Evolution: Am I the ONLY Christian who DOESN’T have a problem with this?

As a Christian — who also happens to be a biology teacher — I am often haunted with a sort of apologetic schizophrenia when it comes to my thoughts on the origins of life and the amazing variety of species on our planet.

I have no problem accepting that the universe and all it contains exists because of the actions of a higher, intelligent power (whom I personally believe to be Jehovah, Yahweh, I AM, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob — call him what you will.)

I also have no problem with the evidence, accumulated over the last century and a half, which suggests a common genetic origin for the species, and evolution through the last 4 billion years or so of those species through natural selection, as originally described by Charles Darwin and company.

Am I the only one?

It seems to me that most people in “The Scientific Community” (Hoboken, NJ) are deeply hostile to the idea of a theistic origin.  At the same time, most “Church People” seem steepled (ha ha!) in the idea that evolution is 100% NON-reconcilable with the Bible, and is part of a huge athiest plot to evict God (yeah, good luck with that…) from the public sphere.

Here’s what I think.

• I believe in a God who makes sense.
• I don’t believe that our definition of “makes sense” always jives with his, due to our relatively limited understanding of the universe.
• I believe that the creation account in the first chapter of Genesis is NOT intended as a descriptive, in-depth science text, but a basis for God’s authority over his creation.  IE, he made it all, did a good job doing so, and he’s the boss.
• I believe that the creation account in the second chapter of Genesis is intended to describe where Man fits into relationships with God, his creation, and with himself.
• I believe that God, in his wisdom, built the ability to adapt into his creation.

So, am I wrong?  If so, PLEASE explain to me what I don’t get.  And please, rather than call names, be specific — point me toward future reading rather than bash what I’ve already read.

My sources (to give you some idea of where I’m coming from) include writings from Francis Collins, Hugh Ross, Neil deGrasse Tyson, J. Craig Venter, Mike Behe; as well as lectures from my teachers/professors, Sam Rhine, and my own personal observations.

I’m tired of wondering if I should feel like I’m a hypocrite… which I don’t… I don’t think…

When God shuts a door…

You know, I was discussing my recent not-getting-hired by a certain school with my wife this evening.  She brought up the point that “if we hadn’t heard about the job opening, we wouldn’t have felt let down when you didn’t get it–so what good did it do you to apply?”

I thought about this, and told her that it was the most concrete sign from God that I have been given so far that my discontentment with my job last year was NOT an immediate sign that I need to leave.  “He’s not done with me at L****** just yet,” I said.

So, be it for one more year, or the rest of my life, I’m back at LHS.  The difference will be up to me to make: do I take up the challenge that God has laid at my feet, and excel for his sake?

Time will tell.

Buchanan sounds off on Obama/Dobson conflict

Love him or hate him, Patrick J. Buchanan pulls no punches, and tells things like they are.

Click HERE to read his analysis of the Barack Obama / James Dobson clash.

Dr. Dobson speaks on Barack Obama’s views on religion

Click HERE to hear the broadcast.

Here’s a YouTube vid with some of the comments referenced in Dobson’s comments:

“Bella” (2006)

Wow.  Just… wow.

If you haven’t seen this movie, I suggest you immediately run out and buy/rent a copy.

If you have Netflix (and a broadband internet connection) you can watch it online, as part of your subscription.

(Click HERE to go to the Netflix page for “Bella.”)

Absolutely beautiful movie, with a strong (but somehow not preachy) pro-life message.

Have a box of Kleenex ready.  You may need them.

Special thanks to The Fair Theater, Compassionate Care Pregnancy Center, and Michael Cox of Stonebridge Fellowship for making tonight’s public screening of the film possible.

Texas residents: Got Radon? Want to find out for FREE?

Thanks to fellow ASSIST-er Staci Hutto for the heads-up on this.  (I owe you a Coke.)

A company in Carrollton, Texas is offering a FREE radon test kit (one per household) to Texas residents.  It’s a little unclear who’s paying for all this, but I believe it’s partially funded by an EPA grant.

Click HERE to order your free radon test kit.

California high school hacker could face four decades in jail

Irony: You go to school to learn.  They teach you how to use computers.  You learn computers well enough that you use that knowledge to change your test grades at said school from Fs to As.

Seems like they should be offering this young man a job with Homeland Security’s anti-cyber terrorism unit.  Instead, he may not see freedom until he’s into his 50s.

Click HERE to read more about it.

Advanced melanoma cured with cloned white blood cells!

Scientists at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle have successfully cured a man with advanced (and metastatic) skin cancer with his own immune cells.

The process, outlined in the latest New England Journal of Medicine, involved removing CD4+ T-cells from the 52-year old patient, modifying and expanding them in culture until there were around 5 billion of them, and then reinjecting them intravenously.  Two months later, the man was tumor free, and two years later shows NO signs of cancer.

You can read more about it HERE and HERE.

Very exciting stuff, especially considering that it did not involve ESCs.

My ASSIST Presentations

Here they are.

Mad Cow Disease (PowerPoint 2007)

Asbestosis (PowerPoint 2007)

Two more days to go folks…

Firefox 3 is here!!

Click the big red button up there, already!