Howdy, Everybody;
We visited many places in NYC; I'll hit some of the high points here.
The Statue of Liberty / Ellis Island -
Our son had acquired online ferry tickets and the other ticket you need for access to the inside of the base of the Statue of Liberty. The instructions said to get there a couple of hours early, so we did, and had only a short wait (in a tent with several hundred people) before getting on the ferry. I should mention that you go through airport-type security to get on the ferry. We quickly grabbed seats on the top of the boat, and the view was excellent - until the ferry finished loading and people started standing at the rail around the deck. At that point, we couldn't see much. The short ride delivered us to the island, where we debarked (I've always wanted to 'debark' somewhere! Now there's no bark on me anywhere!). OK, that was lame. Deal with it.
We ate breakfast at the little snack bar near the dock, then walked around the outside taking our time, taking pictures. The ticket for access into the statue has a time range when you have to show up, so we weren't in any hurry. Around on the other side we saw the line to enter the statue base, so we went ahead and got in line. I should mention that you go through airport type security AGAIN to visit the statue. After 30 or 45 minutes, we got to the front of the line - we thought. It turned out that we were just entering a big tent. It had the serpentine lines set up in it, with another several hundred people in it. We looked around a bit, and it exited - into another tent. When we looked in the door, we saw ANOTHER tent with serpentine lines. At that point, we abandoned trying to get in, not wanting to spend the next 2-3 hours standing in line.
We then boarded the ferry to Ellis Island, which is where the immigrants used to enter and be processed by the government. This is now a historical museum, with exhibits. If you're interested in that sort of thing this is a good place to go. Outside there is a circular wall that surrounds a courtyard, maybe 150 feet across, that has the names listed of the immigrants. I'm sure this is for a specific time span, but I don't know what that is. There were about three columns of my family listed, one or more of which was my direct ancestors, I am sure.
One group I did notice while out on the islands was Amish. There were actually several groups, but they all appeared to know each other. I noticed one lady in traditional dress, but wearing modern sneakers. No judgment here, just thought it was interesting - the Amish have virtually no presence in East Texas.
And then we ferried back to Manhattan Island and continued our visit.
Museum of Natural History -
We walked from Central Park over to the Museum of Natural History, and made our way inside. This was not like I expected - I always visualized a big museum to be more like a library with exhibits. This was more like an 8th grade cafeteria at lunchtime. We got in a line to buy tickets to the things we were interested in, and then proceeded to go find them. First we went to the planetarium and watched a show about planetary collisions. The show was good, but we should have gotten seats nearer the edge - I had trouble seeing some portions because of my bifocals and not being able to turn my head far enough.
Then, we headed to the dinosaurs, something I had always wanted to see. This was my first time ever to see full-size dinosaur skeletons, even though I am aware almost all of them are actually replicas. It gives you a sense of scale you'll never get from books or movies. Wow. Worth the visit.
After that we left, earlier than anticipated, due partly to the crowding which I find uncomfortable, and partly due to a mild medical issue of mine.
And that's all I'm covering this time. Have a nice day!
-Pop
Friday, July 20, 2007
Thursday, July 19, 2007
A Texan in New York City - Explosions and Bomb Scares
Howdy, Everybody;
Funny how things just happen in New York City. First, on Tuesday 7/17/07 somebody leaves a container of used clothes at the Library, and it clears the library and several surrounding city blocks while the police bomb squad checks it out. Then, on Wednesday, 7/18/07, a steam line blows, taking a big chunk of road with it, killing or injuring several people, in an intersection two blocks over and one block down from the entrance to Grand Central Terminal. We walked those same streets last week.
I'm glad we missed both incidents. Our son saw the cloud, but he was far enough away that he didn't attach any significance to it until he saw the news. This is a Good Thing.
Where we live, one time a pickup truck caught on fire across the road at a (now defunct) gas station. Since several other people were coping with the fire and our help wasn't necessary, we got out the lawn chairs and watched the show. Well, not really- we didn't Actually get out the lawn chairs. But we thought about it. This was high excitement around here.
