percent of American Catholics said they had a favorable impression of John Paul II. Yet 57 percent said the next pope should moderate the Vatican’s policies ‘to reflect the attitudes and lifestyles of Catholics today.'” – Peter Slevin, Washington Post
“68.3% Prefer ‘Buddy Christ’ from Dogma to a Crucifix – Morgan Gallup Reveals”
"Ales Rarus is out [of my list of notable Pittsburgh bloggers]. I just find his prattling about the nuances of his fantasy belief system to be really uninteresting….[H]is site is just about as interesting as someone who writes about Hobbits everyday or the Great Pumpkin, which is to say not interesting at all." – Philip Shropshire
At least that’s what my favorite troll said a couple months ago. It seems he just couldn’t stay away, though.
"Searching for a respectful eulogy [of John Paull II]? Then I would look at choir boy faced Ales Rarus (He’ll ban your contraception but, hey, he’s a guy who talks to God so he knows best lil’ ladies…). Here’s a predictably glowing excerpt praising God’s top personal assistant:"
He goes on to mention a papal post on another Christian blog, Unspace, for which he has considerably more respect. It struck me as pretty balanced, fair, and respectful, especially given that it’s written by a non-Catholic. I’ll have to take a closer look at Unspace and see what it’s all about and why Mr. Shropshire likes it so much.
I must confess I have ulterior motive for investigating Unspace as well. Later this week, Rob and I will be participating in a blogcast hosted by Mike at Pittsburgh Webloggers. Stay tuned for details….
Allthings2all is hosting the Science and Christianity Showcase. It’s a clearinghouse for
posts by Christians addressing the general theme of scientific reason as it relates to Christian faith. I
submitted Jerry Nora’s
primer on stem cells. The posts are diverse and many topics are covered. There is one topic, however,
which was forbidden: creationism vs. evolution. I was glad to hear of the topic’s exclusion since I see it as
a red herring and an albatross to the Body of Christ.
Since we’re on the topic of science and Christianity, here are some relevant articles.
Vision” Wins Templeton Prize
NEW YORK, MARCH 13, 2005 (Zenit.org).- Charles Townes, whose inventions include the maser and laser, and who
has spent decades as an advocate for the convergence of science and religion, has won the 2005 Templeton
Prize.
A life where science and faith
coexist
By Robert Tuttle | Contributor to The Christian Science Monitor
NEW YORK ? When Nobel Prize-winning physicist Charles Hard Townes was a professor at Columbia University
during the 1950s, a colleague, Willis Lamb, asked him if God ever helps him in the lab. Dr. Townes gave the
question some thought. “Well,” he recalls telling Lamb. “I think so.”
Faith and Reason Aid Each Other, Says John
Paul II
VATICAN CITY, JAN. 13, 2005 (Zenit.org).- Faith and reason are necessary and complementary in the quest for
wisdom, John Paul II explained when receiving a delegation from a Polish university.
Psychology That Is True to Science, True to
God
Gladys Sweeney on What Therapy Can Do for Troubled Believers
WASHINGTON, D.C., JAN. 13, 2005 (Zenit.org).- A psychology rooted in the Catholic understanding of the human
person is not only true to science, but true to God.
The two laws at work under which we are limited and from which we seek answers to life’s questions are religion and science. Our conscience introduces us to the first, formal education introduces the second. Albert Einstein loved science, yet expressed humility upon finding himself buried beneath seas of data pointing to the existence of a mind behind the numbers. If he didn’t deny God, why should we?