New Post: "Does Quantum Mechanics Speak to Catholic Teaching?"

Hello all.  A new post on the Magis Center for Faith and Reason website: "Does quantum mechanics speak to Catholic teachin? II: Quantum Mysteries Intersect Theology"    I discuss how the superposition principle might yield an example, an analog for the Holy Trinity, explain with a simple example what quantum entanglement involves and how quantum mystery supports Catholic teaching.  Enjoy!  Comment!

New Post: "Deus Caritas Est; the Attributes of Love"

Hello all.   I hope everyone had a fine Thanksgiving.   New post: "Deus Caritas Est; the Attributes of Love."   (Title says it all.)

New Post: "The Quantum Catholic: Do Quantum and Religious Mysteries Intersect?"

Hello all.  Be consoled or rejoice at last night's elections results.  It could have been worse (and it could have been better).    And now for something completely different (the Monty Python opening line):  "The Quantum Catholic: Do Quantum and Religious Mysteries Intersect?"  Enjoy

New Post: Essay 8 of Web-Book, "Does Science Tell Us how to Live?"

Hello all...Happy Days, Calloo, Callay!   Web-book is finished (almost--except for science background section).   Essay 8, "Does Science Tell us how to Live?" is up.  Please visit and comment.

New Post: "Science and Catholic Teaching: Life is Sacred from Conception to Birth"

Hello all.   A new post on Catholic Stand: "Science and Catholic Teaching: Life is Sacred from Conception to Birth."  Spread the word!

New Post: "Memento Mori: Thoughts on Growing Old."

The new post, "Memento Mori: Thoughts on Growing Old" is a reflection on our Shi-Tzu's dying, old age at a local nursing home for religious, and Muriel Spark's novel, "Memento Mori."  One of my better pieces, or maybe just something meaningful for me.

New Post: "The Great Sin of the Left"

Hello all.  A new post  on The American Catholic: "The Great Sin of the Left," which is to make us hate them because of their lies, corruption, .... and violate the teachings of Jesus, to love our enemies (Matt 5:44).

New Post: Faith, Decision Making and Probability III: Bayes' Theorem and the Anthropic Principle

Hello all.   New post on Catholic Stand: "Faith, Decision Making and Probability III: <br>Bayes' Theorem and the Anthropic Principle."  I  derive Bayes' Theorem and discuss two examples of how it is used to incorporate new knowledge into modifying probability as a measure of belief:  the Monty Hall problem (the three doors with a prize and goats), and a medical test for a rare disease.

New Post: "Faith, Decision Making and Probability II: How do we interpret probability?

Hello all.   Hope you're welcoming fall, and cooler weather.   A new post on Catholic Stand: "Faith, Decision Making and Probability II: How do we interpret probability?"   I talk about the various interpretations of probability--logical, frequentist and subjective--and how probability is conditional, based on evidence.

New Post:"Ex Opere Operato --A Convert's Reflection on Church Scandals"

Hello all, and a happy and relaxed Labor Day Weekend to you.    A new post on THE AMERICAN CATHOLIC: "<i>Ex Opere Operato </i>--A Convert's Reflection on Church Scandals."  I explore what I should think  about the recent scandals, try to put them in the context of a Church which has survived sinners in high places, and take comfort in the doctrine, "ex opere operato," that even though a priest is a sinner, his consecration of the Eucharist is valid and effective.

New Post: "How and Why We Believe: Faith, Probability and Decision Making"

Hello all.   A new post on CATHOLIC STAND: "How and Why We Believe;  Faith, Probability and Decision Making."
I talk about how faith works, give a simple example of probability as a guide to action, and then link probability with faith by discussing Pascal's Wager.

