Remember, dear neo-Darwinists, if you’re right, the earth couldn’t care less about any of this Earth Day stuff. It’s a huge, purposeless, meaningless, accidentally interesting place in an accidental part of an accidental universe. Your accolades, love and devotion fall on a deaf mass of stone, water, minerals and assorted natural phenomena, accidentally living and otherwise.
And in point of fact, all your devotion to the earth is merely a reflection of your devotion to yourself, in the dire hope that by prolonging the earth’s resources, you yourself will be prolonged. But even that is largely irrelevant, isn’t it?
Oddly, even as a judge recently ruled the National Day of Prayer was unconstitutional, we celebrate earth day, one of the most impressive religious celebrations in existence! Here, humans think of the earth as practically sentient, and all of it’s wonder as purposeful and in need of reverence; quite in violation of Darwinism as understand it. Doesn’t that rather fly in the face of the First Amendment?
On the other hand, ‘In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.’ I choose to celebrate that, because it gives order and purpose to all the rest.
Do you really believe earth day is one of the most impressive religious celebrations in existence? Wow. I always thought of it more like hypertension screening week, an opportunity to learn about a problem and apply it to my situation.
I can’t really see why it’s necessary for you to misrepresent the event and attribute fringe ideas as mainstream. It’s as though learning something or agreeing that practicing stewardship — whether it’s because of the Bible or because it’s just good policy — is somehow ‘giving in’ to the other side.
Nick, earth day is a kind of religious celebration in a pantheistic kind of way. I’m not sure what part of what I said was fringe. Those things I listed are actual tenets of Darwinism. I’m just remarking on the irony that in an age in which science always paints itself as antithetical to and inconsistent with faith, we still come out to celebrate the ‘wonder of earth.’ If indeed one is a Darwinist, earth is cool but it’s entirely accidental, random and ultimately purposeless. And I accept your correction. We should be good stewards. There are even ‘kingdom care’… Read more »
Methinks: any true ‘celebration’ should be an inclusive and non-discriminatory action.
Just as the earth provides life support equally for all sentient beings irrespective of political persuasion or religious inclination, to celebrate this miracle planet without respecting the thousandfold intrinsic differences that inhabit its noosphere is to do pay it disrespect.
gcs15
14 years ago
Ed, with all due respect, remember that the theory of evolution is not a religion. Such a word as “Darwinism” shouldn’t really exist. It’s a scientific theory, just like the theory of relativity. Certainly there are many people out there who feel that if one accepts the theory of evolution and acknowledges that the scientific evidence supports it, that one cannot be a Christian. I, for one, don’t feel the two are mutually exclusive. It is possible to believe in a divine Creator who, for instance, used the process of evolution to build our world. There are other ways to… Read more »
Christie, I agree with you, and I always appreciate your insightful comments. I’ve been tangentially aware of what’s happened at Erskine. The battle between science and religion is odd. It’s probably not as profound as either side wants to think, since most of the great early scientists were believers as you and your husband well know. I didn’t say that evolution was a religion, but that Earth Day was a kind of religious celebration. Paul talks about how people ‘worshipped the creation rather than the Creator.’ Unfortunately, these are the days not only of atheist scientists, but of angry ones.… Read more »
{"id":null,"mode":"form","open_style":"in_place","currency_code":"USD","currency_symbol":"$","currency_type":"decimal","blank_flag_url":"https:\/\/edwinleap.com\/wp-content\/plugins\/tip-jar-wp\/\/assets\/images\/flags\/blank.gif","flag_sprite_url":"https:\/\/edwinleap.com\/wp-content\/plugins\/tip-jar-wp\/\/assets\/images\/flags\/flags.png","default_amount":100,"top_media_type":"none","featured_image_url":false,"featured_embed":"","header_media":null,"file_download_attachment_data":null,"recurring_options_enabled":true,"recurring_options":{"never":{"selected":true,"after_output":"One time only"},"weekly":{"selected":false,"after_output":"Every week"},"monthly":{"selected":false,"after_output":"Every month"},"yearly":{"selected":false,"after_output":"Every year"}},"strings":{"current_user_email":"","current_user_name":"","link_text":"Leave a tip","complete_payment_button_error_text":"Check info and try again","payment_verb":"Pay","payment_request_label":"EdwinLeap.com","form_has_an_error":"Please check and fix the errors above","general_server_error":"Something isn't working right at the moment. Please try again.","form_title":"EdwinLeap.com","form_subtitle":"If you enjoy the content you read here, please consider dropping something in the tip jar!","currency_search_text":"Country or Currency here","other_payment_option":"Other payment option","manage_payments_button_text":"Manage your payments","thank_you_message":"Thank