The problem of conflicting visions

As I look back through my career, I realize that I have my feet in two worlds: One in the world of science, the other in the world of Christianity. Each seems to always be ridiculing the positions of the other. I wish I could bridge them and help people understand they are simply studying the same thing, but from different perspectives - much as two blind persons might be describing an elephant, one examining the tail and the other the trunk. Perhaps I am one piece of the bridge structure, but after centuries of study the supporting structure is still not complete, and I wonder whether it will ever be complete. So, I feel like I am moving back and forth via canoe, attempting to make sense of connections.

A Warning to Washington?

There was once a man named Ezekiel who had some very serious charges against Jerusalem, and filled a book with warnings. I wonder: If, instead, he were living in the U.S.A. today, and warning Washington, would chapter 22 of his book read something like the following?

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The word of the Lord came to me:

 “Son of man, will you judge her? Will you judge this city of corruption? Then confront her with all her detestable practices and say: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Your city that brings on herself doom by committing felony in her midst and defiles itself by lying to hide actions, you have become guilty because of the crime you have committed and have become defiled by the evil you have compiled. You have brought your days to a close, and the end of your years has come. Therefore, I will make you an object of scorn to the nations and a laughingstock to all the countries. Those who are near and those who are far away will mock you, you infamous city, full of turmoil.

“‘See how each of the elected leaders who are in you uses power to gain wealth. In you they have treated the poor with contempt; in you they have oppressed the legal immigrants and mistreated the poor. You have despised my holy things and desecrated my Sabbaths. In you are slanderers who commit felony and blame the honest; in you are those who freely spend money that is not theirs and make decisions that benefit themselves rather than those they represent. In you are those who dishonor women; in you are those who violate women by force, when they are unable to resist. In you one man commits adultery with his neighbor’s wife, another shamefully goes to prostitutes, and another violates children, both girls and boys. In you are people who accept bribes to direct their votes; you take interest and make a profit from the poor. You extort unjust gain from those who elect you. And you have forgotten me, declares the Sovereign Lord.

 “‘I will surely strike my hands together at the unjust gain you have made and the people you have destroyed in your midst. Will your courage endure or your hands be strong in the day I deal with you? I the Lord have spoken, and I will do it. I will disperse you among the nations and scatter you through the countries; and I will put an end to your corruption. When you have been defiled in the eyes of the nations, you will know that I am the Lord.’”

Then the word of the Lord came to me: “Politicians have become dross to me; all of them are the copper, tin, iron and lead left inside a furnace. They are but the dross of silver. Therefore, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: ‘Because you have all become dross, I will gather you into Washington DC. As silver, copper, iron, lead and tin are gathered into a furnace to be melted with a fiery blast, so will I gather you in my anger and my wrath and put you inside the city and melt you. I will gather you and I will blow on you with my fiery wrath, and you will be melted inside her. As silver is melted in a furnace, so you will be melted inside her, and you will know that I the Lord have poured out my wrath on you.’”

Again, the word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, say to the land, ‘You are a land that has not been cleansed or rained on in the day of wrath.’ There is a conspiracy of her Congressional representatives like a roaring lion tearing its prey; they devour people, take treasures and precious things and make many widows. Her Senators do violence to my law and profane the Constitution; they do not distinguish between the legal and the illegal; they teach that there is no difference between their acts and the Constitution; and they shut their eyes to the wishes of those who elect them, so that I am profaned among them. Her officials within her are like wolves tearing their prey; they ignore the cost to make unjust gain. The Supreme Court judges whitewash these deeds for them by false judgements and lying decisions. They say, ‘This is what the Constitution says’—when the Constitution contains no support. The people of the land practice extortion and commit robbery; they oppress the poor and needy and mistreat the foreigner, denying them justice, while awarding and supporting illegal immigrants.

 “I looked for someone among them who would build up the wall and stand before me in the gap on behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it, but I found no one. So I will pour out my wrath on the politicians and consume them with my fiery anger, bringing down on their own heads all they have done, declares the Sovereign Lord.”

(or would this last paragraph read: “I looked for someone among them who would build up the wall and stand before me in the gap on behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it, and I found one. You have ridiculed, belittled, voted down, and blocked the actions I have ordered. So, I will pour out my wrath on the politicians and consume them with my fiery anger, bringing down on their own heads all they have done, declares the Sovereign Lord.”)

