BlackPhi Webitorial Ramblings

News & Comment From A Christian's Perspective

Physics Is Fun! - Posted 23rd November, 2006

Reading University have announced that they are to close their Physics Department in 2010. This is a result of falling numbers of science students plus the way government funding for universities works. It may seem odd that pure science courses across the country are closing, whilst overall student numbers are increasing fast. I think one important reason is the wide range of soft options available, which provide a degree without needing as much work, but also I think that physics teaching at secondary schools just doesn't reflect either the importance or the interest of physics.

If you go into a modern hospital, most of the tools used will be examples of applied physics: not just obvious things like MRI machines, but also things like hip replacements (basic material and coatings and method of fixing are all relatively high-tech products of materials science), medical instruments, pacemakers, cochlea implants and digital hearings aids, radioisitopes, lasers, ultrasound scanners, and so on, and so on. In a home you have cordless phones, microwaves, ceramic hobs, long-life low-energy lights, electronic equipment (the vast majority of which is microprocessor controlled these days), computers, burglar and smoke alarms, high-efficiency boilers, double-glazed windows, as well as old-fashioned gas, water, electricity and cable infrastructure.

I was talking to my wife about this today, and she said that all she can remember of physics from school was rolling trolleys down slopes with tickertape attached and getting really bored. That is about all I remember from my first three years of secondary school physics, too. Fortunately after that I got an enthusiastic and knowledgeable teacher and had access to a good public library.

So I was disappointed recently when we went to an open evening at Kendrick School in Reading: their science department were showing off ... little trolleys rolling down slopes. To make things worse they had dropped the tickertape for the totally inappropriate use of a light beam for feeding a computer with an average speed for the trolley. Why inappropriate? Because it gives less information - there is nothing to show how the trolley accelerates down the slope - and, more importantly, because it replaces a visual representation of information, dot spacings on the tickertape, by a naked number on a computer screen. Physics is not about numbers, it's about intuitive ways of visualising reality which allow it to be better understood and/or better used for human good.

I find many of the stories from the history of physics interesting too, particularly the beginning of the last century when Max Planck used a mathematical fiddle to solve an outstanding problem in physics, and undermined the very foundations of Victorian science; when Albert Einstein had his Annus Miribalis - in one year the underachieving patent examiner wrote, in his spare time, four scientific papers, three of which are generally considered to be worth Nobel prizes; and when Ernest Rutherford investigated the structure of the atom, got results which he 'knew' were impossible, but published anyway, because experimental results are more important than theories in physics. (Curiously, Ernest Rutherford was a physicist who managed to receive a Nobel prize in Chemistry! Reportedly he was a bit miffed as he considered chemistry to be an inferior subject - "All science is either physics or stamp collecting.")

Physics is topical at the moment for political reasons, as US politicians and religious spokesmen have developed a habit of attacking the foundations of science in general, and physics in particular. And climate change could yet derail the economies of the world, and the livelihoods of many millions of people. Physics is fun, but it also matters. A lot.

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Back To Church Sunday - Posted 21st November, 2006

Caversham Baptist Church is holding a 'Back to Church' service next Sunday, November 26th.

I'm not sure whether this is just a late version of the countrywide event that many churches held in September (the website for that does say the date was only a suggested date), or whether it is a completely separate event. My guess is that is an 'inspired by' sort of event.

The idea is that if you used to go to church, but have drifted away, this is a good opportunity to pop back and see what things are like. The service is designed to be informal and accessible, whilst still having the basic feel of a normal Sunday morning service.

If you live near Caversham, why not pop over to see? Caversham Baptist Church is in the centre of Caversham, on the corner of Prospect St. opposite Waitrose (almost). See here for a picture of the church; if you click on it you should get a rough map. The service starts at 10:30 on Sunday morning.

If you come along, do look out for me (I'm not really orange, by the way) and say hello - it's always nice to see real people behind the website vistors. Also, it would be handy to get feedback about how you felt the service went (commenting on here is probably easiest, as I can forward comments to the appropriate people if necessary). I would also be interested if you have been to one of the other 'Back to Church' events, back in September.

