FAITH versus SCIENCE

Galileo Galilei (1564-1642)

BB IDAHO posted the following at Kid's blog:

Until the telescope, our vision of the sky remained scant. Progress since has been remarkable, as your photos show. But those infant optics were a bit troublesome-

I trace my words into the sand

Words at one time that were banned

Earth circle sun, by math explain

Recant or die in burning pain

The heavens revealed, my telescope

disagreed with priest and Pope

The sun doth circle earth, they said

your sorry science we shall shred

For we the Church Triumphant stand

Inquisitors with burning brand

Do not use your curious mind

For we insist that you stay blind

Only we proclaim the truth

Lest we fear the curious sleuth

Our pious knowledge we proclaim

Enforced by dungeon and the flame

Recant your words and follow us

Or face the Stake that burnt Jan Hus

For we despise your faith in Science

Our faith in faith is our reliance

Three hundred sixty years have past

My words in sand now concrete cast

Earth has circled all along

For I was right and they were wrong.

- for Galileo

Kid said in response:

BB,  Great example of why I laugh every time some 'scientist' proclaims he has 'the answer' to anything.  They've been wrong for thousands of years but still believe they can be finally right.

I, Franco Aragosta, responded to both:

Very clever rhyme! It contains much that is true, but it is not the Ultimate Truth.

Entrenched Power of ANY kind always becomes self-serving and self-protective. Roman Barbarians had the power in the pre-Christian era. "The Church" had the power in the Middle Ages, "Science" has it now. 

The thing we need to fear most is ORTHODOXY of ANY kind.

The arrogance and self-righteeusness that come with any sort of cocksure attitude is the Achilles Heel of any form of dogmatic or doctriinal cant and rhetoric. 

Life is fluid, evanescent, ever-changing, unpredictable and never competely knowable. Life by its very nature is not stable, so the attempts some have made to trap and solidify it have always been doomed to failure. 

Even so, the Spirit who created and guides all is "unresting, unhasting, and silent as light, nor wanting nor wasting yet out of our sight. We blossom and flourish like leaves on a tree then withereth and fadeth, but naught changeth Thee." 

True faith, which is always questing, is not at odds with Science just as true Science, which is also always questing, is not at odds with faith. Both Science and Faith search for the same thing –– TRUTH –– they only approach it from different angles.

This means that to be credible neither Faith nor Science can afford to be tendentious in their rhetoric or agenda-driven in their aims.

… Franco

Russian Bots vs. Media-Academia-Hollywood ––Which Had A Bigger Impact On The Election?

by Larry Elder 

TownHall

Jul 19, 2018 

The indictment of a dozen Russian spies explained, in great detail, the extent of their interference in the 2016 election. Americans learned about the depth and extent of the Russian operation to interfere.

That the Russian activity altered the outcome of the election to "make Trump win" has become an article of faith for many who still cannot fathom how Donald Trump beat Hillary Clinton. This will persist as a subject of speculation in book after book, for a long time. What will be of less concern to the same researchers and writers is the far greater impact of the anti-Trump trio of media, academia and Hollywood.

Professor Tim Groseclose, author of "Left Turn: How Liberal Media Bias Distorts the American Mind," makes the case that were the media truly fair and balanced, the average state would vote the same way Texas votes, in favor of Republicans. But media bias gives Democrats a bump of about 8 to 10 points. Of 20 major sources of news, Groseclose found about 15 years ago, 90 percent lean to the left.

The late Barbara Bush said she was surprised when her son won the presidency in 2000: "I just thought it's too difficult. And you're not going to like this, but my gut feeling is that all the media is against George, Republicans, any Republican." 

That Democrats and liberals in the media outnumber Republicans and conservatives is a fact. Years ago, the Pew Research Center conducted a survey of over 500 national reporters, editors and media executives and found that only 7 percent self-identified as 'conservative." Most of the major newspapers endorsed Clinton over Trump. The New York Times hasn't endorsed a Republican for president since 1956. The Washington Post, which has only been endorsing presidents for 42 years, has never

NBC's "Meet the Press" host Chuck Todd worked on the 1992 presidential campaign of left-left Democrat Sen. Tom Harkin. CNN's Jake Tapper used to work for a U.S. House Democrat. ABC News "chief anchor" George Stephanopoulos worked as a top campaign strategist for the election of Bill Clinton, and after Clinton's election worked as his communications director.

Critics at CNN hyperventilate over the relationship between President Trump and Sean Hannity. CNN's Brian Stelter called this relationship between the star of a television news network and the president "weird," saying, "No TV host has ever had this kind of relationship with a U.S. president before." Really? Hannity is not a news "journalist," and the relationship is not a secret. Contrast this with the close relationship President John Kennedy enjoyed with Ben Bradlee, the editor of the highly influential Washington Post, the paper that helped topple President Richard Nixon. That the two were close is no secret. What the public did not know is that Bradlee was such an advocate for JFK that, during the primary presidential campaign, Bradlee gave Kennedy private tips on how to beat rival Lyndon Johnson.

