Voting Day

Unofficial Results:
Town Supervisor (1)
464 Richard Meyers (conservative) (x)
449 John Sweeney (republican, democrat)
Town Councilman (2)
567 Dan Engert (x)
488 Randy Wayner
476 Rob Degnan (x)
240 Richard Ray
(x) = my choice

Many of my readers may have the chance to vote today. Our church is a voting station, so I'll be surrounded by voters all day. They actually vote just a few feet from my office door. But that's Appleton. I live in Somerset. Different town. Different candidates. Different issues. There are basically 3 big issues in my town followed by my ignorant commentary.

1) Should we keep fighting the AES Power Plant despite the cost and the risk of ruining our relationship to the counties biggest tax payer? Are they really ripping us off? Are they a benefit to the town?
I think the AES plant is paying less than they technically should. And I am sure they are paying less than they could. But I also think the town has been way to viscous in their dealings with the #1 tax payer in the county. We are fortunate to have them in our town. We need to stop fighting them and start working with them. I'm generally PRO AES.

2) Should we allow windmills?
The only argument I've ever heard against windmills is that they are ugly. I disagree. I think they look neat. I'm thinking of having one installed in my bedroom just for decoration. The current town board, from what I understand, opposed windmills until they realized everyone else likes them. Then they tried to take the credit for upcoming possibilities brought about by the current town supervisor. I'm very PRO windmill.

3) Has the current town board been nasty in their dealings with the current town supervisor?
I've never attended a town meeting. But numerous sources I trust confirm, to me, that the town board has been quite jerkish in their dealings with the town supervisor. I'm very ANTI current town board based on statements shared with me by meeting attenders.

Creation Geology

One of my spiritual gifts is skimming. The other day I skimmed through 'Theory of Earth' by James Hutton (the founder of uniformitarian geology). Geology is probably my favorite branch of science, but I've never found uniformitarianism convincing. I don't believe that the present processes are the best explanation for what we see. If the choice before us is either 'a lot of time' (uniformitarianism) or 'a lot of water' (catastrophism), I'll take water every day. And so did most/all scientists until Hutton came along. Below I will provide some quotes from Mr. Hutton with my commentary following:

We live in a world where order every where prevails... A living world is evidently an object in the design of things, by whatever Being those things had been designed... (but in our study of geology...) Not only are no powers to be employed that are not natural to the globe, no action to be admitted of except those of which we know the principle, and no extraordinary events to be alleged in order to explain a common appearance...
Here we see Hutton's deistic brand of religion. He believes the earth was designed intelligently, but he doesn't believe that Intelligence would remain involved in His creation. God can't be active in His creation. He can't do extra-odrinary things. My question is, why not?

The general amount of our reasoning is this, that nine-tenths, perhaps, or ninety-nine hundredths of this earth, so far as we see, have been formed by natural operations of the globe, in collecting loose materials, and depositing them at the bottom of the sea;
So he's claiming that 90-99% of geology is explained by slow and gradual processes (like erosion). I'd assume, then, that he's leaving 1-10% open to a catastrophic interpretation. I imagine just about the exact opposite. I think 90-99% of geology is due to catastrophe(s) while 1-10% is due to current processes.

It is only in science that any question concerning the origin and end of things is formed; and it is in science only that the resolution of those questions is to be attained. The natural operations of this globe, by which the size and shape of our land are changed, are so slow as to be altogether imperceptible to men who are employed in pursuing the various occupations of life
I can't help but interpret some arrogance from this quote. Only science touches on origins? Only science can account for origins? The regular citizen has no access to answers about existence?

On the other hand, it is quite possible that none of my readers are very interested in discussing uniformitarianism!

City of God 3

Part 3 of the 'City of God' deals with the origin of the 2 cities. It was good, for me, to read this section alongside my creation series since much of Augustine's discussion revolves around Genesis 1-3. He speaks of Genesis 1 as an eyewitness account (God, of course, being the eye-witness). Atheism, according to Augustine, is a foolish and deadly disease. Hints of contemporary 'intelligent design' are found in this text. Here are some highlights

~ Time itself was created
~ The word 'day' in Genesis 1 is mysterious
~ He spiritualizes Genesis 1
~ Theorizes angels were the 'light' before sun
~ Theorizes that fallen angels, then, were 'darkness'
~ Believes creation was accomplished in '1' day
~ Fallen angels were lesser angels
~ Adam would have lived forever
~ Strongly defends the Trinity
~ Numbers in Scripture are important
~ There is no efficient cause of an evil will
~ 'Evolution' is a stupid theory
~ Doesn't know the age of the earth
~ Hate the sin, love the sinner
~ Against 'open theism'
~ Adam's sin was so serious b/c obedience was so simple

I found this section very thoughtful, insightful & edifying, but one thing I noticed Augustine struggling with was apparent conflicts stemming from his belief in the immortality of the soul. On three separate occasions he ran into issue because he wouldn't let go of that doctrine. It's not that I totally reject that doctrine, it's that I wish Augustine had questioned it and fleshed out why he believed it so staunchly.

Funny Friday 13

'Funny' is a stretch, but I thought this play was worth sharing

Office Party 6

In tonight's episode, Karen returns in an attempt to lure Stanley away from Scranton. When Michael objects, he brings Jim into the war. The other office workers are disturbed by a "Finer Things Club." I watched last week's episode again and really enjoyed it. Today's question:

If you had to hire 1 character from the office to be a staff pastor at your church, which character would it be and what 'title' would you give them?