Aliens and atheism

For a few decades now extra terrestrial life has been a common area of conflict in the dialogue between Theism and Anti-theism / Atheism.
It is an absurd but somehow interesting back and forth; even if only because it deals with angels, aliens, demons, and extra dimensional entities.
It's a fun, spooky, weird topic.
A good fit for the Faustian, methinks.


On a friend's recent blog post at EGNORANCE (about the subject of the new RC Pope Francis, of all things) this was brought up (once again).
So, I thought a word or two was due on the subject:

The argument so far....

Atheist/Materialists/Positivists in 1970's: The apparent lack of life in our solar system makes the idea of (a) God absurd. Why would He create such a massive universe just to leave it empty? Obviously the answer is: God is not there.

Theists in 1970's: With the Lord God, all things are possible. We believe in intelligences other than mankind. They are self evident. These intelligences may or may not be little green men living on Mars or some other local planet, but they are here with us in our universe. Life is part of God's plan.


Atheist/Materialists/Positivists in 2010's: The possibility of abundant life in the universe is a clear indication that the religious teachings about God, and even belief in His existence, are dangerously delusional. Life beyond our earth would be final proof than mankind is just a random, accidental, unexceptional, run of the mill organism on a tiny, insignificant (?)  planet on the edge of a unimportant(?) galaxy.

Theists in the 2010's: With the Lord God, all things are possible. We have always believed in intelligences other than mankind. They are self evident.  A discovery of unknown / alien life would no more effect the Abrahamic faiths than the discovery of a new type of animal on earth. God created the Cosmos (the Heavens and the Earth), not just Earth and not just mankind.
ALL life and everything is part of God's plan to us, the theists. 

Final Score:

Materialists 0 / 2 Theists
(Points rewarded for coherence and consistency of position)

So what do we take away from all this besides a chuckle?
Nothing too profound, really.
Nothing that a few minutes thought on the subject would not reveal.
Pretty much the same thing we see with most of these  scientistic / materialistic arguments.

Simply put, we see that  the materialist argument has been force to adapt by means of a reversal of position  (now conceding the distinct possibility of other intelligence agents in our cosmos, in this specific case).

The theistic position, on the other hand,  is consistent: Other intelligences exists in our cosmos.
We see the ideological strand of the atheistic and theistic creeds: Nihilistic 'insignificance' and 'randomness' pitted against wonder, purpose, love and hope. No contest..
And finally we see an effort to prove our experiential reality an illusion, which would of course refute ALL science as subjective experience and render the entire materialistic argument once again (self) refuted. Non coherent and thus nonsensical.

This is contrasted with the entirely coherent position that God's self proclaimed mission in one of life and that the limits are His to set.
Whether or not you're religious or even believe in God I am sure, my dear readers, that you can see the contrast between the totally polar realities that these two world views render.
Choose your truth carefully.
It's quite possibly the biggest choice you'll ever make.... at least in this reality.

A Blessed Palm Sunday...

Just a little post to wish all of you out there a Blessed and reflective Palm Sunday. Today marks the beginning of The Holy Week for Christians around the world, and in the spirit of that most holy commemoration and salvation, I would like to extend the gift of hope, meaning, and purpose to all : The faithful, the believers, the unbelievers and the lost. May you all find hope and happiness....

A brief video of a beautiful mass at Notre Dame Cathedral in AD 2010. An unparalleled experience.
Enjoy!

Notre Dame AD 2010

From the film: Gospel of John

The Arch Bishop of Canterbury resigns after Parliament is denied vote over Gay Marriage