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Tragedy or Lunch? - Posted 18th November, 2006

Wow! It was an amazing sight! I was driving through S. Oxfordshire, from Caversham to Checkendon, this morning when I saw a huge, incredibly beautiful, bird flying down to the road in front of me, only to rise straight up again as my car got too close for comfort. It was a red kite - like the picture, although far more magnificent (there's a bigger version of the picture, from BBC Wales, here).

Why was it giving me this free display? Indeed why did it let me get so close before flying away? As I drove past the spot where it had come down, I had to swerve slightly to avoid what looked like a pile of meat - more suited to a butcher's shop than a public highway. I couldn't look too closely: I had one eye on the rising bird and one on the road, which didn't leave much to spare for what looked like a magnificent dog fox, hit by a car. I just had a glimpse of glossy brown fur at the edge of the carnage (pun deliberate). It was obviously very fresh, a real treat for the kite ... albeit a dangerous one.

Dog foxes are magnificent too, at least before they're hit by road vehicles. So one magnificent creature dies, and another gets help in preparing to survive the winter. Is that a good thing, or bad?

It's life! I think the secret is to enjoy the good, and to consider what we can do about the bad. If that is nothing then we endure, looking to a future when things are different. The world we live in is a mixed place - beauty and ugliness intermingled. To ignore the ugliness is irresponsible escapism; to fail to celebrate the beauty is a shocking waste.

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Climate of Intimidation - Posted 4th November, 2006

I remember when the USA was unarguably top-dog in science. When European countries worried about the 'brain-drain', and were reduced to boasting that maybe US science did more overall, but Europe got a better scientific 'bang-per-buck' (note the US slang used). A time when scientists in the US were envied: not just for material stuff like salaries and facilities, but for greater freedom to research without political and class restraints. It seems like a different world now.

This week's New Scientist includes an article about US climate scientists being vilified because the science says things that big industry groups, and their political hirelings, don't want to hear:

Kevin Trenberth reckons he is a marked man. He has argued that last year's devastating Atlantic hurricane season, which spawned hurricane Katrina, was linked to global warming. For the many politicians and minority of scientists who insist there is no evidence for any such link, Trenberth's views are unacceptable and some have called for him step down from an international panel studying climate change. "The attacks on me are clearly designed to get me fired or to resign," says Trenberth.

Over the past 10 to 15 years or so, it seems that science in the US has become part of its politics, and US politics can be very ugly indeed. The attacks on biological science, via evolutionary theory, are well-known. As a Christian myself, it is clear to me that these attacks have little to do with the Bible - most anti-evolution groups promote theories which are far further from the Biblical account than the mainstream scientific explanation - and everything to do with money and politics. Similarly with climate change: many energy-related companies - more concerned with the effect on their short-term bottom-line of cleaning up their act than the state of the planet we all share - are putting large amounts of money into funding scientists who will follow their master's line, and into lobby groups and politicians.

Trenberth's employer, NCAR, has suddenly found itself under investigation by the US Senate's Environment and Public Works Committee. The chairman of that commitee is James Inhofe, who is on record as saying: "Could it be that man-made global warming is the greatest hoax ever perpetrated on the American people? It sure sounds like it." Could it be that this is a transparent attempt to intimidate? It sure sounds like it.

So why the photo of the Esso petrol station in Caversham? Esso's parent company is ExxonMobil: infamous for its opposition to action on climate change, for its massive donations to George Bush, and for the huge sums it has put into climate-change-denial groups and political lobbyists. Greenpeace call Esso/Exxon 'the world's no 1 climate criminal'. 'Highlights' of ExxonMobil's 2005 Corporate Citizenship Report can be seen here.

