God in a park

(cont'd from yesterday's post)

Vice President of New York State Charities Association, Frederick Law Olmsted, designed New York's Central Park with a goal in mind. It was to be:

 “a specimen of God’s handiwork” that would heal “the hundreds of thousands of tired workers” of their “vital exhaustion,” “nervous irritation” and “constitutional depressions.” 

"Olmsted’s and [his assistant] Calvert Vaux’s design of Central Park artfully and systematically provided vistas and paths that would make one feel like the special object of a loving God through a beautiful city. Olmsted said every path, rock, flower and tree had a functional purpose in the creation of a healing scene."

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God in a garden

Many of us see the artistry of God in our gardens. But a talented landscape designer took it quite a bit further than the size of a home garden.

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In the mid-1800's Frederick Law Olmsted designed Central Park for the city of New York, having won a competition for the job.

"He went onto design Central Park based on the principles that he outlined in his apologetic argument for Jesus Christ. Olmsted combined an evangelical zeal with a tenderness toward the conscience of another person.

"He wanted a park that would display the natural glory of God’s plan. A park should also welcome people of all classes and persuasions, just as Jesus welcomed all who came to him. The design would allow people of all faiths to enjoy the park in their own ways and would not force belief in God on anyone."

(cont'd tomorrow)

Starlink 2

(cont'd from yesterday's post)

An additional nine companies are working on a plan like that of SpaceX, to place a "satellite constellation" around the globe in low earth orbit. Starlink satellites alone will number about 12,000.

That sounds like a lot of satellites. Astronomers aren't real happy with so many new, bright lights in the sky that will be visible to the human eye (about 100 at a time). And some people are worried about too much "junk" in space. 

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According to Elon Musk, “Potentially helping billions of economically disadvantaged people is the greater good . .  That said, we’ll make sure Starlink has no material effect on discoveries in astronomy. We care a great deal about science.”

About 3-4 billion people currently have no access to the internet. SpaceX will use their subscriptions to help fund its Mars goal.

Starlink 1

SpaceX builds and launches rockets for NASA missions, and to take commercial satellites into space. Last week they took their own satellites into orbit for their own project, called Starlink.

Starlink Broadband Network will provide "cost-effective" internet connection all over the globe, including to consumers who have never had service before.

As you'll see in SpaceX's video below, their Falcon 9 rocket launched 60 Starlink satellites. Falcon 9's first stage propels the payload through the atmosphere, then disengages and returns to earth. This was the third time this particular first stage has landed safely back on earth after a mission. 

Re-usability of rockets is probably the key distinctive of our current space era, a total game changer for travel in space.



(cont'd tomorrow)

Honor the fallen

One particular day of the year is set apart in the United States to honor the fallen, those who gave their lives serving in the military. That day falls on the last Monday in the month of May and it's called Memorial Day. That's today.

Breakfast Club

Teens are flocking to the Breakfast Club in the small town of Albertville, Minnesota, where they get a little of God's Word along with their breakfast. 

A trained minister and his wife offer it at 6 a.m. every other week. Somehow they connect with these teens better than most people do. They have the support of their neighbors, and God is doing something here.

Free trade 3

(cont'd from yesterday's post)

Back in 2002, fifty-five nations on the continent of Africa joined together in the African Union (AU) to advance their vision of an "Integrated, Prosperous and Peaceful Africa."

Last year, AU leader and president of Rwanda Paul Kagame introduced a new free trade agreement:  the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). Twenty-two of the AU member countries have ratified the agreement, and it should go into effect soon.

Kagame addressing AU

It's a "a continental geographic zone where goods and services move among member states of the AU with no restrictions."

"The AfCFTA is expected to boost consumer spending to about US$1.4 trillion in 2020 and increase intra-African trade by as much as US$35 billion per year, or 52 percent above the baseline by 2022."

Many decades of socialism, corruption, and governmental "aid" have left African nations in worse economic shape than they were back in the mid-20th century. There is fervent hope that this new free trade agreement can expand African economies while lifting millions out of poverty and into prosperity.

