Framing Life

Michael Polanyi was an important thinker (1891-1976) whose work I appreciate. His essay Life Transcending Physics and Chemistry was published in 1967. I have not found it anywhere online. It argues that the properties of life, that is, the arrangement of the molecules making up the chemical constituents of organic substances, are not completely determined by the properties of physics and chemistry. This is understood in the sense that there are very many possible stable compounds which can exis...

I posted a bunch of stuff tonight, but it is an accumulation of things written over the past few months obviously. ...

It is just past midnight on Tax Day of 2020. Of course, the tax deadline has been extended by three months, so I am not going to be late. The Covid-19 saga is continuing; it feels lighter, as if something has passed, but it's hard to know, to be certain of anything. It is to the point that it will feel strange to return to work downtown, if indeed that happens at all. I am thankful for our state's leadership, in particular, of Governor Inslee, whom I've never liked or appreciated before. Stay t...

It is just past midnight, and we just finished watching JoJo Rabbit. That, along with Chernobyl on HBO, and it is enough to put one into a wartime mood. It really does feel like war, though I know it isn't, and I don't know what war would feel like anyway. But you have this mentality of constant watchfulness. Did I wash my hands well enough? Did I wash them at all in a particular situation? Should I hold my breath passing a certain person or scenario? My wife does. Did I stay 6 feet away from a...

It has now been four weeks at home, since Tuesday the 3rd. I am getting used to being home for most of my life, taking short walks with my wife around the upper and lower fields of our local park, carrying a 15lb weight in each hand. She carries them briefly too, as we hand off, but mostly it is me. Today we walked three miles, with no weights, carefully avoiding all people anywhere near us on the way. It is becoming common to do these strange practices, including also wiping down groceries (del...

I thought I would write down briefly my view of the 'already, not yet' issue in Scripture. So here goes: 1) The significance of Christ's ascension is not always appreciated. When he ascended to heaven, he assumed the office and role of 'Lord'. Prior to the incarnation, God the Son was fully God, fully in charge; the difference here is that the man Jesus Christ was made Lord. This was a new thing. Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ...

Monday March 2, 2020 was my last day for the forseeable future working downtown at the office on Fourth Avenue. I went to work normally that morning and noticed the news about the spread of the virus and the mounting deaths here in King County. My project lead out in VA suggested that my coworker and I begin working at home. I don't think I would have thought of it, at least not yet, had he not suggested it. It turned out to be good advice, and I've been working home since. And the news outside...

My church is the subject of a recent article in Christianity Today. https://www.christianitytoday.com/pastors/2019/november-web-exclusives/peculiar-tale-of-anglican-baptist-church-plant.html ...

On Thursday September 5, Max Harris was acquitted of all charges against him, 36 counts of manslaughter. His co-defendant Derick Almena was neither acquitted nor convicted; the jury was hung, and a mistrial was declared. He remains in prison while Max is a free man in Oakland today. The acquittal is hard for the victims' families, yet it is just and lawful. ...

In Jacques Hadamard's book The Psychology of Invention in the Mathematical Field the author advances a view of innovation or invention in mathematics, based on evidence and personal reflection of many mathematical luminaries such as Einstein, Pascal and Wiener and with much reliance on the self-reflection of Poincaré. Hadamard himself was a notable mathematician in his own right. His survey of the process involved in mathematical innovation highlights significant similarities among practicioners...

Here it is. I know you've been waiting for it. Starring Roy Thinnes as architect David Vincent. The Invaders, alien beings from a dying planet. Their destination: the Earth. Their purpose: to make it their world. David Vincent has seen them. For him, it began one lost night on a lonely country road, looking for a shortcut that he never found. It began with a closed deserted diner, and a man too long without sleep to continue his journey. It began with the landing of a craft from another g...

This advice was given to young Luke Skywalker by Obi-Wan Kenobi in the first Star Wars movie, A New Hope. It is a question to wonder why this advice needed to be given to Luke in the setting of the movie and to us as movie-watchers in second half of the 20th century. The advice given suggests that we might otherwise trust some other of our faculties, presumably our minds, for guidance. Humanity has trusted and relied upon the mind and its products off and on for centuries, attempting to conquer ...

I really love this. It is a rap made back in 2008 by Katherine McAlpine about the Large Hadron Collider, which was just being built at CERN. Enjoy. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j50ZssEojtM ...

There is a question I have entertained over the years regarding the formulation of physical theories in the light of the Christian doctrine of creation, namely, God made everything there is (that is not God) and upholds it all continuously 'by the word of his power'. The physical world is an expression of the mind of God, which is inexhaustible and can never be fully comprehended by other beings. Yet, we can observe, formulate and regularize behaviors and characteristics of the physical world in...

In this post, I'd like to present and suggest something that has been very valuable and undoubtedly transformative for me, that is, praying the Lord's Prayer on behalf of someone else. I have done this for my family and others close to me for years now. See Matthew 6:9-13 for the source in Scripture. The last line is not found in Scripture, but there is nothing wrong with praying it. Here is a traditional form of the Lord's Prayer: Our Father, Who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name. Thy Kingd...

Happy Birthday, ACNA! https://world.wng.org/2019/07/true_grit ...