There was in fact a gas line blowout over near my niece's house a few years ago - major big flames going high in the air. So far as I can remember, nobody got hurt. And, also years ago, Texas Eastman suffered several explosions over several years. People died in some of those incidents. Rattled the glass at my house, some 16 miles away. So I guess there's always some risk of the infrastructure going wrong.
Sometimes, boredom is a good thing.
-Pop
Funny how things just happen in New York City. First, on Tuesday 7/17/07 somebody leaves a container of used clothes at the Library, and it clears the library and several surrounding city blocks while the police bomb squad checks it out. Then, on Wednesday, 7/18/07, a steam line blows, taking a big chunk of road with it, killing or injuring several people, in an intersection two blocks over and one block down from the entrance to Grand Central Terminal. We walked those same streets last week.
I'm glad we missed both incidents. Our son saw the cloud, but he was far enough away that he didn't attach any significance to it until he saw the news. This is a Good Thing.
Where we live, one time a pickup truck caught on fire across the road at a (now defunct) gas station. Since several other people were coping with the fire and our help wasn't necessary, we got out the lawn chairs and watched the show. Well, not really- we didn't Actually get out the lawn chairs. But we thought about it. This was high excitement around here.
There was in fact a gas line blowout over near my niece's house a few years ago - major big flames going high in the air. So far as I can remember, nobody got hurt. And, also years ago, Texas Eastman suffered several explosions over several years. People died in some of those incidents. Rattled the glass at my house, some 16 miles away. So I guess there's always some risk of the infrastructure going wrong.
Sometimes, boredom is a good thing.
-Pop
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
A Texan in New York City - #2
Howdy, everybody;
It's really interesting to me how I keep thinking about this trip to New York City from which I just returned. I find myself wanting to go back, to explore things at more leisure. NYC has a curious sort of fascination to me, now that I've actually seen it.
Don't get me wrong, I don't think I'd ever want to live there. But it would be nice if I had the resources that would allow me to explore it a bit less hurriedly. I'd like to sit somewhere quiet and watch people go by for a couple of hours. I'd like to explore the museum a lot more.
They had a bomb scare at the New York Public Library yesterday, and it was interesting to see places I recognized on Fox News. (Turned out to be a sack of discarded clothing.)
All in all, a positive trip. I suspect we'll go again.
I plan to make a couple of more entries here about specific parts of our trip, such as our visit to the Statue of Liberty (some people actually do buy those foam hats), and Central Park, and the Museum of Natural History.
Have a nice day!
-Pop
It's really interesting to me how I keep thinking about this trip to New York City from which I just returned. I find myself wanting to go back, to explore things at more leisure. NYC has a curious sort of fascination to me, now that I've actually seen it.
Don't get me wrong, I don't think I'd ever want to live there. But it would be nice if I had the resources that would allow me to explore it a bit less hurriedly. I'd like to sit somewhere quiet and watch people go by for a couple of hours. I'd like to explore the museum a lot more.
They had a bomb scare at the New York Public Library yesterday, and it was interesting to see places I recognized on Fox News. (Turned out to be a sack of discarded clothing.)
All in all, a positive trip. I suspect we'll go again.
I plan to make a couple of more entries here about specific parts of our trip, such as our visit to the Statue of Liberty (some people actually do buy those foam hats), and Central Park, and the Museum of Natural History.
Have a nice day!
-Pop
Monday, July 16, 2007
A Texan in New York City - First Impressions
Howdy, Everybody;
My wife and I went on a visit to New York City in July 2007, to spend some time with our son. Talk about culture shock! From what passes for rural living in East Texas to probably the densest city in the United States. Educational.
Disclaimer: We only visited Astoria, and areas south of West 72nd Street. If anything I say here is not true elsewhere in NYC, please forgive me. We flew in on a Wednesday and flew out on the following Sunday, so exposure was not all-inclusive or complete by any means. Also affecting my perspective, is the fact that I am an introvert. What follows is a lot of random observations. Before you get mad, read the whole thing. Also, bear in mind that some of what sounds critical is actually just observation, and itself is part of the experience of going.