Free trade 2

(cont'd from yesterday's post)

The African continent was colonized by European countries in the 1800's. African nations became free to govern themselves in the 1900's, but residual bad memories of colonial days remained. 

According to President of the Free Africa Foundation, George Ayittey, “capitalism was identified with colonialism, and since the latter was evil and exploitative, so too was the former.” Sadly, as African nations were released from colonialism in the 1957 - 1960's, they embraced socialism.

"Ghana’s first leader Kwame Nkrumah was a self-proclaimed “Marxian Socialist,” and encouraged other African states to seek independence and pursue the “complete ownership of the economy by the state.”

photo of George Ayittey

The result, according to Professor Ayittey, was "economic ruin, dictatorship and oppression." Socialism is not economic freedom, as Nkrumah stated. Production of goods and services is managed and owned by the central planning arm of the government, not by people who make and grow things in neighborhoods and cities.

Socialism is not the free trade of free citizens, and it does not make them wealthier.

Free trade 1

(cont'd from yesterday's post)

Yesterday's post says that even the poor get richer under free trade. But . . why? How does free trade increase the prosperity of everybody? Does that really work? Unless we can understand why, it can be hard to believe that free trade increases wealth.

Jay Richards explains in this video. His grade school teacher bought a cheap toy for each student in her class. Many, like Jay, did not feel wealthier. He got "Barbie" doll playing cards. The teacher had each child pick a number from one to ten describing how happy they were with their toy; she added up the numbers, and placed the total on the blackboard.

Then she allowed them to trade toys, restricted only to other students in their row of desks. They again picked a number, the numbers were added up, and the total happiness number went up.

Then she allowed them to trade toys freely within the whole room. The happiness number went up again. The children had more "toy-wealth" in spite of the fact that no additional toys had been brought into the classroom.

"Rule of law" applied in the class: no stealing someone else's toy, no cheating, no hitting, all of which would have coerced other kids into a trade, which would have made it un-free.

When both trading parties make their own decisions based on their own needs, not coerced by the government, free trade makes them wealthier. That's how it works.

Also richer

An economics system that allows people to make their own decision about whether to buy something, and at what price to sell something they have made, is a "free market" kind of system.

Does it make people richer? Yes. Even the poor get richer in a free market.

Toughest job

We've all heard that "mothers wear many hats." We organize outings, budgets, house work and schedules. We cook and shop and create art and manage health care, etc., etc.

In honor of Mothers Day (last Sunday), here is someone's attempt to interview applicants for a fake job requiring all the skills of motherhood. The fake employer requires "excellent negotiation and interpersonal skills," "a degree in medicine, finance, and the culinary arts." "You can take a lunch break after the associate is finished with their lunch." "If you had a life, we'd ask you to sorta give that life up," and all of this with a "happy disposition."

Laughing so hard I can hardly type.

To clarify . .

No scientific evidence proves that God exists. No scientific evidence proves that God doesn't exist. People place their faith in one conclusion or the other, but proof positive does not exist.

"Intelligent Design" (ID) only claims that "certain features of the universe and of living things are best explained by an intelligent cause." ID does not claim that those features identify God as the Creator. ID is not religion dressed up in scientific language, as is sometimes said by those who argue against it.

But "Creationism" is the claim that it is God who created the universe and living things. Creationists make a "religious" claim that ID does not. Creationists love to see ID's evidence for design in nature because it is so consistent with their faith.

It will help if we all try to keep this straight. 

ID chemist 3

(cont'd from yesterday's post)

"The theory of intelligent design holds that certain features of the universe and of living things are best explained by an intelligent cause, not an undirected process such as natural selection."

Much of the science establishment holds the view that any mind or intelligence beyond the material universe cannot be considered. But what if some things in the material universe show evidence that they were designed intelligently and intentionally?

Biologist and famous atheist Richard Dawkins says that they simply appear to be designed, but are not. Can he prove they only appear to be designed? No he can't. 