New Post: "Abortion Politics and the Shabbos Goy"

Hello all.   A new post on THE AMERICAN CATHOLIC: "Abortion Politics and the Shabbos Goy.
I make an analogy between a Shabbos Goy, a non-Jew who does things on the Sabbath that an Orthodox Jew is not permitted to do, and Catholic Politicians who say I don't believe in abortion, but it's ok for others to exercise a freedom of choice, who use Planned Parenthood to do what Catholic teaching forbids. Senator Bob Casey is a prime example of this.

New Post: "Are We Special--The Anthropic Principle"

Hello all!   A new post, "Are We Special, The Anthropic Principle," on the Magis Center for Faith and Reason website.  It's taken from Essay 4 of my web-book, "Truth Cannot Contradict Truth"

New Post: "71 Accusations--How many are guilty?"

Hello all.  a new post on The American Catholic: "71 Accusations--How many are guilty?"  It's about Bishop Gainer's letter (Diocese of Harrisburg, PA) and the 71 male religious named as  childhood sex predators in Shapiro's Grand Jury investigation.  The actual numbers, on analysis, don't make that impressive a headline.

New Post: "What does it take to be human? On the Genetic Modification of Animal and Human Embryos

Hello all:  a new post on Catholic Stand: "What does it take to be human--On the Genetic Modification of Human and Animal Embryos"

New Post: Why and How Catholics Should Learn about Science

Hello all:  a new post, a bit of shameless self-promotion on Catholic Stand for my web-book, "Truth Cannot Contradict Truth:" "Why and How Catholics Should Learn about Science."  Read!  Enjoy!  Comment!

New Post: "Essay 7, Miracles"

Hello all.   The web-book, "Truth Cannot Contradict Truth," is nearing completion.  One more chapter (tying everything together--I hope) and the Science Background section remain.  The newest Essay, #7, is on Miracles.  It gives examples, tells how the Church judges whether something is really a miracle (and the standards of Mother Church are exceedingly rigorous!) and asks "Can a scientist believe in miracles?"    Guess what the answer to that question is.

New Post: ESSAY 5: Evolution; No War between the Church and Science

Hello all, "Essay 5: No War between the Church and Evolution," is up.   It explores the position of the Catholic Church on evolution, refutes arguments by Creationists that we can't believe in evolution, common descent (not the neo-Darwinian model for evolution occurs), because it conflicts with a literal interpretation of the Creation account given in Genesis 1. 

Also the evidence for evolution, common descent, is outlined and various models--theories--for how evolution occurs are discussed.

New Post: "Are We Special? The Anthropic Principle

Hello all.  A new post, "Are We Special? The Anthropic Principle." is finally published.  I talk about those unlikely conditions and events in cosmology,  planetary science, physics, chemistry and molecular biology that enable carbon-based life (and thus, us) to exist in this universe.  Read, Comment, Critique!

New Post: ESSAY 3: Creatio ex Nihilo

Hello all.  ESSAY 3, Creatio ex Nihilo and Cosmology,  is published.  In this I show (or hope I show) that there is no conflict between the Catholic teaching of Creation, Creatio ex Nihilo, and what physics, cosmology tells us about the universe.

New Post:"Essay 2: How We Believe; How Science Works"

Hello all.  Essay 2 in the Web-book "Truth Cannot Contradict Truth" is published: "How We Believe; How Science Works."   I discuss Faith and Reason,  Rational Inquiry (Deductive Logic, Inductive Reasoning, Abductive Reasoning--Inference to the Best Explanation, Retroductive Reasoning--Using Models to Explain Observations), How Science Works, and The Limits of Science--What Science Can't Do.   Please Comment!

New Post:"Last Things: C.P. Snow Revisitied

Hello all.  Another new post about C.P. Snow's "Strangers and Brothers" chronicle.  This one is on Catholic Stand: "Last Things: C.P. Snow Revisited."  It's about how atheists face death.

New Post: "Bring back the times of civil discourse; C.P. Snow revisited"

Hello all.   A new post on "The American Catholic:" 
"Bring back the times of civil discourse; C.P. Snow revisited."
I think back to before the 1960's, when one could have friends of a different political persuasion, and put this in the context of C.P. Snow's "Strangers and Brothers" 11 volume chronicle of a young man's rise to power and fame in Great Britain (1920's to 1960's).

