Monthly Archives: February 2009

“There Is No ‘Politically Correct’ Science – Forbes.com”

From John West: Darwin’s theory of evolution by natural selection has been one of the most politically and culturally consequential ideas of the past 200 years. Yet many defenders of evolution do their best to downplay the connections between Charles Darwin and what might be called social Darwinism. Darwin, they insist, focused simply on the …

February 14, 2009 – 7:58 pm | By Tom Gilson | Posted in Origins and Science | Comments Off

“Would Your Clone Have Its Own Soul, or Be a Soulless Version of You?: Scientific American”

I don’t have time at the moment to comment on this, but maybe you do: The science of soul beliefs is an incredibly fascinating affair—one that bioethicists, cloning researchers, and even theologians might be wise to consult before assuming a firm stance on either side of the polemical fence. However, a future filled with soulless …

February 13, 2009 – 6:30 pm | By Tom Gilson | Posted in Origins and Science | Comments (3)

Red Envelopes for Life: Where It Began

The first comment on my earlier blog post about the Red Envelopes for Life campaign was left by Christ Otto, who said there that he had sent out the first email, the one that got it all started. I just spent a half hour on the phone with Christ (he pronounces it to rhyme with …

February 13, 2009 – 1:00 pm | By Tom Gilson | Posted in Deep Social Change | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off

Christian Carnival

Christian Carnival CCLXIII is posted at Evangelical Ecologist

February 13, 2009 – 9:16 am | By Tom Gilson | Posted in Miscellanea | Comments Off

“Born believers: How your brain creates God — New Scientist”

The question at New Scientist was, how did we ever come up with the idea of gods? The answer begins, It turns out that human beings have a natural inclination for religious belief, especially during hard times. Our brains effortlessly conjure up an imaginary world of spirits, gods and monsters, and the more insecure we …

February 11, 2009 – 6:00 am | By Tom Gilson | Posted in Origins and Science | Tagged , , , | Comments (3)

Red Envelopes for Life

The new U.S. administration is on the verge of opening doors for more legalized abortions. The so-called “Freedom of Choice Act” would take choice away from state and local jurisdictions regarding abortion law. We can all send President Obama a simple but powerful message with a Red Envelope for Life. Pass it along! And if …

February 10, 2009 – 7:39 am | By Tom Gilson | Posted in Life and Choices | Tagged , | Comments (104)

25 Things

It’s that “25 Things” thing again—you’ve probably seen it elsewhere on the blogosphere. A friend tagged me on Facebook, so now it’s my turn: 1. Back in college, when I handed a note to my marching band director to tell him I was going to see a surgeon that evening for a probable appendectomy, he …

February 8, 2009 – 8:30 pm | By Tom Gilson | Posted in Miscellanea | Comments (1)

Questions Jesus Asked

A guest column today at the Newport News Daily Press. That link will expire in a couple weeks; use this pdf then instead.

February 8, 2009 – 1:24 pm | By Tom Gilson | Posted in Deep Social Change, Knowing God | Comments (2)