The people in New York City are an incredible mix of races, religions, nationalities, ages, physical types, languages, and you-name-it. Walking along most major avenues, or riding the subways, you will frequently hear several different languages. New Yorkers have a bit different perspective on personal space. When walking it is usually easy to find a way through the crowd, although you will do a lot of weaving. On subways you will frequently be standing very close to other people, as if you were in an elevator. And yet, in the subways and elsewhere, most of the time no one will meet your eyes or greet you. And any time a group goes through a constriction, such as a door or the stairs at the subway, you will be in contact with those around you. Nobody thinks twice about this. So far as I saw, people are pretty forgiving of bumps and shoves. But I carried my wallet in my front pants pocket.
I noticed that, walking down the street, you will see lots more New Yorkers smoking, than in East Texas. In the same block you might see evening dress on down to rags. I saw two or three people living in boxes on the sidewalk, and another time we saw a homeless person sleeping in the famous 'Love' sign. We stood in front of him to get our picture taken with the sign.
Most of the shops are old, small, many are multi-floor, and yet they do have quality goods generally. For instance, Thursday morning we had breakfast at a bagel shop on the corner - pick your stuff, pay for it, go upstairs to eat while watching the street. The guy who takes your money is polite until he gets it and makes change, but after that he has no more time for you. Next! Prices are generally high - I paid between $5 and $6 for each of three different milk shakes. Bottled water from the numerous street vendors sells for between $2 and $4 a bottle. Hotels and apartments are expensive.
The pavement is dirty unless it is new. Amazing used bubble gum patterns. In the morning, fetid, stinking steam rises from the sewer gratings. And taxi drivers are crazy - one of them told us so.
Subways actually surprised me at how effective they are at getting you from one place to another. You buy a metro card for the time you need, and ride the subways or busses. In the many places we went, guided by our son, most of the time you were within a block or two of a subway station at either end. Generally the wait is not excessive, and it is an effective way to get around. The subway cars are not excessively dirty, and bless them, they are air conditioned. Some are newer than others, and the noise level varies. About one in three people have an iPod stuck in their ear. Nobody meets your eyes. The major killer for me was the walking. I weigh about 260 pounds; after you ride 5 or 6 subways in a day, you've gone up and down numerous stairs, plus the walking at both ends - you're doing a lot of work. So I think the natives are probably generally in better shape than yours truly, who has a desk job.
Central Park is very well done. Everything is mowed, lots of rock formations with glacier scars, grassy areas, trees, paved paths, fountains, benches, very nice. Squirrels and birds are not afraid of people. Hint -you cannot feed just one bird. If you try, you get a flock. Like the city, a wild mix of people come by, if you sit for a while. One individual was either deranged or high, walked by, talking loudly to himself. Don't make eye contact with crazy people. (Maybe that's why nobody else makes eye contact! They think I'm crazy!)
There are some things in NYC that just aren't anywhere else. And some of the things that are elsewhere are done with more class in NYC. For instance, the Apple store under the glass cube is really, really cool.
In no particular order, I was very impressed with Central Park; the view from the observation deck of the Rockefeller Center; the Statue of Liberty; the Museum of Natural History; the Brooklyn Bridge; the St. Patrick Cathedral; and the city itself. The city seems to have taken care to have little parks and fountains, or cozy little places with benches, randomly located in each neighborhood so that it feels like a lived in place - not just all brick and mortar. Each of these things really needs it's own article, but that will have to wait.
Oh, yeah, we went to see the Blue Man Group. Absolutely awesome - highly recommended.
All in all, I am glad we went, and we'll probably go again. We had a good time. After this experience, I think everybody should go there at least once - it's a whole different world.
To be continued...
-Pop
My wife and I went on a visit to New York City in July 2007, to spend some time with our son. Talk about culture shock! From what passes for rural living in East Texas to probably the densest city in the United States. Educational.
Disclaimer: We only visited Astoria, and areas south of West 72nd Street. If anything I say here is not true elsewhere in NYC, please forgive me. We flew in on a Wednesday and flew out on the following Sunday, so exposure was not all-inclusive or complete by any means. Also affecting my perspective, is the fact that I am an introvert. What follows is a lot of random observations. Before you get mad, read the whole thing. Also, bear in mind that some of what sounds critical is actually just observation, and itself is part of the experience of going.