The Huffington Post, for months after Trump's formal entry into the race, refused to cover the campaign in its political section. Publisher Arianna Huffington called Trump's candidacy, in effect, a circus that did not deserve serious coverage.

Academia, on the humanities side, overwhelmingly leans left. What effect does this have on the voting habits of students? Since Trump's election, we've seen a video of a university teacher likening Trump voters to "terrorists." We hear of professors denouncing Trump as "racist" and predicting a dystopian future. No doubt during the election many professors let their opinions and preferences be known to their students. Years ago, an American Enterprise magazine study confirmed what we already know, that our college and university faculty, whether big or small, north or south, east or west, private or public, are mostly left-wing. What effect does our left-wing academia have on the electorate?

Hollywood hates Trump. From first dismissing candidate Trump as a clown and a buffoon to, post-election, when actor Robert De Niro said, “Fuck Trump," Hollywood dislikes Trump perhaps even more than it did President George W. Bush over the Iraq War and Hurricane Katrina.

Ann Coulter was ridiculed by "Real Time" host Bill Maher, her co-panelists and the studio audience when she told Bill Maher that she thought Trump could win the Republican nomination. President Barack Obama, echoing a common line throughout the election from the late-night comics, insisted Trump would never be president.

Ad

There is no doubt that Russia attempted to interfere in our 2016 presidential election. Why didn't Obama do more to stop it? 

Two likely reasons. First, Obama correctly assumed that the American people could not be manipulated into voting for someone they otherwise didn't want to because Russian bots reprogrammed their minds through Facebook. Second, Obama, like most pundits, assumed that Hillary Clinton, whom he called the "most qualified" candidate ever to run, was unbeatable.

Whatever influence Russia may have had on the elections is dwarfed by the "collusion" of the largely anti-GOP media, academia and Hollywood. If the right dominated these fields, congressional Democrats would demand hearings.

STEPHANIE BLYTHE 
in a
WONDERFULLY TOUCHING TRIBUTE 
to 
KATE SMITH
with 
CRAIG TERRY 
at the piano
HEAR AMERICAN POPULAR MUSIC  FULLY REALIZED
as the   GREAT ART IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN

Brett Kavanaugh

OUR NEWEST SUPREME COURT JUSTICE?

We pray today for the well-being of Judge Brett Kavanaugh who just yesterday was nominated by President Trump to fill the vacancy on the Supreme Court left by Justice Anthony Kennedy.

We pray that he and his family will withstand  with aplomb the incessant barrage of lies, snide, politically-motivated insults, barbed criticisms, vilification, and calumny to which he is sure to be subjected. 

We pray too that his nomination will be approved in the senate, and that he will be seated on the high court before the November election.

Most of all we pray that Judge Kavanaugh, if he survives the barrage of dirty tricks and Kangaroo Court-like proceedings to which he is sure to be subjected to by the pharisiaical, power mad hypocrites determined to badger and beleaguer him, that, unlike too many Republican appointees to the bench in the past, Judge Kavnaugh will prove to be the staunch, highly principled, reliably conservative presence on the court President Trump believes he will be. 

...........THE OTHER SIDE ...........

All of us must know that it's very hard to swim across a body of water filled with sharp rocks, snags. alligators, piranhas, water mocassins and whirlpools that constantly interrupt your progress and sap your strength as they suck you down beneath the surface, and force you to fight your way back to where you can breathe again. It's even harder when the water gets filled more and more with raw sewage, and the dead bodies of friends and allies.

But one has to keep trying to swim in spite of all that, if one hopes to get to the Other Side.

And what is that Other Side?  Some might call it The Promised Land. Some might think of it as Home. Some might see it as Victory in a particular battle. Others might think of it as Heaven.

Whatever it could be, we have no choice but to keep swimming, even if we die in the attempt to reach the Other Side.  

Whether we succeed or not doesn't matter. Our Reward and Redemption come from simply having tried as hard as we could to do our best as long as we remain alive in this world.

... Franco ...

The Prayer of St. Francis

Lord, make me 

an instrument of Thy peace:

where there is Hatred, let me sow Love;

where there is Injury, Pardon;

where there is Doubt, Faith;

where there is Despair, Hope;

where there is Darkness, Light;

where there is Sadness, Joy. 

O divine Master, grant 

that I may not so much seek

to be consoled as to console,

to be understood as to understand,

to be loved as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive, 

it is in pardoning that we are pardoned, 

and it is in dying that we are 

born to eternal life.

