Search This Blog

Monday 12 October 2015

"The stones will cry out" II

File under 'Well said' XI

Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.
Mahatma Gandhi

Psalms22-28 JPS Tanakh.

22)1.(For the Leader; upon Aijeleth ha-Shahar. A Psalm of David.)
2My God, my God, why hast Thou forsaken me,
And art far from my help at the words of my cry?
3O my God, I call by day, but Thou answerest not;
And at night, and there is no surcease for me.
4Yet Thou art holy,
O Thou that art enthroned upon the praises of Israel.
5In Thee did our fathers trust;
They trusted, and Thou didst deliver them.
6Unto Thee they cried, and escaped;
In Thee did they trust, and were not ashamed.
7But I am a worm, and no man;
A reproach of men, and despised of the people.
8All they that see me laugh me to scorn;
They shoot out the lip, they shake the head:
9‘Let him commit himself unto the LORD! let Him rescue him;
Let Him deliver him, seeing He delighteth in him.’
10For Thou art He that took me out of the womb;
Thou madest me trust when I was upon my mother’s breasts.
11Upon Thee I have been cast from my birth;
Thou art my God from my mother’s womb.
12Be not far from me; for trouble is near;
For there is none to help.
13Many bulls have encompassed me;
Strong bulls of Bashan have beset me round.
14They open wide their mouth against me,
As a ravening and a roaring lion.
15I am poured out like water,
And all my bones are out of joint;
My heart is become like wax;
It is melted in mine inmost parts.
16My strength is dried up like a potsherd;
And my tongue cleaveth to my throat;
And Thou layest me in the dust of death.
17For dogs have encompassed me;
A company of evil-doers have inclosed me;
Like a lion, they are at my hands and my feet.
18I may count all my bones;
They look and gloat over me.
19They part my garments among them,
And for my vesture do they cast lots.
20But Thou, O LORD, be not far off;
O Thou my strength, hasten to help me.
21Deliver my soul from the sword;
Mine only one from the power of the dog.
22Save me from the lion’s mouth;
Yea, from the horns of the wild-oxen do Thou answer me.
23I will declare Thy name unto my brethren;
In the midst of the congregation will I praise Thee.
24‘Ye that fear the LORD, praise Him;
All ye the seed of Jacob, glorify Him;
And stand in awe of Him, all ye the seed of Israel.
25For He hath not despised nor abhorred the lowliness of the poor;
Neither hath He hid His face from him;
But when he cried unto Him, He heard.’
26From Thee cometh my praise in the great congregation;
I will pay my vows before them that fear Him.
27Let the humble eat and be satisfied;
Let them praise the LORD that seek after Him; May your heart be quickened for ever!
28All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn unto the LORD;
And all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before Thee.
29For the kingdom is the LORD’S;
And He is the ruler over the nations.
30All the fat ones of the earth shall eat and worship;
All they that go down to the dust shall kneel before Him,
Even he that cannot keep his soul alive.
31A seed shall serve him;
It shall be told of the Lord unto the next generation.
32They shall come and shall declare His righteousness
Unto a people that shall be born, that He hath done it.
THE HOLY SCRIPTURES
ACCORDING TO THE MASORETIC TEXT
A NEW TRANSLATION
Jewish Publication Society
1917
23)1.The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
2He maketh me to lie down in green pastures;
He leadeth me beside the still waters.
3He restoreth my soul;
He guideth me in straight paths for His name’s sake.
4Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil, for Thou art with me;
Thy rod and Thy staff, they comfort me.
5Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies;
Thou hast anointed my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
6Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life;
And I shall dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.
24)1.The earth is the LORD’S, and the fulness thereof;
The world, and they that dwell therein.
2For He hath founded it upon the seas,
And established it upon the floods.
3Who shall ascend into the mountain of the LORD?
And who shall stand in His holy place?
4He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart;
Who hath not taken My name in vain,
And hath not sworn deceitfully.
5He shall receive a blessing from the LORD,
And righteousness from the God of his salvation.
6Such is the generation of them that seek after Him,
That seek Thy face, even Jacob.
Selah
7Lift up your heads, O ye gates,
And be ye lifted up, ye everlasting doors; That the King of glory may come in.
8‘Who is the King of glory?’
‘The LORD strong and mighty,
The LORD mighty in battle.’
9Lift up your heads, O ye gates,
Yea, lift them up, ye everlasting doors;
That the King of glory may come in.
10‘Who then is the King of glory?’
‘The LORD of hosts;
He is the King of glory.’
(Selah)
25)1.א

Unto Thee, O LORD, do I lift up my soul.
ב

2O my God, in Thee have I trusted, let me not be ashamed;
Let not mine enemies triumph over me.
ג

3Yea, none that wait for Thee shall be ashamed;
They shall be ashamed that deal treacherously without cause.
ד

4Show me Thy ways, O LORD;
teach me Thy paths.
הו

5Guide me in Thy truth, and teach me;
For Thou art the God of my salvation; For Thee do I wait all the day.
ז

6Remember, O LORD, Thy compassions and Thy mercies;
For they have been from of old.
ח