The people in New York City are an incredible mix of races, religions, nationalities, ages, physical types, languages, and you-name-it. Walking along most major avenues, or riding the subways, you will frequently hear several different languages. New Yorkers have a bit different perspective on personal space. When walking it is usually easy to find a way through the crowd, although you will do a lot of weaving. On subways you will frequently be standing very close to other people, as if you were in an elevator. And yet, in the subways and elsewhere, most of the time no one will meet your eyes or greet you. And any time a group goes through a constriction, such as a door or the stairs at the subway, you will be in contact with those around you. Nobody thinks twice about this. So far as I saw, people are pretty forgiving of bumps and shoves. But I carried my wallet in my front pants pocket.
I noticed that, walking down the street, you will see lots more New Yorkers smoking, than in East Texas. In the same block you might see evening dress on down to rags. I saw two or three people living in boxes on the sidewalk, and another time we saw a homeless person sleeping in the famous 'Love' sign. We stood in front of him to get our picture taken with the sign.
Most of the shops are old, small, many are multi-floor, and yet they do have quality goods generally. For instance, Thursday morning we had breakfast at a bagel shop on the corner - pick your stuff, pay for it, go upstairs to eat while watching the street. The guy who takes your money is polite until he gets it and makes change, but after that he has no more time for you. Next! Prices are generally high - I paid between $5 and $6 for each of three different milk shakes. Bottled water from the numerous street vendors sells for between $2 and $4 a bottle. Hotels and apartments are expensive.
The pavement is dirty unless it is new. Amazing used bubble gum patterns. In the morning, fetid, stinking steam rises from the sewer gratings. And taxi drivers are crazy - one of them told us so.
Subways actually surprised me at how effective they are at getting you from one place to another. You buy a metro card for the time you need, and ride the subways or busses. In the many places we went, guided by our son, most of the time you were within a block or two of a subway station at either end. Generally the wait is not excessive, and it is an effective way to get around. The subway cars are not excessively dirty, and bless them, they are air conditioned. Some are newer than others, and the noise level varies. About one in three people have an iPod stuck in their ear. Nobody meets your eyes. The major killer for me was the walking. I weigh about 260 pounds; after you ride 5 or 6 subways in a day, you've gone up and down numerous stairs, plus the walking at both ends - you're doing a lot of work. So I think the natives are probably generally in better shape than yours truly, who has a desk job.
Central Park is very well done. Everything is mowed, lots of rock formations with glacier scars, grassy areas, trees, paved paths, fountains, benches, very nice. Squirrels and birds are not afraid of people. Hint -you cannot feed just one bird. If you try, you get a flock. Like the city, a wild mix of people come by, if you sit for a while. One individual was either deranged or high, walked by, talking loudly to himself. Don't make eye contact with crazy people. (Maybe that's why nobody else makes eye contact! They think I'm crazy!)
There are some things in NYC that just aren't anywhere else. And some of the things that are elsewhere are done with more class in NYC. For instance, the Apple store under the glass cube is really, really cool.
In no particular order, I was very impressed with Central Park; the view from the observation deck of the Rockefeller Center; the Statue of Liberty; the Museum of Natural History; the Brooklyn Bridge; the St. Patrick Cathedral; and the city itself. The city seems to have taken care to have little parks and fountains, or cozy little places with benches, randomly located in each neighborhood so that it feels like a lived in place - not just all brick and mortar. Each of these things really needs it's own article, but that will have to wait.
Oh, yeah, we went to see the Blue Man Group. Absolutely awesome - highly recommended.
All in all, I am glad we went, and we'll probably go again. We had a good time. After this experience, I think everybody should go there at least once - it's a whole different world.
To be continued...
-Pop
Thursday, July 5, 2007
My Dad - the Back Fence
Howdy, Friends;
Once, when I was 14 or 15 years old, I was spending a summer day helping my Dad and a couple of other guys put a barbed-wire fence down the back side of the property. This fence was in a heavily wooded and grown up area, so the method involved walking down the fence line with a chain saw cutting everything in the way, to make a road big enough for the truck. We'd do this maybe 100 yards at a time, then go back for the truck. Once we got to the end, we'd string wire and use the truck to throw off posts, etc.
