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News:
February 9, 2003
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Religion in the News
Columbia Astronauts Mourned, But Their Faith Is Celebrated http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2003/105/11.0.html
Seven heroes, seven faiths Columbia crew represented wide variety of spiritual paths (ABCNews.com / Beliefnet). See http://abcnews.go.com/sections/scitech/DailyNews/shuttle_faiths030204.html
Where science and religion join hands Astronauts' faith may come as a surprise to those who think science and religion are on irreconcilable paths (Mark O'Keefe, Newhouse News Service). See http://www.newhousenews.com/archive/okeefe020503.html
Focus
on the Family pulls back
James Dobson's Focus on
the Family has announced that it is eliminating 100 positions from its
staff of 1,300 (that's about 8 percent). Of those positions, however, 66
are unfilled, so the ministry is only laying off 34 employees. They are
the first layoffs in the organization's 26-year history. Focus on the Family
is also cutting $5 million from its $130 million budget this year. "Some
programs will be eliminated or drastically reduced in scope," Dobson
said in a January 30 memo to his staff, but he didn't say which ones. See
http://www.gazette.com/display.php?id=180216
Gaps between pulpits and pews What fewer people seem to realize is that there is an even bigger gap between pastors and the people who are leading their national churches (Terry Mattingly). See http://www.naplesnews.com/03/02/neapolitan/d886762a.htm
Faithful ponder stewardship of the planet An environmental movement is sweeping churches, synagogues and mosques (The News & Observer, Raleigh, N.C.). See http://newsobserver.com/news/story/2156943p-2046581c.html
Campolo calls evangelicals to 'face facts' about Middle East "Unless we stand up and speak for justice on behalf of the Palestinians, we are going to lose the missionary struggle in the next hundred years" (Canadian Christianity). See http://www.canadianchristianity.com/cgi-bin/na.cgi?nationalupdates/030205campolo
The final frontier Depending on whom you ask, stem-cell research is either a medical godsend or further proof that God is dead (LA Weekly). See http://www.laweekly.com/ink/03/11/features-kotler.php
How much does God know? A theology group may move to expel two members for asking the question (The Philadelphia Inquirer). See http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/news/local/5083043.htm
O'Hair death mastermind dies in prison David R. Waters, who masterminded the kidnapping and murder of atheist Madalyn Murray O'Hair and her family in 1995, succumbed to lung cancer last week (San Antonio Express-News). See http://news.mysanantonio.com/story.cfm?xla=saen&xlb=180&xlc=939950
Iraq's Christians: Caught in the Middle, Again: If the looming war breaks out, 350,000 Iraqi Christians will be caught in a West-East conflict eerily similar to 4th-century events. By Collin Hansen. See http://ChristianityToday.com/ct/2003/105/54.0.html
God's Own Dictionary: You won't believe the words that didn't exist until the first English translations of the Bible. An interview with Stanley Malless, author of Coined by God. See http://ChristianityToday.com/ct/2003/105/32.0.html
Jews
and Christians: Seeing the Prophets Differently
Rolf Rendtorff
Christians picture the prophets as fierce rebels who take on the worst wayward
kings. In Jewish tradition, the prophets are the ultimate insiders—the
keepers of the law. In these divergent views may lie some roots of anti-Semitism.
See http://www.bib-arch.org/bswb_BR/bswbbr1901feat2.html
The Religions of Ancient Israel
by Ziony Zevit review by Beth Alpert Nakhai http://www.bib-arch.org/bswb_BR/bswbbr1901books.html
Man 'raised from dead' plans to tell town what it was like More than 200 people turned up to watch a man apparently being resurrected from the dead two days after his family had been given his death certificate (Leatherhead Advertiser). (I am very skeptical of this report.) See http://icsurreyonline.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news/0500dorkingleatherhead/page.cfm?d=50101
Vatican's
view: Go easy on mystic-crystal stuff
The Vatican weighed in yesterday on feng shui, crystals, and the dawning
of the Age of Aquarius in a new document designed to address whether someone
can still be a good Christian while taking yoga class. See http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/news/nation/5098407.htm
Science in the News
God and Science: A Public Dialogue: Messiah College has developed
a comprehensive project entitled “God and Science: A Public Dialogue.”
