Review of Evolving out of Eden, by Robert M. Price and Edwin A. Suominen

For hundreds of years, Christians have attempted to "reconcile" the Bible, and what it says about how the world was created, with what science reveals about how the world came to be. Evolving out of Eden: Christian Responses to Evolution is a lucid and, dare I say complete, exploration of the various intersections between Christian theology and science -- in particular, the science of evolutionary theory.

For hundreds of years, Christians have been adamantly opposed to humanity's ever increasing knowledge about the way the world actually works. Galileo was opposed by the Roman Catholic Church. Darwin was, and still is, opposed by Christians from many different Churches. And in America, Fundamentalist Evangelical Christians attempt to smuggle creationism (that is, Bible stories about the creation of the world) into the science classrooms of our public education system. All in an effort to protect their long held, and false beliefs, that the Bible is in some way a science text book. Well, as New Testament scholar Robert M. Price and co-author, Edwin A. Suominen clearly demonstrate: the Bible is NOT a science book!

Evolving out of Eden essentially begins as layman's guide to evolutionary theory. Quoting extensively from leading scientists in the field, the authors explore the reasons scientists throughout the world insist that evolution is true, and has always been the mechanism for the creation of life on earth. It is, in many ways, a crash course in the basics of evolutionary theory, as understood and explained by scientists. But like the Bible, Evolving out of Eden is not -- nor does it pretend to be -- a science text. It's real strengths are to be found when the authors delve into the vast history of the Biblical creation stories -- of which there are many. It explains, how these stories came to be, what they meant for the writers of the texts, and how Christians throughout the centuries have interpreted and reinterpreted them, in order to make them fit with our ever expanding scientific knowledge. And it shows that, no matter how hard Christians have tried to force the Biblical creation stories into the world of science, it is always a futile attempt to force the square peg bronze age creation myth into a round hole of science.

While the authors themselves no longer consider themselves religious, they are not, in an way, anti-religious. They both have a great deal of respect for religion, Christianity, the Bible and Christian theology -- and their respect shows in their words. This is not a book meant to bash those who believe in Creationism, but a book meant to open up lines of communication that -- for the most part -- have been closed down, by us Christians.

Evolving out of Eden simply points out what some Christians and Church fathers (like Origen of Alexandria) always understood: the Bible is NOT a scientific text from which one can draw information about how the world works. It is a religious text, meant to explore humanity's quest for something more than the world. And any attempt, no matter how sincere, to reconcile the Biblical creation accounts with scientific facts, fail on every level.

As a believing Eastern Orthodox Christian, I highly recommend this book. It's educational, enlightening, at times funny, and above all it is honest and fair. Following the internet book review standards, I'm rating it five stars, with one caveat: by the very nature of the topics involved, somewhat technical -- especially near the beginning. I'd rank it 4.5 stars, because the technical nature may turn off some readers who aren't as serious about following through on the subject as other. However, that's not the fault of the authors, but rather the fault of America's lackluster science education system, so in order to not punish the authors in my review, who've done their very best to make a complex topic understandable, I'm giving it five stars.

It is a FANTASTIC book, and probably the best over all introduction to the topic of how evolution and Christianity intersect that I've ever read. If you have, even the slightest hint of an open mind, this book will change your opinions about the Bible, creationism, and science, while giving you a new respect for all three.

George R.R. Martin fans: stop taking your favorite series so damn seriously!

Okay, I've decided that fans of George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series take themselves and the books WAY TOO SERIOUSLY. I don't mean in the sense that Tolkien or Star Trek fans give a piece of their hearts over to the world, characters, and stories -- I mean in the sense that (unlike Tolkien fans) Game of Thrones fans seem to believe that Westeros is a freaking REAL world, or was a real world, or is representative of the real world. 

I was just reading a Wheel of Time fan board, and saw some Game of Thrones trolls arguing that, while they liked WoT, they LOVE Game of Thrones because it is a "realistic" world with "real" characters who act like real people in real situations, and that Westeros is just like ancient Rome (what???) and like medieval Europe all at the same time. (Yeah, again -- WHAT???) 