you so much! I appreciate the tip!","payment_confirmation_title":"EdwinLeap.com","receipt_title":"Your Receipt","print_receipt":"Print Receipt","email_receipt":"Email Receipt","email_receipt_sending":"Sending receipt...","email_receipt_success":"Email receipt successfully sent","email_receipt_failed":"Email receipt failed to send. Please try again.","receipt_payee":"Paid to","receipt_statement_descriptor":"This will show up on your statement as","receipt_date":"Date","receipt_transaction_id":"Transaction ID","receipt_transaction_amount":"Amount","refund_payer":"Refund from","login":"Log in to manage your payments","manage_payments":"Manage Payments","transactions_title":"Your Transactions","transaction_title":"Transaction Receipt","transaction_period":"Plan Period","arrangements_title":"Your Plans","arrangement_title":"Manage Plan","arrangement_details":"Plan Details","arrangement_id_title":"Plan ID","arrangement_payment_method_title":"Payment Method","arrangement_amount_title":"Plan Amount","arrangement_renewal_title":"Next renewal date","arrangement_action_cancel":"Cancel Plan","arrangement_action_cant_cancel":"Cancelling is currently not available.","arrangement_action_cancel_double":"Are you sure you'd like to cancel?","arrangement_cancelling":"Cancelling Plan...","arrangement_cancelled":"Plan Cancelled","arrangement_failed_to_cancel":"Failed to cancel plan","back_to_plans":"\u2190 Back to Plans","update_payment_method_verb":"Update","sca_auth_description":"Your have a pending renewal payment which requires authorization.","sca_auth_verb":"Authorize renewal payment","sca_authing_verb":"Authorizing payment","sca_authed_verb":"Payment successfully authorized!","sca_auth_failed":"Unable to authorize! Please try again.","login_button_text":"Log in","login_form_has_an_error":"Please check and fix the errors above","uppercase_search":"Search","lowercase_search":"search","uppercase_page":"Page","lowercase_page":"page","uppercase_items":"Items","lowercase_items":"items","uppercase_per":"Per","lowercase_per":"per","uppercase_of":"Of","lowercase_of":"of","back":"Back to plans","zip_code_placeholder":"Zip\/Postal Code","download_file_button_text":"Download File","input_field_instructions":{"tip_amount":{"placeholder_text":"How much would you like to tip?","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"How much would you like to tip? Choose any currency."},"empty":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"How much would you like to tip? Choose any currency."},"invalid_curency":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Please choose a valid currency."}},"recurring":{"placeholder_text":"Recurring","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"How often would you like to give this?"},"success":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"How often would you like to give this?"},"empty":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"How often would you like to give this?"}},"name":{"placeholder_text":"Name on Credit Card","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Enter the name on your card."},"success":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"Enter the name on your card."},"empty":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Please enter the name on your card."}},"privacy_policy":{"terms_title":"Terms and conditions","terms_body":null,"terms_show_text":"View Terms","terms_hide_text":"Hide Terms","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"I agree to the terms."},"unchecked":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Please agree to the terms."},"checked":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"I agree to the terms."}},"email":{"placeholder_text":"Your email address","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Enter your email address"},"success":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"Enter your email address"},"blank":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Enter your email address"},"not_an_email_address":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Make sure you have entered a valid email address"}},"note_with_tip":{"placeholder_text":"Your note here...","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Attach a note to your tip (optional)"},"empty":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Attach a note to your tip (optional)"},"not_empty_initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Attach a note to your tip (optional)"},"saving":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Saving note..."},"success":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"Note successfully saved!"},"error":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Unable to save note note at this time. Please try again."}},"email_for_login_code":{"placeholder_text":"Your email address","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Enter your email to log in."},"success":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"Enter your email to log in."},"blank":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Enter your email to log in."},"empty":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Enter your email to log in."}},"login_code":{"initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Check your email and enter the login code."