Category: technology

cultural enmity

In this post, I want to reflect on what I take to be one of the most serious and urgent issues in modern society: that of social division. It seems that in the area of political discourse, we are getting poorer at relating to one another. I often feel that the internet in general and… Continue reading cultural enmity

the psalm 8 balance

One of my favourite Psalms is the eighth. I’m using it – very briefly – for a baptism sermon this Sunday, which will have absolutely no room to even begin to extol the kind of technical beauties this gem has. First of all, there’s the structure.  Check this out: A Lord how majestic is your… Continue reading the psalm 8 balance

first contact

(I’ve got a week filled with almost a dozen meetings, a sermon to write, a boarder moving in, Tom’s 4th birthday party, and a band practice.  And I’ve got comments on this blog I’ve not had time to respond to yet.  But this post will be short… ;P  ) It’s a very real possibility (or… Continue reading first contact

domain of discourse (of fear)

I’ve obviously changed a lot since moving to NZ.  I hate how tooting-my-own-horn this sounds, but I like the changes.  Both my theological and political views have been sharpened. I used to be a cookie-cutter, conservative, two-issue-voter (you know which ones), republican-Christian.  Now I’m a liberal-conservative (in a centred,  rather than fence-sitting way), wide-screen voter… Continue reading domain of discourse (of fear)

for all

James Chastek points out that the authors of Scripture were not constructing a body of ‘evidence’ for God, but rather relating their testimony of things they were witnesses to.  He remarks, “Christ, for one, was chiefly interested in making sure that he would have continual witnesses on earth, not that there would be any careful… Continue reading for all

technology

Listening today to the NewstalkZB discussion of youth vandalism (which relate to my recent post) and the Pike River mining incident (29 miners trapped in a complex and multi-faceted situation). Yet again, we see that technology is neither good nor bad. If it’s good things we’re aiming to do, technology aids and strengthens our efforts. … Continue reading technology

power, complexity & ethics

Two things (neither good/evil of themselves) which will not make humans more moral are technology & science. Technology gives us ever-increasing levels of power; and this power can be used to do both good and evil.  Spiderman, anyone ((“With great power comes great responsibility.”))? Science gives us an ever-increasing amount of data/facts; which make ethical… Continue reading power, complexity & ethics

causal chain

Think of causality as a chain.  (Leaving aside Aristotle’s other varieties of causation [formal, efficient and final] we’ll just focus on material causation alone…) Much of the chain we can see with our eyes… Quite a bit more of the chain has been brought into view with modern technology and scientific methodology… The rest of… Continue reading causal chain