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Where Did We Come From?

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A kárvallott cigány ~  The injured gypsy ( full size JPG ) by  György V astag (1886) Did you notice that I used the Collective we ? "Is the usage of we suggestive of a reference of my cultural ancestor," you ask? The answer is both no and yes. The painting features at the top of this blog post is by the Hungarian painter  György Vastag. Entitled The injured gypsy the title seems pretty self-explanatory.  So, no. I am not a descendant from gypsies, at least that I know of. From the little I know my father's people were likely French and my mother's people were Irish. It explains a lot -- the appreciation of both fine food and wine, and a willingness to get into a scuff when necessary.   What about you? Although I have no idea of your ancestor, we are alike. We have, like the subject of Vastag's painting, at times been sojourners. All of us. Some still are. Uganda offers hope, opens border for thousands fleeing violence in DRC. Source: UNHRC [ more... ]...
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How did we get here? (Part 2)

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As I was saying … In the spring of 1994 I began what has turned out to be a lifelong friendship. It seemed a little odd - an atheist and a Christian. Other than a few hobbies what could we have in common? My new friend was (and still is) much smarter than I. He was also very patient and a genuine good soul. As we hiked, or rode our mountain bikes in the woods, we chatted on a whole range of ideas. In my evangelical zeal I tried to be “wise as a serpent and harmless as a dove” (Matthew 10:16) and would regularly raise the question, "How did we get here?" We explored the idea of “the beginning” and what existed before that point in time for several years. We shared perspectives, and I was ever hopeful and prayerful for a conversion. we see “... through a glass dimly …” 1 Corinthians 13:12 We both listened politely to each other. The notion of the big bang was well beyond my scope in terms of the science behind it. But, I was prepared to be honest and open minded. After all, my...
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How did we get here? (Part 1)

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V I am not a physical scientist. I don't really understand things like DNA and the Big Bang or evolution. But I am a social scientist of sorts. Well at least my vocation touches on this field. As an educator and curriculum developer the whole notion of knowing - what and how - is something I do try to understand. I digress. When I was nine, almost ten years old, I began to attend a Christian Church. The children's Bible class would sometimes touch on this topic. So right up front I had a bias towards literal creationism. Six days. Done. Take another to rest up. Things like dinosaurs were the result of the sinful actions of men (don't recall a lot of the use of feminine references) ... and / or put there by Satan to deceive and confuse human kind ... and were destroyed in the flood. Destroyed, of course, as they were not part of God's original creation. Not allowed on the ark. As I progressed through my teenage years the story of Adam and Eve was told many times and I wa...
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