Ancient microbes

BBC News has an article on a scientific discovery of microbes, that are estimated to range in age from 100,000 to 8 million years of age, from melted samples of Antarctic ice. What I found interesting about the find is in the following quote:

The team suggests that because DNA in the old ice samples had degraded so much in response to exposure to cosmic radiation, life on Earth is unlikely to have hitched a ride on a comet or on debris from outside the Solar System - as some scientists have suggested. "Given the extremely high cosmic radiation flux in space, our results suggest it is highly unlikely that life on Earth could have been seeded by genetic material external to this Solar System," they wrote in
their scientific paper.

Therfore this discovery gives evidence towards life being created directly on earth, not drifting from other planets, galaxies or universes.

Toys of Faith

In the United States, major supermarkets are beginning to stock toys based on Old Testament figures and scenarios, including a 10-metre high inflatable Noah's Ark!

For more on this story, visit CathNews.

Doctors refusing treatments on medical grouns

Although we are usually concerned with issues arising out of a patient's refusal of medical treatment (abortion, transfusions, euthanasia, etc.), some Doctors have been getting into hot water after refusing treatment due to their religious convictions.

USA Today reports:

When does the freedom to practice religion become discrimination?
The California Supreme Court is being asked to answer that question when it hears a legal dispute between a lesbian mom and two doctors who refused to artificially
inseminate her for religious reasons.
...
The dispute arose in 2000 after San Diego-area doctors Christine Brody and Douglas Fenton refused to artificially inseminate Benitez, a lesbian who lives with her partner, Joanne Clark, in Oceanside, north of San Diego.
...
In 2001, Benitez sued the doctors, claiming that they violated California's anti-discrimination laws that protect gays and lesbians.

Apparently, over 40 differents groups have filed with the court to be heard over the matter, both on the side of Doctor's religious rights and the opposing side.

Creationism - Islam style

The Christian Science Monitor has an interesting article on an Islamic group called the 'Foundation for Scientific Research', which promotes its own brand of creationism in Turkey and Europe, and is now aiming to reach America and other countries. It has publications in many languages including a popular, glossy book called the 'Atlas of Creation', which it has recently sent to scientists, journalists and professionals.

Its main difference from American-style Young Earth Creationism is that it teaches the earth is millions of years old. They theorise that fossils from millions of years ago show that animals are similar to the ones we have now, therefore evolution does not occur.

Rated G

Thankfully, my blog is 'Rated G'.

Christian fundamentalist and creationist appointed as Physics professor!

Click on link below to learn more about this appointment:

http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2007/07/22/a_teacher_with_faith_and_reason/

Will Richard Dawkins and Sam Harris be up in arms?

Popular culture & religion clash

As of late there has been some cultural phenomena that have been stirring up conversation among conservative American religionists and their more liberal counterparts. One of these is The Simpsons Movie that recently premiered on the big screen. PBS' "Religion & Ethics Newsweekly" show recently held an interview with Mark Pinsky, author of the book "The Gospel According to the Simpsons" which comments on the issue of spirituality in The Simpsons television series. Click here to read a transcript of the interview.

Another, more controversial subject, is that of the recently released enstallment of the Harry Potter series. ScrippsNews has an editorial on the Christian themes in the book. Rowling (author of the Harry Potter series) is a member of the Church of Scotland and apparently her faith shines through in the final book.

Opponents think that the Potter series will lead children into the occult and demon possession. Proponents say that it is all harmless fun. I think a balanced view is called for by parents. I doubt that watching the Potter movies or reading the books would cause demon possession, but I also beleive that a Christian should not watch a movie soaked in something that God condemns:

"Never sacrifice your son or daughter as a burnt offering. And do not let your people practice fortune-telling, or use sorcery, or interpret omens, or engage in witchcraft, or cast spells, or function as mediums or psychics, or call forth the spirits of the dead. Anyone who does these things is detestable to the Lord." - Deuteronomy 18:10-12

Good Samaritans strike again

A couple in the Connecticut area received a late night call from two of Jehovah's Witnesses returning the husbands wallet that he had lost on a train. The Connecticut Post reports the couples response:

"They told us they found it on the train, handed us a Jehovah's Witness pamphlet and were gone," Nicole Constantino said. The wallet contents — credit cards and nearly $300 in cash — were untouched.
"They hadn't even opened it up, they just found our address from his Metro Card," she said. One of the two women initially apologized for knocking on the door so late, explaining that she didn't own a car and had to wait for the other woman to get home from work before she could get to Norwalk to return the wallet.
The woman added that since they both live in Bridgeport and are unfamiliar with Norwalk, they got lost along the way. "They were driving around for almost two hours," Nicole said. "We were so shocked that someone would do something so kind, we never even asked for their names."

The couple are apparently trying to track down the two Sisters in order to thank them.