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February 28, 2006
A Little Less Serious
I got the inspiration for this from chuckp3's google picture post.
Instructions: Use the picture you like best from the first (no clicking around for 44 pages) page of the search results on Google Image.
1. The city and state of the town you grew up, no quotation marks. Picking one town was tough. I'm surprising myself by choosing OKC, even it's the logical choice. (We just didn't get along well.) Sorry to be somber, but this picture still haunts me.
2. The town where you currently reside. The tall building to the left of the bridge tower is where Bren works. 40th floor--too cool!
3. Your name, first and last, but again, no quotes.
4. Your grandmother's name.
5. Your favorite food. (Tough choice--Santana's veggie burrito yielded no results.)
6. Your favorite drink. Not so true anymore, but couldn't resist. At least it's an ethos. : D
7. Your favorite smell.
Now gimme your results!
Posted by mattalexander at 7:59 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
Doctors and Captial Punishment
It's good to see some medical activism, if you will, doing some good with the Morales case in California. Kudos to these doctors for taking the phrase "do no harm" seriously. No capital punishment was a nice perk in moving to New York. It'd be nice to see progress made toward the same back home. Hopefully doctors will continue to stand up against heinous ending of life; it might atone for some of the AMA's political sins of the last century.
Posted by mattalexander at 2:00 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
February 24, 2006
Faux News and Iraq
This is amazing. I've been meaning to post on the recent bombing in Samarra as yet another sign that Iraq is spiralling into civil war. This got me to do it. America comes to liberate Iraq, only to spark violence between Shiite and Sunni muslims, and now Fox news considers that this might be a good thing?
What has this come to? So often I am reminded of the bumpersticker I see frequently that reads, "If you are not outraged at what is going on, you are not paying attention." People, please start paying attention.
Posted by mattalexander at 3:57 PM | Comments (4) | TrackBack
February 23, 2006
All Clones Are Not Equal
This editorial tries to show us how an embryo in the womb and some cells in a pitri dish are not the same. (I think he does an okay job with this. However, I'm not a fan of creating embryos just to research them. There seem to be more than enough available from IVF procedures.) The most helpful contribution of this piece is plainly spelling out the difference between two types of cloning. One seeks to re-create an entire human. Another seeks to stimulate certain cells to develop into specific tissues. Were we someday able to plug somebody's DNA into a cell to make him or her a new liver, it's not like a whole new person would be made and then killed to harvest the liver. I think this distinction is important. Oh yeah, I almost forgot about another type of cloning--dangerous animal/human hybrids. WTF? Seriously, had anyone heard of that before the SOTU? Anyone? Bueller? I had never heard of anyone seeking to do that, let alone the threat of such cloning. Unfortunately, el presidente has be exposed to this distiniction, yet he doesn't seem to get it. Or, more likely, he gets it but pretends not to in order to pander to his base. Thus, NIH funding has been nearly frozen by limits on this science, and regulations and protocols are lacking as well. Thankfully, the National Academy of Sciences sees this problem and is establishing a panel to review stem cell research. I think most people realize stem cells are not people and that research with them might afford great utility. Hopefully straight-talking education will become more prevalent and our politicians can discern the right thing to do.
Posted by mattalexander at 10:25 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
February 22, 2006
More on Christianity and Science
As you can probably guess, Christianity and science are two important things in my life. Unfortunately, many people often put them at odds, from the fundamentalist Christian on one end to the fundamental logical positivist on the other to everyone in between. That's part of why I find the Radically Orthodox thinkers so compelling. I know John Milbank and friends (Jamie Smith excluded--he rocks!) can be quite dull, but I think they're on to something intellectually.
When I read Theology and Social Theory I thought I knew what Milbank meant about scientists of any sort making their academics their religion, all the while criticizing religion as most think of it. Now that I'm at Columbia, I am amazed at how true Milbank's words ring. Every day I am surrounded by people assuming Christianity and science must be at odds. (Frankly, while this frustrates me, it is a bit refreshing to be exposed to this side of the argument after so many years facing the anti-intellectual fundamentalist side of it.) I love and respect my new friends, but I also have to appreciate how poorly science serves as a religion.
All of this Radical Orthodoxy nostalgia was brought about by a book a friend recently pointed out to me, Breaking the Spell: Religion as a Natural Phenomenon by Daniel C. Dennett and an excellent review of it in the Times by Leon Wiesteltier. I wish my philosophical acumen were as sharp as it used to be, because I'd like to lay out critiques as salient as this one. It is certainly worth the read.
Now, let me say that just because this one book has been torn down doesn't mean this discussion is over. In fact, a large amount of the critique is likely a result of overstatements rooted in Dennett's pompous condescension. But let me conclude by saying this: religion and science need not be at odds. Indeed, religion will find itself well served by science when it comes to accept its tools for learning of God's creation. Likewise, science should come to terms with the metaphysical claims it makes and realize it makes poor religion. When more Christians accept the value of science rightly positioned under the authority of God and scientists treat religious folks as ignorant imbeciles, a lot more good will come to the world.
Posted by mattalexander at 11:31 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Us and Sudan
I knew some of the Lost Boys of Sudan in college, so the devastation in Darfur means a lot to me. I'm quite exhasperated by the lack of attention this genocide is receiving when barely a decade ago we recited the words "never again" about Rwanda. So I'm glad to see Bush supporting an increased role for NATO in the matter.