Arch Bishop Williams has handed in his cap.
The oft controversially liberal Bishop resigned amid a parliamentary rebellion over Gay Marriage rights. Gay unions are legal in the UK, but the lib-dem opposition wants full blown marriage and the words 'husband and wife' removed from the legal documents. The idea is incredibly unpopular in the UK, and His Grace found himself on the side of the traditionalists, the majority of the population, the Monarch, and a very loud internal opposition in the Houses of Government. No matter, the Chancellor  Premier PM and his Deputy decided to push it through without a vote or referendum. Shades of the EU?
Anyway, to his credit, the Arch Bishop has resigned leaving his post open to succession, and quite probably the most conservative in years, and first  black Arch Bishop in history: Bishop Dr John Sentamu, of York. This would be a welcome change in the 80 million strong Anglican communion, and I as a member of the High Church welcome the idea with great hope.
A restoration of traditions and a new vigour is just what the doctor ordered. Some of Arch Bishop Williams efforts will be remembered with great pride, such as his overtures to Rome and his stance against Islamification and uber-secularism. Others will seem very placid and liberal. Over all I think he is good man and has done a good job. I wish him only God's grace and continued happiness and health. I do, however, look very much forward to this new man in Canterbury.
The full story, tabloid style, in the UK's Daily Mail:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2115851/Rowan-Williams-resigns-Archbishop-Canterbury-day-ahead-gay-marriage.html

NASA designer fired for his belief in Intelligent Design?

The claims of a top level scientist terminated from NASA's JPL probe projects are that he was 'fired' due to his position on Intelligent design. Apparently his Anti-Darwin heresy was too much for some of his colleagues who complained he was 'evangelizing' at work.
He is now suing the organization for prejudiced/wrongful dismissal.
He has quite the backing, and it seems this case could set precedent.
I wonder where the ACLU is on this one?
From FOXNEWS 


Former NASA specialist claims he was fired over intelligent design

Published March 11, 2012

| Associated Press ]

LOS ANGELES –  NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory has landed robotic explorers on the surface of Mars, sent probes to outer planets and operates a worldwide network of antennas that communicates with interplanetary spacecraft.

Its latest mission is defending itself in a workplace lawsuit filed by a former computer specialist who claims he was demoted -- and then let go -- for promoting his views on intelligent design, the belief that a higher power must have had a hand in creation because life is too complex to have developed through evolution alone.

David Coppedge, who worked as a "team lead" on the Cassini mission exploring Saturn and its many moons, alleges that he was discriminated against because he engaged his co-workers in conversations about intelligent design and handed out DVDs on the idea while at work. Coppedge lost his "team lead" title in 2009 and was let go last year after 15 years on the mission.

Opening statements are expected to begin Monday in Los Angeles Superior Court after two years of legal wrangling in a case that has generated interest among supporters of intelligent design. The Alliance Defense Fund, a Christian civil rights group, and the Discovery Institute, a proponent of intelligent design, are both supporting Coppedge's case.

"It's part of a pattern. There is basically a war on anyone who dissents from Darwin and we've seen that for several years," said John West, associate director of Center for Science and Culture at the Seattle-based Discovery Institute. "This is free speech, freedom of conscience 101."

[pullquote]

The National Center for Science Education, which rejects intelligent design as thinly veiled creationism, is also watching the case and has posted all the legal filings on its website.

"It would be unfortunate if the court took what seems to be a fairly straightforward employment law case and allowed it to become this tangled mess of trying to adjudicate scientific matters," said Josh Rosenau, NCSE's programs and policy director. "It looks like a pretty straightforward case. The mission that he was working on was winding down and he was laid off."

Coppedge's attorney, William Becker, says his client was singled out by his bosses because they perceived his belief in intelligent design to be religious. Coppedge had a reputation around JPL as an evangelical Christian and other interactions with co-workers led some to label him as a Christian conservative, Becker said.

In the lawsuit, Coppedge says he believes other things also led to his demotion, including his support for a state ballot measure that sought to define marriage as limited to heterosexual couples and his request to rename the annual holiday party a "Christmas party."

"David had this reputation for being a Christian, for being a practicing one. He did not go around evangelizing or proselytizing. But if he found out that someone was a Christian he would say, `Oh that's interesting, what denomination are you?"' Becker said.

"He's not apologizing for who he is. He's an evangelical Christian."

In an emailed statement, JPL dismissed Coppedge's claims. In court papers, lawyers for the California Institute of Technology, which manages JPL for NASA, said Coppedge received a written warning because his co-workers complained of harassment. They also said Coppedge lost his "team lead" status because of ongoing conflicts with others.

Caltech lawyers contend Coppedge was one of two Cassini technicians and among 246 JPL employees let go last year due to planned budget cuts.

While the case has attracted interest because of the controversial nature of intelligent design, it is at its heart a straightforward discrimination case, said Eugene Volokh, a professor of First Amendment law at the University of California, Los Angeles School of Law.

