I saw this on Facebook: It seems problematic from two perspectives – the use of “belief” in relation to a scientific conclusion, and the depiction of the first primate ancestor shown in the image in a manner that looks like a modern animal, which confuses many people and leads to the inane objection based on that misconception, “If we evolved from monkeys then why are there still monkeys?” But I decided to share it if only in the hope that... Read more
I was looking recently for an amusing song to convey key points about information literacy to students. Since I didn’t find something that was in a style I could relate to, I made this. It is goofy, but it’s supposed to me. Hope you enjoy it! Lyrics: Viva la Library (The Information Literacy Song) I used to search the web Believing stuff random people said Thought that my roommate was such a nerd When to the library he referred I... Read more
David Hayward posted another thought-provoking cartoon: There are so many points that one can make in relation to this. The problem of looking for God in the Bible, when by definition any reality worthy of the designation “God” is not to be found in a book. The fact that so many atheists are convinced that there is no God because ancient authors of the Bible held beliefs about both God and the world that are unpersuasive. The fact that focusing... Read more
Has anyone else ever noticed that conservative Christians of various sorts tend to emphasize things which are either not actually spelled out in the Bible, or which are mentioned in passing or by lone authors and so arguably less than central to the faith and practice of early Christians? As a New Testament scholar, I am aware that sometimes what is articulated in writings may not represent core beliefs. This is particularly true in letters, which tend to assume a... Read more
This cartoon illustrates a point I have been trying to make a lot this week, about the importance of information literacy. It comes via the Union of Concerned Scientists 2013 cartoon contest. Click through to see several more cartoons on the same theme of science denialism. Read more
Someone drew attention to this image which they spotted on a Facebook page, “Evolution's Family Tree”: I tried to respond to it in a manner that the maker of the image might be able to understand. And so I left a comment that it is antievolutionism that is a tool of Satan. It is a movement that encourages deceit about evidence and misunderstanding about scientific conclusions. It is a stance that distracts people from loving their enemies self-sacrificially as Jesus... Read more
I am grateful to David Mihalyfy for sending me a copy of his recent article, and I want to draw it to the attention of readers who have an interest in the Coptic language. The full title of the article is “RE-EXAMINING SPELLING AND PRONUNCIATION IN COPTIC: A Case For The Intervocalic And Post-Nasal Allophonic Voicing Of Obstruents.” In essence, the argument is that Coptic resembles other languages where one written letter may be used to represent different consonant sounds,... Read more
I recently had a conversation with someone on Facebook who was persuaded that students can be expected to learn for themselves how to discern good information from bad on the internet, and that their instincts will serve them well without their needing to worry about whether the sources they turn to reflect the work of credentialed experts or anonymous individuals. I disagreed, and still do. Here is a link to a recent article in Haaretz about what students are liable... Read more
Today in my Sunday school class we took a detour from Hebrews. Last time we had reached the phrase “eternal judgment” and the question came up of whom the author of the letter envisaged being judged, and on what basis. And so I suggested that taking a look at the parable of the sheep and the goats in Matthew 25. This parable is a serious problem for the sort of Christian theology which says that belief is what really matters,... Read more
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