A Must Read! God and Science (not God vs Science) :)

'Let me explain the problem science has with religion.' The atheist professor of philosophy pauses before his class and then asks one of his new students to stand.

'You're a Christian, aren't you, son?'

'Yes sir,' the student says.

'So you believe in God?'

'Absolutely.'

'Is God good?'

'Sure! God's good.'

'Is God all-powerful? Can God do anything?'

'Yes.'

'Are you good or evil?'

'The Bible says I'm evil.'

The professor grins knowingly. 'Aha! The Bible!'

He considers for a moment, 'Here's one for you. Let's say there's a sick person over here and you can cure him. You can do it. Would you help him? Would you try?'

'Yes sir, I would.'

'So you're good!'

'I wouldn't say that.'

'But why not say that? You'd help a sick and maimed person if you could. Most of us would if we could. But God doesn't.'

The student does not answer, so the professor continues.

'He doesn't, does he? My brother was a Christian who died of cancer, even though he prayed to Jesus to heal him. How is this Jesus good? Hmmm? Can you answer that one?'

The student remains silent.

'No, you can't, can you?' the professor says. He takes a sip of water from a glass on his desk to give the student time to relax.

'Let's start again, young fella. Is God good?'

'Er...yes,' the student says.

'Is Satan good?'

The student doesn't hesitate on this one, 'No.'

'Then where does Satan come from?'

The student falters, 'From God.'

'That's right. God made Satan, didn't he? Tell me, son. Is there evil in this world?'

'Yes, sir...'

'Evil's everywhere, isn't it? And God did make everything, correct?'

'Yes.'

'So who created evil?' The professor continued, 'If God created everything, then God created evil, since evil exists, and according to the principle that our works define who we are, then God is evil.'

Again, the student has no answer.

'Is there sickness? Immorality? Hatred? Ugliness? All these terrible things, do they exist in this world?'

The student squirms on his feet. 'Yes.'

'So who created them?'

The student does not answer again, so the professor repeats his question, 'Who created them?'

There is still no answer.... Suddenly the lecturer breaks away to pace in front of the classroom. The class is mesmerized.

'Tell me,' he continues onto another student. 'Do you believe in Jesus Christ, son?'

The student's voice betrays him and cracks. 'Yes, professor, I do.'

The old man stops pacing, 'Science says you have five senses you use to identify and observe the world around you. Have you ever seen Jesus?'

'No sir. I've never seen Him.'

'Have you ever felt your Jesus, tasted your Jesus or smelt your Jesus? Have you ever had any sensory perception of Jesus Christ, or God for that matter?'

'No, sir, I'm afraid I haven't.'

'Yet you still believe in him?'

'Yes.'

'According to the rules of empirical, testable, demonstrable protocol, science says your God doesn't exist. What do you say to that, son?'

'Nothing,' the student replies. 'I only have my faith.'

'Yes, faith,' the professor repeats. 'And that is the problem science has with God. There is no evidence, only faith.'

The student stands quietly for a moment, before asking a question of His own. 'Professor, is there such thing as heat?'

'Yes,' the professor replies. 'There's heat.'

'And is there such a thing as cold?'

'Yes, son, there's cold too.'

'No sir, there isn't..'

The professor turns to face the student, obviously interested. The room suddenly becomes very quiet.

The student begins to explain...

'You can have lots of heat, even more heat, super-heat, mega-heat, unlimited heat, white heat, a little heat or no heat, but we don't have anything called 'cold'. We can hit up to 458 degrees below zero, which is no heat, but we can't go any further after that. There is no such thing as cold; otherwise we would be able to go colder than the lowest -458 degrees.'

'Everybody or object is susceptible to study when it has or transmits energy, and heat is what makes a body or matter have or transmit energy. Absolute zero (-458 F) is the total absence of heat. You see, sir, cold is only a word we use to describe the absence of heat. We cannot measure cold. Heat we can measure in thermal units because heat is energy. Cold is not the opposite of heat, sir, just the absence of it.'

Silence across the room. A pen drops somewhere in the classroom, sounding like a hammer.

'What about darkness, professor. Is there such a thing as darkness?'

'Yes,' the professor replies without hesitation. 'What is night if it isn't darkness?'

'You're wrong again, sir. Darkness is not something; it is the absence of something. You can have low light, normal light, bright light, flashing light, but if you have no light constantly you have nothing and its called darkness, isn't it? That's the meaning we use to define the word. In reality, darkness isn't. If it were, you would be able to make darkness darker, wouldn't you?'