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CPS Reading Circle ... Well, Line Anyway - Posted 3rd November, 2006

Caversham Primary School have long been keen on involving parents in the life and work of the school. One of the things I have enjoyed is going in to listen to the kids in my children's classes read. The kids really seem to enjoy reading to someone, and a surprising number of them just don't get opportunities to read at home. The confident readers like to show off their skills and the less-confident ones get a safe time to practice. It doesn't hurt that I am relatively unusual as a male adult in school - there is only one man on the teaching staff and not many Dads are as fortunate as me in being able to control their working hours to make time for such things.

When my son was going through Caversham Primary, a few years ago, they just took parents for listening to readers during years 1-3. After that they only wanted helpers for arty stuff, which isn't my scene. When my daughter reached year 4 it looked as though the same was going to happen - which was a little sad as it seemed I had listened to my last reader. Last year though, her year 5, the teacher decided to go back to reading to parents again. It was interesting to see how some weaker readers had made good progress over the previous year, but disappointing that some had noticeably slipped behind.

This year it looked as though there was no need for parents again, until half-term when the call went out for parents to do group reading with one of the year 6 classes. I volunteered and went to the first session yesterday - it was great fun!

The book we are looking at together is Framed, by Frank Cottrell Boyce. The early chapters, at least, are really good for discussion. The first chapter is a teaser - talking about an art thief from nearly 100 years ago, called Vincenzo Perugia - then it suddenly jumps into the present day with the narrator talking about his dad (or Da, as he is Welsh), without any explanation. There are all sorts of interesting uses of language, which is good for exploring comprehension (presumably the main purpose of the exercise), but also for ideas to use in their own writing, and storytelling in general. The group of five I had were quite varied in their reading confidence, but all seemed to enjoy this approach. We get together again next week: our homework in the meantime is to read the next chapter and to think about the ways that the writer is using words.

The only small problem is that Caversham Primary is chronically short of space. It would have been nice to have sat in a circle for our discussion, or at least around a table. As it was the only space was in one of the corridors, so we sat in a line instead, which was less than ideal.

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Do Churches Have The Right Attitude? - Posted 29th October, 2006

Do you have any dealings with a church in your local community? If so, what do you think of its attitude to non-members? If not, do you think that's down to your attitude, its attitude, there not being a church at all, or because churches shouldn't have dealings with non-members anyway?

Why do I ask? Because in my bid to really make friends and influence people at my last church membership meeting, I said that the rest of the church needs to learn from the attitude of our youth team, who are the only part of the church that shows any desire to engage with the local community (actually that was unfair to the Friday lunches team, but otherwise I still think it's true). This went down well, of course, so I'm seeing the pastor of the church at some time in the next few days to follow up on it. [Please note there is unnecessarily crude use of irony in this paragraph]

William Temple, a former Archbishop of Canterbury once said, “The church is the only organisation that exists for those who do not belong to it.” They presumably didn't have aid agencies and the like back then, but the point still stands that for a church to do its job it needs to engage with people outside its own walls. And many churches, in my experience, really struggle with this. The operative word, by the way, is 'engage' - I don't think shouting at somebody through a megaphone (bullhorn to those who speak the other English) counts. I don't think saying, in effect, "We're right and you're wrong, so become like us or go to hell." is engaging either. I don't even think that holding a prayer meeting then pushing tracts through peoples' doors counts, so I'm way out of step.

So what is the right attitude? How can a church effectively engage with its local community? And where does Jesus fit in?

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Justice and Peace - Posted 21st October, 2006

I'm giving a talk tomorrow evening about gentleness, meekness and humbleness from a Christian perspective. Jesus is the obvious starting point, but there is another man, who has just celebrated his 75th birthday, who exemplifies these things. Desmond Tutu has been called "a little man with a squeaky voice who dresses in a purple gown"; he has also been called a trouble-maker, a rabble-rouser and a traitor. Even at seventy-five he remains softly-spoken, controversial and outspoken:

What has happened to us? It seems as if we have perverted our freedom, our rights into licence, into being irresponsible. Rights go hand in hand with responsibility, with dignity, with respect for oneself and for the other. The fact of the matter is we still depressingly do not respect one another. I have often said black consciousness did not finish the work it set out to do.

