Intelligent Design--A Discussion

A couple of posts back, one of our sons contributed viewpoints on the movie, Expelled. Another son has gone into more depth on the Catholic Church's position on science, evolution, and intelligent design, as shown below. I'm sure he would welcome comments.

The Catholic Church does not try to determine scientific questions, but being the guardians and defenders of the Truth, it obviously sets boundaries when scientific "answers" try to say that theories conflict with faith. As was noted on a recent Catholic Answers Live question I heard in the last week or so, those boundaries include the following:

• God create the universe (First Cause), keeps it in existence, create the physical laws that govern it. Unlike what the Deists believe, he did not create it and leave; he keeps in existence.
  
• Most critically, Pope Pius XII clearly stated in his encyclical in 1950 (Humanus Generis) that two human beings (male and female) are the parents of all human beings, and that God created them in his image and likeness -- creating them a soul whose creation cannot be explained by physical laws or cannot be passed off with a materialistic explanation.
• Those two parents committed a sin that caused them to lose their preternatural gifts, saw a loss of innocence, a promise of a Redeemer, and a concupiscence to sin.

When evolution claims multiple first parents, for instance, it is not true. When science claims that the universe has always been in existence, again, it strays into untruth.

Beyond that, though, explaining the origin of species is left up to science to explain -- the Church does not try to. Whether evolution is bad science or not, I don't believe that I'm qualified to give an opinion. There have been many instances where evolutionary theory (Piltdown Man being a great example) goes off the deep end and is totally disproved as a fake and a hoax.

Yet, on the other hand, while offering proof that cellular structures could not evolve so quickly in the time frame envisioned by most scientists needs to be pointed out, an alternate theory needs to be provided other than "intelligent design." Throwing out intelligent design when asked to provide a theory of how something happened when discussing processes of science is unsatisfying and does not fit well into the Church's long stance of supporting the development of science. That to me has been my biggest concern of throwing out intelligent science as an alternative -- "they" who offer need to offer something intellectually satisfying.

For instance, a Big Bang event (which is now generally accepted science) certainly coincides with the thought of a universal beginning. In addition, cellular and mitochondrial examination has started to explain that we all come from a common mother. That is the kind of science that fits in with the Church's boundaries and, yet, provides scientific knowledge.

Ultimately, science is not going to be able to explain everything, but on the other hand, trying to shut down inquiry by saying "intelligent design" and not providing an alternate scientific theory is not an answer.

I will certainly look forward to seeing the movie. Am I opposed to a science teacher saying that the Church is wrong on insisting on his boundaries? Most definitely. That is not the realm of science, and if that happens, the perpetrators need to be called out. Good science, Faith, and Reason can coexist, and there is much been said and written by our current pontiff on this very topic -- Regensburg being one of the more famous examples.

My own humble opinion, [Your son]

Children, Dogs, Saints, and Angels

A reviewer, Marc Joseph, questions a necessary detail of my story of Bella, the dog animated by an angel who helps save a man from going to hell:

I am curious as to the ontological character of the dog. Hmmmm....?

Before addressing the question, I must admit I have mixed feelings about dogs, cats, and other pets who live kingly lives. They are sheltered, admired, loved, and even spoiled by owners who give them the best seats and beds in the house. My husband, an ex-farmer, has an even greater problem with such animals. When he hears that an animal has been given a human name, he often cringes because he suspects the animal may be treated as a substitute human being.

Both of us see that many dogs and cats are substitute 'children' for deliberately barren 'parents' in a contraceptive society. Many people tell me about their Mikey, or Annabelle, or Ernie who solve a craving of their owners to feel loved. Eventually, the dogs and cats become as important as real people, and sometimes lead persons into isolation from other human beings. The person may prefer to live with their animals who will never criticize them. All of us know people who put animals on a par with their spouse, parents, and children. After death, these people even leave their estates to animals, rather than to relatives or poor people.

Yet I remember St. Francis of Assisi is the patron saint of animals--from the ravaging wolf of Gubbio to the small birds who listened to Francis' sermons. [Did the wolf have two angels, and was the bad one kicked out by St. Francis?] I also see many older people who must live alone, rather than in the close presence of their family. Their pets have become natural friends and are proven to help keep people mentally healthy and even to help them physically.

Now for my answer to Marc Joseph: [BTW, 'ontological' refers to the nature of being of the dog, Bella.] All animals are created by God for the benefit of man (Genesis). When Bella dies, her physical life ends. Bella has no spiritual life--it was never created. However, the design of the dog (not the being) continues to exist and could be used again by God in Heaven (Paradise)--known to be a place to accept our resurrected physical bodies.

The Bible identifies nine classes or orders of Angels: Archangels, Angels, Princedoms, Powers, Virtues, Dominations, Thrones, Seraphims, and Cherubims. According to Aquinas, the angelic order, Virtues, has power over corporeal nature in the working of miracles; they rule the physical universe and possess the bodies of animals and physical things to achieve God's will. Likewise the old Catholic Encyclopedia concludes that the practically unanimous view of the Fathers is that the angels put into execution God's law regarding the physical world.

When the ram replaced Isaac for the sacrifice of Abraham, who made the ram get caught in the bush? Who opened the spring to flow when Moses struck the rock? Who makes the wind rustle in the trees? [(2 Samuel 5:23, 24; 1 Chronicles 14:14, 15)] I suspect God uses his angels far more than we know to love us and assist us in reaching heaven. So is Bella the dog with a guardian angel a reasonable story character--I think so.

Msgr. James Conley--New Bishop!

Here's a very welcome and encouraging announcement from the Archdiocese of Denver, Colorado website!