I like ASOIF too. I think GRRM is one of the BEST writers writing today -- but these diehard GoT fans really need a reality check. You're reading a series of books in which ice monsters, from beyond an 800 foot tall wall, are coming to overthrow the seven kingdoms which was once ruled by a family who mated with dragons! (Or however it was they got their magical, dragon-like abilities to survive being burnt at the freaking stake.) Yeah.....nice, gritty, realistic stuff, wouldn't you say? 

Look, I'm NOT bashing the fantasy genre. Fantasy, of one sort or another, is pretty much the only type of fiction I read these days. The fantasy genre does things that so called "mainstream" literature does poorly or cannot do at all. It deals with the "other" and can make commentary on subjects that, we otherwise might be uncomfortable with. But there is this ugly side to the fantasy genre -- or rather, fantasy fans -- that assumes that their favorite story is the BEST story. WoT fans did it. Sword of Truth fans did it. And now ASOIF fans do it. For them, all other fantasy is second class, or outright "crap" while their favorite book is "real literature, take that Terry Goodkind/Robert Jordan/J.R.R. Tolkien."

Of course, in fifty years I doubt that there will be entire scholarly societies dedicated to doing scholarship on Westeros like they do with Tolkien. But that's irrelevant, because George Martin has a badass dwarf who gets laid -- and that proves he's the best!

Don't get me wrong. I love GRRM's emphasis on the "grey" reality of human nature -- I like the story, but to pretend it's anymore "realistic" than WoT (or LOTR, or Terry Brooks) is total bullshit!  Yeah, more people die and they use the words "whore" and "fuck" more than in other books, but that doesn't make it "realistic," just different. If Martin's Westeros was representative of the REAL Middle Ages, we'd definitely see the brutality, but we'd also see the beauty of that time too. We'd see the poetry, the language, magnificent cathedrals, monasteries educating people etc. Martin has no beauty in his story. It's horror after horror. I get that that is the "point" of the story. But, in my opinion, that  makes it "gritty" but not necessarily anymore  "realistic" than anything else. 

Rant of the day -- Beautiful Creatures based on the novel? Hardly!

I was hoping that the film adaptation of Kim Garcia and Margaret Stohl's YA novel Beautiful Creatures would be a decent book to film film adaptation. But after seeing the film last night, with the person who got me hooked on the series of books to begin with, all I can say is that, whether or not the movie itself was decent, one thing is certain -- it is NOT an adaptation (decent or otherwise) of the novel Beautiful Creatures. 

Now, I've previously defended Peter Jackson's adaptation of The Hobbit. Yes, Jackson made some changes. But while the Tolkien purists would disagree, The Hobbit film was still basically The Hobbit! The story still followed the same multiple plot threads. Jackson may have added stuff. Jackson may have even interpreted things differently, but it was still The Hobbit. Beautiful Creatures, on the other hand, is absolutely NOTHING like the book. In fact, with the exception of setting,the NAMES of the characters and a single bare bones main plot thread (Lena being claimed) this movie has NO resemblance to the book that it is supposedly based upon.

Obviously, I am not a nitpicker. I loved The Hobbit. So I don't mind alterations for big screen adaptations. But Beautiful Creatures goes far beyond an "adaptation." At best it is vaguely inspired by a novel by the same name. I mean, seriously -- the entire freaking thing is totally different. Major characters that are essential to the plot in the book series simply do NOT exist in this movie. It would be akin to removing Haymitch from The Hunger Games!

Now lots of comparisons have been made to Twilight. Let's get this straight -- the NOVEL is NOTHING at all like Twilight! Other than the fact both are Fantasy YA and have a romance, they aren't similar in any way. Is this movie? Well, I'm not sure. I was so distracted by the fact that major characters don't exist, the ones that do act completely out of character and the entire theme of the romance part of it (which is only ONE thread in the books) is completely turned on it's head in the film. I mean, it is EXACTLY the opposite. The acting was decent, but for fans of the book series, the script was a mess! I suppose I could say more about it, but at this point, what's the point? I still have the fourth and final installment of the series to read. And I think I'll do that, rather than mourn the loss of what could have a pretty darn good, and far deeper film that the Twilight series. 