Power = wealth

Power = wealth is a relationship recognized since people began to group together for mutual benefit. It didn’t take long for leaders to arise and organize the groups. It didn’t take long for the leaders to become absolute authorities, then absolutely obeyed Kings. Sooner or later, the king would be overrun by another king who had acquired a bit more power. After this system had been in place for thousands of years, a small, young society got “fed up” with it and decided to turn it around, making the society leaders absolutely obey the people. Unheard of! But it worked! They grouped themselves into towns, counties, and states. The state leaders developed a government which was to unite the states, adjudicate their different opinions to develop the best action plans, and supervise action. They called themselves the United States.

Not everyone agreed with this system. After all it was contrary to the status quo that had been in effect for many centuries. Plus, they were usually interested in taking power positions themselves. They began to fight the new system. The had very little success in the beginning, but they began to develop what seemed to be good arguments. By the early 20th century they had united themselves and became known as Tammany Hall, working quietly behind the elected government. World War II and Franklin D. Roosevelt pretty much destroyed the system. The survivors had to start over again, keeping themselves more hidden. Gradually they became more and more powerful, and you began to hear of a “Deep State” which was gradually positioning itself for government take over. I suggest you might pick up a Bible and read the first 24 chapters of Ezekiel. The United States in not yet the position of Israel at the time, but we are getting there, and are increasingly in danger of what happened as a result.

Thirty years ago, Oprah Winfrey interviewed a successful young businessman who had become aware of developing problems in our national government, and he outlined a number of things he would do to correct things if he were president. Today Donald Trump IS our president. He is now trying to accomplish the things he had outlined - - - and the Deep State members are apoplexic! He is trying to undo everything they have accomplished in their takeover plans. They are accusing him of everything they would and have done and would do in activating their takeover plans. They accuse him of using the presidency for financial benefit. They can’t understand that a wealthy business man is simply interest in righting a government ship that is increasingly in danger of sinking. Why would a billionaire spend his own money to be elected, just so he would not have his hands tied by desires of financial supporters? Why would he be refusing a nice salary if he is after every dollar he could find? This is beyond their understanding! Yes, he is not a politician and has had a steep learning curve, but he has been a quick learner. Yes, he uses Twitter too much, but it is the only way he can get his thoughts out to the people – mass media certainly does not help him on this. Yes, he has done things the Deep State considers disastrous, but they have regularly turned out successful. Politicians, however, know how to get people to take their “side” and support them.

The conflict of existence

In reality, all existence is controlled by just two forces – the force of good and the force of evil. Different cultures refer to them differently light and dark, white and black, or perhaps ying and yang (a representation of white and black).  I am sure there are also other terms I have not heard. All relate to some aspect of light.

What is darkness? The absence of light. I once spent some recreation time in spelunking (cave exploration). If you turn off all sources of light you are using, the cave becomes absolutely dark. You can put something right in front of your eye, but you will not be able to see even the faintest outline of your finger. This is a blackness you will never see on the surface. You may stand in the middle of a desert with both sun and moon on the opposite side of the earth, and no moisture in the sky to reflect light from surface sources. Even here you will never experience such a blackness, because the stars provide enough light to see your finger before you eye. Similarly, something white is reflecting all colors of the rainbow, while something black is absorbing all colors of the rainbow.

Likewise, evil can be said to emit no goodness at all. The 'color' black absorbs all light waves and emits none. Or, like darkness, evil lurks in locations where it has minimal contact with goodness. In other words, the force of evil is a vacuum, sucking in anything good and releasing none.

I guess the conflict between good and evil, could be compared to the view I am seeing out the window. The light of morning sun has driven darkness into deep crevices. White snow is brightly reflecting the sunlight. There are morning shadows across the snow, dulling the reflection brightness. I see bare grey trees, and I see some green evergreens. Our life can be like that. You probably have known some people who are filled with the joy of life, and are ready to help when needed – brightly reflecting the goodness of life. You likely know others whose goodness is shaded. They are willing to give when asked, but they face problems making them less free to reflect the goodness of life. Then there are those grey individuals, who are basically good, but have some (often hidden) dishonorable characteristics. Finally, there are “green” people who are constantly praised for an involvement which is good, but who otherwise reflects no goodness at all (and who may be covering evil actions elsewhere).

