December 2008 Archives

In the book, Galileo, Darwin, and Hawking, the author, Phil Dowe, brings up many interesting topics about the co existence of religion and science and how they interconnect.  Dowe appealed to each sense in a different way, with explaining the innovated ways these two highly debatable topics, as science and religion always are.  Dowe uses both Francis Bacon and René Descartes as a way to describe his feelings towards the connection of rationalism and empiricism combining the two to make an argument which is shown in this book.

                Dowe believes that a person can prove the existence of God through the ideas of rationalism and empiricism. Dowe says that "Rationalist claim we can acquire knowledge through sheer reasoning alone," while he continues to say that "Empiricists claim that we cannot know anything by pure reasoning alone" (62).  Through these two concepts in which Dowe believes, he establishes a strong argument why it is easy to prove the fact of God. Whether it is through the ideas of Descartes or Bacon, each one is a prominent exponent to the argument. Dowe used Descartes as an example due to his idea of rationalism. What Descartes believed was that "knowledge could be derived as part of a systematic deductive edifice based on the Cartesian system" (63).  What Descartes is saying, is that everything can be proved through rational thinking. When a person is using their brain, then it is creating a process of deductive thinking, which causes the brain to create its own conclusion. This can be taken in the way of God, Dowe believes. He argues that if one can think through a process, and then it the brain kicks in and takes over the ideas. When it comes to God, Dowe believes that:

The existence of the image of God in humanity explains why nature is perspicuous to us. Because we have a rational mind, which is like the mind of God, we can expect to be able to understand the rationality of the world he created. Thus in Descartes' philosophy there is optimism about our ability to understand and have knowledge about the world.

What this is saying is that having the same complex ideas of having a rational mind, just like God, then that creates a strong basis where to start off the thinking of the true image of God. Therefore, by combining the complex ideas of science, and the way religion is in the mind, it creates the idea of sharing the two ideas.  The idea of rational fits more into the category of the mind thinking and adopting religion as another concept to stash in the brain.

                The other subject in which Dowe basis his ideas on is, the ideas of Bacon and empiricism. Empiricism is figuring out something using data to back it up. In order to have something be true, it has to have some sort of evidence in order to say that it is true. Bacon believed that everything needs to have evidence for it to be true.  What Bacon believes is that through "the use of the cultural mandate lies a view of human nature with an accompanying theory of 'the image of God' (69).  By using back up information, and evidence, one can make a strong argument and created and that's what is used to asset the situation.

                With both of these arguments, there are strengths and weaknesses into why it proves God. The strengths in these arguments include the fact that Dowe uses information from world renowned philosophers who have credit in society. Throughout history, many have quoted this and created it so that believers can become stronger in faith, and others can just stay as it is. Also, Dowe, uses a lot of evidence within the book to make it stronger, and create a stronger bond between everything that he believes is right.  To strengthen his argument Dowe writes:

We have seen that the belief in the image of God is humanity, in two separate but related guises, provided a powerful impetus and motivation for the development of science in the Seventeenth century. Someone who believes God has given us a mind like the divine mind therefore expects to understand the world that God has created (79).

This quote describes the strong points of the ideas Dowe combines.

The weakness of his argument includes not including the agnostic opinion. Whether it be because lack of evidence in certain areas, or just making the connections on a bias level, these all are aspects in which could be considered to be weaknesses. Bias opinion is something that could take a big role into not reaching out to what the agnostics would agree to.  With these arguments one could think that it was a good thing for it to be done.

                Through all of these points made, Dowe brought up some pretty interesting issues, and ended up creating a different approach into affirming the Image of God. Everything has something to do with eachother, and it is something Dowe takes highly into consideration. Both rational and empiricism all combines this, and makes it a strong argument into why the image of God is true. Also creates a solid foundation in describing the true parts of Christianity.