New Post: Artificial Intelligence and the Vatican: the Vision of Science-Fiction

Hello all; I hope the sun is shining where you are.  It's not in North-central PA, and I'm looking for Noah.   

A new post on The American Catholic website: "Artificial Intelligence and the Vatican; the Vision of Science-fiction"  I discuss (mainly) what science fiction has to say about the Catholic Church and give links to various articles I've published on the "Theology of Science-Fiction."

New Post: "Hard-wired for Faith: the Religious Experience and the Brain

Hello all, hope somewhere where you all are there's sun and not rain.  New post on the Magis Faith and Reason website: "Hard-wired for Faith: the Religious Experience and the Brain."  It's about the SPECT experiences of Professor Dr. Newberg that show differences between atheists and religious in brain activation during prayer and contemplation.

New Post "Can Computers Have a Soul?"

Hello all!  And on this day of the Lord's Ascension, summer is almost here!   Less important:  I have a new post on the Magis Center of Faith and Reason site: "Can Computers Have a Soul?"   Comments sought and welcomed, but be nice!  Thanks.

New Post: "Is there a Probability for the Universe...?"

Hello all.  Spring has sprung and summer is almost here!  A new post on Catholic Stand: "Is there a Probability for the Universe? New Thoughts about the Anthropic Coincidences" I discuss the anthropic coincidences, those unlikely features in cosmology, physics and chemistry that are required for the existence of carbon-based life in this universe.  Since ordinary (frequentist) interpretations of probability aren't appropriate in assessing these, I present a different interpretation of probability--Bayesian, based on measure of belief.

New Essay in Web-book, "Truth Cannot Contradict Truth:" "Can Computers Have a Soul"

Hello all, here's the next essay in my web-book, "Truth Cannot Contradict Truth:" "Can a Computer Have a Soul?"   I discuss Catholic teaching about the soul, what philosophers have to say about computer consciousness and intelligence, some science-fiction tales about "intelligent" computers and robots, and a science background with elements of neuroscience.

Please read and comment. 

Many thanks

Web-book, "Truth Cannot Contradict Truth, Essay 1: The Catholic Church, Midwife and Nursemaid to Science

The first Essay in my forthcoming web-book, "Truth Cannot Contradict Truth," is now available.   Here's the homepage for the web-book. 

There are all sorts of bells and whistles:

• big-bang video (from EESA),
• slider linked to blog posts covering topic in the web-book,
• preface telling what the book is all about, 
• link to Essay 1: The Catholic Church, Midwife and Nursemaid to Science

In Essay 1 I discuss science in the Greek World, how physics and the scientific method were developed by Catholic clerics in Medieval Europe, what Galileo did (and didn't do), and that there is no war between science and Catholic teaching, as Pope St. John Paul II showed in his effecting a rapprochement between Catholic teaching and science.

There is also a section in Essay 1 on background science, the physics of motion, with neat animations (very little math and that simple).

The Table of Contents and my brief bio are linked in footers at the bottom of the page.

Please comment (good, indifferent or bad).   I  hope to put in a utility that will solicit contributions to defray web-hosting and software licensing costs, maybe a buck per person and 200 viewers would do that.   Whaddya think?

And thanks for looking.

New Post: "The Easter Vigil--Christ Be Our Light!"

He is Risen!  And a Happy and Blessed Easter to you all.   New Post: "The Easter Vigil--Christ Be Our Light!"

New Post: "Three Cheers for Sister Jean and the Loyola Chicago Ramblers"

Hello all.   A new post on the American Catholic: "Three Cheers for Sister Jean and the Loyola Chicago Ramblers."   It's about the Cinderella team (besides Syracuse) of the NCAA tournament, the Loyola at Chicago Ramblers and their 98 year old assistant coach and scout, Sister Jean Dolores-Schmidt.   Enjoy!  (And is your bracket still unbroken?)

