[CS-FSLUG] [OT] Re: Interesting picture, creation vs. evolution

[Michael Bradley, Jr.]

On 12/5/05, Chris Brault <gginorio at sbcglobal.net> wrote:
>
> Does believing in Theistic Evolution exclude one from
> salvation? No, of course not. I once believed it
> myself. We must support the weaker brothers (sisters,
> too) and gently lead them into truth (perhaps Answers
> In Genesis could help with this topic) without
> condemning them.
>

The following page provides a great many links to debates, essays, etc.
related to the questions being discussed here:


         Scientific Materialism, Intelligent Design, and
         the Cosmological Argument


http://ic.net/~erasmus/RAZ15.HTM#CREATIONISM%20AND%20EVOLUTIONARY%20THEORY:%20ARTICLES

(Some of the links which point to web.archive.org aren't working properly at
the moment; hopefully they will be "unbroken" before too long.)


Two articles that look at the theory of evolution from a Catholic Christian
perspective:


         Evolution:  A Catholic Perspective

         http://www.ewtn.com/library/HUMANITY/EVOLUTN.TXT


         Evolution and the Magisterium

         http://www.catholic.com/thisrock/2004/0401bt.asp


Here is another one from a Catholic perspective that gives a big "thumbs
down" to bodily evolution:


         Did The Human Body Evolve Naturally?
         A Forgotten Papal Declaration

         http://www.rtforum.org/lt/lt73.html




I find this subject fascinating, but have been trying to be faithful to a
recent self-imposed restriction on wading heavily into such debates, as I
find I can easily spend hours per day reading, researching, and writing when
I should instead attend to more pressing obligations.

One more thing:  based on some personal research (mostly == reading) that I
was inspired to undertake earlier this year after accidentally bumping into
a non-mainstream theory called "plasma cosmology," I am inclined to believe
that most of what makes up the "standard model" of physical cosmology (e.g.
the "big bang", black holes, curved space-time, dark matter and energy, ...)
is going to have to dumped in favor of a new quasi steady-state model which
has no discernable universal scale in terms of time and space, and which is
principally characterized by plasma physics (i.e. electromagnetism) and
gravitational physics, as opposed to gravity alone.  In the present Standard
Model, gravity is the only dominant long-range force, and soley responsible
for the large-scale structure of the universe.

On the one hand, such a paradigm shift will shake up the scientific
community quite a bit. On the other hand, it will present many new
challenges to Christian philosophers and scientists.

If you are interested, read carefully through all of the pages on the
following website, which gives a great "nutshell" take on Plasma Cosmology
and the Electric Universe concept:


         http://www.plasmacosmology.net/


Note well:  the author of that site is almost certainly not a Christian, as
there are three or four statements to be found among an otherwise excellent
presentation which demonstrate a clear bias against the concept of divine
revelation and the doctrines of creation as professed by Christians.
Nevertheless, I don't think there is anything inherently anti-Christian or
anti-religion in general within the Plasma Cosmology and the Electric
Universe ideas. In fact, I think those same ideas may ultimately find their
most sensible expression according to Christian minds.

If you like the "Plasma Cosmology .Net" site, you might also want to read
the first chapter of a related recently published monograph, "The
Thunderbolts of the Gods" -- the download is free:


         Chapter 1:  The Cosmic Thunderbolt in Myth and Science

         http://www.thunderbolts.info/pdf/01.1PART%20I_Ch1.pdf

(see also:  http://www.thunderbolts.info/tpod/2005/arch05/00archive.htm)


Also, you might like to read a related but more technical, "hard science"
article which was published in a respected peer-reviewed journal in December
2003:


         Characteristics for the Occurrence of a High-Current,
         Z-Pinch Aurora as Recorded in Antiquity

         http://public.lanl.gov/alp/plasma/downloads/PerattAntiquityZ.pdf




Don't be afraid to expand your mind, all the while staying firmly grounded
in Jesus Christ and the teaching of His Church . . .

"For my part, I should not believe the gospel except as moved by the
authority of the Catholic Church." -- St. Augustine of Hippo, circa A.D. 397

In Christ,

Michael Bradley, Jr.

--
Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life . . ." (John 14:6)

My home on the Net ::
   http://www.michaelsbradleyjr.net/

IC XC NIKA
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://ofb.biz/pipermail/christiansource_ofb.biz/attachments/20051205/93586458/attachment.htm>