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“Coach, am I a guard… or a tackle?” If you watch the old, grainy high school football film, you can catch the moment I was kicked in the back of the head and wobbled to the sideline. It was not until later that evening – when the locker room (and my head) had cleared out…
People rarely see a catastrophe like Katrina as a philosophical struggle, but the next few days are partly a battle to see who is right – Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679) or the Hebrews Scriptures. Hobbes, a pessimistic atheist, believed that humans were basically selfish creatures who would do anything to better their position (like loot, plunder,…
Where is the wisdom we have lost in knowledge?Where is the knowledge we have lost in information?1 A year ago, biologist Richard Sternberg (who holds two PhDs in evolutionary biology) published a paper by Stephen C. Meyer (a Cambridge University-educated philosopher of science) making a case for “intelligent design.” At that time, Sternberg was the…
“Faith can and should be proclaimed from every mountaintop and city square. But it has no place in science class.”1 One week ago, Charles Krauthammer – a respected journalist, commentator, and a friend of religion as a public voice – wrote that “intelligent design” supporters make a grievous error when they attempt to integrate their…
A good friend in Kansas City told me how awkward he feels in broaching the subject of faith. We both agree that religion is treated like cigarette smoking today – it’s fine to smoke in private; but rude in public. So here he is – enjoying a summer cookout with his neighbors – and all…
As you well know, Tuesday, June 21st, was the longest day of the year in the Northern hemisphere – in terms of sunlight. The summer solstice occurs when the sun is farthest north and the length of time elapsed between sunrise and sunset is at the maximum for the year. From June 21st until January…
As you well know, Tuesday, June 21st, was the longest day of the year in the Northern hemisphere – in terms of sunlight. The summer solstice occurs when the sun is farthest north and the length of time elapsed between sunrise and sunset is at the maximum for the year. From June 21st until January…
Americans are uniquely infected with “affluenza” according to authors John de Graaf, David Wann, Thomas H. Naylor, and David Horsey.1 They claim Americans confuse “the good life” with “the goods life,” spending more than $21,000 per year on consumer goods. This disease contributes to our credit card indebtedness tripling in the 1990s, more people filing…
What is twelve times twelve? Most of us, if we were paying any attention in school, know the answer is a gross – 144. Okay, then what’s thirteen times thirteen? Gotcha, didn’t I? That’s because in our school multiplication tables, we stop at twelve – the last number before the compounds (“three-ten” for “thirteen”) kick…
Trick or Treat…or treacherous?
Michael Metzger
October 4, 2005
On December 11, 1620 the Mayflower sailed into Plymouth. The weather was so bad it took 26 days to build the “Common House” for Sunday’s worship. But the Pilgrims enjoyed no Christmas festivities on December 25, 1620. They viewed it as a treacherous event. Rather, they devoted their first Christmas Day to hard labor, including…