"The question is whether the plaintiff was fired simply because he was wasting people's time and bothering them in ways that would have led him to being fired regardless of whether it was about religion or whether he was treated worse based on the religiosity of his beliefs," said Volokh. "If he can show that, then he's got a good case."

Coppedge, who began working for JPL as a contractor in 1996 and was hired in 2003, is active in the intelligent design sphere and runs a website that interprets scientific discoveries through the lens of intelligent design. His father authored an anti-evolution book and founded a Christian outreach group.

He is also a board member for Illustra Media, a company that produces video documentaries examining the scientific evidence for intelligent design. The company produces the videos that Coppedge was handing out to co-workers, said Becker, his attorney.

His main duties at JPL were to maintain computer networks and troubleshoot technical problems for the mission. In 2000, he was named "team lead," serving as a liaison between technicians and managers for nearly a decade before being demoted in 2009.

He sued in April 2010 alleging religious discrimination, retaliation and harassment and amended his suit to include wrongful termination after losing his job last year.

Coppedge is seeking attorney's fees and costs, damages for wrongful termination and a statement from the judge that his rights were violated, said Becker.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2012/03/11/former-nasa-specialist-claims-was-fired-over-intelligent-design/print#ixzz1oudM7Otj

To BE

I had a post all set for today, but I decided to write this little blurb instead.
A liitle preface. I woke to a windy, cool, snowy morning and a smiling little child. After spending some profound moments looking into they eyes of our baby boy, I began to think about BEING.
Not the why or how, but the ACT.
After a while the little guy dozed off, and I put him in his crib, and decided to watch my wife sleep for a while. What a beautiful site!
To see this other half of me, this friend, ally, and soul mate as she rested. It had been far too long. Again, after a while I left the room. I did not want to wake her or my boy.
So, I went downstairs to find my adult son playing with our dogs and laughing. Our dogs are Goldens, and it very easy to tell when they are happy. They literally smile. All three of them were in a state of absolute happiness.
I felt almost as if I were intruding, until my son set the wild beasties at me and I found myself in that happy fray (and immediately coated in shed fur). After a while my son met my eyes and said: I love you dad. The dogs also instantly calmed and began to snuggle.
The cumulative effects of these 'normal' events was that I have not felt SO alive since I watched the birth of my son. So at HOME.
Well, life always has a way of getting you 'back on track'. My son had to go to work and the dogs to go out and .... er do their business.
So, I found myself online wandering the blogosphere, coffee at my side.
Soon I was reading up, as I often do, on a blogger-buddy's page EGNORANCE (big recommend).
Dr Egnor, the author, had posted a very interesting piece on Aquinas (he is big proponent of Thomistic and Aristotlian thought) and his 'Second way'.
A fascinating piece, and nice explanation of a very complex metaphysical concept.
Then I found myself in the comments section.
Comments.... those dreaded and yet loved blurbs from readers that almost ALWAYS end in argument and acrimony.
Well in these comments there was a typical argument being formulated. It was, in short, an attempt by an intelligent, well educated, and affluent fellow to compare metaphysical reality with empiricism.
An attempt to compare BEING with accrued knowledge, in this case scientific knowledge.
This fellow had compared scientific theory with religious faith.
Talk about apples and oranges?
I am not sure what his motive is, except to perhaps prove some sort of supremacy of science or an incomparability between the two.  But like all arguments based on category errors and fallacies, he had no ammunition for the intellectual gun. Despite his well versed points, the argument was hollow.
(If you wish to read the original comments, please feel free to at the above link.)
This is where my morning came back to me, as well as some insights from a recent conversation with a Buddhist colleague of mine.
I had to interject. Everyone is entitled to MY opinion, and so I gave it.
Below is the excerpt that is relevant here:

"[to bachfiend, a commenter and another blogger-buddy]
Pépé's [a friend and ally in this 'debate'] certainty is not based on empirical deduction of material properties, yours is.
 Pépé's EXISTENCE is the basis of his certainty. He has come to metaphysical terms with BEING.
 It is foundational. He believes in God, I suspect, (as do I) in just the same way we all believe in mental abstracts like mathematics or language ITSELF.
In the same way you have faith in the laws of physics and your own reality, the Theist or Deist believes in a God and/or the super (above outside of normal) nature.
You muddle with an individual equation, while we accept the WHOLE discipline, and subject it to various interpretations. Quantum theory and MV [multi-verse] etc do NOTHING to repel those ideas.
In fact, they would REINFORCE the metaphysics if proven via scientific methods. The beautifully simple fact is: They are not NEEDED, nothing is; Unless there is PURPOSE and FUNCTION.
 Infinite or finite, no difference."