Anyhow, at one rest period I got sent back for the truck. It was a red GMC truck, probably at that time 5 or 6 years old, bought used. I was driving it to where everybody else was resting, and I went in between two little tree stumps left from our cutting. Unfortunately, they were about two inches too close together. I got out to see how bad the damage was, and saw that I had wrinkled the sheet metal down both sides of the truck. Dad was going to kill me, no doubt about it.
So, fearing for my life, I proceeded with the truck to where Dad was sitting at the foot of a tree, having a beer. I pulled up across from him and got out, walked over to him.
I said, "Dad, see the sheet metal on the side of your truck?". He said, in a grim voice, "Yep."
I said, "Well, the other side looks just like it."
He got to laughing so hard that he never punished me for it.
I told you that one, so I could tell you this one.
Much, much later, my son Richard was learning to drive. I think he was probably 14 or 15. He had reached the point of soloing in our big yard, in my Ford Ranger, and he was sort of circling the house and my mother's mobile home. I had gone inside for a minute, but happened to be looking out the back window as he came around the mobile home. He cut it a little close and clipped the tongue of the trailer with the side of the truck, putting a little dent behind the door. Shook the mobile home pretty well, too. Of course he stopped to check the damage.
I came out the back door, laughing, and he got mad (I think) because he thought I was laughing at him. But I was actually laughing because I had done the same dang thing, pretty much, twenty-some-odd years before, and I thought it was hilarious. Maybe it's genetic, thought I.
When young people are first learning to drive, you just have to expect this kind of thing. Getting mad about it doesn't help - it's part of the job description of a parent to be patient about this kind of thing. Neither he, nor I, set out to dent the various trucks - it just takes some practice to learn how to judge that sort of thing.
Be patient with your kids.
-Pop
Once, when I was 14 or 15 years old, I was spending a summer day helping my Dad and a couple of other guys put a barbed-wire fence down the back side of the property. This fence was in a heavily wooded and grown up area, so the method involved walking down the fence line with a chain saw cutting everything in the way, to make a road big enough for the truck. We'd do this maybe 100 yards at a time, then go back for the truck. Once we got to the end, we'd string wire and use the truck to throw off posts, etc.
Anyhow, at one rest period I got sent back for the truck. It was a red GMC truck, probably at that time 5 or 6 years old, bought used. I was driving it to where everybody else was resting, and I went in between two little tree stumps left from our cutting. Unfortunately, they were about two inches too close together. I got out to see how bad the damage was, and saw that I had wrinkled the sheet metal down both sides of the truck. Dad was going to kill me, no doubt about it.
So, fearing for my life, I proceeded with the truck to where Dad was sitting at the foot of a tree, having a beer. I pulled up across from him and got out, walked over to him.
I said, "Dad, see the sheet metal on the side of your truck?". He said, in a grim voice, "Yep."
I said, "Well, the other side looks just like it."
He got to laughing so hard that he never punished me for it.
I told you that one, so I could tell you this one.
Much, much later, my son Richard was learning to drive. I think he was probably 14 or 15. He had reached the point of soloing in our big yard, in my Ford Ranger, and he was sort of circling the house and my mother's mobile home. I had gone inside for a minute, but happened to be looking out the back window as he came around the mobile home. He cut it a little close and clipped the tongue of the trailer with the side of the truck, putting a little dent behind the door. Shook the mobile home pretty well, too. Of course he stopped to check the damage.
I came out the back door, laughing, and he got mad (I think) because he thought I was laughing at him. But I was actually laughing because I had done the same dang thing, pretty much, twenty-some-odd years before, and I thought it was hilarious. Maybe it's genetic, thought I.
When young people are first learning to drive, you just have to expect this kind of thing. Getting mad about it doesn't help - it's part of the job description of a parent to be patient about this kind of thing. Neither he, nor I, set out to dent the various trucks - it just takes some practice to learn how to judge that sort of thing.