Pope Benedict XVI has appointed the Right Reverend James D. Conley as auxiliary bishop for the Archdiocese of Denver. The Holy See made the announcement today at noontime in Rome, 4 a.m. in Denver. Archbishop Charles J. Chaput will hold a press conference today at 9 a.m., at the John Paul II Center, to introduce the new auxiliary bishop. To read the official announcement, click here. A special web page for Bishop-Elect Conley will be available after the 9 a.m. press conference.

Bishop-elect Conley, 53, is a native of Overland Park, Kan., a suburb of Kansas City, and a convert to Catholicism. Currently pastor of Blessed Sacrament Parish in the Diocese of Wichita, Kan., he previously served the Holy Father for 10 years as an official in the Vatican Congregation for Bishops in Rome. He has been a Catholic for 33 years and a priest for 23 years.

An interview with Msgr. Conley reveals him to be just what the Church needs at this time. Another interview is here. His biography can be found here, including information about his past Kansas City life:

In 1973, Bishop-elect Conley graduated from Shawnee Mission West high school in Overland Park and enrolled in the fall as a freshman at University of Kansas. He graduated in 1977 from University of Kansas with a bachelor’s degree in English Literature.

While in college, he studied in the University of Kansas’s Integrated Humanities Program, a well-known classical great books program. During his junior year, he converted to the Catholic Church on Dec. 6, 1975. His mentor and teacher in the Integrated Humanities Program, Professor John Senior, was his godfather.

Also see Fr. Z's blog where he quotes from a Kansas priest who calls the appointment of Msgr. Conley "huge!"

I am sure that you have heard about the new bishops named early this morning. [I sure have!]

Msgr. Conley, currently of the Diocese of Wichita and formerly in the Congregation for Bishops and graduate of the famous KU humanities program and now appointed to be auxiliary bishop of Denver, is to my knowledge the first bishop appointed recently who had regularly celebrated the TLM as part of his priestly service (not merely an occasional Mass here and there). [And that must have been a consideration, frankly. There is no way that it wasn’t.] I believe that he and another priest alternated celebrating the 8 AM Sunday TLM in Wichita, the only such Mass in the Diocese of Wichita. This is huge! Maybe second to Summorum Pontificum. [That would be a "YES" vote!] Now we have a bishop who is not only a friend of the Extraordinary Use of the Mass, like Arch. Burke, but one for whom the EU was an important part of his ministry. The EU is part of new bishop(s). It is part of the mainstream of the church. This is great news for fans of Tradition.

Father Brian Klingele
Archdiocese of Kansas City in KS

EXPELLED! in Kansas City/Lawrence/St. Joseph

The movie, Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed, will be showing in the Greater Kansas City area and surrounding towns beginning on Friday, April l8, 2007. Lent is over and this is is an important movie to see at these local theaters:

• Southwind in Lawrence
• Cinemark 20 in Merriam
• Pallazzo 16 in Overland Park
• Westglen 18 in Shawnee
• Studio 30 in Olathe
• Town Center 20 in Leawood
• Independence 20 in Independence
• Eastglen 16 in Lee's Summit
• Barrywoods 24 in Kansas City (north side)
  
• Northglen 14 in Kansas City
• Liberty 12 in Liberty
• Hollywood 10 in St. Joseph

A related announcement:

On the occasion of the release – April 18 - of the Ben Stein movie: Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed, The Intelligent Design Network is presenting a conference: Darwin, Design, & Democracy VII: Banning Intelligence from Science. The Conference starts at 9 AM on Saturday, April 19, at the Colonial Conference Center, 135 and Rosehill Road, in Overland Park. The admission price is either a ticket stub from an April 18 showing of Expelled, or else the cost of a ticket (to see the movie at 7 PM. Jack Cashill will emcee.

For more information, see the Intelligent Design Network. This promises to be a very worthwhile event!

One of our sons commented very well on the basis for the belief in non-intelligent design--atheism.

About 10-15 years ago I realized that belief in atheism was truly a 'belief', a faith. At that time, I began to tell any atheists that I met that I had great respect for their faith, since so much more of it was required to believe as they do, compared to what I believe. That really can spawn the discussion!

But it is so true, and so easy to explain. If you don't want to believe in God, you have to create an absolutely ridiculous belief system to have an alternative. Evolution is just one of many parts of the atheistic system of beliefs.

And, as it is truly a belief, one held close to the very core of a person's spriritual center, it will be fanatically guarded and defended from any 'attack'. It sounds like this is what that movie is about.

Theism and atheism beliefs are selected by persons, not because of what they know or have discerned, but because of what they desire. If they do not desire to be submissive to a God, if they instead want to be God, the center of the universe, they will latch onto atheism. It is the ultimate selfishness.

Church must be Confiscated

The Topeka Capitol-Journal reports that U.S. District Court Judge Richard D. Bennett has placed a lien on the Westboro Baptist church of minister Fred Phelps, Sr. The lien is a preliminary step to sell the Topeka church, with the proceeds being applied toward $5 million in damages Judge Bennett imposed on church members for picketing a military funeral.

The $5 million penalty is the result of a lawsuit filed against three of the church's principals by Albert Snyder, the father of Marine Lance Cpl. Matthew A. Snyder, whose funeral was picketed by church members.

The senior Snyder contended the picketing caused emotional distress and invasion of privacy.

Westboro Baptist members regularly picket funerals of members of the U.S. armed forces, contending the deaths are God's punishment for the country's support of homosexuals.

Ladies and Gentlemen, regardless of what you think about Fred Phelps, you ought to be terribly concerned about the government taking over any church because of the actions of its pastor and members.

Much Better than We Know....

The two Bishops of the Greater Kansas City Area are Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann and Bishop Robert W. Finn, who are moving firmly forward to restore the Church. They will likely be judged in history as outstanding Catholic Bishops--much better than we now know or deserve.