What on earth I am on about?
I am saying the mere act of being, recognized, gives us purpose.
That purpose leads us to realize there is more to this life than we can possibly imagine. It leads us to realize there is much more than physical function to us and all the life around us. More than that it gives meaning to the NON living aspects of our reality; even death becomes a functional process.
Where that path may take us is a myriad of destinations and even more conclusions.
There are many forms of 'reason' that may be applied, and they are known to us as 'metaphysics' and 'philosophy'. Some of these systems are organized into large groups of 'believers' or the 'faithful', and the rituals, ceremonies, and systems of thought and behaviour we know as 'religion'.
How does 'science' come in? It doesn't.  That's the point.
Science is a means to understand HOW the tangible things we sense about us function. It PRESUPPOSES a function, it maps patterns, and seeks useful ways in which we can match purpose with nature; which, of course, brings us full circle.
They should be hand in glove - not at odds.
And that is a very good analogy, for what good is a glove if their is no hand for it to keep protected and/or warm? What good is science without a PURPOSE?
Does this mean I am saying you should all rush out and  convert to my specific denomination lest ye burn in brimstone??
LOL NO!
It means we all need to BE, before we can truly understand how being works.
It means that even if you're uninterested or lazy to learn about the roots of reason, you CANNOT deny it. To do so is not a proof for no function, lack of purpose, or nihilism. Rather, it is proof of a lack of self understanding and a failure of the (in this case rich) imagination.
It is easily corrected by looking to our collective history and by reflecting on the single most potent immaterial force in all of life: LOVE.
I know...I know.... my foes in this debate will say "sheer sophistry!"
What would I say to them?
Look into they eyes of your child and see if you can deny their function, purpose, and meaning. Even if you find it easy to 'write off' yourself, love may just open your eyes to a MUCH bigger, richer, and meaningful cosmos. Watch a bear hug its cubs, watch a bird in flight.....
There is too much love and beauty, evil and ugliness to deny the truth and purpose of our very BEING.
Some things just don't fit in a test tube, cannot be reduced to math, or explained away by answering the 'how'. Sometimes the question is simply 'why'.
Other times it is just about the most simple of things.
To BE.

An appropriate song from a master. 

A Metallic hymn....

One of my favourite genres of music is 'heavy metal'. I enjoy it. In all it's myriad forms.
What is largely unkown about many of the best bands is that they right their music from the perspective of belief. The GOOD stuff is good precisely because it entails an understanding of a topic. The reason it chills the soul is because it is supposed to. Like a good horror story, it is often about the madness that evil entails.
But sometimes the best of the best remove the mask and give clear contrast to the Evil they so often tell of.
Judas Priest did just that with this gorgeous little ditty.

WARNING: LOUD GUITAR SOLOS, SCREAMING, and CHRISTIANITY involved.
Enjoy!

A victory for 'freedom to worship over intolerant secularism'

Seems the tide is shifting in Britain!
From the UK's DAILYMAIL:

Town hall chiefs have been handed the power to hold prayers at the start of council meetings in defiance of the courts.
Local Government Secretary Eric Pickles yesterday signed an order giving local authorities the right to maintain the centuries-old tradition.
He stepped in after the High Court last week backed a controversial campaign to abolish acts of worship during town  hall meetings.
Christians and politicians reacted with dismay after a judge banned a council in Devon from putting prayers on the formal agenda. Atheist former councillor Clive Bone started the case against Bideford Town Council in July 2010, claiming he had been ‘disadvantaged and embarrassed’ when prayers were recited.
However, Mr Pickles signed a Parliamentary Order yesterday that should render the judgment irrelevant and protect the freedom for councils to pray.
He said the Government’s Localism Act allows councils to do  anything an individual can unless specifically prohibited by law.

