Imaginary Me

By Chuck Colson

 clipped from www.informz.net

Making The Creator In Our Image

Weird Science

September 14, 2010

Yesterday on BreakPoint, I told you that Stephen Hawking, the great scientist, believes that the universe and life itself can be explained without referring to God; that God is, in Hawking's words, "unnecessary."

But there are some scientists who do believe there was a creator. The problem is that some of their ideas about the "creator" and his "creation" are straight out of a comic-book convention.

According to a recent article written by a university astronomer in the U.K.'s Telegraph newspaper, it's possible that the "universe around us was created by people very much like ourselves, using devices not too dissimilar to those available to scientists today."

In this scenario, our universe is only one of many universes: what physicists like Hawking call a "multi-verse." In one of these universes, someone, using a device only slightly more advanced than the Large Hadron Collider, created a black hole, which in turn, led to the Big Bang that created our universe.

Mind you, there's absolutely no proof of this or, for that matter, the existence of "parallel universes." Nor should we expect any: As physicist Lawrence Krauss documents in his book Hiding in the Mirror, hidden dimensions and parallel universes are mathematical abstractions that can't be proven in the lab or through observation.

In Krauss' estimation, "our continuing intellectual fascination with extra dimensions may tell us more about our own human nature than it does about the universe itself."

Even more outlandish than creation-by-beings-from-a-parallel-universe is the idea that the universe, including us, is really a gigantic computer simulation. If that sounds familiar, it ought to: It's the idea behind the blockbuster film The Matrix.

The "reasoning" goes something like this: "technological advances" could enable "advanced humans," or "post-humans" to "program and run simulations of "their evolutionary history." These simulations would take the form of "virtual worlds inhabited by virtual people."

So, not only is everything around us fake, we are, too.

According to one of the leading proponents of this idea, "there's a 20 percent chance we're living in a computer simulation." His proof? Like the creation-from-a-parallel-universe, there isn't any, and we shouldn't expect any. An intelligence sophisticated enough to create such a simulation is, by definition, sophisticated enough to hide the truth from us.

Krauss is right: These kinds of speculations do tell us something about human nature, specifically its perversity. Surrounded by evidence that universe is not the product of blind chance but, instead, the result of purposeful intelligence, we imagine "creators" that are literally the stuff of science fiction.

And not coincidentally, these "creators" are "very much like ourselves." More to the point, they make no demands on us – acknowledging their possible existence leaves us free to live as we please, with no obligations to either them or each other.

When St. Paul wrote "claiming to be wise, they became fools," this is the kind of folly he had in mind. Creation makes God and his attributes knowable, but that kind of knowledge carries a price many of us are unwilling to pay. So, we opt instead for a "creator" made in OUR image. One that is far better suited for the comic books.

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Dancing with Max

 clipped from www.informz.net

Dancing with Max

A Story That Must Be Told

September 15, 2010

Do you remember the first time you laid eyes on your child? Do you remember the feelings of joy, the wonder, the awe?

Do you remember the various milestones: His first steps? Her first words? Do you recall your dreams about his future: his graduation from college? Playing for the Red Sox?

Now imagine he's two or three years old and things don't quite seem right. You can't – or won't – put your finger on it, but something seems off, especially when you compare him to other kids.

You tell yourself that every child develops at his own pace, which is true. You remind yourself that these kinds of comparisons are pernicious, which they are. You comfort yourself with family stories about an uncle or cousin who were "late bloomers," which they were.

But, you still can't shake the sense that something is wrong. You ask his pediatrician, who suggests you make an appointment with a specialist. You are so nervous that you can hardly punch in the phone number. But you do it.

The night before the appointment is quite possibly the longest night of your life. You arrive at the doctor's office and you look around at the other parents and, especially, at the other kids. And your heart sinks even further.

Your names are called. The doctor is very nice: patient, kind and understanding. He recommends some testing, which only ratchets up the anxiety.

The tests are administered. Then the doctor says the word that has been your inescapable companion for months: autism.

