Although I wrote this book from a believer’s viewpoint, I tried to be as objective as possible. Above all, I am a seeker of truth. Not truth from a worldview, or truth according to the individual. I believe there is a higher truth, an absolute truth. And I believe truth is found only in the Bible and in the person of Jesus.
Consider this small book to be a message in a bottle cast in the ocean. If you should find it washed up on your shore, you will find it is not a request for help or rescue. Rather, it's more of a treasure map pointing to a road less traveled by many. Using science, religion, philosophy, observation, common sense, thousands of hours pondering, and hundreds of hours studying, the author offers some interesting thoughts about life. It's not an attempt to sell you anything but an effort to pique your curiosity, fire your imagination, and hopefully point you to a path of new discovery. As a recovered alcoholic who has suffered from lifelong clinical depression, the author shares a perspective gained by painful experience and a newly discovered strong foundation upon which to stand. The result is a new way to view the world, which will lead you to your own path of discovery. It should make you question and verify everything you believe. Keep asking questions, eliminate the frivolous, and find your rock to stand on.
Days? or Ages? offers a fresh look at a centuries-old debate. Does the Bible say creation was accomplished within one week of time beginning a few thousand years ago, or over countless millennia beginning millions or even billions of years in the distant past? Opinions abound from biblical scholars, scientists and laypeople alike, and achieving a clear perspective can be difficult at best. This work summarizes a thorough examination of Genesis 1, including relevant passages from other parts of the Bible, all in plain, straightforward language. Rather than begin with assumptions, as so many opinions do, and from there select and interpret scriptures in such a way as to support a given view; this work instead first provides a detailed examination of what Scripture itself appears to revealall Scripture that bears on the issueand then examines what one might reasonably conclude. Although written by a layman, it draws from a wealth of scholarly works by some of the worlds leading theologians and other learned professionals. Whatever ones opinion might be, this thesis will be informative reading and a significant resource to help clear away some of the clouds of mystery surrounding one of the Bibles most challenging subjects.
The credential of the author is based upon the fact that he is a trained psychologist, a biologist and a scientist; and has been in management/business fields for many years, having been exposed in all aspects of commerce and finance. He has a Master degree in Industrial Psychology from the University of Sydney, Bachelor of Science degree with a double major in psychology from Australian National University and a major in Biology from RMIT. Was awarded the 'Elizabeth and Martin Summit Prize in Psychology', an annual award given to the most outstanding student in Psychology at Sydney University. He has been teaching in a university for several years and was involved in politics for some time, but voluntarily chose to pursue a different path because of the incompatible sets of values that are required against what he believed in. He has a background of Buddhist and Confucian upbringing and was converted to being a follower of Jesus as a Catholic. However, he had been battling with what the churches taught and his knowledge and understanding in the fields of biology and psychology, new discoveries of physical sciences in which he was trained, against the background of his upbringing in a culture that was homogenous and has survived for more than 5000 years of history and his life experiences in the modern commercial materialistic world culture. He believes in doing Gods work in whatever circumstances he was placed, to be guided by the principles of what he believed Jesus has taught in establishing a consistent logical framework that is universal and more holistic, the result of which is the writing of this book. One of his greatest gifts is his ability to analyze things logically and he has been a good debater when he was at school. He has thus put all his thoughts down, gathered from his training, life experiences and his wide exposure in the modern world environment to establish an overall consistent logical framework in understanding the meaning of life in the order of things; and the role religion plays in assisting each individuals to achieve the universal objective of a salvation and the conflicts that are generated as a result of different derivatives of history and culture of the world.
Scientists and philosophers often do not see eye to eye, particularly on the evolution of Man and his Mind. This book evaluates these differences from a layman's perspective. It also explores the origins of the main areas of philosophy and relates them to practical use at the individual, corporate or governmental level suggesting that a valuable practical role exists for philosophers.A layman explored his understanding of philosophical concepts and it revealed to him interesting debates about differences between philosophers and scientists relating to the evolution of Man, implications for understanding God and Religion and different approaches to the meaning of Consciousness and the Mind. The book also seeks the origin of ethics, fairness and compassion, as well as aesthetics and language. Based upon the areas of philosophy reviewed, a framework for a worthwhile existence is offered, which is applicable at individual, corporate or government level. The book ends with a simple model of social evolution, asks what philosophy is for and concludes that there are many issues philosophers should address.The book should appeal to general readers or students who are interested in, but not expert in, philosophy as well as philosophers and scientists specifically interested in the interface between science and philosophy in areas such as the evolution of Man and Consciousness and the Mind. Decision makers at individual, corporate or government level may like to consider how philosophical concepts inform their strategic judgements. The book might also be fun for other laymen wishing to pursue the route the author has taken.
Evolution--or the broader topic of origins--has enormous relevance to how we understand the Christian faith and how we interpret Scripture. Four Views on Creation, Evolution, and Intelligent Design presents the current "state of the conversation" about origins among evangelicals representing four key positions: Young Earth Creationism - Ken Ham (Answers in Genesis) Old Earth (Progressive) Creationism - Hugh Ross (Reasons to Believe) Evolutionary Creation - Deborah B. Haarsma (BioLogos) Intelligent Design - Stephen C. Meyer (The Discovery Institute) The contributors offer their best defense of their position addressing questions such as: What is your position on origins - understood broadly to include the physical universe, life, and human beings in particular? What do you take to be the most persuasive arguments in defense of your position? How do you demarcate and correlate evidence about origins from current science and from divine revelation? What hinges on answering these questions correctly? This book allows each contributor to not only present the case for his or her view, but also to critique and respond to the critiques of the other contributors, allowing you to compare their beliefs in an open forum setting to see where they overlap and where they differ.
