SECRET HEART

The secret is not in your hand or your
eye or your voice, my aunt told me once.
The secret is in your heart. Of course,
she said, knowing that doesn't make it
any easier.

From StoryPeople.

NOT FAIRIES, BUT FANTASTIC

From a long article on an interview by Michael Powell with Richard Dawkins in the New York Times:

Does this man, arguably the world’s most influential evolutionary biologist, spend most of his time here or in the field? Prof. Richard Dawkins smiles faintly. He did not find fame spending dusty days picking at shale in search of ancient trilobites. Nor has he traipsed the African bush charting the sex life of wildebeests.

He gets little charge from such exertions.

“My interest in biology was pretty much always on the philosophical side,” he says, listing the essential questions that drive him. “Why do we exist, why are we here, what is it all about?”

All right, Dawkins ain't out there digging. He's a philosopher of science or a scientific philosopher. (I'm not sure I have the terms correct.) Anyway, he's a thinker.

Dawkins is reluctant to lecture in places like San Francisco or New York, because those cities are already bastions of godlessness. He prefers the Bible belt, where he's not preaching his brand of atheism to the converted.

The popular theory amongst certain scientists that altruism and cooperation within the group plays a part in the survival of certain species is not convincing to Dawkins.

Genes, he says, try to maximize their chance of survival. The successful ones crawl down through the generations. The losers, and their hosts, die off. A gene for helping the group could not persist if it endangered the survival of the individual.

Such insights were in the intellectual air by the mid-1960s. But Professor Dawkins grasped the power of metaphor — that selfish gene — and so made the idea come alive.

Dawkins on the progression of evolution:

Professor Dawkins’s great intellectual conviction is that evolution is progressive, and tends to lead to more and more complexity. Species, in his view, often arrive at similar solutions to evolutionary puzzles — the need for ears, eyes, arms or an octopus’s tentacle. And, often although not invariably, bigger brains.
....

So it would be no great surprise if the interior lives of animals turned out to be rather complex. Do dogs, for example, experience consciousness? Are they aware of themselves as autonomous animals in their surroundings?

“Consciousness has to be there, hasn’t it?” Professor Dawkins replies. “It’s an evolved, emergent quality of brains. It’s very likely that most mammals have consciousness, and probably birds, too.”

Praise be! I agree with Dawkins about consciousness in animals.

Critics grow impatient with Professor Dawkins’s atheism. They accuse him of avoiding the great theological debates that enrich religion and philosophy, and so simplifying the complex. He concocts “vulgar caricatures of religious faith that would make a first-year theology student wince,” wrote Terry Eagleton, regarded as one of Britain’s foremost literary critics. “What, one wonders, are Dawkins’s views on the epistemological differences between Aquinas and Duns Scotus?”

Put that charge to Professor Dawkins and he more or less pleads guilty. To suggest he study theology seems akin to suggesting he study fairies. Nor is he convinced that the ecumenical Anglican, the moderate imam, the Catholic priest with the well-developed sense of irony, is religion’s truest representative.

“I’ve had perfectly wonderful conversations with Anglican bishops, and I rather suspect if you asked in a candid moment, they’d say they don’t believe in the virgin birth,” he says. “But for every one of them, four others would tell a child she’ll rot in hell for doubting.” (My emphases)

I expect that Dawkins is correct to say that there are Anglican bishops who would, in a candid moment, say they do not believe in the virgin birth, but, in fact, the lack of belief in a literal virgin birth would not necessarily undermine the whole basis for their faith.

And I wonder where Dawkins gets his numbers for the 4 to 1 ratio of Christians who would tell children they will rot in hell. From a study? From a poll? Could it be that the rot-in-hell types simply make more noise?

After two hours of conversation, Professor Dawkins walks far afield. He talks of the possibility that we might co-evolve with computers, a silicon destiny. And he’s intrigued by the playful, even soul-stirring writings of Freeman Dyson, the theoretical physicist.

In one essay, Professor Dyson casts millions of speculative years into the future. Our galaxy is dying and humans have evolved into something like bolts of superpowerful intelligent and moral energy.

Doesn’t that description sound an awful lot like God?

“Certainly,” Professor Dawkins replies. “It’s highly plausible that in the universe there are God-like creatures.”

He raises his hand, just in case a reader thinks he’s gone around a religious bend. “It’s very important to understand that these Gods came into being by an explicable scientific progression of incremental evolution.”

Could they be immortal? The professor shrugs.

“Probably not.” He smiles and adds, “But I wouldn’t want to be too dogmatic about that.”

Since I'm one of the impatient critics, help me here. To suggest that he learn a bit about theology before he denigrates it would be, for Richard Dawkins, like asking him why he doesn't study fairies. But wait! Dawkins ponders the distant future populated by creatures co-evolved with computers and possessing God-like qualities. These creatures are, for the present, only speculative possibilities, but, if they come into being, it will be by an evolutionary process which will be entirely explainable, presumably by the creatures themselves.

Perhaps I don't know enough about science, but the creatures described by Dawkins sound to me as scientifically fantastical as fairies or God.