At that point, it feels like your insides have been scraped out with a tongue depressor. If you drink, you want to reach for the bottle; if you don't you think wrongly that this is the time to start.

After the initial shock wears off, you begin to realize that your life has, seemingly in the blink of an eye, changed forever. Your dreams, expectations, and aspirations have been run through the shredder. Out with the Ivy League, in with Special Ed; Bye-bye Red Sox; hello Challenger Baseball.

All of this is enough to break even the strongest people. Being the parent of an autistic child, or any child with special needs, requires a level of commitment and dedication that is impossible to understand unless you've been there.

It's even harder when one parent decides the challenge is too great and bails out on the marriage. Being a single mom is hard enough; being the single mom of an autistic child is enough to make you question God's goodness and very existence.

But sometimes, it does the opposite: it makes you want to grab on to God and not let go. And that's what happened to my daughter, Emily.

She has a new book, called "Dancing With Max," in which she tells us what she learned from her autistic son—and what I learned from my grandson, Max. Emily's greatest trial has become her greatest blessing.

And I can say as a proud father, that I agree with the book reviews: my daughter has written a beautiful, moving story of what true love means.

And I've been honored to write the prologue and the epilogue—some of the most intimate personal writing I've done since Born Again. For the next few days I'm going to tell you about Max and Emily—because their story has lessons for all of us. So stay tuned.

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Signs, Slogans, and Escape Vehicles

 clipped from ls.egen.net

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Signs, Slogans, and Escape Vehicles

Members of the Freedom From Religion Foundation announced plans this month to launch the largest freethinkers billboard campaign ever to take place in the heart of the Bible belt.  Signs reading "Imagine No Religion" "Sleep in on Sundays" and "In Reason We Trust" will be placed throughout the city.(1)  This new Atlanta campaign is one of many attempts throughout the world to bring positive thoughts of atheism into public discourse.  The London bus campaign last year similarly sent hundreds of buses throughout England, Scotland, Wales, and Barcelona with the slogan:  "There's probably no God.  Now stop worrying and enjoy your life."(2)  The £140,000 multi-media advertising campaign was designed to bring comfort in the probability that God does not exist, a positive contrast to religious advertisements meant to incite fear.  The campaign also used quotes from influential voices who have shown that embracing atheism, or at least expressing skepticism about the existence of God, is freeing.  One quote reads, "An atheist strives for involvement in life and not escape into death."  Another, written by nineteenth century American humanist Robert Ingersoll, notes, "The time to be happy is now!"

Reactions to campaigns such as these are generally mixed.  With every sign, plans for additional advertising seem to pop up throughout the world.  One slogan provoked strong reactions in Barcelona, where critics branded the words as "an attack on all religions."(3)  Christians in London were on all sides of the debate, with some offended—one bus driver refused to drive his bus—and others optimistic at the opportunity for discussion.  Posters and billboards of this nature, says director Paul Woolley of the theology think tank Theos, "encourage people to consider the most important question we will ever face in our lives."(4)

Christianity has in fact long been indicted as an emotional crutch for those unable to accept life's difficult realities, those in need of an escape vehicle to take them to another world.  To be fair, it is not an entirely undue critique.  The Christian is indeed someone marked by an inability to accept the cruelties of this world as status quo.  Like the prophets, Christians are well aware that this life marred by cancer, injustice, poverty, corruption, tears, and death is not the way it is supposed to be.  We live alert with the distinct notion that humanity was created for something more.  Of course, the temptation, then, and one of the more severe misapplications of the faith, is to checkout of this world, living content in Christian circles, and ever-looking upward to better life.  In such a scenario, one's Christianity is indeed nothing more than wishful thinking, a philosophy wrenched from its founder and marched down an illogical road.

But do the growing numbers of atheists who insist that life without God is "freeing" not succumb to a similar temptation, making life and even death sound better than their own philosophies impart?  If God is a farce and life is but rapidly moving time and the unapologetic force of chance, is "reassured" really a viable option?  If there is no divine being, no creator of time, no one hearing prayers or answering the cries of injustice, can we really be comforted, unworried, even lighthearted about life as we know it?  MacBeth was far more honest:

Out, out, brief candle!
Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player,
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage,
And then is heard no more.  It is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing.