But alas it wasn't -- at least we will always have the books!

 

Rant of the day -- where's the snow?

Okay, so I'm here in Northern Wisconsin and for the last four days I've been told that the  biggest snow storm of the season is going to pound us into oblivion. 6-12 inches of snow, 8-14 inches, maybe ice, freezing rain, and winds howling like pack of wolves during the Harvest moon. When is this storm going to hit? Well, today. In fact, right now. But guess what -- so far we've received a grand total of -- NOTHING!

Now I get it. Up here in the northwoods we are snow starved. We're in the middle of a drought and all of the snow businesses would LOVE to have a decent snow before this dry winter is over. But come on all you TV weather experts -- you guaranteed that we're going to have snow. 100% chance! And so far, nothing. I'm still told that the storm is coming! That before long, old man winter is going to be knocking on our doors and this pathetic 8 inches we have on the ground is going to at least double, and make for a respectable looking northwoods winter wonderland. Trust them, they say. Snow is coming. Winter is coming!

Well, George R.R. Martin fans have been hearing that since 1996 -- and still, winter has not come! And he's actually CREATING the weather at will -- so forgive me if I'm cynical the local TV weather experts ability to predict weather they are not personally creating, but until I see this big snow storm, I remain skeptical.

Wait, what the hell is that? Something outside my window has blue eyes -- holy  . . . .

Rant of the Day -- Quantum Leap on DVD, screwed due to Studio being cheap

I've been going through the late 80's/early 90's TV series Quantum Leap on DVD. Awesome show and one of my all time favorites. b=But the season two finale -- which is one of the most important episodes of the entire series -- is missing the most important song of the entire series (Georgia On My Mind).  In it's place, Universal Studios inserted some terrible elevator music in what was one of the most powerful scenes of the entire series! 

WTF? 

If you don't think music can make or break a scene, then go back and watch this without Georgia On My Mind. It totally ruins it for those of us who remember the way it's supposed to be! 

I know it all has to do with user rights, and the fact they didn't want to pay out the money to use the song on the DVD, but come on! If this was just any old episode, that would be one thing -- but this episode is essential to the overall arc of the series. Oh well, still a great series, and great DVD collection. But holy crap, it really sucks without George On My Mind!

Pro-gun advocates and their lies!

Alright, so what started out as a bit of rant on my Facebook timeline, hopefully will become something a little less -- ranty (is that even a word?) 

Since the Sandy Hook tragedy. there has been a lot of talk about gun control. It bombards the airwaves and social media. Facebook in particularly has become ground-zero for ultra-Conservative rants about Second Amendment rights. Everyone is resorting to name calling and finger pointing to "prove" that they are good Americans, while everyone else is in league with the devil. And I say, God bless them all. We live in a free country, where we have freedom of speech and are allowed to voice ANY opinion on ANY topic, and I will do what I can to defend that right -- not only for myself, but for everyone else too. However, for the past month, much of the name calling and finger pointing has one major flaw: it's nothing but a pack of lies.

Once and for all, let's get one thing straight: President Obama, the Obama Administration, The Democratic Party, and all of those evil, leftist liberals out there, are not calling for a U.S. firearms ban. Yet if one checks out Conservative Talk Radio and social media, one will find that Conservatives are, quite literally, up in arms about the government's plan to take away everyone's guns. Even Fox News political analyst Juan Williams has pointed out that, "Nothing in President Obama’s rhetoric or his record supports the right wing’s claim that he wants to confiscate the guns of law abiding Americans.  This is a paranoid delusion manufactured out of whole cloth by the National Rifle Association and the even more extreme group, Gun Owners of America. Unfortunately, this toxic nonsense has now seeped into the mainstream of conservative thought."