Believers in God are open to the possibility of design in some features of nature. But nonbelievers are not open to that possibility, because it could give evidence to the reality of God. If you think there's nothing except the material world, then nothing could have shown the foresight to plan and design the material world.

Marcus Eberlin just published a book that shows which side of this divide he is on. It's called: Foresight: How the Chemistry of Life Reveals Planning and Purpose 

ID chemist 2

(cont'd from yesterday's post)

While preparing the lecture on his view of life and the universe, Dr. Marcus Eberlin discovered something in doing an internet search: many other scientists also doubted the Darwinian theory of life's origin and the God-less theory of the universe's origin. 

He discovered whole organizations of scientists who believed that the universe and life itself were designed by an intelligent Creator outside of the universe. He started pursuing this new direction in his career.

Dr. Eberlin was formerly the "president of the International Mass Spectrometry Foundation. He is . .  the current president of the Brazilian Society for Intelligent Design, which has almost three thousand members."

This author was at a seminar he did a week ago. "Many features in nature could not exist without “the Foresighter". . Only if an agent who thinks ahead is behind the universe can we have the universe we have."

image

(cont'd tomorrow)

ID chemist

A magazine cover got the attention of Brazilian chemist Dr. Marcos Eberlin back in 2008. 

The cover had a picture of Charles Darwin on it, and its subject was "Darwin: The Man Who Killed God." During his next chemistry lecture, he showed students the magazine cover and said, "That's not true! It's unfair to say that Darwin killed God. "

His students were surprised, asking if he believed in a Creator. When he said "Yes!" a student suggested he give a lecture about that.

At the lecture his students were again surprised, this time because they had no idea that there was so much evidence for a Mind being behind life and the universe.



(cont'd tomorrow)

Goodbye Avengers

(cont'd from yesterday's post)

Actor Tom Holland said in an interview that if his character (Spiderman) were to die in the movie, he would want it to be dramatic with everyone in the audience weeping. That's pretty close to what did happen. When we went to "Avengers: Endgame" on opening night, we heard a lot of audience reaction - including the young men behind us weeping at one point.

Fans were engaged with these characters. 

At #ThankYouAvengers they expressed what the movies have meant to them, like this tweet:

"there was an idea... to bring together a group of remarkable people, see if they could become something more..." 
and they did. for the past 11 years they gave us a home. they gave us a lifetime of memories. they gave us a family. #ThankYouAvengers"

Actor Chris Evans said that returning to film another Avengers movie was like coming back to be with a friend, his character, Captain America. That's how it was for us fans going to their movies.

#ThankYouAvengers.

Thanks Marvel

If you are a fan of Marvel's "Avengers," you have loved watching the 22 movies come out from 2008 til 2019, ending with "Avengers: Endgame" which opened almost two weeks ago. It was the "epic ending to (arguably) the greatest movie franchise of all time."

Action, clever dialogue, good casting and acting, good music themes, lovable characters . .  what not to like? But there's more. Sean McDowell (here and here) wrote this after seeing "Endgame" with his family: "3 Reasons I am grateful for the Marvel films."

1. Family fun - "The Marvel films provided the same kind of joy for my kids that Star Wars did for my generation. The movies had some violence and mild language but were largely family friendly."
2. Mostly non-political - "Thank you Marvel for telling good stories without having an overt political agenda."
3. Grand cultural experience - the films gave us great experiences and conversations to enjoy together with our neighbors, apart from the cultural things that divide us.

(cont'd tomorrow)

Socialism 6

(cont'd from yesterday's post)

Laura Nicolae, Harvard student and daughter of Romanian immigrants, tells her family's story:

"In 1988, my twenty-six-year-old father jumped off a train in the middle of Hungary with nothing but the clothes on his back. For the next two years, he fled an oppressive Romanian Communist regime that would kill him if they ever laid hands on him again.

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"My father ran from a government that beat, tortured, and brainwashed its citizens. 