Surely we can attempt to dress such a philosophy in beautiful robes, but in the end we will find it was all an act.  Whatever our philosophies, whatever colorful billboards catch our eyes, we do well to follow them to their logical ends.  

And thus, whether in the eyes of Christians or atheists, it is more than lamentable that belief in Christ has come to be seen as something for another world, a philosophy for another time, a religion that merely attempts to frighten us in the present for the sake of the future.  For the Christian does not make her pilgrimage through the kingdom of God by way of escape vehicle, sounding sirens along the way.  Quite the contrary, Christianity promises signs of this kingdom even now, a kingdom worth searching for as if searching for prized treasure or lost coins.  We live as people who have entered the kingdom in all its fullness here, and we look to invite others to join us in all that we have found because it is good and there is more to come.  Faith in God is not a source of worry, as the buses and billboards (and perhaps some believers) suggest, nor is faith in Christ an obstacle for enjoying life.  Far from this, by faith the Christian is given a life truly like that of Christ's—fully human, fully alive.  And whether Christian or atheist, freethinker or fretting player, we must take care not to raise billboards that suggest something other than our philosophies impart.  

Jill Carattini is managing editor of A Slice of Infinity at Ravi Zacharias International Ministries in Atlanta, Georgia.

(1) "Atheist Activists' Biggest Billboard Campaign Targets Atlanta," September 10, 2010, http://newsmax.com, accessed September 10, 2010. 
(2) Ariane Sherine, "The Atheist Bus Journey," January 6 2009, http://guardian.co.uk, accessed January 12, 2009.
(3) Giles Tremlett, "Atheist Bus Ad Campaign Provokes Bitterness in Barcelona," January 7, 2009, guardian.co.uk, accessed January 12, 2009.
(4) Maria Mackay, "Atheist Bus Ads Say 'Probably No God'" January 6, 2009, http://christiantoday.com, accessed January 12, 2009.

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Copyright (c) 2009 Ravi Zacharias International Ministries (RZIM)

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A Slice of Infinity is aimed at reaching into the culture with words of challenge, words of truth, and words of hope. If you know of others who would enjoy receiving A Slice of Infinity in their email box each day, tell them they can sign up on our website at www.rzim.org/Slice

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Love

 clipped from www.goodreads.com

"When the two people who thus discover that they are on the same secret road are of different sexes, the friendship which arises between them will very easily pass – may pass in the first half hour – into erotic love. Indeed, unless they are physically repulsive to each other or unless one or both already loves elsewhere, it is almost certain to do so sooner or later. And conversely, erotic love may lead to Friendship between the lovers. But this, so far from obliterating the distinction between the two loves, puts it in a clearer light. If one who was first, in the deep and full sense, your Friend, is then gradually or suddenly revealed as also your lover you will certainly not want to share the Beloved's erotic love with any third. But you will have no jealousy at all about sharing the Friendship. Nothing so enriches an erotic love as the discovery that the Beloved can deeply, truly and spontaneously enter into Friendship with the Friends you already had; to feel that not only are we two united by erotic love but we three or four or five are all travelers on the same quest, have all a common vision."
— C.S. Lewis (The Four Loves)

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Dogs are not humans.

 clipped from www.informz.net

Dogs and Dung Beetles

Why Do I Have to Explain This?

August 13, 2010

How do I respond to something that happened inside a church that was so blasphemous, so obviously—I can't believe I'm using this word—idiotic?

Especially since the people involved seem so nice, and their attitude towards "God's creatures" is so warm and cuddly! Well, I will have to run the risk of upsetting nice people by simply telling the truth.

Here's what happened. At St. Peter's Anglican Church in Toronto, Donald Keith came forward for communion with his dog, Trapper, in tow. The priest, Marguerite Ray, gave communion to Keith. And then, in what she called a welcoming gesture, offered a communion wafer to Trapper. Trapper gladly accepted. The Toronto Star newspaper reports that the dog only sniffed at the communion wine, however.