Be patient with your kids.
-Pop
My Dad - the Gas Tank
Howdy Everybody;
My dad was a welder, and he definitely had his own way about him.
Once, when my oldest boy was somewhat less than two years old, I had reason to walk down to my dad's shop to talk to him about something or other. I was carrying Richard, because the ground and debris down there wouldn't be safe for a child.
I was standing there talking to dad while he was working on a truck for somebody. The body was off the truck, and it looked like maybe the frame of a pulp-wood truck, being a dually on the back and kind of a long frame on it.
Anyhow, he was trying to get the gas tank off the frame. It was on the inside of the frame, bolted through the frame with a big nut on the outside. He was working on it with a box-end wrench, and not having much luck. While we were talking, he throws down the wrench and reaches around and puts on his cutting goggles. Then he picks up his torch and ignites it.
I said, "Dad? Are you planning on cutting that bolt off that gas tank there?" and he said "Yes, why?".
I said "Wait a minute."
And I carried Richard out away from the shop, about 50 or 60 feet away in the driveway. I turned around, and shouted at him, "OK - Go ahead!".
He looked at me; and he looked at his torch; and he looked at this gas tank. Then he cut off the torch, took his goggles off, and went and got a cold chisel to cut the nut off.
It's amazing he lived long enough to have children, much less grand-children.
-Pop
My dad was a welder, and he definitely had his own way about him.
Once, when my oldest boy was somewhat less than two years old, I had reason to walk down to my dad's shop to talk to him about something or other. I was carrying Richard, because the ground and debris down there wouldn't be safe for a child.
I was standing there talking to dad while he was working on a truck for somebody. The body was off the truck, and it looked like maybe the frame of a pulp-wood truck, being a dually on the back and kind of a long frame on it.
Anyhow, he was trying to get the gas tank off the frame. It was on the inside of the frame, bolted through the frame with a big nut on the outside. He was working on it with a box-end wrench, and not having much luck. While we were talking, he throws down the wrench and reaches around and puts on his cutting goggles. Then he picks up his torch and ignites it.
I said, "Dad? Are you planning on cutting that bolt off that gas tank there?" and he said "Yes, why?".
I said "Wait a minute."
And I carried Richard out away from the shop, about 50 or 60 feet away in the driveway. I turned around, and shouted at him, "OK - Go ahead!".
He looked at me; and he looked at his torch; and he looked at this gas tank. Then he cut off the torch, took his goggles off, and went and got a cold chisel to cut the nut off.
It's amazing he lived long enough to have children, much less grand-children.
-Pop
Examine the Evidence!
Howdy, Friends!
It is important to make decisions and select belief systems based on as much factual information as you can get your brain around. The facts are your guide to understanding what is around you.
Apply critical thought, and do the research required to understand the subject at hand. For instance, take the age of the earth. Many Christian fundamentalists think the earth is only a few thousands of years old. They base this on conclusions drawn by theologians without any science involved at all. This is, however, a belief, a wish, and is not supported by observed fact. To disagree with mainstream science about such a topic (which says that the earth is about 4.54 billion years old) is not reasonable. (Remember, the church was also absolutely convinced (wrongly) that the sun rotated around the earth, to the point of executing people who studied the subject and came to have a different view.)
If a person is going to have an informed opinion on the subject of the age of the earth, he should take the time to study where the 4.54 billion year figure came from. Study the methods of measurement used. Look at the consensus view among geologists who study this subject for a living. Get into it deeply enough that you understand the basis for that view. If you find dissenting views, study them to see if they have any scientific basis (in this case, I haven't seen any). Do all this before you commit to a decision. Then, if you really are convinced that all those scientists are, every one of them, wrong, you are prepared to argue your case. But it is far more likely that you will come to accept the general view of the age of the earth, if you pursue this honestly. There is an overwhelming amount of evidence to support this view.
Please note also that there is nothing in the Bible that contradicts the long age of the earth - it is possible without straining to reconcile everything in the Bible with observed scientific fact. Or at least, I have found it to be so.