New Post: "A Speaker for Stephen Hawking (1942-2018)" on "The American Catholic"

Hello all!   A new post on "The American Catholic:"  A Speaker for Stephen Hawking (1942-2018).   This is a review of (mainly) Stephen Hawkings scientific career and, as a sideline, of the change of his views on how science is done and on belief in God.  The title comes from Orson Scott Card's "Speaker for the Dead," in which the hero, Ender Wiggins ("Ender's Game") travels the galaxy giving talks about the dead that are not conventional eulogies but honest appraisals of the deceased, talks that ultimately give more comfort to the grieving than a eulogy.

New Post in Catholic Stand: Lent: Join Our Suffering to that of Christ

Hello all:  a new post on Catholic Stand: Lent: "Join Our Suffering to that of Christ."  The post gives examples of what the saints have said about suffering as a road to Christ.

New Post: "God's Gift to Molecular Biology: the Hydrogen Bond"

Hello all.   Here's a new post on the Magis Center for Faith and Reason: "God's Gift to Molecular Biology: the Hydrogen Bond."   It's about DNA and how the hydrogen bond enables it to do its thing.

New Post: "The Theology of Water" on Magis Center for Faith and Reason.

Hello all--another new post (actually a rewrite of an earlier one on this blog): "The Theology of Water" on the Magis Center for Faith and Reason web site.

New Post: "Fr. George Rutler's analysis of 'The Innovative Mathematics of Father Antonio Spadaro" on The American Catholic

Hello all!   A new post on The American Catholic: "Fr. George Rutler's Analysis of 'The Innovative Mathematics of Father Antonio Spadaro' ".   In addition to a scathing analysis  of Fr. Spadaro's attempt to supervene logic with feeling, Fr. Rutler gives a very nice account in his Crisis article of what mathematics is all about.   Use the link in the post to go to the Crisis article.

New Post: "Preparing for Easter--50 Devotional Readings by C.S. Lewis"

Hello all.   A new post on The American Catholic: "Preparing for Easter--50 Devotional Readings by C.S. Lewis, Session 1, Ash Wednesday to 18 September.
C.S. Lewis is my favorite Christian apologist.

New Post: "Lenten Prayer: Stay on Hold for God"

Hello all:  a new post on The American Catholic: "Lenten Prayer: Stay on hold for God."   I discuss St. Teresa of Avila's "Prayer of Recollection" and "Prayer of Quiet."  And to all of you: a blessed and fruitful Lent.

New Post: "Lent: Don't barter with God!"

Hello all.   A new post on Catholic Stand: "Lent: Don't barter with God!".   Enjoy!

New Post: "The Catholic Two-front War against Scientism and Scriptural Literalism

Hello all:   a new post, "The Catholic Two-front War against Scientism and Scriptural Literalism".  I'd be grateful for comments, for and against.

New Post: "Catholics: Fight Pro-abortion Intolerance!:

Hello all.   A brief "hiatus" while I recovered from a cold (in the 10th day, now).    There's a new post on The American Catholic: "Catholics: Fight Pro-abortion Intolerance!"

New Post: "Why Catholics should know about science"

Hello all.   60 in NE Pennsylvania yesterday!    Here's a new post, about I'm writing: "Why Catholics should know about science."   It tells why such a book is needed and how I propose to make it effective.   Please comment!

New Post: "Can a faithful Catholic believe in science?"

Hello all!   A new post on Catholic Stand: "Can a faithful Catholic believe in science?"   Please comment (good or bad).

New Post: "Sages, leave your contemplation..."

Hello all!   A new post on The American Catholic:  "Sages, leave your contemplation...", a reflection on the third verse of "Angels from the Realms of Glory", the entrance hymn at our Church today for the Epiphany Mass.