I was particularly impressed by Bishop Finn's remarks given at the Acton Conference on Catholic Education on February 4, 2008. He starts out with:

I believe that our schools have to be so undeniably and unabashedly Catholic that they risk being thought of as almost fanatical. Lukewarm will not be enough.... It is not enough for Catholic schools to offer an occasional all school Mass, two penance services a year, Religion three times a week, and a requirement for Confirmation students to do a service project. It is not enough.

Bishop Finn's presentations can be found here and here.

The weekly letters of Archbishop Naumann also are very good and are published in The Leaven newspaper (which still leaves some things to be desired, although it has gotten better). For example, Archbishop Naumann's letter of March 21, 2007 asks and answers the critical question on suffering "Why do bad things happen to good people?"

All human suffering is in some way the fruit of man's rebellion against God. Sometimes we can see a direct correlation between sin and the suffering it creates in one's own life... My own father was the victim of murder almost 60 years ago. He was in no way responsible for the evil inflicted upon him by his attacker. Nor did my mother have any responsibility for this crime that made her a young widow with the responsibility of raising two young children by herself.

Archbishop Naumann's podcasts of selected talks are found here.

Audio Sancto

What has been the most visible sign of decay in the modern Catholic Church of the past 40 years? The way the priests and nuns dress? Missing religious elements, such as genuflections, Benedictions, certain prayers? What would you say?

My own answer is bad sermons--either poorly prepared, lacking substance, and/or bordering (or crossing the border of) heresy. In the late 50's and early 60's, priests became so busy and distracted and influenced by Modernism that they didn't prepare and preach good sermons. In contrast, the secular media became very good at preaching their religions of secularism, hedonism, and paganism.

Many Protestant pastors continued to prepare and research their sermons--often ones that did not contradict Church truths. I've encountered a number of people who left the Catholic Church because they said they saw more signs of Christ in a Protestant evangelical church. Why did they say this? I believe primarily because of the clear differences in SERMONS!

The days of great Catholic sermons given by the likes of the Cure of Ars, Cardinal Newman, and Archbishop Sheen are not over! A local website, Audio Sancto, publishes great sermons--of the current time! The priests who give the sermons insist on remaining unidentified because they have other primary religious duties. See here.

Listen to a couple of minutes from different sermons to select one or two to download to your Ipod. I suggest you first listen to "Blackfeet Indians and the Black Robes" (part 1 and part 2). To download, rather than play, a sermon, it is necessary to set your browser options to 'save' an .mp3 audio file to your computer Desktop.

Once you have downloaded selected sermons to your desktop, move them to your Ipod or a CD for playing in your car. We waste so much time in cars listening to venal things--instead, listen to these great sermons to invigorate your spiritual life.

Please Congratulate this New Catholic!

YOU must read John C. Wright's Journal to appreciate his and Mark Shea's comments on John becoming a new Catholic! Wright is always hilarious, witty, and delicious as he takes St. Michael's spears of truth to penetrate the hides of the opponents of God and His Church.

Please, please don't forget to log in to Wright's blog and congratulate the newly baptized "John Justin-Martyr Charles Wright".

China's Increasing Christians

Hu Jintao [the engineer] has been reelected Chinese President and also Chairman of the Central Military Commission. I often watch the English language Communist China TV station, and alternatively feel mildly optimistic or somewhat pessimistic about the future of that country. What intrigues me is that China now calls for the advancement of "socialism with Chinese characteristics."--a strange dragon if I've ever seen one. Zenit just published a comprehensive picture of China.

The truth is that China definitely seems to be embracing their ancient heritage and history. The Chinese TV network constantly covers anything in their country that recounts or emphasizes their old traditions and culture.

Today is a day for some optimism due to the March 18, 2008 report by the Wall Street Journal.

Christianity of the unofficial kind is winning Chinese converts in huge numbers. Not only that, it's winning them among every class of Chinese: farmers, urban migrant workers, professionals and intellectuals.

What is the appeal of Christianity to so many Chinese -- or, for that matter, of Buddhism, Taoism, Islam, the old-time peasant religions and the newfangled Falun Gong? In "smashing" organized religion, Mao Zedong also destroyed the traditional institutions of charity and social support that used to provide succor to the lonely and the needy. Now that succor is desperately in demand, and the churches are there to meet it.

The party also helped destroy traditional morality in the name of an ideology it has itself largely abandoned. To a degree that alarms even Chinese rulers, morality and ideology have been replaced by corruption, opportunism and widespread indifference to life's ordinary decencies. Religion offers a corrective to this, too, as it does to the quandaries of 21st century existence.

...Just as remarkable is how all this is slipping beyond Beijing's grip. The repression of Tibetan Buddhists and the Falun Gong has been severe, mainly because both dared to challenge the Party directly. Most Christians pose no such obvious challenge, particularly Protestants who belong to no formal organization, have no connections to outsiders, and do not openly question government policy. Some party leaders even see Christians as model citizens, patriotic even if they are not members of a "patriotic association."

Yet precisely because the party's captains and engineers tend to assess threats and opportunities in purely utilitarian terms, they tend to miss the real threat that a religious revival poses to their power. As French essayist Guy Sorman notes in his brilliant book "Empire of Lies," religion operates "in the realm of beliefs and conscience, where the party has no control." Mr. Sorman, who spent the year of the rooster (2005) traveling the length and breadth of China, recalls that one religious uprising, the 19th-century Taiping rebellion, destabilized the Manchu Dynasty, which in turn was succeeded by the Republic of Sun Yat-Sen, a Christian.

Might the same happen again in China?

I'll be even more optimistic when the Hammer and Sickle Red Flag of China is replaced with a flag showing a beautiful Chinese peony. Better yet, a cross!