Somebody, somewhere, is going to say, "What about miracles?". Now, Biblical miracles are, individually, one of two things - either they are exercises of unfamiliar phenomena that do not contradict the physical laws of the universe, or they are the real McCoy - God himself reaching into our universe and changing things. And, guess what? True science does not have an opinion about miracles. Because they are, lets admit it, pretty difficult to study.
So, science is incapable of ruling out miracles. Good thing, because I choose to believe in miracles. Some scientists will refuse to believe in them, and that's their call - but if they are honest as scientists, they will admit that they cannot prove or disprove the existence of miracles or God.
Science is like a flashlight in your hand, in a huge dark cavern. Whatever can be illuminated with the flashlight of science is well lit, and can be examined and learned about. Wherever the flashlight can't reach, or isn't pointed at, is unknown. Science is a good tool for learning about the universe, but it cannot ever rule out the existence of things outside it's reach. Such as the existence of God.
By the same token, any belief in God has to tolerate the findings of science, unless it can be shown, using scientific methods, that the prevailing scientific view is wrong.
This is because the methods employed by science do work effectively. Any hypothesis or theory put forth by science is subject to change or removal by the addition of new facts which alter the original view. Therefore, dissenting views can be expressed - if you can back them up with observation and fact. And, in God's universe, when all is said and done, science will illuminate God's creation with the light of truth.
Until next time -
Pop
It is important to make decisions and select belief systems based on as much factual information as you can get your brain around. The facts are your guide to understanding what is around you.
Apply critical thought, and do the research required to understand the subject at hand. For instance, take the age of the earth. Many Christian fundamentalists think the earth is only a few thousands of years old. They base this on conclusions drawn by theologians without any science involved at all. This is, however, a belief, a wish, and is not supported by observed fact. To disagree with mainstream science about such a topic (which says that the earth is about 4.54 billion years old) is not reasonable. (Remember, the church was also absolutely convinced (wrongly) that the sun rotated around the earth, to the point of executing people who studied the subject and came to have a different view.)
If a person is going to have an informed opinion on the subject of the age of the earth, he should take the time to study where the 4.54 billion year figure came from. Study the methods of measurement used. Look at the consensus view among geologists who study this subject for a living. Get into it deeply enough that you understand the basis for that view. If you find dissenting views, study them to see if they have any scientific basis (in this case, I haven't seen any). Do all this before you commit to a decision. Then, if you really are convinced that all those scientists are, every one of them, wrong, you are prepared to argue your case. But it is far more likely that you will come to accept the general view of the age of the earth, if you pursue this honestly. There is an overwhelming amount of evidence to support this view.
Please note also that there is nothing in the Bible that contradicts the long age of the earth - it is possible without straining to reconcile everything in the Bible with observed scientific fact. Or at least, I have found it to be so.
Somebody, somewhere, is going to say, "What about miracles?". Now, Biblical miracles are, individually, one of two things - either they are exercises of unfamiliar phenomena that do not contradict the physical laws of the universe, or they are the real McCoy - God himself reaching into our universe and changing things. And, guess what? True science does not have an opinion about miracles. Because they are, lets admit it, pretty difficult to study.
So, science is incapable of ruling out miracles. Good thing, because I choose to believe in miracles. Some scientists will refuse to believe in them, and that's their call - but if they are honest as scientists, they will admit that they cannot prove or disprove the existence of miracles or God.
Science is like a flashlight in your hand, in a huge dark cavern. Whatever can be illuminated with the flashlight of science is well lit, and can be examined and learned about. Wherever the flashlight can't reach, or isn't pointed at, is unknown. Science is a good tool for learning about the universe, but it cannot ever rule out the existence of things outside it's reach. Such as the existence of God.
By the same token, any belief in God has to tolerate the findings of science, unless it can be shown, using scientific methods, that the prevailing scientific view is wrong.
This is because the methods employed by science do work effectively. Any hypothesis or theory put forth by science is subject to change or removal by the addition of new facts which alter the original view. Therefore, dissenting views can be expressed - if you can back them up with observation and fact. And, in God's universe, when all is said and done, science will illuminate God's creation with the light of truth.
Until next time -
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