On July 4^th, 1776, the Declaration of Independence was signed in order to break the thirteen colonies from Great Britain's control. Before this historical event, the United States was under the control of Great Britain. Thomas Jefferson, who turned out to be one of the primary writers of the Declaration of Independence. He revealed concepts of Enlightenment and Deism in the Declaration of Independence.

            Three concepts sum up Enlightenment thought: reason, nature, and change and progress (Harrison 469). These key elements of the Enlightenment can be seen in the Declaration of Independence. According to Harrison "all assumptions ... should be subjected to critical and empirical reasoning" (469). Jefferson complains about the ruling of King George. Evidence of reason can be through this subject. In the lines, The thought of Reason is being addressed.  Since Reason is based of the idea of making a decision off of a well under the thought out issue, and then coming to a conclusion. The Declaration of Independence, was something that had radical ideas, in which, made it hard for some to adapt. It also included the technique of reasoning through the enlightenment, through the process of making a defined position. The reason why the Declaration of Independence was so radical for its time, because it broke against the stereotypes, and created a new life for those; concluding as being a part of the Enlightenment.

            Another aspect that goes along with the Enlightenment movement is the idea of Nature. When talking about nature, it says that "nature is ordered, functions reasonably, and constitutes a standard for judgment. Nature is governed by a few simple and unchangeable laws" (Harrison, 469). Nature is a fact of life, and something that cannot be proven wrong because it is concrete.  The Declaration of Independence says, "That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just Powers from the Consent of the Governed."  Nature can be compared to this, because in order to get something, there has to be "secure rights" which pertains to the government, and creates a bond between. 

            The last aspect of the Enlightenment Era was the change and process idea. According to Harrison, the "Change and process [idea] work hand in hand as human beings work to perfect themselves and their society. Change should not be viewed with distrust as deterioration from a previously superior more perfect state of things." This definition thoroughly supports the idea of the Declaration of Independence. Since this document was  a turning point in independence, it created a change within the 13 colonies. When change comes along, there also has to be a "process" that goes along with it. It is not a very healthy resort when processing is somewhat taken faster in the process. In the Declaration of Independence  it says "Whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these Ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or abolish it, and to institute a new Government, laying its Foundation on Such Principles, and organizing it's Powers in Such Form, as to them shall seem most likely to affect their Safety and Happiness." This is saying that when there is a shift in policy, it's important to have a strong foundation, and embrace the change, with help from the Government.

            DEISM: "We hold these Truths to be self-evident that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with Certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness," All of these ideas contained the elements of the Enlightenment, but another element has to be addressed, when it comes to discussing the Declaration of Independence: Deism. "The views of nature and reason led to the development of Deism in the eightieth century. Deists believed in an impersonal creator God who was not providentially involved with the day-to-day operations of the world" (unknown, 134). Along with that deism, is considered to be "Essentially a rationalistic religion, which assumes that all mean naturally possess the ability to know the universe's Deity through reason, and that the creator of the universe was a rational architect. The knowledge of God came not through Jesus Christ or the power of the Holy Spirit, nor were the Christian Scriptures or church tradition necessary. God revealed himself in nature and through reason" (Reid, 470).  Through all of these facts, Deism is a new way to look at God. Through the Declaration, it was made known that God was the all being. The Declaration says "...and to assume among the Powers of the Earth, the separate ad equal Station to which the Laws of nature and of nature's God entitle them..." (Jefferson) This is the opening statement of the Declaration of Independence, which sets up a tone for the rest of the document.

            Through all the aspects that were covered here, Enlightenment and Deism, they all create a common bond within the Declaration of Independence, to make it the document that created freedom, ad also, certain rights in which ever human posses. Without the Enlightenment Era, the radical thinking, and the ideas of support God in a different manner, the world would not be what it is today.

Harrison, J. Sullivan R. and Sherman, D. A Short History of Western Civilization, 6^th ed. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1985.

Jefferson, Thomas. Declaration of Independence. 1776.

Reid, Daniel G. ed. Dictionary of Christianity in America. Dowers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1990.