Amen!

… St. Francis of Assisi (1182-1226) ...

Letter from John Adams to Abigail Adams, 3 July 1776

Philadelphia July 3d. 1776

Had a Declaration of Independency been made seven Months ago, it would have been attended with many great and glorious Effects .... We might before this Hour, have formed Alliances with foreign States. –– We should have mastered Quebec and been in Possession of Canada .... 

You will perhaps wonder, how such a Declaration would have influenced our Affairs, in Canada, but if I could write with Freedom I could easily convince you, that it would, and explain to you the manner how. –– Many Gentlemen in high Stations and of great Influence have been duped, by the ministerial Bubble of Commissioners to treat .... And in real, sincere Expectation of this effort Event, which they so fondly wished, they have been slow and languid, in promoting Measures for the Reduction of that Province. Others there are in the Colonies who really wished that our Enterprise in Canada would be defeated, that the Colonies might be brought into Danger and Distress between two Fires, and be thus induced to submit. 

Others really wished to defeat the Expedition to Canada, lest the Conquest of it, should elevate the Minds of the People too much to hearken to those Terms of Reconciliation which they believed would be offered Us. These jarring Views, Wishes and Designs, occasioned an opposition to many salutary Measures, which were proposed for the Support of that Expedition, and caused Obstructions, Embarrassments and studied Delays, which have finally, lost Us the Province.

All these Causes however in Conjunction would not have disappointed Us, if it had not been for a Misfortune, which could not be foreseen, and perhaps could not have been prevented, I mean the Prevalence of the small Pox among our Troops .... 

This fatal Pestilence compleated our Destruction. –– It is a Frown of Providence upon Us, which We ought to lay to heart.

But on the other Hand, the Delay of this Declaration to this Time, has many great Advantages attending it. –– The Hopes of Reconciliation, which were fondly entertained by Multitudes of honest and well meaning though weak and mistaken People, have been gradually and at last totally extinguished. –– Time has been given for the whole People, maturely to consider the great Question of Independence and to ripen their judgments, dissipate their Fears, and allure their Hopes, by discussing it in News Papers and Pamphletts, by debating it, in Assemblies, Conventions, Committees of Safety and Inspection, in Town and County Meetings, as well as in private Conversations, so that the whole People in every Colony of the 13, have now adopted it, as their own Act. –– This will cement the Union, and avoid those Heats and perhaps Convulsions which might have been occasioned, by such a Declaration Six Months ago. But the Day is past. 

The Second Day of July 1776, will be the most memorable Epocha, in the History of America. I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated, by succeeding Generations, as the great anniversary Festival. 

It ought to be commemorated, as the Day of Deliverance by solemn Acts of Devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with Pomp and Parade, with Shews, Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other from this Time forward forever more.

You will think me transported with Enthusiasm but I am not. –– I am well aware of the Toil and Blood and Treasure, that it will cost Us to maintain this Declaration, and support and defend these States. –– Yet through all the Gloom I can see the Rays of ravishing Light and Glory. I can see that the End is more than worth all the Means. And that Posterity will tryumph in that Days Transaction, even although We should rue it, which I trust in God We shall not.

................ THOUGHT for the DAY ...............

Let us look more deeply into ourselves with the hope of finding a way to see the world, even with all its sadness, stupidity and horror, in a positive light. Let us always try to be grateful for each day, and find reasons to rejoice, even in the face of hardship, unfairmess, betrayal, callousness, cynicism, and challenges to health, safety, and financial security .

I can tell you from personal experience that the saying "All things work together for good to those who love God" is true.  Even if you think you can't believe in God, you will find Him, if you believe in the value of honesty, decency, fairness, kindness, mercy, charity, generosity, beauty, good humor, and keen intelligence when used to create wonderful things of beauty or usefulness, to make people laugh, and to promote benevolent causes.

While it's too easy to become cynical, especially if you spend much time mulling over the news, it's far more rewarding to work each day to find reasons to be glad, grateful and as generous to others as you can afford to be. It's much better for each of us to tend his own garden than to complain about the weeds that may be taking over a neighbor's yard.

Poverty, illness and death are not our worst enemies. That particular honor belongs to selfishness.

... Franco

....................  STATEMENT of PURPOSE ....................

Fruits of the sea. Fruits of the earth. Fruits of the mind. Fruits of the soul. Fruits of the spirit.  All work together for good to those who love truth, honor, decency, charity, and those who aearch for greater understanding.

May God bless all who visit here looking to find, to share, and to spread graciousness, enlghtenment, encouragement, appreciation of beauty, grace, wonder, expanding curiosity, and joy. 

Please be kind to each other. It pays great dividends.