Besides the references to grass as literal food for animals, the Scriptures use grass also as simile for human finitude and impermanence. For example: 15 As for man, his days are like grass; he flourishes like a flower of the field; 16 for the wind passes over it, and it is gone, and its place knows it no more. 17 But the steadfast love of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him, and his righteousness to children's children, (Ps. 103:15-17 ESV) The Scriptures remi...

Day of Atonement Let us briefly review the procedure followed on the Day of Atonement (Leviticus 16). The high priest (Aaron) takes one bull and two goats from the people. And he shall take from the congregation of the people of Israel two male goats for a sin offering, and one ram for a burnt offering. (Lev. 16:5 ESV) The bull is a sin offering for himself and his house. It enables him to draw near to God to do the remaining tasks, which would be impossible to do without first atoning for h...

Written in 2010. We will consider two passages in Romans which shed light on the question. Romans 9:6-8 6 But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel, 7 and not all are children of Abraham because they are his offspring, but "Through Isaac shall your offspring be named." 8 This means that it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as offspring. (Rom. 9:6-8 ES...

I think it's time to replace tax brackets with a continuous sliding scale. Under the current scheme, a difference of a dollar can change one's tax rate by 5-10% which seems unfair and invites abuse. I don't know if other countries differ in this regard. From my Guestbook 2019-06-01, a reader writes: — That's not how tax brackets work. the increased tax rate only applies to the portion of income in that bracket, e.g., if I make $9,526, I'm taxed 10% on 9,525, and 12% on the $1 in the higher b...

Originally written in 1992. The paragraphs on science were added just now. How do you decide what is right and what is wrong? How does anyone decide this? Individuals and societies have answered this by appeals to conscience, to universal ideals, to traditional morality, and to religion. Let's briefly consider these. Conscience Many people will claim that what is morally correct is that which is consistent with an inner sense of right and wrong, usually called the conscience. While the cons...

Originally written in 2006. It has been said that knowledge is justified true belief. Here I want to argue briefly that the primary component in the acquisition of knowledge, i.e., learning, is belief based on trust. Learning occurs when one believes what another, presumably authoritative or trustworthy, person or source of information is presenting. Learning by its very nature involves acceptance of knowledge heretofore not present in the subject. It involves acceptance of knowledge without ...

It is undeniable that the paradox or tension of God's sovereignty vs man's free will has consumed much thought and discussion throughout the ages. It should be noted first that nowhere in the Bible that I am aware of does it say that man's will is 'free'. The Bible treats man's will as real with real consequences, but the word 'free' is loaded and introduces extraneous considerations. Consider the creation narrative in Genesis. God gives man [male and female] authority over the rest of creation...

Canon Fodder is the name of Michael Kruger's blog. He is president of Reformed Seminary Charlotte and is a fine, conservative scholar in issues relating to the Canon and early Church. https://www.michaeljkruger.com/ Ten excellent articles: https://www.michaeljkruger.com/the-complete-series-ten-basic-facts-about-the-nt-canon-that-every-christian-should-memorize/ But there are many others on this site. ...

I wrote this back in 1999 and still mostly agree with the (brief) analysis and conclusions given at the end. But see a few comments appended after the review. "Forbidden Planet", released in 1956, is a well-done science fiction movie which succeeds at entertaining us, piquing our scientific and technological curiosity, and in addressing fundamental philosophical questions. It stars Leslie Nielsen (in a serious role) as Commander Adams, the commander of a starship assigned to look for survivor...

The tax bill passed in 2017 reduced tax rates and increased standard deductions for many. Some claim that the primary benefits went to the wealthy, and that moderate-income taxpayers saw little or no reduction in their tax bills. I can't claim to know enough to address this. As well, the economy has seen many favorable positive statistics that are possibly attributable to the effects of the tax bill. Finally, it also seems to be the case that government tax revenues are at record high levels. Y...

It has been a point of surprise for me that Catholic thought and theology seem to rely so heavily on Greek philosophy and metaphysics. A recent article in First Things [November 2018, reference below] lamented the lack of awareness and knowledge of Greek thought in Catholic circles. Aquinas incorporated Aristotelian thought into Catholic thought and thinking in his time, with lasting effect; one can see in Thomistic thought similar inclusions/amalgamations of thinking. So why is this, I ask as ...

The scale and thoroughness of Chinese actions is stunning. Here are a couple of links to recent articles. Makes for gripping reading. https://www.wired.com/story/inside-chinas-massive-surveillance-operation/ https://www.cnn.com/2019/05/09/asia/xinjiang-china-kazakhstan-detention-intl/index.html Good article arguing for a consistent and pragmatic US policy on religious freedom: https://www.firstthings.com/article/2019/05/diplomacy-and-persecution-in-china ...

This trial began today Tuesday April 30 at Alameda County Courthouse in Oakland. I use a few online sources down there for information (but there are many I don't know about). https://abc7news.com/east-bay/ https://www.sfchronicle.com/ https://www.eastbayexpress.com/oakland/ The trial is expected to conclude in mid-July, and it will be fascinating to see how it plays out. ...

This was written on the occasion of my daughter's admission to graduate school at a major state university. The terms 'liberal' and 'left' are not interchangeable. 'Liberal' is an old-school term denoting a school of thought on one end of the political spectrum, with 'conservative' on the other end. In this old framework, you could say what you thought and so could the other guy. You could disagree vehemently, but you could also "agree to disagree". The Left, however, does not tolerate disse...