Friday, February 15, 2008
The Skeptic risk
Consider however that apart from these band of theologians are countless more scattered across mountain ranges of blind faiths. It would be a lovelier sight to pull the final rock and see my idols in the end with smiles - "I told you so" rather than be torn from dogma to dogma.
Two nights ago, I was reading through Q 71 of the Summa, and found out several peculiar things:
1. Creation is not against Evolution. Well, I know this already but, it is good to note that Augustine mentioned that God created the "power" to be, and not merely the actual things themselves. Hence, he finds no reason to doubt that God may have created things imperfectly and gave them the power to be perfect:
Augustine differs from other writers in his opinion about the production of fishes and birds, as he differs about the production of plants. For while others say that fishes and birds were produced on the fifth day actually, he holds that the nature of the waters produced them on that day potentially. (Summa, I, 71, 1)
2. Aquinas used the science of his day to reason for the things of Philosophy. It is a wonder why the philosophers of today still use the Aristotelian concepts that are not based on the science of today. For example, instead of taking the existence of fundamental particles as an axiomatic princiiple in the composition of things, they ignore them completely and remain fixated with the Aritotelian notions of matter and form.
3. Genesis said that "Let the waters bring forth creeping creature....etc." Q71 of the Prima Pars of Summa Theologiae answered objections regarding the production of fish and birds for example from the waters. Aquinas reasoned, using the science of his day, in order to find sense in the words of Genesis. Now, eight centuries after, we can truly say that life indeed came from the sea as Genesis says. If we follow evolution theory, life indeed came from its elementary forms from the waters. And yes, the theologians sit there on top of the mountains smiling again.
Friday, June 22, 2007
Pregnancy risks
Reuters - Women with congenital heart disease who become pregnant face a heightened risk that their infant may be premature or not survive long, according to a report from the Netherlands.
Decline in breastfeeding linked to child deaths in Asia
AFP - About 160,000 infants die each year in the Asia-Pacific region due to a decline in breastfeeding, a UNICEF expert told a regional conference on Wednesday.
First-born are slightly smarter than younger siblings
HealthDay - THURSDAY, June 21 (HealthDay News) -- First-born children possess IQs that are 2.3 points higher, on average, than their younger siblings, anew study contends.
Move the train with your brain
AP - Forget the clicker: A new technology in Japan could let you control electronic devices without lifting a finger simply by reading brain activity.
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
US circumcision rate drops
AP - On the eighth day of her son's life, Julia Query welcomed friends and family to celebrate his birth and honor their Jewish heritage.
Stroke drug may also help with frostbite
AP - An anti-clotting drug used to treat strokes and heart attacks can also restore blood flow to frostbitten fingers and limbs, greatly reducing the need for amputation, according to a new study.