Bella and the Second Crucifix

Here's a short story I put on the Collegium Scriptorum Catholicae, a site devoted to encouragement of science fiction and fantasy writing by Traditional Catholics attached to the Latin Mass. Bella and the Second Crucifix is meant to be the first chapter of Adventures in Heaven that will utilize some ideas on Heaven from a previous post.

Bella and the Second Crucifix
Bella talked to Michael who talked to Mary who talked to her Son. Somehow they decided I should write the story of my life. Bella is the best place to start.

Bella is the one I continue to thank. She was the only one who always loved and didn’t criticize. Of course, I always deserved criticism and punishment and I got it in every way possible. My parents, teachers, jailers, and everyone else were all at fault, or so I thought so at the time.

The first time I saw Bella was when I stole her from the pet shop, one of my many crimes, but probably the least of them. She still has the body of a Shih Tzu, but now her intelligence and goodness are so much clearer.

My companions and I loved dog fighting because of it being a blood sport. I stole Bella because I wanted a little dog to let loose inside a pen of fighting pit bulls. The dogs fight much better with an early kill. The bloody tearing apart of live animal flesh never ceased to release the rage inside me.

But sitting on the seat beside me in the car was a little Shih Tzu with an inquisitive face. Her eyes watched me intently and I had a hard time looking at the road to drive. It wasn’t until the accident that I began to appreciate her. She suddenly barked and then I saw the truck. As the 18-wheeler grazed me, I was certain that the little dog had tried to warn me. ME--A lousy, dumb, hating jackass of a criminal who planned to kill her!

My way of life was hard, very hard. I hated everyone and everthing because I had lost all faith, hope, and charity. Get mine first, last, and foremost was my motto. No virtues grew in me—I couldn’t be honest, tell the truth or help a person or work hard if my life depended on it. Of course, I paid all the penalties—mental, social, health, and even was jailed for almost 15 years.

That was when I really became bad. When I got out, I found that dog fighting offered a good substitute for knocking people around. That’s when I found Bella, or better yet, she found me. God let her live for only 8 months with me, until I was shot in an attempted robbery of a rival dealer.

I cried out in pain and Bella was there and put her small furry body next to me. The bleeding wouldn’t stop and the dog’s warmth made me feel just how cold I was becoming. At first, the dog’s barking annoyed me. Why is she barking? Does she know I’m dying?

The barking attracted no curiosity seekers, because the neighborhood was dangerous and shots had been fired. No one wanted to come and help, and I was angry, afraid, and hopeless. My dog suddenly jumped away to bark in the middle of the street. The approaching car hesitated, then stopped. A young man with a heavy black beard got out and saw how bad I was.

He asked if I had been baptized, and I said that my Aunt Bea had once told me she had baptized me when I was a kid and she thought I was choking to death. I should have died then and not caused nearly so much evil.

The man asked if I wanted to go to heaven. I replied, “What’s the use? Not even Satan wants me.” I started to laugh, but the blood rose in my throat so that I began to choke.

Bella stood quietly beside the man. She seemed to be looking at him, even imploring him. The man looked at me with solemn and sad eyes and asked, “Do you feel betrayed by the world? Even by Satan?”

“Yes, by everyone.” All except Bella.

“The man pulled small two crucifixes from his pocket. Both were hooked to a chain. I had never seen two different kinds of crucifixes before, although I had once grabbed one off a wall to throw at my Mother when she was drunk.

“Hold onto this one,” said the man, “It’s helped me many times.” And he began to pray while holding the other crucifix. “You have the cross of St. Dismas, son. Do you know who he was?”

I swore, “Never even heard of the name!” Then begged, “Get me a doctor!”

“I don’t think a doctor is going to help you, my friend,” said the man. And I knew it was true because my bloody choking became worse.

The man continued to talk, and I heard the short story of the crucified St. Dismas as he hung on the cross besides Jesus, “Lord, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” Then came the softly spoken words of the dying Jesus, “This day you shall be with me in Paradise.”

The black man continued to kneel and pray for me. Prayed for me—the baddest guy in the entire world. But the second crucifix wouldn’t let go of my hand. Bella licked my hand and then the Dismas crucifix. What a cruel joke for God to promise such an undeserved reward for such a terrible life.

“I can’t believe,” I said between bloody gasps.

“Your dog loves you, doesn’t she?” asked the man. “Isn’t God greater than your dog?”

Bella looked sorrowful, as if mourning my passing. I thought, How can I live without her sleeping at the foot of my bed, and creeping up slowly in the night to put her head next to my arm.

“Don’t give up, friend. If the dog can see a little good in you, so can God. Aren’t you sorry for the way you’ve lived?”

Remorse covered my soul in grief, as I realized God's love. I cried out with the foreign words of my grandmother, “Ntra. Sra del Perpetuo Socorro.”

I died, and saw the terrible Light of the Transfiguration. Everyone who dies—the good, the unrepentant, and the repentant—sees the Light of God’s presence. Unrepentant sinners see the Light to know what they will miss in Hell. The tremendous regret at not being able to continue to enjoy the Beatific Vision is the worst punishment of all. Through Hell’s Gate, I saw the red fires and smelled the awful stench.

I was so ashamed when I saw the Light, I cast myself down to Purgatory. Painful and long suffering was my lot. The blue fire held me tightly in its grasp, but I actually felt being cleansed, like burning soot off a pan or oven. And I had hope—no more despair. I knew I was going Home someday!

That’s how I got to Heaven—in the very bottom place. And that’s the reason the angel Bella talked to Mary to ask her Son, Jesus, to allow this story to be told. I know God intends to share this story, and I am writing it to please him. In His great and glorious mercy, He has told all of us that He will allow this single story to be told to the remaining Christians so that they do not lose heart in this worst and last time on earth.

Global Warming Meeting

Thank God that scientists and other researchers are beginning to challenge the deceits associated with Global Warming. Especially give credit to the Heartland Institute that organized the 2008 International Conference on Climate Change held on March 2-4 in New York City.