Perhaps one reason for the Star Wars popularity is these movies’ effective capture of the conflict between good and evil, with which we are constantly confronted.  

Who is God? / What is God?

Every person worships a god, whether they accept the idea or not. For the majority, their god is some type of being that has powers beyond their own. Some call themselves atheists, but you can be assured that they worship something, whether they realize it or not -- it may be money, it may be position, or it may even be self. There simply seems to be something within human beings that recognizes their own weakness and need. Over the ages, many societies have created and worshiped their own god. Their worship took many forms, and many have created idols to provide a visual focus for their worship. Judeo-Christians believe in one God, who is the former of all creation, is ruler of all, and rejects the attempt to create any kind of image through which He can be worshiped.

I am a Christian and fully subscribe to the Judeo-Christian position. I am also a physical scientist, and I have found nothing to dissuade me from this position. Rather, I have observed and experienced many things in my life that support the position. But I still must ask “Who and what is this God?” As I grow older this question grows in my mind, likely because I believe there is a God, and every day brings me nearer a face to face meeting. As to identity, in ancient times (still today??) knowing someone’s name gave you power over them. One Jewish tradition is that God appeared to Moses and commissioned him to take the descendants of Jacob out of Egypt. Moses asks, “Who shall I say sent me?” God responded, “I am. Tell them I am sent you.” In other words, I will not give you a name. Simply let them know I am in charge.

Even today, we want a name and/or an image. Lacking either we have no choice but to examine the Bible for hints of character. In the Jewish records that also became the Christian Old Testament, we see God as a ruler who expects acknowledgement and obedience. We see a strict judge who gives sentences appropriate to the “crime” – nothing more, nothing less. We also see a father providing behavior guides to his children, as well as serious discipline for misbehavior. And we see a father who loves and cares for his children.  Unfortunately, His children so misbehaved that, as we read the record, his strict discipline seems to stand out. However, as we read the Christian New Testament, His love and care for his children stands out, although discipline is still there for those who reject Him and his gifts. No, God is not a benign grandfather, as often depicted.

So, who is the God we worship? We live in a ‘box’ of three-dimensional space and unidirectional time, and must put everything into the perspective of this box. It is impossible to really understand God, because He is not in the box. Not only is His existence outside the box, but He created the box for us. Does, perhaps, “Star Wars” really depict the on-going battle actions outside the box? Is, perhaps, God really a ‘force’ which we absolutely cannot understand and have no hope to describe? One thing is certain, there is a rebellion which we also cannot see or understand. If you accept the understanding of an all-powerful God, you must also accept the presence of a Satan who is in rebellion, always seeking a way to destroy God. Somewhere outside our existence box there is a perpetual war raging between Satan’s forces and God’s Angels, but Satan’s rebellion is always destroyed just when it seems to be ready to destroy God’s force. The rebellion is a spiritual war, but battles are also fought within our existence box. Who’s side are you on?

The Big Bang - What initiated it?

In the beginning . . . the occurrence has intrigued scientists for many years. Exactly what happened, and how? Celestial measurements indicate that there was, indeed, a beginning. Calculating that there had to be a beginning, however, is very simple in comparison to developing hypothesis on exactly what happened! Over the years, there has been a variety of suggestions on how our universe was begun. Right now the 'correct' answer is a 'Big Bang.' This may be what actually happened, or it may give way to a better theory as time goes by, but no answer can be definitive. To prove any theory viable, we must be able to reproduce the associated event. We can never reproduce the initiation of a universe, or even a small model of the occurrence. Therefore, the Big Bang theory will never be more than an unprovable theory.

An even greater question is, "How did it happen?" And this is a question that, someday, may possibly be answered. Einstein's calculations resulted in the relationship, E=MC², i.e. Energy is equal to Mass times the speed of light squared. More realistically, it probably should be M=E/C². Scientists now know that all atoms are constructed of small packets of energy, much in the same way that a building may be constructed of bricks. There are attractive forces between the energy packets that serve as mortar, holding them together. The speed of light is about 3x10⁸ meters per second, so every unit of mass must contain about  9x10¹⁶ units of energy. Whatever the appropriate units may be, it means every ounce of mass is made from a huge amount of energy. Experience with atomic bombs does confirm the truth of this relationship. 

