Monthly Archives: February 2016

CAN’T SLOW DOWN TO THINK

From Alan Lightman, the first professor at MIT with a joint appointment in the humanities and science (italics added):

I was on the Harvard faculty for 10 years before I went to MIT, so I have a good sense of the differences in the student bodies.  The students at MIT are brighter and they are quicker and more original, but they are not nearly as well read as the Harvard students. 

What I don’t like about MIT and I don’t mind saying this is that it’s too high pressure, it’s a workaholic place and I don’t think this is good for the students and I don’t think it’s good for the faculty.  The students are madly rushing to learn as much as they can.  They take as many courses as they can.  They just assume that more is better.  It is their mantra.  The more you can cram in, the better.  They assume that all technology is progress.  If you design a car that goes at twice the speed as the current cars, you should design it.  If you can build a machine that goes twice as fast, you should build it.  If you can build a computer that stores twice the information, you should build it.  They just assume without questioning that more is better.  They don’t take the time or they don’t have the time to slow down and really think about what is important, what is the value of their lives, what is the value of this technology, to question the technology.  Some technology can be used well and some cannot be used well, how should we be using the technology?  What is important?  They don’t the time to go back to square zero and ask the question, why are we doing this?  What do I really believe in?  What’s really important?  They don’t have the time for that.  The students and faculty are similar.  They are all rushing too rapidly.

The rest is here: http://www.concordlibrary.org/scollect/fin_aids/OH_Texts/Lightman.html

CRUELTY OF OUR CULTURAL HEALERS

There are many ironies to be found among the fruited plains of America.

The marketing on airwaves wants us to imbibe in all kinds of things, including of course, sex and alcohol.  Then the media loves to mock those who get addicted to such things.  Think Charlie Sheen or Brittany Spears.

The person who indulges in the thing marketed is now the object of scorn and ridicule.  And they have little possibility of redemption. 

Our culture has no real sense of sin and no real possibility of true redemption. 

The Christian faith offers both honesty and healing.  Sin is addressed in all its ugliness, yet no matter the depth of sin, all can be objects of God’s mercy.

Jer. 6:13-16 is worth pondering in this regard.

DOUBTING THOMAS

Here are five of my favorite books which help me with “Doubting Thomas” syndrome:

The Skeptical Believer by Dan Taylor

http://www.amazon.com/The-Skeptical-Believer-Telling-Stories/dp/0970651155

Proper Confidence by Lesslie Newbigin

http://www.amazon.com/Proper-Confidence-Certainty-Christian-Discipleship/dp/0802808565

Longing to Know by Esther Meek

http://www.amazon.com/Longing-Know-Esther-Lightcap-Meek/dp/1587430606

How (Not) to be Secular by James KA Smith

http://www.amazon.com/How-Not-Be-Secular-Reading/dp/0802867618

Believing Again: Doubt and Faith in a Secular Age by Roger Lundin

http://www.amazon.com/Believing-Again-Doubt-Faith-Secular/dp/0802830773

 

 

THE THIRD TEMPTATION

“I thought of that comment when I read the news report today of my friend Russell Moore’s response to how Jerry Falwell, Jr. welcomed Donald Trump’s visit to Liberty University this past Monday. Moore was not opposed to Trump’s visit as such. The Politico headline had it wrong on this score: ‘Evangelical leader blasts Falwell for hosting Trump.’ The university had previously hosted Jeb Bush, Bernie Sanders, and Ted Cruz, and nothing in Moore’s published comments faulted the university for exposing students to differing political viewpoints.  

What Moore did find distressing was the way President Falwell introduced Mr. Trump. Falwell described Trump as ‘one of the greatest visionaries of our time’ who ‘lives a life of helping others . . . as Jesus taught in the New Testament.’ Appealing to the authority of Jesus in praising a candidate like Trump is wrong-headed, said Moore. ‘Politics driving the gospel rather than the other way around is the third temptation of Christ. He overcame it. Will we?'” (Rich Mouw)

The rest is here: https://www.firstthings.com/web-exclusives/2016/02/the-third-temptation