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{"id":7598,"date":"2012-05-01T23:11:33","date_gmt":"2012-05-02T03:11:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/religionprof\/?p=7598"},"modified":"2012-05-01T23:11:33","modified_gmt":"2012-05-02T03:11:33","slug":"is-the-puddle-half-smart-or-half-stupid","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/religionprof\/2012\/05\/is-the-puddle-half-smart-or-half-stupid.html","title":{"rendered":"Is the Puddle Half Smart or Half Stupid?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

Two posts commenting on the same image with a quote from Douglas Adams from very different perspectives seemed worth sharing and commenting on in turn. First, here\u2019s the image<\/a>:<\/p>\n

$\"\"$ <\/p>\n

On the one hand, the point about apparent fine-tuning (emphasized at Open Parachute) is a good one<\/a>. Regarding the universe\u2019s suitability to the existence of ourselves or other organisms as demonstration of purpose doesn\u2019t work, since if the universe couldn\u2019t sustain life like us, then we wouldn\u2019t be here discussing supposed fine tuning!<\/p>\n

But on the other hand (as The Deeps of Time highlights), we are here talking about it. Imagine encountering a thinking, talking, philosophizing puddle<\/a>! The very fact that we can make the error the puddle does \u2013 and that some of us can in turn spot the faulty logic \u2013 is itself something that cries out not merely or even primarily for explanation (although it does that too) but for a response of awe and wonder at this mystery<\/a>.<\/p>\n

As I\u2019ve said before<\/a>, there seem to me to be two major approaches to religion. One sees it as answers<\/em> to big questions, or actually one answer to all of them, namely \u201cGod.\u201d The other doesn\u2019t see the need to treat God as the answer to every question, like the proverbial child in Sunday school who was asked \u201cWhat has pointy ears and a bushy tail?\u201d and did not answer \u201cA squirrel\u201d because they had learned from experience that in Sunday school the answer is always \u201cGod\u201d or \u201cJesus.\u201d Rather, this approach sees in the very fact that science can explain things \u2013 that is, we <\/em>human beings can explain things \u2013 a pointer not towards an \u201canswer\u201d but towards a mystery we refer to as God and that elicits our awe, wonder, reverence, and worship.<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"