More than 500 people attended, and 100 speakers delivered keynote addresses or participated in panel discussions. Addresses by the Hon. Vaclav Klaus, president of the Czech Republic, John Stossel of ABC News, and leading scientists received thundering standing ovations from a capacity audience. Press coverage was extensive...

The keynote speech by Joseph Bast is here. He notes that the conference addresses four questions overlooked by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change:

• how reliable are the data used to document the recent warming trend?

• how much of the modern warming is natural, and how much is likely the result of human activities?

• how reliable are the computer models used to forecast future climate conditions? and

• is reducing emissions the best or only response to possible climate change?

I recently wrote a post of why I think 'Global Warming' is mostly scientific crackpot. Now the founder of the Weather Channel is proposing to sue Al Gore over "Global Warming."

John Coleman, who founded the cable network in 1982, suggests suing for fraud proponents of global warming, including Al Gore, and companies that sell carbon credits.

"Is he committing financial fraud? That is the question," Coleman said.

"Since we can't get a debate, I thought perhaps if we had a legal challenge and went into a court of law, where it was our scientists and their scientists, and all the legal proceedings with the discovery and all their documents from both sides and scientific testimony from both sides, we could finally get a good solid debate on the issue," Coleman said. "I'm confident that the advocates of 'no significant effect from carbon dioxide' would win the case."

False Gods and Nuclear Power

Several weeks ago on a beautiful winter day, I stopped to take photos of the LaCygne fossil fuel power plant located about 50 miles south of Kansas City. You can't see it in this photo which shows mostly steam, but the two stacks visibly release a continuous stream of hazardous particles that spread out downwind in long clouds that sometimes stretch to the horizon.

Interestingly, the Wolf Creek nuclear power plant about 90 miles southwest of Kansas City and the Callaway nuclear plant 100 miles west of St. Louis are much cleaner facilities. They don't burn coal or oil to release either hazardous particles or dangerous gases. Moreover, both plants use U.S.-produced uranium that costs less than 1/4 that of fossil fuels.

I have supported nuclear power for over 40 years--ever since hearing Dr. Petr Beckmann, professor emeritus at Colorado University, speak of the many advantages of clean nuclear power. Beckmann was a well-known engineer/mathematician who wrote several good books, including "A History of Pi" (still being published long after his death), and "Health Hazards of Not Going Nuclear."

Dr. Beckmann told the story of how a god appeared in Washington, D.C. in the late 19th century asking our country to make a deal in exchange for sacrificial bodies of humans. The god promised to give the U.S. a great gift if it would give 40,000 human lives to him each year. The spectacular and miraculous gift would help people live better lives, move about much more freely, bring distant families closer together, enlarge the number of jobs, build up the nation, etc.--a wealth of benefits. Most certainly if the nation had been permitted to vote, the god's proposal would clearly have been rejected.

Beckman pointed out the gift was the automobile, and the sacrificial gift is the over 40,000 lives lost each year due to auto accidents in the U.S. [According to the World Health Organization about 3,000 people die in crashes each day worldwide.] We know that automobiles cause many accidents but we choose to drive anyway--KNOWING AND ACCEPTING the comparative risks and rewards.

It's much the same with risks of nuclear power as compared to fossil fuel power. We choose to continue to live with fossil-fueled generating stations that cause almost 1,000 premature deaths a year in the U.S. due to people inhaling hazardous emissions. Most people seem not to acknowledge this fact and that coal ash is more radioactive than nuclear waste.

Huh! Did I just say coal ash is more radioactive than nuclear waste? How so? Take at look at this recent Scientific American article to understand why fly ash—a by-product from burning coal for power—contains up to 100 times more radiation than nuclear waste.

BTW, what happens to radioactive fly ash after it is removed? Construction and non-construction industries both use fly ash (e.g., concrete), but most fly ash from coal fired power stations is disposed of as a dilute or dense slurry in evaporative ponds, to be later buried with soil. Here's one typical illustration of current disposal of radioactive and hazardous fly ash.

Currently, there are 103 operating commercial nuclear reactors producing electricity in the United States located at 64 sites in 31 states. Unfortunately, no new nuclear reactor in the U.S. has been ordered since 1978, even though no direct deaths are attributable to accidents releasing radioactivity at nuclear power plants in the U.S. during the past 40 years.

In comparison, many other countries in the world have built and continue to construct many new nuclear plants, including Japan. What? Japan should hate nuclear power because they were the only nation that has been nuclear bombed. But here are descriptions of Japan's 53 operating nuclear power plants, including the new nuclear facilities now being constructed.

The Three Mile Island and Chernobyl nuclear accidents were caused by faulty designs, operation, and maintenance. Did you know that Chernobyl Unit IV, during its short life of 27 months, saved more lives from coal pollution than it took by radiation (or will take in the future, for coal has delayed deaths, too). See here.

New nuclear power plants (if we would be smart enough to build them) are designed to prevent the possibility of any meltdown. A PBS documentary of about 7-10 years ago showed congressmen and other visitors becoming agitated as a demo plant funded by government research began to reach meltdown and all the warning sirens activated. But the fission process automatically stopped and nothing happened--because the new nuclear plant design is inherently safe.

Even former "super-environmentalists" such as Stewart Brand (creator of the Whole Earth Catalogue), Patrick Moore (former Greenpeace activist), Christine Todd Whitman (former EPA chief), and Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger now support the building of new nuclear plants because they recognize the futility of obtaining sufficient amounts of power from solar, wind, thermal, and other sources of energy. Only nuclear energy can meet the federal Energy Information Administration estimate of U.S. power requirements that are expected to climb 40 percent by 2030. Many environmentalists also are beginning to recognize that solar cell manufacturing releases really hazardous materials, wind turbines kill eagles and cause noise pollution, and other sources of 'natural' energy cause grave environmental problems exceeding that of nuclear energy.

