I came across this article in Scientific American the other week. I didn't share this one with my class, rather one that explained why women tend to live longer then men. That is another discussion for another time. This article caught my eye for a couple of reasons, however. First, it made a reference to Christopher Hitchens (God is Not Great: Why Religion Poisons Everything) and, second, because it referenced the Job quote, "the Lord gives and takes away".
Recently in small group we got all hot and bothered (or at least I did) over this phrase because of the apparent "contradiction" between this statement and James 1 where it discusses trials and temptations. (I use this word contradiction carefully because I would say that contradictions in the Bible are likely due to our mistaken reading and not fully understanding what is being laid out by the author of individual books of the Bible. I might argue, too, that some contradictions arise because of the Biblical authors "misinterpretation" of ancient events as God's will or the like.) I also discussed in S.G. how this phrase "the Lord gives and takes away" is used in a Matt Redman song and when we sang it the other day in Church (after the James 1 sermon that Bruce preached) I couldn't sing that line; I could sing everything else, because I believe it, but that line stung - and stings. So when I came across this line again, now in reference to the blind salamander, I couldn't help but cringe.
I definitely have more to say. I would be interested in hearing how some of you respond to this article or anything else. Here's to conversations on Faith and Life.
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=the-skeptics-skeptic
Jon
Quick comment from OHIO (yeah, you have family there too!),
ReplyDeleteInteresting article. Just as in any conversation about evolution or natural selection, I don't really see the evidences of these theories as contradictory to the existence of God or that he created us and this world. I don't view the idea of God putting in place the natural laws that could result in a Salamander losing it's eye as unreasonable.
Matt
Sorry about the NH comment...wishful thinking, I guess.
ReplyDeleteMy real reaction to the article had to do with his use of the verse "the Lord gives and He takes away." I don't see the Salamander's evolution unreasonable, either. What I am reacting to, and I believe ultimately Hitchens' point, is that Creationists and Intelligent Design folks, have no answer for such an illogical animal ("why would a loving God create such an animal??"). Of course because of the natural selection (a mechanism by which I see God creating) this animal makes sense.