},"success":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"Check your email and enter the login code."},"blank":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Check your email and enter the login code."},"empty":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Check your email and enter the login code."}},"stripe_all_in_one":{"initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Enter your credit card details here."},"empty":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Enter your credit card details here."},"success":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Enter your credit card details here."},"invalid_number":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card number is not a valid credit card number."},"invalid_expiry_month":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's expiration month is invalid."},"invalid_expiry_year":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's expiration year is invalid."},"invalid_cvc":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's security code is invalid."},"incorrect_number":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card number is incorrect."},"incomplete_number":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card number is incomplete."},"incomplete_cvc":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's security code is incomplete."},"incomplete_expiry":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's expiration date is incomplete."},"incomplete_zip":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's zip code is incomplete."},"expired_card":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card has expired."},"incorrect_cvc":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's security code is incorrect."},"incorrect_zip":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's zip code failed validation."},"invalid_expiry_year_past":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's expiration year is in the past"},"card_declined":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card was declined."},"missing":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"There is no card on a customer that is being charged."},"processing_error":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"An error occurred while processing the card."},"invalid_request_error":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Unable to process this payment, please try again or use alternative method."},"invalid_sofort_country":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The billing country is not accepted by SOFORT. Please try another country."}}}},"fetched_oembed_html":false}
Do you really believe earth day is one of the most impressive religious celebrations in existence? Wow. I always thought of it more like hypertension screening week, an opportunity to learn about a problem and apply it to my situation.
I can’t really see why it’s necessary for you to misrepresent the event and attribute fringe ideas as mainstream. It’s as though learning something or agreeing that practicing stewardship — whether it’s because of the Bible or because it’s just good policy — is somehow ‘giving in’ to the other side.
Nick, earth day is a kind of religious celebration in a pantheistic kind of way. I’m not sure what part of what I said was fringe. Those things I listed are actual tenets of Darwinism. I’m just remarking on the irony that in an age in which science always paints itself as antithetical to and inconsistent with faith, we still come out to celebrate the ‘wonder of earth.’ If indeed one is a Darwinist, earth is cool but it’s entirely accidental, random and ultimately purposeless. And I accept your correction. We should be good stewards. There are even ‘kingdom care’… Read more »
Methinks: any true ‘celebration’ should be an inclusive and non-discriminatory action.
Just as the earth provides life support equally for all sentient beings irrespective of political persuasion or religious inclination, to celebrate this miracle planet without respecting the thousandfold intrinsic differences that inhabit its noosphere is to do pay it disrespect.
Ed, with all due respect, remember that the theory of evolution is not a religion. Such a word as “Darwinism” shouldn’t really exist. It’s a scientific theory, just like the theory of relativity. Certainly there are many people out there who feel that if one accepts the theory of evolution and acknowledges that the scientific evidence supports it, that one cannot be a Christian. I, for one, don’t feel the two are mutually exclusive. It is possible to believe in a divine Creator who, for instance, used the process of evolution to build our world. There are other ways to… Read more »
Christie, I agree with you, and I always appreciate your insightful comments. I’ve been tangentially aware of what’s happened at Erskine. The battle between science and religion is odd. It’s probably not as profound as either side wants to think, since most of the great early scientists were believers as you and your husband well know. I didn’t say that evolution was a religion, but that Earth Day was a kind of religious celebration. Paul talks about how people ‘worshipped the creation rather than the Creator.’ Unfortunately, these are the days not only of atheist scientists, but of angry ones.… Read more »