The professor begins to smile at the student in front of him. This will be a good semester. 'So what point are you making, young man?'

'Yes, professor. My point is, your philosophical premise is flawed to start with, and so your conclusion must also be flawed.'

The professor's face cannot hide his surprise this time, 'Flawed? Can you explain how?'

'You are working on the premise of duality,' the student explains...

'You argue that there is life and then there's death; a good God and a bad God. You are viewing the concept of God as something finite, something we can measure. Sir, science can't even explain a thought.'


'It uses electricity and magnetism, but has never seen, much less fully understood either one. To view death as the opposite of life is to be ignorant of the fact that death cannot exist as a substantive thing. Death is not the opposite of life, just the absence of it...'

'Now tell me, professor. Do you teach your students that they evolved from a monkey?'

'If you are referring to the natural evolutionary process, young man, yes, of course I do.'

'Have you ever observed evolution with your own eyes, sir?'

The professor begins to shake his head, still smiling, as he realizes where the argument is going. A very good semester, indeed.

'Since no one has ever observed the process of evolution at work and cannot even prove that this process is an on-going endeavor, are you not teaching your opinion, sir? Are you now not a scientist, but a preacher?'

The class is in uproar. The student remains silent until the commotion has subsided.

'To continue the point you were making earlier to the other student, let me give you an example of what I mean.' The student looks around the room, 'Is there anyone in the class who has ever seen the professor's brain?' The class breaks out into laughter.

'Is there anyone here who has ever heard the professor's brain, felt the professor's brain, touched or smelt the professor's brain? No one appears to have done so. So, according to the established rules of empirical, stable, demonstrable protocol, science says that you have no brain, with all due respect, sir.'

'So if science says you have no brain, how can we trust your lectures, sir?'

Now the room is silent. The professor just stares at the student, his face unreadable. Finally, after what seems an eternity, the old man answers, 'I guess you'll have to take them on faith.'

'Now, you accept that there is faith, and, in fact, faith exists with life,' the student continues, 'Now, sir, is there such a thing as evil?'

Now uncertain, the professor responds, 'Of course, there is. We see it everyday. It is in the daily example of man's inhumanity to man. It is in the multitude of crime and violence everywhere in the world. These manifestations are nothing else but evil.'

To this the student replied, 'Evil does not exist sir, or at least it does not exist unto itself. Evil is simply the absence of God. It is just like darkness and cold, a word that man has created to describe the absence of God. God did not create evil. Evil is the result of vhat happens when man does not have God's love present in his heart. It's like the cold that comes when there is no heat or the darkness that comes when there is no light.'

The professor sat down.

PS: The student was Albert Einstein.

The Secret Life of Bees

This is an absolutely amazing movie. :) You've got to see it to see how many layers of beauty is within it. 

"To escape her cruel, angry father - and discover the truth about her late mother's past - 14 year old Lily Owens feels with her caregiver and friend Rosaleen to a South Carolina town where she's taken in by the bee-keeping Boatwright sisters. Surrounded by the unexpected love, grace and spirituality she encounters there, Lily forms a bond with each of tehse uniquely gifted women and discovers that sometimes you must leave home in order to find it."

25 Random Things About Me

1. I was adopted when I was a baby, with my sister Caroline and my brother Dugan. We found out that we have a sister, Rosalee, and 3 other half siblings (Heather, Angela and Edgar) about 7 years ago. I have met all of my siblings. We lost our birth parents but we are quite close to Rosalee and so we get to know our parents through her. My name at birth was Florence (after my Grandmother) Gloria (after my birth Mom) Borushko. 

2. I went to Taize, France in 2004 (www.taize.fr). It was an extremely inspirational, peaceful and spiritual journey. I got to meet many people from all over the world, talk about God, love and life with others, live and eat simply and sit in silence for 10 mins three times a day (during the church gathering). 

3. I absolutely adore chocolate but am not a big fan of dark chocolate. I went to the chocolate exhibit at Science World once and got to taste a real cocoa bean. It's like eating cocoa powder with no sugar but it’s even bitterer.

4. My full name Florence Rose Maitland means "Blooming/blossoming rose in infertile soil."

5. When I was a little girl and got upset at my parents, I would tell them I’m packing up my things and leaving. I would get my sleeping bag and teddy bear, put on my shoes and walk down the street. By the time I would get to the end my anger wore off and I headed back home to get hugs. 