The right to pray can be exercised by major local authorities in England from today, and by parish councils by the end of March.

Mr Pickles said reversing the ‘illiberal ruling’ was a victory for ‘localism over central interference’ and ‘freedom to worship over intolerant secularism’. [my emph]

Prime Minister David Cameron has urged people to remember that the UK is a Christian nation and Tory Party Chairman Sayeeda Warsi gave a speech at the Vatican this week saying Europe should speak up for Christianity. [Her Majesty] The Queen also voiced her most outspoken and personal defence of faith this week.

The intervention is also part of a simmering row between politicians and the judiciary over so-called ‘judicial activism’.
Ministers have grown increasingly frustrated by judges over interpreting the law to deliver verdicts which are widely regarded as lacking common sense.
Judges are widely accused of seeking to make law themselves in areas like human rights legislation.

Pickles for PM! 

ORIGINAL:  http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2102915/Eric-Pickles-signs-order-let-councils-say-prayers-meetings.html#ixzz1mk8Pi2iR

Militant Secularism

A fantastic piece by Britain's ONLY Muslim Peer (House of Lords) and the leader of the British delegation to the Holy See. The piece, found in the Telegraph, is about the deracination and division of British and European culture caused by secular extremism.
Sure to rock a few rock-head's boats.
Enjoy!

By Baroness Warsi

9:23PM GMT 13 Feb 2012

Today I have the honour of leading the largest ministerial delegation from the United Kingdom to the Vatican – our reciprocal visit following the momentous State Visit of His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI in September 2010.

We will be celebrating the decision Margaret Thatcher took 30 years ago to restore full diplomatic relations between our countries. The relationship between the UK and the Holy See is our oldest diplomatic relationship, first established in 1479. And today, thanks to the great success of the Pope’s visit, it is one of the strongest too.

But this trip is about more than a Valentine’s Day “love in” with our Catholic neighbours. This is about recognising the deep and intrinsic role of faith here in Britain and overseas. For a number of years I have been saying that we need to have a better understanding of faith in our country. Why? Because I profoundly believe that faith has a vital and important role to play in modern society. But mistakenly, faith has been neglected, undermined – and yes, even attacked – by governments in recent years.

When I met the Holy Father in 2010 he told me that he had heard what I had been saying and urged me to carry on making my case robustly. So today, I am taking a renewed message to the Vatican City; one which I want to ring out beyond the Vatican walls.

I will be arguing that to create a more just society, people need to feel stronger in their religious identities and more confident in their creeds. In practice this means individuals not diluting their faiths and nations not denying their religious heritages.

This is a message I’ve delivered on these pages before. But today I will be taking the argument one step further. I will be arguing for Europe to become more confident and more comfortable in its Christianity. The point is this: the societies we live in, the cultures we have created, the values we hold and the things we fight for all stem from centuries of discussion, dissent and belief in Christianity.

These values shine through our politics, our public life, our culture, our economics, our language and our architecture. And, as I will say today, you cannot and should not extract these Christian foundations from the evolution of our nations any more than you can or should erase the spires from our landscapes.

My fear today is that a militant secularisation is taking hold of our societies. We see it in any number of things: when signs of religion cannot be displayed or worn in government buildings; when states won’t fund faith schools; and where religion is sidelined, marginalised and downgraded in the public sphere.

It seems astonishing to me that those who wrote the European Constitution made no mention of God or Christianity. When I denounced this tendency two days before the Holy Father’s State Visit in September 2010, saying that government should “do God”, I received countless messages of support. The overwhelming message was: “At last someone has said it”.

That so many people felt moved to write showed just how uneasy they were at the rising tide of secularism.

For me, one of the most worrying aspects about this militant secularisation is that at its core and in its instincts it is deeply intolerant. It demonstrates similar traits to totalitarian regimes – denying people the right to a religious identity because they were frightened of the concept of multiple identities.

That’s why in the 20th century, one of the first acts of totalitarian regimes was the targeting of organised religion.