"Today, my parents are doctors in quiet, suburban Kansas. Both of their daughters go to Harvard. They are the lucky ones . . . Roughly 100 million people died at the hands of the ideology my parents escaped. They cannot tell their story. We owe it to them to recognize that this ideology is not a fad, and their deaths are not a joke.

"For many students, casually endorsing communism is a cool, edgy way to gripe about the world . . . my classmates will graduate with the impression that communism represents a light-hearted critique of the status quo, rather than an empirically violent philosophy that destroyed millions of lives."

Socialism 5

(cont'd from yesterday's post)

Immigrants  who left their socialist homeland to come to America have stories to tell. Aaron Tao is one of them.

"[A]s a young, first-generation Chinese-American immigrant, I have a message for my peers and fellow American citizens: socialism is not the answer . . socialism has instead resulted in hell in every place it has been tried.

"I’ve heard plenty of horrific stories from my parents, who grew up in [1950's] Maoist China, with regular food shortages and deprived of other basic needs we take for granted today. 

"Censorship and ideological conformity were rigidly enforced in an environment that has been described as an “Auschwitz of the mind.” My mother’s grandfather and uncle were killed during the Cultural Revolution, for the crime of being privileged landlords. Red Guard thugs beat them to death with shovels . . ."

"In 1993, as soon as the opportunity emerged, my mother immigrated to the US, with less than $200 in total assets. My father and I followed a few months later. Like so many others before us, we arrived as strangers in a new land, found freedom and opportunity, gradually assimilated into our adopted country and eventually worked ourselves into the upper middle class."

from Aaron Tao's story

(cont'd tomorrow)

Socialism 4

The word "social" refers to friendly companionship. So "socialism" must mean a pattern of friendly relationships between people . . 

A "socialist" community would be one where everybody feels included, where workers run the business where they're employed, where everyone shops at the local farmers market and eats local food, where everybody is happy because no one can make more money than they do . . 

These things might sound desirable, but they are not "socialism." 

Socialism is a specific way of organizing society, with its own definition: property and businesses are owned and controlled by "the people," which means the state or government.

But very few people like the idea of ending private property, that is, giving up ownership of the stuff they now own.

"Very few [people] are gung-ho to have the government literally take over Apple, Starbucks, Microsoft, Chobani Yogurt, Google parent company Alphabet, Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream, or their favorite food trucks and farmers’ markets."

(cont'd tomorrow)

The Nones

We have been told by pollsters that America is getting much more secular, that increasing numbers of people (the "Nones") are leaving religion, that they lost their faith.

But there's evidence that it's not true. This article claims that those Nones were actually: 

• believers in name only
• CEO Christians - Christmas and Easter only

"Dr. Ed Stetzer, who holds the distinguished Billy Graham Chair of Church, Missions, and Evangelism at Wheaton College, has given one of the best clarifying explanations of the nones that I’ve seen. In USA Today, he wrote that “Christianity isn’t collapsing, it’s being clarified.”

"I did it"

Economist Thomas Sowell tweeted this last Sunday: 

"We seem to be moving steadily in the direction of a society where no one is responsible for what he himself did but we are all responsible for what somebody else did, either in the present or in the past."

When I see someone take responsibility for their own mistake or sin, without excuses, that gets my attention.

Socialism 3

 (cont'd from yesterday's post)

Denmark, like ten other countries, was invaded and defeated by Germany during World War II. But it made a "remarkable economic recovery after the war" according to the video by Dr. Otto Brons-Petersen.

"A highly productive work force and . .  low taxes . . created a lot of wealth"  during the 1950's and 1960's. At that point "the country's ruling elite [class] became preoccupied with wealth re-distribution."

That led to a "severe economic crisis. The national debt skyrocketed." Decades of changes followed in order to "straighten out this mess." There is still free education (though 20% of families opt for private schools) and free health care (for those who are happy with long waiting for services). Other entitlements are going away.

"Like every other wealthy welfare state, Denmark became wealthy BEFORE it created the welfare state."

"For the government to pay out such benefits, you need citizens to make enough money to pay the necessary taxes. And that's only possible through a free-market economy."