Dawkins seems an affable fellow in person. Powell, the interviewer, calls him 'gracious'. Although the article is long, it is worth reading in its entirety. Don't forget the NYT limitation to 20 free visits per month to their online version. I feared I would run over my limit in the process of writing this post, which I probably shouldn't be writing anyway, because of my limited knowledge of science. But hey! I use a lot of quotes. Dawkins' description of future creatures caught my attention and was decisive in my determination, for better or for worse, to write the post.
Picture of Dawkins from Wikipedia.

UPDATE: Nicked from MadPriest.

HOW MANY TIMES DO YOU HAVE TO SEE IT TO BELIEVE IT?

James Fallows writes in the Atlantic of the latest Republican debate sponsored by Fox/Google:

You have to wonder: is there such a thing as a party going too far? This is one of "our troops," whom politicians of all camps promise to "support." He is on duty in Iraq. And a crowd is booing him ... because he is gay? This is like booing black troops, because they were black, after Harry Truman ordered that the the military be desegregated in 1948. People who would have done that in those days were out-and-out bigots -- people who let color prejudice turn them against fellow Americans who were sacrificing on their behalf. And their successors who booed tonight

My question: Why was Fallows still wondering? Hadn't we enough evidence before latest line-up of blathering GOP candidates that the Republican Party has gone too far? During a previous debate, when a question was put to Ron Paul about a hypothetical case of a 30 year old man without health insurance who became gravely ill, and Wolf Blitzer asks Paul, 'But, Congressman, are you saying the society should just let him die?', and audience members shouted, 'Yeah!', wasn't that enough to make Fallows wonder? And when the crowd at the GOP debate applauded wildly when Rick Perry said he did not struggle at all with the 234 executions (now 235) which took place during his terms as governor of Texas, didn't that make him wonder if the party had gone too far?

H/T to Counterlight for the link.

BEAUTIFUL MUSIC FROM ANCIENT GREECE PLAYED ON THE LYRE

Played by Michael Levy.

A studio quality recording of this piece, can now be heard on my NEW CD ALBUM, "An Ancient Lyre" at CD Baby.

This video features my arrangement for solo lyre of "The Song of Seikilos", unique in musical history, as it is the only piece of music from antiquity in the entire Western world, that has SO far been found, which has survived in its COMPLETE form, and unlike much earlier surviving fragments of melodies that have been found, this song is written in a totally unambiguous ALPHABETICAL musical notation, which can be played, note for note, as it was written...2000 YEARS AGO.

The music is gorgeous. Thanks to Mark at Enough About Me for encouraging me to search around on YouTube for music from the ancient world of Greece and the Mediterranean. I looked mainly for music played on the lyre. Michael posted several videos under his YouTube handle Klezfiddle1.

You can also purchase the MP3 album and CD through MadPriest's Amazon store. The MP3 version is $1.00 cheaper at Amazon, but the CD costs much less at CD Baby.

'IF RICK PERRY IS PRESIDENT'

Canada to Build Twenty-foot Fence if Perry Elected

Could Be Electrified, Border Officials Warn

From the Borowitz Report.

IN COLD BLOOD - 2

From an editorial in the Los Angeles Times:

Unless there is a last-minute stay, Troy Anthony Davis will die Wednesday by lethal injection, raising the distinct possibility that the state of Georgia will have executed an innocent man. His is perhaps the highest-profile death penalty case in the country, attracting the attention of such public figures as former President Jimmy Carter, Pope Benedict XVI and former FBI Director William Sessions, all of whom have called for clemency, as well as the European Union, which on Monday urged Georgia's pardons board to commute Davis' sentence. The board was not swayed. On Tuesday, after hearing hours of testimony from both sides, it rejected Davis' request for clemency and set the stage for his execution.

That a man who may be innocent of the crime for which he will be executed is horrendous. People here in the US and around the world are right to protest the outrage and plead for a stay of execution for Troy Davis. I hope and pray that a stay is ordered. I don't know if Davis is innocent or guilty of the crime, but the justice system has not proved his guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. What happened to 'innocent until proven guilty'? As the editorial says:

For a state to justify executing someone, the case against him or her must be ironclad. The case against Davis is anything but. Georgia's governor has no power to stop executions, and Davis' defense attorneys may be out of options. His execution, if it proceeds, should remind all Americans of the potential for injustice lying at the heart of a primitive method of punishment.

It's long past the time for us to rid ourselves of the barbarous and primitive method of punishment, if we wish to think of ourselves as a civilized country.

And we should take another look at Rick Perry, governor of Texas and a candidate for president of the US, who did not struggle at all as he presided over 234 executions during his terms in office.

I ask again: what is a state execution if not killing in cold blood?

UPDATE: From the Guardian:

The execution of Troy Davis was delayed temporarily by the US supreme court on Wednesday night, in a dramatic intervention just as he was due to be put to death by lethal injection.

As the first news came in at the Jackson prison that houses death row, a huge cheer erupted from a crowd of more than 500 protesters that had amassed on the other side of the road.

Thanks be to God and the Justices of the Supreme Court!