7Remember not the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions;
According to Thy mercy remember Thou me, For Thy goodness’ sake, O LORD.
ט

8Good and upright is the LORD;
Therefore doth He instruct sinners in the way.
י

9He guideth The humble in justice;
And He teacheth the humble His way.
כ

10All the paths of the LORD are mercy and truth
Unto such as keep His covenant and His testimonies.
ל

11For Thy name’s sake, O LORD,
Pardon mine iniquity, for it is great.
מ

12What man is he that feareth the LORD?
Him will He instruct in the way that He should choose.
נ

13His soul shall abide in prosperity;
And his seed shall inherit the land.
ס

14The counsel of the LORD is with them that fear Him;
And His covenant, to make them know it.
ע

15Mine eyes are ever toward the LORD;
For He will bring forth my feet out of the net.
פ

16Turn Thee unto me, and be gracious unto me;
For I am solitary and afflicted.
צ

17The troubles of my heart are enlarged;
O bring Thou me out of my distresses.
ר

18See mine affliction and my travail;
And forgive all my sins.
19Consider how many are mine enemies,
And the cruel hatred wherewith they hate me.
ש

20O keep my soul, and deliver me;
Let me not be ashamed, for I have taken refuge in Thee.
ת

21Let integrity and uprightness preserve me,
Because I wait for Thee.
22Redeem Israel, O God, out of all his troubles.
THE HOLY SCRIPTURES
ACCORDING TO THE MASORETIC TEXT
A NEW TRANSLATION
Jewish Publication Society
1917
26)1.Judge me, O LORD, for I have walked in mine integrity,
And I have trusted in the LORD without wavering.
2Examine me, O LORD, and try me;
Test my reins and my heart.
3For Thy mercy is before mine eyes;
And I have walked in Thy truth.
4I have not sat with men of falsehood;
Neither will I go in with dissemblers.
5I hate the gathering of evil doers,
And will not sit with the wicked.
6I will wash my hands in innocency;
So will I compass Thine altar, O LORD,
7That I may make the voice of thanksgiving to be heard,
And tell of all Thy wondrous works.
8LORD, I love the habitation of Thy house,
And the place where Thy glory dwelleth.
9Gather not my soul with sinners,
Nor my life with men of blood;
10In whose hands is craftiness,
And their right hand is full of bribes.
11But as for me, I will walk in mine integrity;
Redeem me, and be gracious unto me.
12My foot standeth in an even place;
In the congregations will I bless the LORD.
27)1.The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?
The LORD is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?
2When evil-doers came upon me to eat up my flesh,
Even mine adversaries and my foes, they stumbled and fell.
3Though a host should encamp against me,
My heart shall not fear;
Though war should rise up against me,
Even then will I be confident.
4One thing have I asked of the LORD, that will I seek after:
That I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life,
To behold the graciousness of the LORD, and to visit early in His temple.
5For He concealeth me in His pavilion in the day of evil;
He hideth me in the covert of His tent;
He lifteth me up upon a rock.
6And now shall my head be lifted up above mine enemies round about me;
And I will offer in His tabernacle sacrifices with trumpet-sound;
I will sing, yea, I will sing praises unto the LORD.
7Hear, O LORD, when I call with my voice,
And be gracious unto me, and answer me.
8In Thy behalf my heart hath said: ‘Seek ye My face’;
Thy face, LORD, will I seek.
9Hide not Thy face far from me;
Put not Thy servant away in anger;
Thou hast been my help;
Cast me not off, neither forsake me, O God of my salvation.
10For though my father and my mother have forsaken me,
The LORD will take me up.
11Teach me Thy way, O LORD;
And lead me in an even path,
Because of them that lie in wait for me.
12Deliver me not over unto the will of mine adversaries;
For false witnesses are risen up against me, and such as breathe out violence.
13If I had not believed to look upon the goodness of the LORD
In the land of the living!—
14Wait on the LORD;
Be strong, and let thy heart take courage;
Yea, wait thou for the LORD.
THE HOLY SCRIPTURES
ACCORDING TO THE MASORETIC TEXT
A NEW TRANSLATION
Jewish Publication Society
1917
28)1.Unto thee, O LORD, do I call;
My Rock, be not Thou deaf unto me;
Lest, if Thou be silent unto me,
I become like them that go down into the pit.
2Hear the voice of my supplications, when I cry unto Thee,
When I lift up my hands toward Thy holy Sanctuary.
3Draw me not away with the wicked,
And with the workers of iniquity;
Who speak peace with their neighbours,
But evil is in their hearts.
4Give them according to their deeds, and according to the evil of their endeavours;
Give them after the work of their hands;
Render to them their desert.
5Because they give no heed to the works of the LORD,
Nor to the operation of His hands;
He will break them down and not build them up.
6Blessed be the LORD,
Because He hath heard the voice of my supplications.
7The LORD is my strength and my shield,
In Him hath my heart trusted, And I am helped;
Therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth,
And with my song will I praise Him.
8The LORD is a strength unto them;
And He is a stronghold of salvation to His anointed.
9Save Thy people, and bless Thine inheritance;
And tend them, and carry them for ever.
THE HOLY SCRIPTURES
ACCORDING TO THE MASORETIC TEXT
A NEW TRANSLATION
Jewish Publication Society