6. I was a vegetarian for about 4-5 years. Funny thing-it was after I stopped being a vegetarian that I got a calcium and iron deficiency. I found being a vegetarian was somewhat easier because I was more conscious about the foods I needed to eat. 

7. I love to dance, anywhere and at anytime. I've danced in the seat of my car, in my living room and in the shower. Dancing makes me feel free and beautiful. I once took a strip class dance at UNBC (soooo much fun! It’s a wonderful way to love your body more) and am currently taking hip hop lessons. 

8. I dislike mushrooms because they feel gooey in my mouth and taste funny. 

9. My favourite movie is "August Rush." It's is simply miraculous. You know you want to see it. :)

10. I met one of my old friends at Wapiti, a campground in Jasper when I was in grade 11. It was like a scene out of a movie though! I was playing my saxophone and when I stopped, I heard another saxophone. My parents told me to keep playing and then we ended up following the noise. My new friend and I ended up playing the sax together and having a wonderful talk. We stayed friends for a few years and met again at the same campground 2 years after we met. 

11. At Taize, in France, I met a boy named Florian, who was from Germany. For the time that we were there, we ended up having a short relationship. By the time it was for both of us to leave, I was hesitant about wanting to keep in touch with him. For a while he kept calling me and I kept trying to tell him that long distance was too difficult. I didn’t hear from him for a while and I thought finally things were clear. One night when I came home from dinner with a friend, Mom came out and said, “Florence, you’d better come in quickly!” I did and there was Florian, having tea with my parents with a bouquet of roses in his hands. He had gotten a cheap ticket from his Mom, who works with the airlines. I sat him down in the living room and told him straight out, “I don’t want to be with you.” He was quite sad and disappointed and then he just left. I can laugh about it now but that night I had a really good cry. I couldn’t believe a man would travel halfway across the world for me to tell me long distance could work! Another lesson learned: be VERY straightforward about what you need, especially with men!

12. I am a very spiritual person and I love God and the lord with all of my heart. Although I do go to church every Sunday (I teach Sunday School), I do not consider myself a "religious" person but more so a spiritual one. I am open to all other religions and I love learning about them so I can incorporate their wisdom into my soul.

13. I am an extremely organized, clean person. *lol* I used to be such a planner but now I'm learning how to be more spontaneous and okay with clutter. :)

14. After a short teaching career, I would love to become a child and youth counsellor in or out of a school setting. Masters in Counselling, here I come!

15. I love gardening, camping, swimming, hiking... anything to do with the outdoors and feeling the wind in my hair, the bird's songs in my ears, and the true sunshine warming up my body and soul. 

16. My favourite flower is the Lily. I would love to name my daughter, if I have one, Lillian, so she can be called Lily for short.

17. I used to go dancing at the Keg in Kitimat. One night I was dancing with a cooler in my hand and as I tried to take a sip, the bottle chipped two of my front teeth. Thankfully the doctor could fix it!  

18. I have never had a cavity and I have had straight teeth all my life. 

19. I have a nervous habit of biting the skin around my fingers and pulling out my hair.

20. I played the Alto Saxophone from grade 6 to grade 11. I was also in a Jazz band. Then I eventually learned piano. 

21. When I was little I used to put my stuffed animals on little chairs and teach them using a little chalkboard and chalk that I had. I have a picture to prove it! I guess I’ve always wanted to be a teacher, although I did have my hesitations as I went through University (I think we all do). 

22. I love taking pictures and scrapbooking. One day I would love to become a photographer or at least submit my pictures to a contest.

23. I still sometimes sleep with my teddy bear, Flo-bear, when Rob is away. He has holes in him (which my Mom has sewn up a few times) and has his nose chewed off by a mouse that lived in my room at a place I used to live at (I was not there for very long, I can tell you that!). I think I will forever be a snuggle bug. 

24. I trained my puppy Chiko to give me kisses on command (right on the lips too! *lol*). He usually does it more often for treats though.

25. I absolutely love and cherish butterflies.

26. As part of the United Church Youth Group in Kitimat, every Valentine's Day we would do singing telegrams. We would dress up as angels and go door to door (requested by people) singing, "Skinamarinkidinkidink" with actions and then give the person a little message from the sender and some candies. :) What a beautiful, inspiring thing it was to see people smile, feel so loved and feel good inside.