Some of the parishioners were rightly outraged. Others don't know what the fuss is about.

Neither, it seems, does the priest. Although she apologized for upsetting people, she defends what she did as an "act of reaching out" to Mr. Keith, who was a newcomer. After all, she said, "Jesus is a positive person. And Christianity is a positive religion."

The dog's owner was touched. Everywhere he goes, Trapper goes with him. Why? The dog, the paper reports, suffers from "separation anxiety." Keith affirms that the dog took communion reverently—that the dog even bowed its head and prayed before receiving communion.

One congregant, Suzette Mafuna, said, "We're all God's creatures. . . If a dog goes into a church, he's entitled to every service that's offered, including spiritual nourishment."

Well, Suzette, you are wrong. And I can't believe that I have to explain why.

Folks, in the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. He made all the creatures that live on earth, including mosquitoes, dogs, and dung beetles. He also made man, but he made man—alone among all creatures—in His image.

And the Son, the second person of the Trinity, in order to save those made in God's image, took on human flesh, became one of us, went to the cross in our place for our sins, making us children of God.

So while all things that live and breathe are indeed God's creatures, the dung beetle is not your brother.

Nor is Trapper. Dogs are wonderful creatures. They deserve our care. They bring joy and companionship to many people. But, as even Cesar Millan, the famous Dog Whisperer, reminds his viewers, dogs are not humans.

And while Christians disagree on communion—whether it is the actual body and blood of Christ, a bearer of Christ's real presence, or a symbol of his ultimate sacrifice—we all agree that it is holy. And we ought not take what is holy and give it to the dogs.

That I even have to say this tells me that some Christians no longer understand the concept of the holy, the basic precept of our faith, nor do they understand man's unique position in the cosmos as the bearer of God's image and the object of His sacrificial love.

In other words, we no longer understand—or even believe—that humans are special. That's scary.

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Made for Marriage

 clipped from www.informz.net

Dating and Marriage in America

Time for a Revolution

August 10, 2010

"Until what seems like yesterday," writes University of Chicago professor Leon Kass at Boundless.org, "young people were groomed for marriage, and the paths leading to it were culturally set out, at least in rough outline."

I can certainly attest to the truth of that statement. When I went to college it was normal to date, go steady, get engaged, and then marry soon after graduation.

As Kass points out, "Opportunity was knocking, the world and adulthood were beckoning, and most of us stepped forward into married life, readily, eagerly . . . We were simply doing... what our parents had done, indeed, what all our forebears had done."

But today, he observes, few students expect to find a spouse in college. They all—male and female—expect to launch themselves into careers. And while careers may leave time for casual friendship and all too often casual sex, there's no time for relationships at the deep level of marriage or even, for that matter, serious dating.

Kass contends that these cultural trends have damaged the relationship between men and women and have lowered their prospects for sustained, happy marriages and families.

As a result, he writes, young men appear to be "nervous predators" who "act as if any woman is equally good." And "most young women," he says "strike me as sad, lonely, and confused."

This is compounded by what Kass calls "deep uncertainty about what marriage is and means, and what purpose it serves." Is marriage a serious covenant between a man and a woman, designed to provide for the next generation--or is it all about the personal fulfillment of two autonomous individuals?

Of course, this is the fundamental question behind the same-sex marriage debate—a debate that is reaching a critical point now that a federal judge has struck down California's Proposition 8.

Marriage as a covenant providing for future generations is for serious adults. Marriage as self-fulfillment encourages a protracted adolescence in a culture already biased toward remaining youthful.

Kass notes correctly, "for their narcissistic absorption in themselves and in immediate pleasures ... the young are not condemned but are even envied by many of their elders."

People won't grow up these days, and the understanding of marriage as a means of self-fulfillment in which children are optional matches their desire. And as the divorce rate shows, many who do marry do so with minimal commitment.

What do we need? Kass prescribes: "a desire in America's youth for mature adulthood (which means marriage and parenthood), an appreciation of the unique character of the marital bond . . . and a restoration of sexual self-restraint generally and of female modesty in particular." Well, that's a tall order, Dr. Kass.