H/T to Jonathan Hagger and Dan Sloan on Facebook.

UPDATE 2: At approximately 9:30, I heard on Democracy Now that the execution is now proceeding.

Lord, have mercy on us all.

ANOTHER TRAGIC GAY TEEN SUICIDE

From Jim Burroway at Box Turtle Bulletin:

Fourteen-year-old Jamey Rodemeyer posted an “It Gets Better” video last May describing his struggles with the constant bullying he experienced at school. He expressed confidence at that time that his family and friends could carry him through the difficulties. But in the face of renewed bullying at the start of a new school year as a high school freshman, the bullying got worse. it turns out that it wasn’t.

Jamey's video:

Jamey’s father Tim Rodemeyer said, “To the kids who are bullying they have to realize that words are very powerful and what you think is just fun and games isn’t to some people, and you are destroying a lot of lives.”

How heartbreaking! A beautiful young life snuffed out at the age of 14. Jamey is gone because the bullying became unbearable. What are the thoughts of the young people who bullied Jamey now? How many deaths will it take before bullying will be addressed in a serious way by so-called adults?

Almighty God, our Father in heaven, before whom live all who die in the Lord: Receive our brother Jamey into the courts of your heavenly dwelling place. Let his heart and soul now ring out in joy to you, O Lord, the living God, and the God of those who live. Amen.

Almighty God, look with compassion upon the sorrows of all who love Jamey. Remember them, Lord, in your mercy; nourish them with comfort, consolation, and a sense of your goodness; lift up your countenance upon them; and give them peace. Amen.

ELIZABETH WARREN - NO ONE GOT RICH ON HIS OWN

From Elizabeth Warren, candidate for the US Senate in Massachusetts:

I hear all this, you know, “Well, this is class warfare, this is whatever.”—No!

There is nobody in this country who got rich on his own. Nobody.

You built a factory out there—good for you! But I want to be clear.

You moved your goods to market on the roads the rest of us paid for.

You hired workers the rest of us paid to educate.

You were safe in your factory because of police forces and fire forces that the rest of us paid for.

You didn’t have to worry that marauding bands would come and seize everything at your factory, and hire someone to protect against this, because of the work the rest of us did.

Now look, you built a factory and it turned into something terrific, or a great idea—God bless. Keep a big hunk of it.

But part of the underlying social contract is you take a hunk of that and pay forward for the next kid who comes along.

Yes, Warren's words have gone viral on the internet, but I want to call attention to them because everyone should read them.

RUTH GLEDHILL SAYS RUMORS ARE LIKELY TRUE

In the comments, Lapin notes that Ruth Gledhill believes the rumors about Archbishop Rowan Williams' resignation are likely true, because Lambeth Palace did not issue a denial but said only that the palace will not comment. You can listen to the BBC interview with Gledhill this past Sunday on BBC Radio for only a few days more. Gledhill bravely speculates on who will be named to replace Rowan. She says Abp. John Sentamu of York is very popular.

UPDATE: On the other hand, Bishop Dan Martins of the Diocese of Springfield reports on his blog, Confessions of a Carioca, from Quito, Ecuador, where the Episcopal Church House of Bishops just completed their semi-annual meeting:

It's not often that I indulge in news mongering, but my ears perked up this afternoon when the Bishop of Bath & Well, a guest of this meeting of the HoB, brought his greetings to the house.

First, he addressed the rumor, first appearing in the British press a week or so ago, that Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams will have resigned within a year's time in order to return to academia. This, Bishop Price told us, will not happen. He told us this emphatically, and without a hint of doubt. One might be forgiven for inferring that he had some inside information.

The word from Bishop Price.

ON MAKING MY BED

Today I finally fessed up to the cleaning lady that I preferred to make up my own bed with a clean set of sheets. As soon as the words were out of my mouth, CL said, 'I know! I'm terrible at making beds. My daughter complains, and one woman fired me over my bed-making!' My CL does a fine job with all her other duties, so I would not consider firing her over the way she makes a bed, although her method produces results that are much less than satisfactory.

I admit it. I'm somewhat of a perfectionist about wanting a neatly made bed. My previous CL made a bed with a perfection that even I could not equal, so I was a bit spoiled and had high expectations. Our mattress is deep, so it's a bit difficult, but entirely possible, to get the fitted bottom sheet positioned right. Then I want the top sheet, light blanket, and quilt evenly positioned on the the bed. Hospital corners at the bottom of the bed for the top sheet and blanket are de rigueur. Like ironing, I take pleasure in a bed well made. With both chores, I can plainly see the result of my effort.

The new CL has been with us several months, and for a while, I'd remake the entire bed after she left, which involved more work than making up the bed from scratch. Then my CL hurt her back and was out for a while, and Grandpère and I made do for several weeks by sharing the cleaning chores. When she returned, I continued to make the bed to help her so she would not have to strain her back which was not yet fully healed. Finally, the day arrived when she was fully recovered, and I decided to tell her that I wanted to continue the task. I feared I would hurt her feelings, but I did not. All's well that ends well.