In Judaism, there is a concept of "tsimtsum," meaning (roughly) that God withdraws or contracts Godself to make room for creation to exist. So I've long thought along similar lines to what you write about a "morally significant" universe. However, I interpret this as a (self-imposed) limitation on God's omnipotence, not as impinging on God's omnibeneficence.
I struggle, though, with keeping tsimtsum from slipping into deism. Certainly it is in tension with the active, interventionist God that I try to believe in...
Chaim, thanks. I bet that if we spent 20 minutes over a cup of coffee, we'd find that we agreed on what you write in your 1st paragraph.
I don't want to slip into deism either! However, I don't know what to say about God's intervention in our lives. I have never experienced or witnessed anything like a miracle (the kind of thing that the RC church looks for in canonization inquiries). But I have experienced (what I believe was) God's action in my life and the lives of others.
The probability of each life existing at all is difficult to comprehend. Each life is the result of one sperm out of hundreds millions reaching an egg. And there have been approximately 22,000 generations of homo sapiens. And so on . . .
Thank you for a gorgeous essay for Easter, Bill. Jesus washed the feet of his followers. Then he said he was leaving and no one, no matter how much they Loved him, could follow.
I've re-read this a number of times, always an interesting an impressive mix of science and spirituality.
That ".. cancer is the price of multicellularity" is an astonishing notion, to me anyway. Perhaps it was obvious. Is there some reading you recommend to understand this more?
Take a look at the book, “Making Sense of Cancer” by cancer researcher Jarle Breivik. He underscores Bill’s comment that cancer is the price we pay for evolution. As such, we will never eliminate cancer as long our species exists. Breivik also posits that plants and animals (including humans) exist in order to be carriers of genomes. It is a very provocative little book.
In Judaism, there is a concept of "tsimtsum," meaning (roughly) that God withdraws or contracts Godself to make room for creation to exist. So I've long thought along similar lines to what you write about a "morally significant" universe. However, I interpret this as a (self-imposed) limitation on God's omnipotence, not as impinging on God's omnibeneficence.
I struggle, though, with keeping tsimtsum from slipping into deism. Certainly it is in tension with the active, interventionist God that I try to believe in...
Chaim, thanks. I bet that if we spent 20 minutes over a cup of coffee, we'd find that we agreed on what you write in your 1st paragraph.
I don't want to slip into deism either! However, I don't know what to say about God's intervention in our lives. I have never experienced or witnessed anything like a miracle (the kind of thing that the RC church looks for in canonization inquiries). But I have experienced (what I believe was) God's action in my life and the lives of others.
Thank God, I have also experienced God's action in my life. But it's a hard feeling to hold on to...
The probability of each life existing at all is difficult to comprehend. Each life is the result of one sperm out of hundreds millions reaching an egg. And there have been approximately 22,000 generations of homo sapiens. And so on . . .
Thank you for a gorgeous essay for Easter, Bill. Jesus washed the feet of his followers. Then he said he was leaving and no one, no matter how much they Loved him, could follow.
I've re-read this a number of times, always an interesting an impressive mix of science and spirituality.
That ".. cancer is the price of multicellularity" is an astonishing notion, to me anyway. Perhaps it was obvious. Is there some reading you recommend to understand this more?
Take a look at the book, “Making Sense of Cancer” by cancer researcher Jarle Breivik. He underscores Bill’s comment that cancer is the price we pay for evolution. As such, we will never eliminate cancer as long our species exists. Breivik also posits that plants and animals (including humans) exist in order to be carriers of genomes. It is a very provocative little book.
Fascinating, thank you Joanne!
I just purchased a copy and am looking very forward to reading it