I had some very interesting conversations about intelligent design vs. evolution this weekend at a gathering of genetic counselors. It was eye-opening to find that many of these genetic professionals (the Christian ones anyway) believe that the two theories of life are not mutually exclusive. One woman professed the idea that genetics and DNA is God's way of steering evolution - that God created genes, independent assortment, mutation rates, and genetic pathways to govern the process of reproduction and life. I heard the classic arguments, if something so incredibly complex and well ordered exists - it must have been designed by a higher power (or the argument that if you find a watch in the middle of a forest, you assume a person dropped it there, it didn't just grow there by itself).
Another twist on intelligent design is the Star Trek "progenitor race" theory. That a super race of humanoids seeded all the life-sustaining planets with their own genetic stock. This is the explanation for why almost all the intelligent alien beings on Star Trek look kind of like humans (not at all that they are all human actors playing the alien beings). In the end though, I think this is just intelligent design with a twist.
I, the agnostic skeptic, disagree with intelligent design. Just because we don't know how DNA and genes came about, it doesn't necessarily mean some super-human deity did it. And the process of evolution, mutation, and survival of the fittest took place over eons - seems to me like the system could have happened on its own.
Another person at the gathering (the genetic counselor's husband who happens to be minister) brought up the "God in the gaps” theory. Basically, when humans don't understand something (for example rain or the lack there-of) we chalk it up to God ( and end up doing rain dances to try and stop a drought). As humankind figures out more and more about how our world functions, the "gaps" in our understanding get smaller and the place for God gets smaller. This makes sense to me. I also believe that the many things we do not understand today, will one day be explained by scientific theories.
Gary and I have found some time to watch a few movies. We saw March of the Penguins last week. I had heard great things about it, so I was a bit disappointed. I was okay. Basically it showed how harsh the penguins lifecycle is. The film makers to their best to anthropomorphize the aquatic birds so that you are watching a love story and family rather than animals mating and raising offspring.
Which reminds me... Anyone heard of the Gay penguins at the New York Zoo who raised chick together?
Why is it the more people involved in a project, the harder it is to actually get something done. My recent experiences with meetings and committees is that they produce more stumbling blocks and hoops to jump through than if someone just got it done. It is possible that most of the folks I've been having to work with are Jewish and as we say "two Jews in the room means three opinions." I am definitely looking forward to having High Holy Days and escrow over and done with.
I am looking forward to my next race Sept 11. I am glad that I'll have my own cheering squad this year. At first I was hoping they could volunteer at the race - pass out water or something. But the volunteer shifts start early, like 6am. I would not ask my supporters to get up so early. So instead they'll be cheering me as I start the run (around 9:30am), greeting me at the finish line (hopefully close to 10:30) and joining me for an all you can eat buffet lunch. I am really looking forward to having family support me at the race. Usually I go to these things by myself and it can be a bit lonely. Feel free to stop by and cheer me on.
I have been extremely busy working on organizing High Holy Days for our synagogue and getting everything in order for getting through home buying. As Gary reported, we took our first step by putting a bid on the house and Sunday it was accepted. Now the work continues with finalizing the mortgage and getting through escrow. I am a bit out of it, nothing really seems real, except the stress that is.
Yesterday I reached my crankiness threshold. On top of the usual things I try to do,(get 9 hours sleep a night, train for triathlon in september, go to work, etc) I've had new tasks piling up. Since Gary has a job and no longer does ALL the chores, I have been trying to pitch in with laundry and cleaning. I'm helping organize High Holiday Services for my temple. We've started house hunting. And yesterday I found out my car needs a new engine. Oy!
So much time, so little to do - strike that, reverse it.