maggi dawn

science and faith

We're having a series of evening sessions this term looking at issues that matter to Christians. The objective is to make it as accessible for those who don't have faith but are interested, as it is for those who do have faith and want to think through the issues.

I have various different people coming along to present a starting point for each discussion. One of them is a computer scientist, very brainy and well-read, who thinks at 90 miles an hour. He has a much more interesting and well-thought out view than angry-atheist Richard Dawkins on the way in which science and faith interact; the way in which each poses a challenge and sometimes a threat to the other, and how to negotiate faith honestly in the light of it. I'm really looking forward to it. 

extremists

good piece from the stubbornly un-cool Richard White here.

Kyrie

Bombs in London
Lord have mercy
So relieved to know that my own loved ones are OK. 
Praying and weeping with those who weep.
Christ have Mercy

rock rebellion

John Davies writes some good thoughts on rock and politics

R.E.S.P.E.C.T.

"...Respect isn't just a pleasant thing to experience. It has a powerful and lasting effect on our health and mental wellbeing. We now know that the brain reacts to being treated with contempt just as it does to being injured or assaulted. We do not deal well with repeated injuries; they indicate that our status is low. We find that hard to bear because humans care deeply about status and the social hierarchy. As the scientist Michael Marmot has shown, people who perceive themselves to be lower in the hierarchy die younger than those just above them. This is not a reflection of poverty. It applies at every level, from junior civil servants to film stars. It is an astonishing fact that Oscar winners die, on average, four years later then Oscar nominees..."

Jenni Russell
Saturday May 28, 2005
The Guardian