Is the Universe a closed system?

Mondays are my day off. It's hard to relax after the surge of adrenalin involved on any given Sunday. (Dr Arch Hart, a ministry shrink, reckons its the worst possible day to schedule off.)

But with our two eldest boys at school now, Sarah and I make the most of it. Although the places change (so too the service and quality of food), some things are the same: caffeine, good company, a corner near the sun, mediterranean breakfast, the buzz of people..... and some combination of The Monthly, The Spectator, The Week, Women's Weekly, Quadrant, Quarterly Essay and 'Super-food Ideas'. I'll let you guess who chooses what. Jesse invariably sleeps through. Or sits up and smiles at the world.

Today I found a good piece in Quadrant which asks the question 'Is the universe a closed system?' I've never heard of the author, Dr Peter Barclay. But he does a brief survey of some big hitters who think about such things.... Hawking, Dawkins, CS Lewis, GK Chesterton, Kant, Baillie (no relation), St Paul, Sir Edward Clarke, Davies and David Bentley Hart.

It's excellent. And so accessible even I could understand it. On the question of whether God exists outside the universe, he closes with a nice quote from some British Astrophysicist, Sir Arthur Eddington:

In the case of our human friends we take their existence for granted, not caring whether it is proven or not. Our relationship is such that we could read real philosophical arguments designed to prove the non-existence of each other and perhaps even be convinced by them—and then laugh together over so odd a conclusion. I think that it is something of the same kind of security we should seek in our relationship with God. The most flawless proof of the existence of God is no substitute for it; and when we have that relationship the most convincing disproof is turned harmlessly aside. If I may say it with reverence, the soul and God laugh together over so odd a conclusion.

I like. You can read more here.

Being old and useless in a secular culture

What might Australia be like in the coming years?
Especially as we age and our society becomes more secular?

Here are some provocative thoughts from respected historian, Dr John Dickson, in the Sydney Morning Herald.
'It's out with the old as Christian values fall away'

An 'Old Testament Man'?

When I was growing up I once heard a strange phrase from my Dad, when he described someone as 'an Old Testament man'. I had no idea what it meant. Now I know Dad was describing a bloke who was a pretty harsh sort of person and very legalistic. For many of us, the Old Testament can seem this way too. Harsh. Legalistic.

One of the biggest challenges for many of us when considering Christianity is understanding the place of the Old Testament (the first 2/3 of the Bible which makes up all the gear before Jesus). How on earth can it be consistent with the teachings of Jesus, so much about grace and love, in the New Testament?

Here's a great article on this issue from a bloke who's really good at explaining stuff. He's American, but he's still a great guy!

Making sense of the Bible's 'Inconsistency'