Wisdom from Whitehead

The quote on the top of this month's Metanexus Institute's newsletter... food for thought:

"You cannot shelter theology from science,
or science from theology;
nor can you shelter either one from metaphysics,
or metaphysics from either one of them.
There is no shortcut to the truth."
– Alfred North Whitehead, Religion in the Making

Whitehead is a scholar my theology and science prof respects a lot. He's pretty cool... deep into applying process philosophy/thought to this dialogue. Try out Ian Barbour's Religion in an Age of Science to get a glimpse of Whitehead's thoughts... among many others.

Does God exist in the gaps of people's minds?

Some pipsqueek on one of the message boards I peruse was trying to give scientific evidence that God exists and that evolution is crap. What's interesting is that after a few posts (where he seemed to be responding to MEGA negative feedback), he started on the "can't we all just get along" schpeel.... my response is "don't be antagonistic if you don't want to be antagonized." Seriously. His evidence came from some very interesting sources, all of which were creationist/biblical literalist websites... most of which were using philosophic/logic rhetoric to "disprove" scientific theory.

What's interesting about that approach in my opinion is that it really is taking apples to compare oranges... completely different epistemological paradigm for contemporary scientific method than that type of thinking which is kinda pre-Newtonian. It's like using Newtonian physics to explain quantum physics.... of course there's going to be HUGE GAPING HOLES because the intial premise (the basic building blocks) is completely different.

While I was seething at home in front of my computer, I looked at his recommended websites, always curious to see what the other side is thinking, and started looking for alternative websites to offer. The atheist websites I browsed are either just as unhelpfully antagonistic or utterly vague. But then Wikipedia amazed me once again with a fairly thorough look at the different views on the Existence of God. I really appreciated it, helped me wrap my brain around the positions of atheism... which, as a devout theist, I've often had trouble understanding. So, I posted that as an alternative reading source... and no one has bothered me. Guess it didn't really offend anyone... huh. Go figure.

Just don't be trying to scientifically prove the existence of God to me, that riles me up. Wonder why, since I'm Kansas born and bred? :) Besides, I really don't see any point. I have all the proof I need, but it's not exactly measurable by scientific means. ;) Really, that guy did me a favor, I learned a few things I didn't know before, maybe I should thank him.

kenpo, babies, and hot showers.

Sigh. Tonight I went to a karate class at my old "dojo"... It's a bit more small scale than that, but it's the people that make the dojo, not the space. I miss it terribly.

I actually abhor any other form of exercise. Well... that's not true... i just hate exercise for exercise's sake. I love martial arts/self-defense and I love hiking and backpacking and cross country skiing. I love the feeling of working out... but I hate walking in place for 1/2hour or lifting weights on a machine over the physical exercise of accomplishing a task or learning a new skill.

I miss the exhiliration of executing a move correctly or when the move doesn't happen the textbook way and you have think on your feet and kick their butt anyway. :) I miss the comraderie and the seniority of goading and encouraging people on... teaching a technique using different and new illustrations you thought up as well as the wisdom from your own teachers.

Contented sigh. I'm physically exhausted... I can feel the new strains and old ones surfacing, so off to the hot showers for me. Is it sick of me to say that I miss the aches and pains and bruises as well? :) My badges of honor, I guess. My head has been stuck in a book or in front of a computer the past 2 years, I don't even know where the time went.

Enough waxing. I babysat my friend's baby tonight. He's so wonderful... and even in his adorable polite perfect babyness, he wore me out. It takes so much patience and hyper-awareness to be responsible for little ones. I feel more ready than I was ever before, but the time has not yet come... if ever. We'll see. Until then, I'm content to be auntie Regan and hand over the tyke at the end of the night. :)

i could build a house of books

It's true. SIGH. I have, oh, I'd imagine a thousand books or so at least and the piles keep on growing. I try to get rid of the quick read fiction/paperbacks as soon as i read them, but other books keep on creeping into my life when I'm not looking.

Yesterday there were boxes of old books (probably from a retired or deceased pastor) in the student center and at first I was going to ignore them (good, Regan) but then a classmate starts reading off titles and I get sucked in. I then try to say "These are out of date and i'll never read them" Then I see John Bright's A History of Israel, a cricital work in bib studies, then I see a book on the Enneagram... before I know it I have 4 books stacked in my arms and I ran away before I grabbed anymore.

Then last night, when I should have been writing my theology of ordination paper, I skimmed through the enneagram book... it using it in a psychoanalytical way... really only focusing on the negatives of each point of the enneagram. It was rather depressing, actually. What was interesting is that while Type 2 (the giver) has historically been mine (see previous post... and many of the traits still resonate often), I find myself transforming more into a type 9... the mediator.

It's amazing, really, how we all change and evolve. Deep down I'm often still that passive type 2, but type 9 really is more about focusing on a goal while still avoiding and deflating conflict, versus sticking your head in the sand. Guess little (HAH! LITTLE?, that's funny) Regan is finally growing up.

My not-so-snarky finals rant & UCC coolness in all things cool

Actually, I'm not feeling very snarky at the moment... For once, I feel good about the ethics exam I just took. This time I at least recognized and could put something down for each of the terms/issues. Too many freaking words and people to remember. Why can't people all just follow the Ethics of Regan... it would make my life easier, and well, the world would be a much better place, because I know what's right. yeah, uh-huh.

What would the ethics of Regan entail, you ask? Well, we'd have to get rid of the idiotic notion that humanity is the top of the spiritual/sentient/ethical food chain. From there, I think the rest would fall into place, don't you?

Anyway, onto more exciting and interesting news, John Thomas, our beloved president is one of OUT Magazine’s "100 Most Intriguing Gay Men, Lesbians and Straight Allies,” the cover story of the slick publication’s December 2005 issue.

Thomas, who has headed the UCC’s national setting since 1999, is listed among nine “straight allies” for his leadership during the UCC General Synod’s deliberations in July that ended with a resolution in support of same-gender marriage equality. The story notes how the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force's Religious Leaders Roundtable “has lauded Thomas for his efforts and the UCC for its historic leadership in the inclusion of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people in its ministry.” (And, Ron Buford was also listed...)Buford, who is gay, was touted for his leadership of the UCC’s Stillspeaking Initiative.

There's a new line of headline/posters of the God is still speaking campaign... the promotion fo the UCC as a progessive, welcoming place... Here's my faves:

SHELTER for the SPIRITUALLY HOMELESS

Do you know every word, but NONE OF THE MEANING? (a picture of the bible)

Turn your other cheek, NOT YOUR BACK

RELIGIOUS FREEDOM doesn't have to be an OXYMORON.

red state, blue state... or JOYOUS STATE?

Rock on, UCC!!! I know, I shouldn't find such satisfaction from cutting taglines, but I do. Hey, I'm human... and according to the Ethic of Regan, as a human, I'm at the bottom of the spiritual plane, not top. :)

it's colder than, well, cold...out there

Well, it's time to put up the Teva's for the winter, I believe. *sniff* Even with socks, my toes are cold. I despise shoes... or perhaps its more indifference.