As a friend of mine commented, Kass's article is a reminder that the funk many older Christian singles find themselves in runs deep, into the very fabric of our culture. Lack of a dating life is not necessarily their own fault; it's part of a bigger picture. And the Church needs to step in and actively seek to be a radical counter-cultural voice in an increasingly difficult cultural setting, preparing young men and women for marriage—Christian marriage, a lifelong covenant for raising children.

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Daddy's Broken Heart: Fathers of Abortion

 clipped from townhall.com

A Woman's "Choice" That Affects Men: Post-Abortion Trauma

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by Jerry DeBin

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Author's note: This piece is co-authored by Jeanne Monahan.

This Father's Day will be a celebration for dads all over the country, an opportunity for children to thank and honor their fathers. Yet for many men, the memory of involvement in a past abortion, of "cards they will not receive," will be painful and palpable.

In a debate where the primary focus is a woman's body and a woman's right to choose whether or not to carry a child to his or her delivery, the "other partner," the father of the baby, is rarely given consideration, and is often completely disregarded altogether. The question of abortion is myopically women-centric.

Abortion advocates often mock pro-life men. Men are told they shouldn't speak out because they can never become pregnant. Yet, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to acknowledge that two women cannot a baby make.

Less acknowledged is the fact that this decision deeply impacts the dad, too.

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This year three Father's Day cards will stand prominently on Jerry's kitchen countertop, telling the wonderful story of the lives of his three grown children. But there is an empty space next to the cards which tells another story that continues to grieve Jerry and his wife, Dayna. Over thirty years ago, Jerry and his then high school sweetheart, Dayna, chose to abort two of their children.

Jerry deeply empathizes with any man who has taken the life of another human and lives daily with that burden and emotional trauma. The negative psychological impact of abortion on women has been well publicized, but less so have been the effects of abortion on men.

In researching the topic, we found a variety of books, websites and support groups dedicated to male post-abortion trauma, as well as a number of studies on the issue. One study reported that 82 percent of male parents of a recently aborted baby (ranging from two days to 37 months) experienced depression. Another study found that men experienced anxiety, helplessness, guilt, and a dual sense of responsibility and regret during an abortion. An additional study reported that many biological fathers need professional support in dealing with abortion and its impact on relationships.

According to Guy Condon and David Hazard, authors of Fatherhood Aborted:

The Profound Effects of Abortion on Men, post-abortive men suffer from a whole host of problems, including relationship struggles, inability to trust friends, rage, addictions and sexual compulsions, sleeplessness, bad dreams, nightmares, sexual dysfunction, depression, fear of failure, fear of rejection, and loneliness.

Fortunately, Jerry and Dayna's story did not have a negative ending. They married after high school, but continued to be haunted by the unspoken grief and burden of the two children they had aborted. Ten years and three children later, they came to a crisis in their marriage where they needed to honestly confront the lingering effects of the two abortions. There were unresolved issues but they found helpful resources to successfully work through them and make peace with the past.

Having found hope in their grief and regret, they deeply wanted others to avoid making these same mistakes. They felt the best way they could do so would be to support young people facing similar tough decisions, and decided to start a pregnancy resource center in Prattville, Ala., in this effort. Having opened its doors in 1992, "Grace Place" PregnancyResource Center continues to thrive and serve young mothers and fathers experiencing an unplanned pregnancy even today.

Jerry and Dayna helped to start Grace Place to share truth about abortion, to give hope in situations that appear hopeless and to help restore the lives of men and women broken by abortion. They also discovered that the process helped complete the healing in their marriage and family.

An estimated 50 million abortions have been performed in the U.S. since the Supreme Court decision in Roe v. Wade. For each of those 50 million babies, there is a father. Even adjusting those numbers to allow for men who father more than one aborted child, the count of post-abortion men in America is easily 30 million. This Father's Day let us honestly engage men in the conversation about abortion and its impacts on everyone involved. There remain significant, long-term consequences of Father's Day cards that will not come this week … all across America.

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