New Faith, Reason, and Science site

Quote of the Day: Science/Technology and Human Development

Technology, viewed in itself, is ambivalent. If on the one hand, some today would be inclined to entrust the entire process of development to technology, on the other hand we are witnessing an upsurge of ideologies that deny in toto the very value of development, viewing it as radically anti-human and merely a source of degradation. This leads to a rejection, not only of the distorted and unjust way in which progress is sometimes directed, but also of scientific discoveries themselves, which, if well used, could serve as an opportunity of growth for all. The idea of a world without development indicates a lack of trust in man and in God. It is therefore a serious mistake to undervalue human capacity to exercise control over the deviations of development or to overlook the fact that man is constitutionally oriented towards "being more". Idealizing technical progress, or contemplating the utopia of a return to humanity's original natural state, are two contrasting ways of detaching progress from its moral evaluation and hence from our responsibility. (Pope Benedict XVI, Caritas in Veritate)

The Pope and Science

Quote of the Day:

“Science can purify religion from error and superstition. Religion can purify science from idolatry and false absolutes.”

Pope John Paul II

Cool Series on Catholic Scientists

Dr. Thursday is doing an amazing series of short biographies of Catholic scientists. Check out the index to the series here:

GKC's Favourite: Catholic Scientists

Interesting news...

Vatican-backed conference snubs creationism

Read it here.

The Reasonableness of the Universe

(cross-posted from Studeo)

Ria surprised John and I with a beautiful book as a New Year's present. It's Benedictus: Day by Day with Pope Benedict XVI. We actually got to open it just after midnight, in the very first moments of the new year. :)

Here's today's quote. It's awesome.

The more we know of the universe the more profoundly we are struck by a Reason whose ways we can only contemplate with astonishment. In pursuing them we can see anew that creating Intelligence to whom we owe our own reason. Albert Einstein once said that in the laws of nature "there is revealed such a superior Reason that everything significant which has arisen out of human thought and arrangement is, in comparison with it, the merest empty reflection." In what is most vast, in the world of heavenly bodies, we see revealed a powerful Reason that holds the universe together. And we are penetrating ever deeper into what is smallest, into the cell and into the primordial units of life; here, too, we discover a Reason that astounds us, such that we must say with Saint Bonaventure: "Whoever does not see here is blind. Whoever does not hear here is deaf. And whoever does not begin to adore here and to praise the creating Intelligence is dumb"... God himself shines through the reasonableness of his creation. Physics and biology, and the natural sciences in general, have given us a new and unheard-of creation account with vast new images, which let us recognize the face of the Creator and which make us realize once again that at the very beginning and foundation of all being there is a creating Intelligence. The universe is not the product of darkness and unreason. It comes from intelligence, freedom, and from the beauty that is identical with love. Seeing this gives us the courage to keep on living, and it empowers us, comforted thereby, to take upon ourselves the adventure of life.

Darwin Catholic

For any and all Darwin Catholics out there, check out this blog: Darwin Catholic. Evolution isn't the only topic though. It's a blog written by a young married couple who not only homeschool their littles, but were homeschooled themselves.