One Truth
We just read One Truth: Refining Faith Within the Evolution of Science by Darryl Hobson this past weekend sitting on the front porch overlooking Key West nature. My son Daniel referred the book to us because of its attempt to compare/contrast the faith required to believe in RELIGION and the faith required to believe in SCIENCE. Ideally, I think the author (Darryl) was attempting to help the reader understand that religion/faith and science/facts can and should co-exist in a thinking person’s mind/heart.
However, If you are hard core left wing or hard core right wing, then I respectfully submit this book is NOT for you. Additionally, If you are 100% sure that what is in the bible is 100% correct OR if you are 100% sure that what is in the bible is 100% wrong, then I respectfully submit this book is NOT for you. But, for the rest of you folks in the middle that represents 80% of humanity, enjoy.
If you like to think and ponder and consider and question all things related to science and religion, this book is absolutely for you. You will wish you knew more about quantum mechanics, entropy, and Bernoulli’s principle. Probably wouldn't hurt to know why Jerusalem is so important to so many religions. In general, you might want to beef up on contrasting the top religions in the world: Islam (2billion), Hindu (oldest in the world) and Christianity (2.5billion).
I’m feeling a bit lazy and studid right now. Before you get all judgey, you might want to Google "books on logic and reasoning." You can thank me later. Finally, instead of trying to braid my own reactions to this book into this blog, I've decided to simply "group" some central themes and let you cole slaw wrestle them until you get tired.
THIS ARE THE HOOKS FOR READING THIS BOOK …
“One thing is certain; there is only One Truth.”
“The notion that something can be true and untrue at the same time is perhaps absurd, bu tis nonetheless real and demonstrable.”
“With the context of objectivity, when science and religion draw opposing conculsions both cannot be true; conversely, both can certainly be false.
“Scientists are often blindly prejudiced against biblical views, just as religions seem to be constantly threatened by contemporary knowledge. Unfortunately, for any two opposing views, both cannot be true; whereas, both can undoubtedly be wrong.”
“Improbable events occur all around us every day. Whether or not those events are incidental, coincidental, predictable, or predestined is at the heart of the truth that we seek.”
DOES IT HAVE TO BE TEAM BIBLE THUMPERS VS TEAM MAD SCIENTISTS?
“Christians are often accused of using God to substitute for their unknowns. This is a wholly convenient tactic because an omnipotent, ever-present god responsible for everything can be used to answer just about any question.”
“Atheists are quick to ridicule this strategy, an it’s hard to blame them; it’s so easy: Science and reason are assumed to trump faith. However, several recent discoveries have revealed that some long held, widely accepted scientific absolutes were, in fact … wrong.”
CAN BOTH SIDES BE RIGHT ABOUT BEING WRONG?
“Science, not unlike most religions, is generally regarded as the pursuit of truth. Being open to new information with which to for or modify a worldview is the only path to the One Truth. How do we fit these pieces of the puzzle into our understanding of how God created his dark universe? Let there be light.”
"Ironically, an atheist’s quest for knowledge is similar to that of the devoted theist. The more we know, the less we come to understand.”
“In circumstances where being right is more important to an individual than seeking truth, ignorance tends to be more willful.”
“There is a difference between seeking the truth for oneself and imposing those truths on others who might not care to know.”
“There can be comfort in choosing to believe a lie, even when you know it to be such.”
“Information that threatens what you already believe is often discarded, ignored, or vilified.”
GOD KNOWS THE DEVIL IS IN THE DETAILS
“Medically facilitated artificial selection has not just decelerated human evolution; it is actively devolving the human race physically.”
“Religions of all denominations rest heavily on the fidelity of their texts, even when they contain clear contradictions.”
SUM TRUTH, THE HOLE TRUTH, NOTHING BUT A TRUTH
“Remember though, that although theses galaxies appear to only just now be forming, their stars were born, lived, and possibly died billions of years ago.”
“While these are all plainly observable truths, they do not lend support to the conventional biblical conclusions that many of us were taught. Equally as true, however, is that there is little in Genesis that contradicts that which we can clearly observe in the night sky.”
CHICKEN OR EGG?
“JOHN 1:1 (NIV) ‘In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.’ To be clear, I’m suggesting that the apostle John may be telegraphing an answer to our cliché which came first …?”
“Ignoring or discarding that which is easily knowable is, literally, the first step towards ignorance.”
“Religions of many denominations have sought to subdue and control their masses by curating and redistributing their interpretation of truth.”
CAFETERIA CHISTAINITY ...
“Cafeteria Christianity is one of the easiest pejorative labels to be lorded on those who choose to ignore verses that bring them discomfort.”
“Personal truths can include emotions, feelings, thoughts and opinions.”
“Objective truths remain as objective truths, regardless of how we perceive them.”
“Does a living observer influence the manifestation of truth at the point of observation? Can different observers witness different objective truths; could God exist for one person and not exist for another at the same time?”
IT’S A FACT THAT … WELL SORTA
“Science does humanity a great service by explaining how things are put together, how things work, and how we can synthesize that knowledge for the betterment of all. But science always struggles with the why.”
“Why is, and is always likely to be, a matter of faith.”
Go Make a Circle.
Here's today's vid-clip:
Tony McLean Brown
A Western NC hillbilly through and through, Tony McLean Brown was born in the small town of Enka-Candler outside of Asheville. His parents re-named him when he was 3 years old to Tony (a nickname provided by his grandfather) McLean (middle name of his Uncle Michael) while retaining his legal surname Brown.
Throughout his career, Tony McLean Brown worked as a farmer, computer programmer, and management consultant – in his adventurous years – author, song-writer, bass player, poet, pilot, mountaineer, certified scuba diver, and competitor in professional bull riding, NASCAR late model racing, Toughman boxing, Crossfit Open, Ironman, pole vaulting, marathon and ultra-marathon running, as well as parenting.
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