1917

Sunday 11 October 2015

Why Darwinism remains an ill-fitted Cornerstone

Why Do We Invoke Darwin?
Darwin's theory of evolution offers a sweeping explanation of the history of life, from the earliest microscopic organisms billions of years ago to all the plants and animals around us today.
 By Philip Skell | August 29, 2005


Darwin's theory of evolution offers a sweeping explanation of the history of life, from the earliest microscopic organisms billions of years ago to all the plants and animals around us today. Much of the evidence that might have established the theory on an unshakable empirical foundation, however, remains lost in the distant past. For instance, Darwin hoped we would discover transitional precursors to the animal forms that appear abruptly in the Cambrian strata. Since then we have found many ancient fossils – even exquisitely preserved soft-bodied creatures – but none are credible ancestors to the Cambrian animals.

Despite this and other difficulties, the modern form of Darwin's theory has been raised to its present high status because it's said to be the cornerstone of modern experimental biology. But is that correct? "While the great majority of biologists would probably agree with Theodosius Dobzhansky's dictum that 'nothing in biology makes sense except in the light of evolution,' most can conduct their work quite happily without particular reference to evolutionary ideas," A.S. Wilkins, editor of the journal BioEssays, wrote in 2000.1 "Evolution would appear to be the indispensable unifying idea and, at the same time, a highly superfluous one."

I would tend to agree. Certainly, my own research with antibiotics during World War II received no guidance from insights provided by Darwinian evolution. Nor did Alexander Fleming's discovery of bacterial inhibition by penicillin. I recently asked more than 70 eminent researchers if they would have done their work differently if they had thought Darwin's theory was wrong. The responses were all the same: No.

I also examined the outstanding biodiscoveries of the past century: the discovery of the double helix; the characterization of the ribosome; the mapping of genomes; research on medications and drug reactions; improvements in food production and sanitation; the development of new surgeries; and others. I even queried biologists working in areas where one would expect the Darwinian paradigm to have most benefited research, such as the emergence of resistance to antibiotics and pesticides. Here, as elsewhere, I found that Darwin's theory had provided no discernible guidance, but was brought in, after the breakthroughs, as an interesting narrative gloss.

In the peer-reviewed literature, the word "evolution" often occurs as a sort of coda to academic papers in experimental biology. Is the term integral or superfluous to the substance of these papers? To find out, I substituted for "evolution" some other word – "Buddhism," "Aztec cosmology," or even "creationism." I found that the substitution never touched the paper's core. This did not surprise me. From my conversations with leading researchers it had became clear that modern experimental biology gains its strength from the availability of new instruments and methodologies, not from an immersion in historical biology.

When I recently suggested this disconnect publicly, I was vigorously challenged. One person recalled my use of Wilkins and charged me with quote mining. The proof, supposedly, was in Wilkins's subsequent paragraph:

"Yet, the marginality of evolutionary biology may be changing. More and more issues in biology, from diverse questions about human nature to the vulnerability of ecosystems, are increasingly seen as reflecting evolutionary events. A spate of popular books on evolution testifies to the development. If we are to fully understand these matters, however, we need to understand the processes of evolution that, ultimately, underlie them."

In reality, however, this passage illustrates my point. The efforts mentioned there are not experimental biology; they are attempts to explain already authenticated phenomena in Darwinian terms, things like human nature. Further, Darwinian explanations for such things are often too supple: Natural selection makes humans self-centered and aggressive – except when it makes them altruistic and peaceable. Or natural selection produces virile men who eagerly spread their seed – except when it prefers men who are faithful protectors and providers. When an explanation is so supple that it can explain any behavior, it is difficult to test it experimentally, much less use it as a catalyst for scientific discovery.


Darwinian evolution – whatever its other virtues – does not provide a fruitful heuristic in experimental biology. This becomes especially clear when we compare it with a heuristic framework such as the atomic model, which opens up structural chemistry and leads to advances in the synthesis of a multitude of new molecules of practical benefit. None of this demonstrates that Darwinism is false. It does, however, mean that the claim that it is the cornerstone of modern experimental biology will be met with quiet skepticism from a growing number of scientists in fields where theories actually do serve as cornerstones for tangible breakthroughs.

Philip S. Skell tvk@psu.edu is Emeritus Evan Pugh Professor at Pennsylvania State University, and a member of the National Academy of Sciences. His research has included work on reactive intermediates in chemistry, free-atom reactions, and reactions of free carbonium ions.


He can be contacted at tvk@psu.edu.

Friday 9 October 2015

A Darwinian apparatchik rallies the faithful.

Latest Cambrian Explosion "Explanation" Qualifies as Propaganda

Today's supernatural is tomorrow's scientific revolution.

Science and Credulity

Yet more iconoclasm II

Lee Spetner on Darwin’s iconic finches

Published on October 9th, 2015

Thursday 8 October 2015

It's design all the way down V

Gate-Crashing the Nuclear Pore Complex