Supported by a grant from the John Templeton Foundation, this series of
events seeks to engage legislators, educators, clergy, students, and community
members in a positive, constructive public conversation on science and religion,
and to develop greater understanding as to how these two important areas
inform each other. All events feature guest lecturer Dr. Edward Larson,
a prominent historian, legal scholar, and Pulitzer Prize-winning author
of several books, including Evolution’s Workshop: God and Science
in the Galapagos Islands. You may also visit our web site at www.messiah.edu/Godandscience
for more information on Dr. Larson and the “God and Science” events.
You may also contact Dr. Edward Davis, Distinguished Professor of the History
of Science, Messiah College (tdavis@messiah.edu)
Information about Edward J. Larson available at: http://www.uga.edu/history/faculty.html#Larson
Tues, Mar 25 7:30 - 8:45 pm. Public lecture, “Eugenics, Human Gene Testing and Genetic
Discrimination,” in Brubaker Auditorium (Messiah College campus). Free. Directions to the college
are available at: http://www.messiah.edu/visitors/direction.shtml
Wed, Mar 26 9:00 am - noon: Seminar on “Creationism and the Law,” Grace United Methodist Church, Harrisburg, PA. By invitation only. Interested persons should contact Professor Davis. 7:00 - 9:00 pm. Public event on “God and the Galapagos,” Whitaker Center for Science and the Arts, Harrisburg, PA. (http://www.whitakercenter.org). $10. Tickets available from Messiah College box office. 717-691-6036. A showing of the IMAX film Galapagos (45 mins), followed by a lecture (45 mins) by Larson, “God and Science in the Galapagos Islands,” with questions/answers (30 mins)
From June 23-27, Messiah College will offer a workshop on evolution and creationism for secondary science and social studies teachers. Clergy and college faculty are also invited to attend. Interested persons should contact Professor Davis.
Today's vision of the science of tomorrow: See http://www.nytimes.com/2003/01/04/opinion/04EDGE.html?pagewanted=print&pos=
Creation/Evolution
Getting the lies out of creationism: Unleashing the Storm; Answers in Genesis critique of Dennis Peterson's new book: Unlocking the Mysteries of Creation. See http://www.answersingenesis.org/docs2003/0113peterson.asp
Did Martin Luther Get Galileo In Trouble? David Lindberg talks about the early relationship between science and faith and his own journey on the subject. See http://ChristianityToday.com/ct/2003/105/21.0.html
Professor's snub of creationists prompts U.S. inquiry A biology professor who insists that his students accept the tenets of human evolution has found himself the subject of Justice Department scrutiny (The New York Times). See http://www.nytimes.com/2003/02/03/education/03PROF.html
Creationists' evolving argument Is a scientist expected to entertain all points of view on whether, say, the Earth travels around the sun or risk being called a bigot? (Ellen Goodman, The Boston Globe). See http://www.boston.com/dailyglobe2/037/oped/Creationists_evolving_argument+.shtml
Archaeology/Anthropology
Spy Photos Reveal Ancient Middle East Road Network
Mon January 27, 2003 03:54 PM ET
CHICAGO (Reuters) - Bronze Age inhabitants of what is now modern-day Iraq,
Syria and Turkey traded and traveled more widely along a network of highways
than previously thought, archeologists studying newly released U.S. spy
photographs said on Monday. See http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=scienceNews&storyID=2118707
Temple tablet or forger's art?