Possible terrorism at nuclear power plants? Oh, yes, let's answer that one too. Take a look at an example of what Wolf Creek Nuclear Power Plant is doing to prevent such an occurrence. Kansas legislators must believe more nuclear power is necessary because they have enacted a 10-year tax break for any developer willing to invest in a new unit at Wolf Creek.

It's too bad that politicians listened to super-environmentalists rather than scientists and engineers for the past 30 years. Our country should have built at least three times as many nuclear plants as we now have. Compare our current 103 nuclear plants to the Atomic Energy Commission's prediction in 1959 of more than 1,000 U.S. nuclear plants by the turn of the century. If we had done what we should have done, we now would have no good reason to be in Iraq trying to insure a reliable supply of oil.

Pregnant Governor of Alaska

Radical Catholic Mom congratulates Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska who is pregnant with her fifth child at age 44. The Governor's office announces:

“Todd and I are five times blessed and couldn’t be happier,” Governor Palin said. “We look forward to welcoming our new addition in May.”

Gov. Palin's biography recently appeared in Alaska Magazine (my husband's favorite!). I found out that this very attractive woman with a lot of common sense (who is strongly pro-life) is being touted on a large number of sites and blogs as a premier vice-presidential candidate.

The Draft Palin for VP website reports the McCain-Palin button is outselling all other possible McCain-VP combinations. The Republican governor is enjoying one of the highest popularity ratings of any sitting state executive in the country--about 90 percent. No wonder Alaskans are beaming.

If you'd like to hear what she has to say, go here.

China--Optimism Superceded by Pessimism

"Many optimistic observers of China, often mollified by their close relations with the Communist regime, bet on a soft transition from despotism toward an open society, but recent events don’t support such a benign interpretation. Since the beginning of this year, repression of human rights activists, lawyers, and bloggers has been harsher than ever.

...Chen, a blind peasant and self-taught lawyer, had protested in 2005 against the kidnapping of some 3000 women in his hometown of Linyi. The women were sterilized or forced into having abortions in order to stabilize the population increase in the region. As this extreme violence violates Chinese law, Chen petitioned the central government – the only legally recognized form of protest in China. When carrying his petition to Beijing, escorted by a tiny group of lawyers, Chen was accused of disrupting traffic on the city’s clogged roads and condemned to four years in jail."

For more on the reality check on China and the 2008 Olympics, read this.

Unwed Mothers--Causes and Solutions

The National Center of Health Statistics has released preliminary 2006 statistics of births to unwed mothers in the U.S., and the news is hard to take because of its ruinous impact on our civilization.

The number of babies born to unwed mothers rose nearly 8 percent to a new record high in 2006 --a 20 percent increase since 2002. The percentage of all U.S. births to unmarried mothers increased from 36.9 percent in 2005 to 38.5 percent in 2006. That means almost two out of every five babies were born to illegitimate moms.

Compare this recent data to historical data with a minimal 3.5 percent of births to unwed mothers in the 1940s. By 1960, the figure had crept up to slightly more than 5 percent. As late as 1970, 89 percent of children were born to married women. But by the 1990s the numbers of children born to unwed mothers had dramatically jumped to the 32-33 per cent range. And the numbers increased to 38.5 percent of all births in 2006. Moreover, half of all births to unwed mothers were second and later children.

What caused the tragic growth in the number of babies conceived and born outside the bond of matrimony? I've looked high and low on the web to find a good scientific paper on the reasons for the dramatic increase and have yet to find one that adequately discusses the issues. So let this old granny take a crack at answering the question.

There are three major reasons that people avoid evil. First, if they believe in God, heaven, and hell, they either want to please Him and earn heaven, or at least want to avoid His wrath. Second, people don't err if they understand their peers will dislike them and disapprove of their bad actions. Third, most people won't do bad things if they know they will be punished by government policy or nature.

Sadly, the above reasons are all being violated in today's world. While most people say they believe in God, they reject God's punishment in hell. Go to any funeral and listen to the preacher or priest say the deceased is now in heaven. Belief in hell as taught by Jesus Christ has been abandoned, so people don't believe they will be punished for their sins. God is all good, they say, and he doesn't punish people. This belief contradicts traditional Christian teaching, "Mercy in this world, justice in the next."

The second reason deals with peer pressure. Most people avoid doing something that causes a friend, neighbor, or relative to look at them with disgust or irritation or disapproval. In parts of U.S. society today, families and friends expect and even approve of unwed motherhood, exactly the opposite of civilized societies which rightfully display indignation, shame, and sorrow over a baby that will not enjoy a lifetime of two parents.

What about government? What has it done to discourage unwed motherhood? For the past 40+ years, government has rewarded unwed motherhood with free money, free health benefits, free food, and other resources. No one seems to remember the old adage, "Actions that are rewarded will be multiplied."

If a girl or woman also believes there are few if any natural penalties for having children outside of wedlock, then why not get pregnant? Yet the natural effects from illegitimate pregnancies and child raising include poverty, inadequate care and training of children, bad behavior, crime, academic problems, bad example for the next generation, etc. The list goes on and on.

The solutions to unwed motherhood are easy to see by reading the above four paragraphs. Families, churches, neighbors, schools, and government all have roles to play in returning parenthood to exclusive married relationships.

ADDENDUM (3/30/2008)

A reader, Mary Jane, has commented: "I'm interested in your article. What are your sources for your statistics?" Here is the reply that was emailed to her.


The statistics describing births to unwed mothers are documented by the underlined references embedded in the above post. The statistics on the disadvantages and problems associated with single-parent families are sprinkled across many thousands of pages of the Internet. For example, see the Princeton-Brookings website.