The huge questions now are:
If the universe was, in truth, begun with anything approaching a 'Big Bang', where did the infinitely immense amount of energy contained in our universe come from?
and
What initiated the energy to mass conversion?
Did none of those studying the Big Bang ever consider this question, or was the implication so 'mind blowing' that no one wants to tackle it?

The age/weight gain dilemma - unavoidable?

A seemingly inevitable aging associated process is weight gain. Can it be avoided? Can it be reversed? Yes and yes! Absolutely it can be, but it requires two underlying attitudes. You must be unhappy with the way you look and feel. Probably well over 90% of aging persons will meet this criterion. Second, you need the will power to do something about it. This is most commonly the reason old people get fat - it just doesn't seem worth the effort. "After all, in the end I am going to be old and fat like most other old people."

I am sure many people look in the mirror and wish they could look like they did in college. I certainly did, and stepping onto the scale I could easily see one major reason I had changed. By my mid-60s my weight had increased by at least 20%! I need to do something about it! But what? One of the first things you are told is to exercise. Baloney!! There are reasons that exercise is good, most importantly related to heart and circulation. It also helps keep muscle tone, something more and more difficult as you age. Exercise, however, will do little to nothing to reduce weight. Sure, good intense exercise will use up food that would otherwise go to fat, and may even use up a bit of fat. But what then? You body yells "I'm hungry! Feed me!" It takes a huge amount of will power to ignore your body and, when you give in, you simply replace all the calories you just burned off.

Simply, weight gain or loss is no more and no less than the result of your daily calories-in:calories-used relationship. Forget the diet routine that everyone tries to sell you. Regardless which it might be, it is a loser. You end up eating things you don't really like and omitting things you like and normally eat. This leads to rebound eating when you go off the diet and ending up weighing more than when you started. Keep eating normally, but simply decrease the amount a bit until you notice that the scale is beginning to drop. Don't decrease quantity more until you find that you have reached a plateau and still need to lose more. Yes, this will make it a slow process, but how long did it take you to gain the excess pounds? If you want to keep the excess pounds off, don't try to lose more than a pound or two a month. Your body may react to decreased caloric intake by going into "starvation mode" to maintain your fat storage. A way to prevent this reaction is to eat a little something half way between meals, telling your body not to worry, food is still available. (suggestions: a bowl of popcorn, a few nuts, a cracker, even one piece of candy) Most importantly, do this slowly and methodically in such a way that your permanent eating habit is altered to that which maintains the weight you have finally attained.

In our modern society there is one additional factor that needs to be addressed - that being fructose. Our normal sugar intake is sucrose, which is half glucose and half fructose. Every cell of our body 'burns' glucose as it's energy source. A small amount of fructose is used in cell structure, but it can't be used for energy. Any fructose not used in cell structure must be processed by the liver, which turns it into fat. Fructose is much sweeter than sucrose, and actually provides the sweetness of sucrose. In addition, fructose is cheaper than sucrose. The food industry is now using high fructose corn syrup instead of (or in addition to) sucrose in many processed foods. If you are trying to loose fat, the fructose is counter-productive for you. Pay attention to the food ingredients in all items you buy, and stay away from foods containing fructose (normally as high fructose corn syrup).

With this outlined process, I have managed, at age 81, to have lost 40 pounds and am back at my college weight, and now I feel stuffed if I happen to eat a meal of the size I once normally 'put away.' It did take 10 to 15 years to reach this point, so don't expect lose your excess weight for that special occasion coming up next month! I must also say that, even though I am now at my college graduation weight, my body doesn't quite look the same! At the time, my chest was about 44-46 inches and my waist was 28-30 inches. Now: chest is about the same, but my waist has 'filled in' to 40 inches. If I want my profile to more nearly resemble the college profile I will have to lose at least another 10 to 15 pounds. This would put my weight in the range attained the year I had a summer job with a two week pay period, but payment was delayed one period, so I lived a month on close to a starvation diet.

This weight loss has taken a lot of will power. I enjoy eating, and had to change from an attitude of 'live to eat' to an attitude of  'eat to live.' That doesn't mean I no longer enjoy eating, I just had to change the reason I eat. Now, I realize will power may not be so easy for women than for men. They are dealing with hormonal changes which add to weight loss difficulties. Men have hard enough time activating required will power, and the majority simply accept the process of getting old and fat. Most women may have to generate a multiple of a man's will power, but it can be done.