Of course there is a crucial caveat to all of this. I am not calling for some kind of 21st century theocracy. Religious faith and its followers do not have the only answer. There will be times when politicians and faith leaders will disagree. What is more, secularism is not intrinsically damaging. My concern is when secularisation is pushed to an extreme, when it requires the complete removal of faith from the public sphere. So I am calling for a more open confidence in faith, where faith has a place at the table, though not an exclusive position.

When we look at the deep distrust between some communities today, there is no doubt that faith has a key role to play in bridging these divides. If people understand that accepting a person of another faith isn’t a threat to their own, they can unite in fighting bigotry and work together to create a more just world.

All the major religions ask their followers to stand up for their neighbours. Doing so doesn’t make you less of a Christian, less of a Jew, less of a Muslim – it makes you more of one.

So when I have my second audience with the Holy Father tomorrow afternoon, I will not just be looking back on his remarkable visit. I will be giving him my absolute commitment to continue fighting for faith in today’s society. I hope this is something we can share in and I hope it reinforces this extraordinary relationship between the UK and the Holy See.

The Baroness at a conference

FIrst the banner, now the oath....

Cheered on by their victory over the the various town square Santas, School grad ceremnonies, Military funerals and grave-sites,  and of course the 'prayer banner' of Cranston HS; the Atheist movement has now set it's sites on the US pledge of allegiance.

ACTON, Mass. –  A family has reportedly asked a Massachusetts judge to order a school district to remove the phrase "under God" from the Pledge of Allegiance.

Interestingly enough, the plaintiffs, who are atheists and call themselves the "Does" to protect their identity, are not citing the establishment clause of the First Amendment in making their case. Instead, they are challenging the Pledge on the basis of the Massachusetts Constitution's guarantee of "equal protection."

The Does argue that schools discriminate against atheist children by taking part in a pledge that makes them feel “marginalized,” the Boston Herald reports.

Superior Court Judge Jane Haggerty will hear arguments Monday in Doe vs. Acton-Boxborough Regional School District.

In another challenge against saying the Pledge of Allegiance in Brookline Mass., a group called "Brookline Pax" had asked the town to vote in favor of a resolution calling for the school committee to rescind its Pledge of Allegiance policy and stop the Pledge from being recited in the schools.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/02/13/family-asks-judge-to-order-massachusetts-school-district-to-remove-under-god/?test=latestnews#ixzz1mIwu3Pkk

So, because a few kids have fringe beliefs that make them feel 'left out' they want to alter or even SCRAP this oath?

the Aristocrat

On one of my favourite blogs (egnorance) Dr Egnor posted an all time favourite poem by the master intellect, G.K. Chesterston.
It's infernal subject could not be more appropriate for our Faustian crowd!|

Chesterton: the Aristocrat

G.K. Chesterton, from The Catholic Thing:

The Aristocrat 

The Devil is a gentleman, and asks you down to stay

At his little place at What’sitsname (it isn’t far away).

They say the sport is splendid; there is always something new,

And fairy scenes, and fearful feats that none but he can do;

He can shoot the feathered cherubs if they fly on the estate,

Or fish for Father Neptune with the mermaids for a bait;

He scaled amid the staggering stars that precipice, the sky,

And blew his trumpet above heaven, and got by mastery

The starry crown of God Himself, and shoved it on the shelf;

But the Devil is a gentleman, and doesn’t brag himself.

O blind your eyes and break your heart and hack your hand away,

And lose your love and shave your head; but do not go to stay

At the little place in What’sitsname where folks are rich and clever;

The golden and the goodly house, where things grow worse for ever;

There are things you need not know of, though you live and die in vain,

There are souls more sick of pleasure than you are sick of pain;

There is a game of April Fool that’s played behind its door,

Where the fool remains for ever and the April comes no more,

Where the splendour of the daylight grows drearier than the dark,

And life droops like a vulture that once was such a lark:

And that is the Blue Devil that once was the Blue Bird;

For the Devil is a gentleman, and doesn’t keep his word.

"There are souls more sick of pleasure than you are sick of pain."

The lures of Satan are subtle, often, and he woos with pleasure. Sometimes suffering is healthier, as Christianity has always taught. Chesterton at his best.

Drawing by John Welding 

Original link and comments HERE.
Thanks again, Mike!

A Sound from Beyond

A masterpiece.