If you ask for statistics to buttress my opinions on the causes and solutions of unwed motherhood, then perhaps taking the observations one at a time might be profitable.

I believe the first reason for the increase in unwed motherhood is the decreasing fear of displeasing God and the absence of belief in the possibility of being punished in hell. To look for statistics on changing religious viewpoints in the U.S., try the Pew Forum or the Barna Group. The latter group noted in 2003 that even though 73 percent of Americans believe in hell, "just one-half of 1% expect to go to Hell upon their death."

People have always embraced excuses for their bad choices, but now very few peers exist who have the fortitude to criticize their family and friends for undesirable behavior. The second reason for the increasing number of children born out of wedlock is that Americans are superbly trained by our over-tolerant culture never to say anything that offends anyone. In fact, that concept has been embodied in anti-harassment laws.

The lack of good peer pressure means girls are often proud they are pregnant and about to have a baby with their boyfriend. Unwed mothers wear the badge of single-motherhood as a badge of honor, whereas in the bad old days they had to wear a scarlet letter. Murphy Brown was defiantly proud of being an "unwed mother." She assumed the role of an independent woman, the do-it-all woman; so why should we be surprised that others have emulated her?

The appearance of rewards constitutes the third reason for increased rates of out-of-wedlock children. What are the rewards? Some of the governmental rewards include (see 2008 report of state expenditures on replacement programs for Aid to Dependent Children in Connecticut):

1. Temporary Family Assistance(cash assistance)
2. Child Care Subsidies
3. Transitionary and other Rental Assistance Programs
4. Transition to Employment Independence Program
5. School-Based Health Centers
6. Medicaid-funded health insurance for children and adult caretaker relatives
7. Helping unwed mothers obtain financial and medical support from boyfriends
8. Safety Net Services, including clothing, food, employment assistance and case management
9. Etc.

Mary Jane, Thank you for your question.

Intelligence is Expelled....The Aftermath

"Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed" is a movie about scientists who dare to question Darwin's theories, and who are subsequently shunned, persecuted, and virtually expelled from the scientific community, with no more opportunity for publishing their work. The movie features Ben Stein as the scientific journal editor who has the audacity to publish Dr. Steven C. Meyer's extensive review essay on the rationale and biological data for inferring intelligent design.

WorldNetDaily's Joseph Farah reviews and gives more information on the movie. Bill O'Reilly interviews Ben Stein here on "Expelled." The trailer/preview also is quite interesting and gives a peek into the plot. I definitely plan to see "Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed" that opens April 18, 2008.

The movie focuses on the publishing of Dr. Meyer's paper on August 4th, 2004 in the Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington (volume 117, no. 2, pp. 213-239), a peer-reviewed biology journal published at the National Museum of Natural History at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington D.C. Meyer's article is entitled, “The Origin of Biological Information and the Higher Taxonomic Categories”, [If you're interested in science and evolution, do read Meyer's seminal essay on the scientific basis for intelligent design of biological systems.]

If you're interested in science and evolution, do read Meyer's seminal essay on the scientific basis for the intelligent design of biological systems. Here are a few paragraphs for you to get a feel for a few of Meyer's arguments:

The “Cambrian explosion” refers to the geologically sudden appearance of many new animal body plans about 530 million years ago. At this time, at least nineteen, and perhaps as many as thirty-five phyla of forty total (Meyer et al. 2003), made their first appearance on earth within a narrow five- to ten-million-year window of geologic time (Bowring et al. 1993, 1998a:1, 1998b:40; Kerr 1993; Monastersky 1993; Aris-Brosou & Yang 2003). Many new subphyla, between 32 and 48 of 56 total (Meyer et al. 2003), and classes of animals also arose at this time with representatives of these new higher taxa manifesting significant morphological innovations. The Cambrian explosion thus marked a major episode of morphogenesis in which many new and disparate organismal forms arose in a geologically brief period of time.

....analyze whether the neo-Darwinian process of mutation and selection, or other processes of evolutionary change, can generate the form and information necessary to produce the animals that arise in the Cambrian.


For neo-Darwinism, new functional genes either arise from non-coding sections in the genome or from preexisting genes. Both scenarios are problematic.

In the first scenario, neo-Darwinists envision new genetic information arising from those sections of the genetic text that can presumably vary freely without consequence to the organism. According to this scenario, non-coding sections of the genome, or duplicated sections of coding regions, can experience a protracted period of “neutral evolution” (Kimura 1983) during which alterations in nucleotide sequences have no discernible effect on the function of the organism. Eventually, however, a new gene sequence will arise that can code for a novel protein. At that point, natural selection can favor the new gene and its functional protein product, thus securing the preservation and heritability of both.

This scenario has the advantage of allowing the genome to vary through many generations, as mutations “search” the space of possible base sequences. The scenario has an overriding problem, however: the size of the combinatorial space (i.e., the number of possible amino acid sequences) and the extreme rarity and isolation of the functional sequences within that space of possibilities. Since natural selection can do nothing to help generate new functional sequences, but rather can only preserve such sequences once they have arisen, chance alone--random variation--must do the work of information generation--that is, of finding the exceedingly rare functional sequences within the set of combinatorial possibilities. Yet the probability of randomly assembling (or “finding,” in the previous sense) a functional sequence is extremely small.

Best Catholic Blog in Kansas City

It's been at least two years since I started reading the Kansas City Catholic, and it keeps getting better and better--as over 200,000 visitors have already determined. I am amazed that this father of several very young children has the energy to write so many in-depth and imaginative posts. His story about inheriting a new peach orchard illustrates the man's excellent writing ability, his 'blossoming' imagination, and the credibility of his convictions.

