January 2008 - Millennium Watch

Millennium Watch

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Millennium Watch - January 2008

(1) The Reality Files—Transcript: ‘Hep C Miracle Cure?’

January 30th 2008 04:47

In 2005, L, a 44-year-old female from the South Coast of NSW, underwent interferon/ribavirin treatment for Type 3 Hepatitis C. Seven weeks later, L was virus free, a truly amazing result given the usual six to twelve-month treatment duration (genotype = duration), which even then may leave the virus intact and need to be repeated. Add to that the facts L had advanced fibrosis of the liver and stopped taking the drug for nine days during the seven weeks (continuous treatment critical to success) and you have the makings of something special.

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Before the Big Bang?

January 23rd 2008 00:14

The scientific community now widely accepts the Big Bang Theory as the origin of the universe. In short, a single force expanded outward separating on its way to form gravity, electromagnetism, a strong, and a weak nuclear force. As things cooled down, matter formed etc, etc (Google or Wiki if you desire more info). However, like the age-old conundrum of what came first the chicken or the egg, science cannot tell us what was before the Big Bang?
A look at the facts, a whole two of them, reveals naught. First, there was nothingness. Then a mysterious force goes ‘bang!’ As to the nature of this force or its origin, we know nothing. Like the other mysterious and extremely important cosmic force, science has termed ‘dark energy’, of which nothing is known only that without it, planets would spin out of orbit, and galaxies fly apart. Perhaps it should be called ‘light energy’?

In the search for answers, MW turned to the theory of Intelligent Design for an explanation of these two mysterious forces. The Big Bang is the moment of creation, God releasing the forces of life. The energy that holds the universe together is God’s. As to what was before the Big Bang, MW had to expand the search beyond ‘God created the heavens’ as stated in the Bible, to the esoteric religious movement of Gnosticism that flourished in the 2nd and 3rd Century. The Gnostic's claim there is an immortal realm called Barbelo, which is eternal, existing before the Big Bang. Obviously, acceptance of these explanations is a matter of Faith. Having said that, it’s not such a great leap when you consider science’s explanation of how life originated on Earth: A rock fell from space

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On the Contrary

January 16th 2008 23:03

What was it about 2007 and ironic situations? It started with dire warnings of a warming planet due to burning fossil fuels, yet little has been done in the way of reduction. In fact, China, India, and South East Asia are poised to enter a new era of industrial advancement, which we are now told the planet cannot sustain. We hear of economic growth and surplus budgets, amongst the reality of rising interest rates, the cost of living, and personal debt. We hear of local farmers and manufacturers going to the wall, while an endless supply of inferior imports flood the marketplace. I could go on.
Thankfully, it wasn’t all bad. Like the rich and famous taking time amongst all the parties and addiction battles to support charities and help underprivileged children. The irony of the battler (Bernie B.) taking on the giant (Hardies) and winning, giving us hope that positive outcomes can eventuate, contrary to what one would expect.
Of course, the bad irony outweighed the good—such is life. And the trend seems set to continue in 2008. For example, if we seen substantial reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. This would indeed be ironic given the current level of dithering? How about staving off a recession? Now that would be ironic, seeing we are all but in one. Iran and the USA friends? Extreme irony. Governments tackling corruption? Mind-bogglingly ironic. The media reporting only the truth and nothing but the truth? Now I’m getting ridiculous

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Nietzsche’s Challenge to Christianity Series (Final)

January 4th 2008 02:03

In the discourse Beyond Good and Evil, Nietzsche is emphasizing his belief in man’s ability to achieve excellence apart from God and subsequently, the falsity of Christianity. ‘From the start, the Christian faith is a sacrifice: a sacrifice of all freedom, all pride, and all self-confidence of the spirit, at the same time, enslavement and self-mockery, self-mutilation.’ This sentence from paragraph 46 leaves little room for argument. In short: to be a Christian is to be a weak-spirited slave.
Yet, one does not have to search far into the history books to find Christians who are anything but weak of spirit, the Knights Templar a case in point. Charlemagne another. The many Saints? Christians, who would have and did in many cases, give their life for Christianity. There are many more including contemporary examples. Nietzsche’s view then would seem to be a very narrow one indeed, biased, even belligerent. The question as to why: resentment of his father, the believe system he upheld? Such a determined and structured attack on Christianity appears to stem more from the heart than from the opposing philosophies of existentialism and transcendentalism?
The great Christian church father Saint Augustine (354-430) was of course before Nietzsche’s time. With particular relevance to this article and the question of Christian morality, Augustine devoted his life to the elemental question of good vs evil. His major work, City of God, a 22 book theological philosophy presents a stark counterargument to Nietzsche’s existential creed. Using Plato’s work, whom Nietzsche himself was an advocate, Augustine establishes God as the creator, arguing that God reveals himself through his creation, all that is tangible. The intangible being ‘divinity’ or ‘eternal power’, is perceived through/via the mind’s eye. He poses the question: why would man continually seek transcendence, if there were no God

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February 2010

1 Posts

December 2009

3 Posts

November 2009

2 Posts