Patina fits, words don't; Joseph Brean and Simcha Jacobovici; National Post,
January 31, 2003. See
http://www.nationalpost.com/scienceandtech/story.html?id={176A9D7E-A3F9-40E9-922E-C5B9A7E6B0BE}
Discoveries could rank with biggest biblical finds Further analysis is needed on two artifacts in Israel (Associated Press). See http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A8808-2003Jan31.html
Not a shard of truth Sensational claims have been made about bones found in Qumran, but no, this is not John the Baptist, say the heads of the dig (Ha'aretz, Tel Aviv). See http://www.haaretzdaily.com/hasen/pages/ShArt.jhtml?itemNo=258814&contrassID=2&listSrc=Y
The Unluckiest Church: Archaeologist predicts the future is grim for the ancient church's site. By Ted Olsen. See http://ChristianityToday.com/ct/2003/002/29.18.html
Geologists investigate Trojan battlefield: Homer's description of the Trojan battlefield in his classic poem the Iliad is accurate, say scientists. See http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/2736059.stm For online translation of the Iliad see http://barrysmylie.com/iliad/iliad000.htm
Human migration (Feb 3, 2003) - Early humans approximately 100,000 years ago traveled from Africa to Asia via a southern route that likely passed along the coasts of what are now Pakistan and India, according to researchers at Oxford University. See http://dsc.discovery.com/news/briefs/20030203/andaman.html
Astronomy
Earliest Star Chart Found: Jan. 29 — A 32,000-year-old ivory table has revealed what might be the oldest image of a star chart, according to new research to be published by the European Society for Astronomy in Culture. See http://dsc.discovery.com/news/briefs/20030127/starchart.html
NASA Does Not Discount Impact Of Foam Debris: Houston (AFP) Feb 07, 2003 - NASA was again mulling the theory that a piece of foam broken off the space shuttle Columbia during lift-off could somehow have caused Saturday's tragedy. Meanwhile, Aviation Week has reported on Spaceflightnow.com that 'High-resolution images taken from a ground-based Air Force tracking camera in southwestern U.S. show serious structural damage to the inboard leading edge of Columbia's left wing, as the crippled orbiter flew overhead about 60 sec. before the vehicle broke up over Texas.' See http://www.spacedaily.com/news/shuttle-03e.html
Biology
The
bad gene stops here
A year ago, a group of Abington fertility specialists became the first
in the Philadelphia area to offer the ultimate in genetic selection. See
http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/living/health/5091474.htm
DNA May Give Tip As to When You Will Die: Jan. 31, 2003 — The nubbly tips of your chromosomes may give you a pointer as to when you will die, according to research published on Saturday in The Lancet, the British medical weekly. The tips, called telomeres, protect the ends of the chromosomes — the coiled lengths of DNA that are studded with genes, the chemical recipe for life — rather like the plastic ends on shoelaces. They are gradually worn away every time a cell in the body tissue divides and replicates. The theory, often debated, is that worn-out telomeres cause chromosomes to fuse together, boosting the risk of cell malfunction or uncontrolled cell death and thus giving rise to killer disorders such as cancer and heart disease — ailments that coincidentally are widespread among the elderly. See http://health.discovery.com/news/afp/20030127/reaper.html
Lack of Sleep Linked to Risk of Heart Disease: Jan. 27 — Women who are sleep deprived or who sleep too much run a greater risk of developing coronary heart disease than women who get a regular eight hours of shut-eye a night, according to a study released Monday. See http://health.discovery.com/news/afp/20030127/sleep.html
Purdue Researchers Connect Life's Blueprints With Its Energy Source: West Lafayette - Feb 06, 2003 - The Purdue University research team that recently created a tiny motor out of synthetic biological molecules has found further evidence that RNA molecules can perform physical work, a discovery that could advance nanotechnology and possibly solve fundamental mysteries about life itself. See http://www.spacedaily.com/news/life-03i.html
Hepatitis B drug breakthrough: (07 February 2003) A novel class of drugs inhibits hepatitis B virus capsid formation and replication. See http://www.biomedcentral.com/news/20030207/03/University
Of Missouri Physicist Creating Vascular Tissue; Could Lead To 'Natural'
Human Organs
Gabor Forgacs’ work with organ engineering is an excellent example
of how current interdisciplinary research in the life sciences may have
a profound impact on future generations. Forgacs, a biological physicist
at the University of Missouri-Columbia, is an integral part of a research
team that ultimately plans to build organs in laboratories for the purpose
of human transplantation. See http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2003/02/030207071910.htm
Insect
Antibiotics -- Resistance Is Futile! Cecropin A Bypasses Outer Defenses
To Kill Bacteria From The Inside
For antibiotics, the best way to beat bacterial defenses may be to avoid
them altogether. Researchers at University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine
have discovered that Cecropin A, a member of a family of antibiotic proteins
produced by insects, may kill bacteria and avoid resistance by entering
bacterial cells and taking control of their genetic machinery. See http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2003/02/030207070803.htm
Obesity
Not A Personal Failing, But A Battle Against Biology
As Jeffrey M. Friedman, M.D., Ph.D., argues in a "Viewpoint" article
in a special obesity issue of the journal Science published Feb. 7, obesity
cannot be easily explained as simply a breakdown in willpower. Genes and
environment both play important roles in determining a person's body weight.