I think this provides another opportunity in which we must consider the paradigms that frame our politics. Why must we always try to solve problems through military measures? Many suggest economic sanctions are an alternative. While in theory that could be true, I think we should learn a lesson about sanctions after the intermission between the two Iraq wars. Now, I'm going to show my lack of understanding of geopolitics, but it's my understanding sanctions are out because China has vested interest (surprise--oil!) in blocking sanctions on Sudan and can block any movement towards them thanks to its veto power as a permanent member of the UN Security Council.
Thus, I think the concept of acting through NATO is to be applauded as innovative diplomacy, if you will, but why must the answer still lie in who will send troops where? This is another of those situations in which I might consider myself a pacifist*--the asterisk indicating that threat of force might be used for some good. However, I find the situation dripping in irony in that, while urging for NATO action, the American government refuses to send its own troops. But isn't this about liberation and freedom on the march too? Or does that only apply to countries from whom we might receive cheaper oil? Something tells me that risking another Mogadishu, likely are cause of reticence for deploying American troops to Darfur, would be a risk more worth taking in the eyes of the US government were Americans likely to fill up their Hummers for ten bucks less as a result.
Posted by mattalexander at 12:16 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
February 16, 2006
Indefensible
Apparently Genentech/Roche have decided to charge $100,000 a year for Avastin, their new cancer drug. The reason for charging isn't for to recoup R&D, as normal weak argument goes, but the "inherent value of life-sustaining therapies." I believe strongly there are certain things that do not belong in the marketplace, and religion and health are at the top. What does it say about our society when greed and not social conscience drives medical innovation.
Posted by mattalexander at 10:46 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
February 14, 2006
Better than Duck Hunt
Posted by mattalexander at 11:39 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Christian Scientists
No, this post is not about those quirky people who don't believe in any healing or treatment other than what God provides yet for some strange reason still wear glasses. This is in reference to Christians who are also trained scientists gaining a bit more of a voice in the world. I mentioned Jamie Smith's story about the evangelical climate initiative. Well, the statement is available, as is a list of signatories. A bit bummed the president of my alma mater, PLNU wasn't on there, although it's likely he just doesn't run in these circles. I'm certain the science faculty at Loma would be supportive of this. Another development I think they would look favorably upon is the growing voice of clergy speaking in favor of evolution. This story talks about that. I'm happy to see others than Henry Morris wielding influence over biology for Christians.
Posted by mattalexander at 10:46 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
February 8, 2006
Evangelicals and the Environment
I hope I'm not just becoming partisan, but moving to a liberal city like New York has sharpened my focus on just how far prominent evangelical leaders have strayed from the narrative of the Gospel. (To give credit where it is due, this is quite clear to me becuase of training I received from John Wright and his ilk while at PLNU.) As such, I thought I would link to this post by one of my favorite contemporary theologians, James K.A. Smith, about evangelicals continuing to stick their heads in the sand over climate change. Fortunately there is some good news; he posts to a (free) Times article about renegade evangelicals seeking to more faithfully tend to the earth. How far have we strayed as a people when those who seek to seriously follow one of God's earliest commandments must be labeled "renegade"?
Posted by mattalexander at 3:43 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
February 3, 2006
Times Editorial on Benedict's First Encyclical
I found this editorial incredibly good and ironically on topic for the post I made a few minutes ago. Well worth the short read.
Posted by mattalexander at 3:50 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
February 2, 2006
A Reason Subservient to Faith
The intellectual milieu at Columbia is drastically different. Whereas Pt. Loma afforded an environment of scientific rigor respectful of faith, I do not find the same sympathy for my faith here. Indeed, the writings among radically orhtodox thinkers about secular liberalism as a metaphysics unto itself, as a religion that denounces religions, ring quite true. As such I often find myself slipping into that framework placing faith against reason, and at times I've found myself wondering if I must choose between the Church and the academy.
That's why I'm thankful for Pastor John's recent analysis of B16's encyclical. His insight directed me back to conceiving of God more faithfully, as the creator and sustainer. Remembering that reason is not an a priori tool upon which better societies should be built but a gift from God to be utilized as we participate in God's inbreaking Kingdom helps me know why I am here at Columbia in the first place. While the world, and regrettably often the church, place reason against faith, I hope to move past such an error. Tempting as science and the academy are to me, I pray I remember to view them as part of God's good creation, not that which merely exists.
Those sympathetic to radical orthodoxy will also be pleased to hear that most of my struggles have likely been linked to the difficulty Brenda and I have experienced finding a new church home. Admittedly, the fault lies with us, but I hope we have found our new Christian home in Riverside. In fact, much of these thoughts I am jootting down here came to me last Sunday as we worshipped and Rev. Forbes spoke of Isaiah 54 and its message that brought me back to Pastor John's treatise on the false soteriology of the state after hurricane Katrina last summer--basically salvation can't come from your government, intellect, ect., only from God. Thanks be to God for faithfulness of such saints that spreads across this diverse country and throughout the world and reminds people like me of our place within God's creation.
Posted by mattalexander at 2:19 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