Back in the '70s, when things in South Africa looked at their most hopeless, when massive violence was seen as the inevitable future, Desmond Tutu was there (with other Christians): doing a lot of praying, a lot of Bible-reading with leaders and government officials, a lot of risky speaking out against the evils of Apartheid, and a lot of equally risky confrontation with black leaders and gatherings who were sure that only violence could work. Tutu spoke out for justice and peace, at a time when both were conspicuous by their absence. In the words of his own prayer:

Goodness is stronger than evil,
Love is stronger than death,
Light is stronger than darkness,
Victory is ours through him who loves us.

Then, after the end of Apartheid, he chaired the amazing Commission for Truth and Reconciliation: beginning the long and painful process of healing, of allowing grief to take its course and anger to be expressed and dealt with. As well as justice and peace, he sought truth and forgiveness. Desmond Tutu has never been a man of small ambitions.

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Faith & Tolerance - Posted 21st October, 2006

Religious communities have come in for a lot of stick recently for supposed intolerance, particularly Muslim communities, so I was interested to see the results of a recent study from Lancaster University.

The study investigated attitudes to race and tolerance in year-10 groups at non-religious schools in deprived areas of East Lancashire. One of the schools, in Burnley, was predominantly white and predominantly secular (only 2% of pupils said religion played any part in their lives). Another, in Blackburn, was predominantly Asian and almost entirely Muslim (91% of pupils said religion played a part in their lives).

Of the white secular pupils at the first school only minorities thought you should respect others regardless of differences: 39% regardless of gender, 32% regardless of ethnic background, 30% regardless of religion. 41% thought that one race was better than another, whilst 43% said it was important to be friendly with people from other religious or ethnic groups.

Of the mostly Asian Muslim pupils at the second school 47% thought you should respect others regardless of gender, 54% regardless of ethnic background, and 69% regardless of religion. Only 17% thought one race was better than another and 76% thought you should be friendly with people from other religious or ethnic groups.

The sample sizes in this study were small (284 young people at the two schools) and I think there are question marks about the way different groups could have interpreted the questions. Nevertheless, it does look as though, in that part of England, there is more likely to be broad support for extremist groups among secular whites than among religious Asians. It also supports the view that religious faith is more likely to produce tolerance of others than secular beliefs.

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The Trees & The Tiger - Posted 17th October, 2006
(a story; designed to be told with help from children)

The First Trees

In the beginning God created the universe.

He made stars and planets, skies and seas, islands and continents, flowers and trees. He made fish and birds and insects and worms and reptiles and mammals. And He looked at all that he had made and it was good.

Then He made mankind, man and woman, in a way like Himself. He made their bodies from dust, their hearts from love and their minds from sparks and rainbows. And the man and the woman sat together with God and looked at all He had made, and they said “Wow, that’s good!”

The world was very different in those days. Take the tiger: the tiger was strong and beautiful, and he ate grass with his friend the lamb.

The man and the woman lived in a garden where there were many trees, including two very special trees. One was called the Tree of Life, the other the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.

The Tree Of Death

But the man and the woman turned away from God, and rebelled against Him. They were thrown out of the garden and because of them the whole world changed. The tiger was still strong and beautiful, but could eat grass no longer. When the tiger was hungry he ate the lamb, their friendship forgotten.

The world was a mess. It was hurtling away from God and towards destruction and the men and the women could do nothing about it. But God could … at a price.

He took another tree – a tree of death. A tree that had been cut down and cut up: a rootless trunk replanted in the ground, and a leafless crosspiece set at harsh Roman right-angles, for hanging a man to die. On this tree God’s son, Jesus, gave up His life, and so reconnected the world to God. No longer was the world hurtling toward destruction: now it was heading toward a new destination.

The Tree Of Life

For the time is coming when God will restore the whole world to the way it was made to be. When the Tree of Life will stand by the River of Life and bring healing to the nations. When the tiger will again eat grass with its friend the lamb. And when man and woman will sit together with God, to look at His world and say “Wow, that’s good!”