He points put that "in general, environmental factors account for trends
in a population over time, while genetic factors account for most of the
differences in weight among individuals in present time." See http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2003/02/030207072417.htm
Earth Science
Volcanic Seamounts Siphon Ocean Water Through The Seafloor: Santa Cruz - Feb 06, 2003 - Researchers have discovered a pair of seamounts on the ocean floor that serve as inflow and outflow points for a vast plumbing system that circulates water through the seafloor. The seamounts are separated by more than 30 miles (52 kilometers). See http://www.spacedaily.com/news/tectonics-03b.html
Researchers Find Underwater Volcano Chain Off Tonga: Kiel (AFP) Feb 4, 2003 - A German-led scientific team has discovered a chain of 20 underwater volcanoes off Tonga that could swamp the Pacific Ocean archipelago if they erupt, expedition leaders said Tuesday. The volcanoes, rising at least 1,000 metres (3,280 feet) off the seabed in waters about 1.8 kilometres (1.2 miles) deep, are grouped together 200 kilometres south of the outermost islands of the kingdom. See http://www.spacedaily.com/2003/030204154408.5huvcoq5.html
Arctic bounty of underwater plumes
The Arctic's Gakkel Ridge has recently surprised oceanographers with signs
of abundant hydrothermal venting. See http://www.geotimes.org/jan03/WebExtra012403.html
Early water on Earth: Geologists have long thought that Earth’s first 500 million years were as hot as Hades, dubbing this time frame the Hadean. The high temperatures would have prevented liquid water from condensing on the surface. But new findings on zircon grains, Earth’s oldest known terrestrial materials, suggest that the Hadean might have hosted liquid water. Recovered from the metamorphosed sediments of the Jack Hills in western Australia, the zircon grains are dated to be more than 4 billion years old and are the only geological evidence available to provide insight into the first 500 million years of Earth’s history. See http://www.geotimes.org/current/NN_earlywater.html
Psychology
Why do we Fall in Love? http://health.discovery.com/centers/loverelationships/articles/fallinlove.html
The Top Ten Myths of Marriage http://health.discovery.com/centers/loverelationships/articles/marriage_myths.html
Grieving Parents Head for an Early Grave: Jan. 31,2003 — Parents who lose a child run a major risk of dying prematurely, according to a Danish study which suggests the stress of grief may lead to cancer, heart disease, heavy smoking and reckless drinking. See http://health.discovery.com/news/afp/20030127/grief.html
Child abuse (Feb 7, 2003) - Most men who were abused as boys do not go on to abuse children themselves, a study suggests. Researchers at the Institute of Child Health in London have found evidence to suggest that just one in eight continues the cycle of abuse. See http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/2732083.stm
Meditation (Feb 4, 2003) - In a small but highly provocative study, a University of Wisconsin-Madison research team has found, for the first time, that a short program in "mindfulness meditation" produced lasting positive changes in both the brain and the function of the immune system. See http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2003-02/uow-usr020303.php