IT’S ALIVE! ALIVE!…But Should Scientists Play God?

If ever there were an RTB book to read around Halloween, it would be Creating Life in the Lab. Author and biochemist Fazale Rana focuses on scientists’ attempts to create a novel life-form—to find the elixir of life. The connection to Frankenstein is obvious, and Rana refers to Mary Shelley’s classic book throughout his own. In light of scientists’ fascinating quest to create synthetic life, Rana poses a provocative question: Should humans play God?

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Extra Grace Required in Science-Faith Relationships

We all know people who tend to deplete our reserves of patience and good will. (Perhaps we’ve even been one of these folks.) I’ve taken to identifying such people as “EGRs”: extra grace required. This label, which I adopted from a guest speaker at my church, helps remind me to reign in my irritability and pray for an extra measure of patience when dealing with difficult people. After all, I require extra grace, too.

Interactions within the science-faith arena provide plentiful examples of EGRs.

 

How Not to Handle the Creation-Evolution Debate

A few weeks ago I found myself in a conversation with an atheist about evolution and creation. What I noticed in our interaction was that he was initially hesitant to admit his belief in evolution (and disbelief in God), and not because he was uncertain of his beliefs. Past experience taught him that identifying himself as an atheist drew a hostile response from the Christians he encountered.

 

Take Two Turns Four!

Bust out the party hats because today Take Two celebrates its fourth birthday. In celebration of our big day, we’ve compiled some of your favorite posts—consider it a“regifting” of sorts.

 

Why Would God Allow Natural Disasters?

No one likes natural disasters. They can devastate entire areas and cause human suffering and death, leaving people to wonder why God would allow such calamities. If God created the earth for the benefit of humanity, why is it sometimes inhospitable to its inhabitants?

 

Marvel Comics and Logical Fallacies

The other day a few of us on staff took a break to discuss an urgent topic:

Who is the best* super hero in the Marvel universe?

Tolerant observers in this roundtable discussion shared their opinion and shrugged off opposing views with indifference. But the longtime, diehard fans clung to their views like Spidey to a wall.

 

Science, Faith, Reason, Sporks

In the opening scenes of Disney and Pixar’s Wall–E, the titular robot returns home from a full day of garbage cleanup with a little pile of treasures to add to his extensive collection. Carefully, Wall-E puts each item in its place, but a spork stumps him. Does it go with the spoons or with the forks?

Like Wall-E, many of us like to fit things, people, and ideas into neatly structured categories.

 

Scientific Fusion

My husband and I love watching Iron Chef America, the Food Network show where top-notch chefs go toe-to-toe in an hour-long culinary battle. It’s particularly fascinating to watch the competitors deal with a “secret ingredient” that forces them to think outside the box of their expertise. A French-trained chef might play with Asian flavors or an Italian-trained chef might find inspiration in the foods of the American Southwest. The results are intriguing cross-cultural cuisine fusions.

 

Hallelujah, Harvest, and Halloween Alternatives

Say you receive an invitation in the mail for a party on October 31. This party will include candy, costumes, and “illusion” (insert picture of a top hat, wand, and sparkly star). Would you assume you were just invited to a Hallelujah party? Probably not.

Yet, depending on where you live, you might see church banners with a similar invitation. Don’t get me wrong. It’s wonderful that churches are serving their communities by hosting these kinds of events. But the peculiar words on church signs this time of year might cause passersby to raise a curious brow—it does for this editorial eye, at least.

 

Spreading the Good News—With Love

Vibrant foliage colors, exciting festivities, and Starbucks’ pumpkin spice lattes all help make fall my favorite time of year. Although people often say Southern California doesn’t experience “real” seasons, the signs of change are here. Our founder, Hugh Ross, aptly describes autumn in SoCal in an upcoming ministry letter:

While the seasons here in Southern California are subtle, to those of us who live and work here the signs are very familiar.