Got that? President Obama, and the Obama Administration has never said a word about "banning firearms" or coming to take away everyone's guns. What they calling for is a ban on military styled assault weapons. That's it! That's the extent of this supposed plan to take us down the road to some Hunger Games styled Dystopian society. In other words, like a good Democrat, Obama wants a return to the Clinton years. 

 Now, if you want to argue that you, as an American citizen, have the right to own guns that are designed to blow the locks off of doors or splatter someone's brains across the landscape from 300 yards -- fine, do that. In fact, I will defend your right to make that argument. But folks, please stop lying about the conversation that is currently taking place in our nation. No one wants to prevent you from hunting, target shooting, or defending your family from Freddy Kruger when he comes for you in the middle of the night. What the Obama Administration wants to do is prevent people from having weapons that are designed for the sole purpose of killing another human being.

You may disagree with that goal -- and that's perfectly fine. But do yourself -- and your karma -- a huge favor and stop LYING about what it is advocates of gun control are actually proposing. Lying about what others say, in order to get what you want, is not only immoral and selfish, but it is dangerous. It's dangerous because the more you lie now, the less likely it is that people will believe you if and when the wolves actually do come to our doorsteps.

People -- answer your texts!

Over the past few weeks I've texted several friends, several times, and in response I received -- well, no response. Now, I know for a fact that it's not a problem with my phone, because I've gotten text messages from these people in the past, so I know it works. In fact, I've gotten text messages from others on the same day. The problem is clearly not with the phone itself but with -- something else.

Do you know how it makes me feel when you refuse to answer me? It makes me wonder if my texts were sucked into the void of nothingness, along with my missing socks, my favorite ink pen, and that missing five dollar bill I've been looking for.

I mean, what's the deal? How hard is it to type less than 160 characters? You do it hundreds of times a day in response to other people -- why do you ignore me?

 Now I'll admit that I'm not that into texting. For the most part, I think people that text dozens of times per day have a serious problem. However, I've come to learn that, sometimes, texting can be useful. It's a quick way of communicating with someone -- assuming that the person you've texted actually takes the time to communicate back. When they don't, it becomes a quick way of deflating one's own perception of one's self.

I mean, if you don't answer me back -- what am I supposed to think? Did I do something to piss you off? Do you secretly hate me? Are you afraid to answer back because you believe that I've been possessed by aliens from another world and will come after you next? Have you been possessed by aliens from another world? Are you sick? In trouble? Dead? Do you need to talk about what's bothering you? Here I am. Oh, but then you might have to text -- or gasp -- call me, wouldn't you? And well all know that that's out of the question.

Look, I get that we live in a busy world and I get that you have better things to do with your time than answer my insignificant messages -- like answer all of the bullshit messages that come into your inbox. So yes, I know you're busy.  but guess what, I'm just as busy as you. And if I've taken a few minutes out of my day to text you a simple question, the least that you can do is be polite enough to respond.

I admit that this whole problem probably lies with me. I mean, I was raised to be civil and polite. Yes, yes, I know. Being polite is seriously out of fashion. It's much better to be a rude jerk than to be polite. I feel that way too sometimes. In fact, I feel that way right now!

 I'm not always polite. I can be a rude jerk with the best of them. But I would hope that my failed attempts at communication don't come across as being rude. I'd like to think that my friends can tell the difference between when I'm being a rude jerk and when I'm trying to be nice. But perhaps they cannot? Perhaps I'm such a poor texter, that my messages border on the insane? Who knows? I mean, I am pretty sure I heard a heart beating under the floor last night. That doesn't make me insane, does it?

Or perhaps you really have been possessed by aliens and don't know who the hell I am. Or maybe you'd rather I fade into oblivion? Or are you simply being rude?

Or, I suppose I've completely blown this whole thing out of proportion, and you simply forgot to text me in return. Oh, now I feel like such a worm for getting angry about this whole thing. You know what, forget I said anything at all. I'm going to slink away now, and go deal with that beating heart under the floorboards.