Pro-life Political Blog--The Kansas Meadowlark

The Kansas Meadowlark wrote me a note today and asked me to look at his blog. I did and I highly recommend it for its great information on politics in Kansas--especially detailed items on abortionists and abortion supporters , such as Dr. Tiller (nicknamed 'the Killer') and Gov. Kathleen Sebelius, who celebrated her 59th birthday speaking at a Planned Parenthood fundraiser. Take a quick look because the blogger uses some nice techniques to put a lot of important news on the first page.

Lazarus Saturday

Mr. P told me today that his Mother died in his Eastern European birthplace. It was a sad discussion, especially because her death was unexpected. Even though he had spoken with her on the phone for almost two hours the day before her death, he expressed regrets over not being able to see and talk with her one last time. I repeated several times that the end of this life was a birth into another life-- heaven, for those who die well. He seemed not to have heard the term, "die well," and we discussed what it meant.

I asked myself how this woman, whom I had met during her visits to the U.S., could ever believe in and embrace a God she had never known in her life under Communism. What a spiritual robbery it is to grow up and be schooled in a militantly atheistic society! Even though we spoke different languages, she seemed to acknowledge God when she visited our house and pointed with a smile to our little shrine with the statue of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

Only God can give the gift of Faith. Only He knows the disposition of her soul at the moment of death. I pray that she finally was given the gift of knowing God through His Son, Jesus, and then asked Him the same request of the good thief Dismas.

And one of those robbers who were hanged, blasphemed him, saying: If thou be Christ, save thyself and us. But the other answering, rebuked him, saying: Neither dost thou fear God, seeing thou art condemned under the same condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this man hath done no evil. And he said to Jesus: Lord, remember me when thou shalt come into thy kingdom. And Jesus said to him: Amen I say to thee, this day thou shalt be with me in paradise. Luke 23:39-43

I encouraged Mr. P to believe in eternal life beyond this one, but he didn't seem to respond. He did say that he had placed a picture of the Virgin Mary I had given him on the wall of his bedroom.

This evening, I searched for an Orthodox prayer for the dead to put on the back of a holy Icon card obtained from The Printery House in Conception, MO. I'll add the name and dates of birth/death of Mr. P's Mother and give him several holy cards as a remembrance of his mother and a reminder of our resurrection from the dead.

My selection for the Icon card is part of the great Hymn of St Romanos the Melodist that focuses on the raising of Lazarus when Jesus tended to the 'tears of Mary and Martha'—a moving reflection upon Christ's gift of new life to His friend and to all the faithful. Here is part of the 6th century hymn used on Lazarus Saturday--the Orthodox feast celebrated this year on April 19.

In order that He might bring an end
To the mourning of Martha,
The Savior of all spoke to her and addressed
These divine words to her:
"I exist as the Light of the world
And the resurrection of all from the dead;
It was for this end that I appeared
In order to resurrect Adam
And the descendants of Adam
And on the fourth day to resurrect Lazarus
Taking pity, as a Merciful One, on
The tears of Mary and Martha."

Are you Tired of Winter?

I can't get on (or off) the phone these days without someone saying how long this winter is lasting. As of February 22, 2008, we have had 26 snow days in Kansas City. Not only snow--but cold temperatures will stay in the area for at least the next week. Always in the past, I have enjoyed the last week of February because there were always at least one or two days of weather above 60 degrees. I don't have high hopes this year.

So is another part of the globe receiving a warmer and shorter winter than we are? Not on the other side of the world! China has experienced the worst weather in five decades, resulting in freezing a third of their vegetable crops, that will be in short supply during the spring.

Perhaps Afghanistan is getting warmer weather? No, Afghanistan is the coldest it's been in the past 10 years, and more than 650 deaths are blamed on the cold weather.

What about Greece and Turkey? It's colder there too, and snow fell on the island of Crete early on Monday; even parts of Turkey’s Mediterranean coast experienced rare snowfall.

I've found it--the place which is warmer than usual this winter! England just had the fourth warmest January on record! Perhaps that is why Prince Charles of England has delivered an apocalyptic warning that the world faces a catastrophe without a "revolutionary" approach to global warming. His solution is to stop using common sources of energy that supply most of our power.

It's a shame that politicians and princes don't understand global warming (or perhaps they do and are using threats of catastrophe for other purposes). Michael Crichton's novel, "State of Fear," does a good job showing how and why science has capitulated to fiction and politics many, many times in the past--and is doing so today with "Global Warming."

Do you want to bet a lot of people can't (or won't take the time to) understand some simple calculations on global climate forcing? Or the long history of climate from ice cores? Do politicians know that the sun is much more important to climate forcing than man-caused CO2? Do they know that humidity (water vapor) is a far more powerful greenhouse promoter than CO2?

Another perspective on the "problem" of global warming considers the effects on our economy and society from reducing CO2. The U.S. Energy Information Administration determined in a 1998 study that U.S. compliance with Kyoto would mean a loss of 4.2 percent in Gross Domestic Product (or $437 billion). As many as 3.2 million Americans could lose their jobs.

Interestingly, a recent trip to Science City, Union Station, in Kansas City showed an exhibit with Fox 4 Chief Meteorologist, Mike Thompson, who says he is uncomfortable with claims that global warming is caused by man. He's probably familiar with the science presented here and here that discuss the question, "If Global Warming is Real, What Could Be Causing It?"

A new scientific paper with the most comprehensive information (132 references) on global warming is found here and concludes:

There are no experimental data to support the hypothesis that increases in human hydrocarbon use or in atmospheric carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases are causing or can be expected to cause unfavorable changes in global temperatures, weather, or landscape. There is no reason to limit human production of CO2, CH4, and other minor greenhouse gases as has been proposed (82,83,97,123).

We also need not worry about environmental calamities even if the current natural warming trend continues. The Earth has been much warmer during the past 3,000 years without catastrophic effects. Warmer weather extends growing seasons and generally improves the habitability of colder regions.