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Three Prayers - Posted 13th October, 2006

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The following may not make much sense if you have never heard of the Serenity Prayer:

Senility Prayer
O God, grant me the senility
to forget the people
I never liked anyway;
the good fortune
to run into the ones I like;
And the eyesight
to tell the difference.

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And finally, something heard on today's Daily Politics show, on BBC2, about yesterday's comments by Sir Richard Dannatt, new head of the British Army. It wasn't intended as a prayer, but ...

"Tony Blair has expressed full confidence in Sir Richard Dannatt.
So his job's safe then."

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Liberal Evangelicals - Posted 13th October, 2006

Last month a group of Christians, referred to as 'Liberal Evangelicals' in an AP news report, began a campaign to "promote Christian values beyond the issues of abortion and same-sex marriage". They called the project 'Red-letter Christians', referring to Bibles that highlight Jesus' words in red, to emphasise the way that they believe religious conservatives have been ignoring what Jesus actually said.

The leading figures in this project appear to be Jim Wallis - author of God’s Politics: Why the Right Gets It Wrong and the Left Doesn’t Get It - and Tony Campolo. Other names that I recognise are Brian McClaren, Amy Sullivan and Ronald Sider (you can see a fuller list here). There are some really good pieces on their blog, GodsPolitics, although the comments tend to range from the tiresome to the unpleasant.

The Chicago Tribune's report on their launch is fun, with some good knockabout quotes:

What would Jesus do? is a line popular among Christians. The RLCs [Red Letter Christians] add a new wrinkle, a new way for assessing policy and political candidates: What did Jesus say?

".. The evangelical faith that nurtured me as a child and that sustains me as an adult has been hijacked by right wing zealots who really have no real understanding of the teachings of Jesus,” [Randall Balmer] said.

“They have taken the Gospel the Good News of Jesus Christ, something that I consider to be lovely and redemptive, and turned it into something ugly and punitive," he said. "They have cherry picked through the Scriptures wrenching verses out of context and used those verses as a bludgeon against their political enemies.”

“These are people who purport to be pro-life,” he said. “These are people who claim to hear a fetal scream. And yet they’re turning a deaf ear to the very real screams of people who are being tortured in our name. I happen to think that’s morally bankrupt and we need voices speaking out against this sort of travesty.”

And from Tony Campolo:

“The Guttmacher Institute recently reported that if you made contraceptives available to lower income women, you could cut the number of abortions in America by 200,000. Add to that this fact, that if you provided medical care for the poor, if you provided daycare for these children who are born, if you provided a raise in the minimum wage, you could cut abortions by another 300k.

“Consequently, there are one million abortions in America. You can cut it by a half a million if you took care of the poor. We challenge the Religious Right that meets at the end of this week to do something about the poor… if they’re really serious about their pro-life agenda.”

Romal Tune's quotes include a description of the Religious Right's leadership as “ultraconservative elitist white males.” (he's African American) and, in the context of gun laws, "This is the difference between prophetic ministry and pathetic ministry.”

The timing means this is essentially a political campaign, aimed at this November's elections. I hope it has the legs to continue though; I am really tired of the torrent of garbage that gets screeched out by the extremists, supposedly in the name of Jesus. A lot more emphasis on what Jesus actually said and did would be most welcome.

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Ten Reasons Why I Never Wash - Posted 9th October, 2006

Nicked from St. Nic's, Newbury - if you live in Newbury, why not pay them a visit?

1. I was made to wash as a child.
2. People who wash are hypocrites - they reckon they are cleaner than other people.
3. There are so many different kinds of soap, I could never decide which one was right.
4. I used to wash, but it got boring so I stopped.
5. I still wash on special occasions like Christmas and Easter.
6. None of my friends wash.
7. I'm still young. When I'm older and have got a bit dirtier I might start washing.
8. I really don't have the time.
9. The bathroom's never warm enough.
10. People who make soap are only after your money.