I can’t blockquote any of Thad’s excellent post over at The Pulpit & The Pew without stealing the entire thing. It is not long, but it is very good. You owe it to yourself to read Intellect or Passion? Overcoming Resistance to Theological Education.
For the past 17 years, the Italian government has funded the excavation of a Roman doctor’s house - the Domus del Chirurgo (House of the Surgeon). An interesting read for a student of the Bible if you first consider that Luke (who wrote the Gospel) is widely considered to have been a physician during this time.
From the article:
An ancient doctor’s surgery unearthed by Italian archaeologists has cast new light on what a trip to the doctor would have been like in Roman times. Far from crude, the medical implements discovered show that doctors, their surgeries and the ailments they treated have changed surprisingly little in 1,800 years.
Sore joints were common, patients were often told to change their diets, and the good doctor of the seaside town of Rimini even performed house calls.
“This is the largest find of surgical instruments anywhere,” said Dr Ralph Jackson, the curator of the Romano-British collection at the British Museum and an expert in ancient medicine.
Are the tools found similar to the tools Luke carried with him while he traveled on missionary journeys with the apostle Paul? Did the physician follower of Jesus attempt some of these methods to help Paul with his famous unknown ailment? Fascinating.
Portion of a sermon by Mark Driscoll (10 min). Good Stuff.
Pro-life ethicists have been riding the wave of success lately with the proof of pluripotency from adult (not embryonic) stem-cells. In spite of several Hollywood types’ vigorous endorsements of destroying embryonic human life in a hoped-for attempt to save other full-grown human lives, researchers have found a more immediately useful and ethically better potential for medical solutions in these adult stem cells.
These discoveries should serve as an abrupt warning and highly visible illustration that ethical does not equal anti-science. Ryan T. Anderson writes a Weekly Standard opinion piece commending the bravery and vision of President Bush on this issue. Discovery News also reports that sickle-cell mice have already been cured by this technology using stem-cells derived from their own tails. Not a single therapeutic method has been developed or is in trial from embryonic stem cells.
Bioethics is a frightening field in an age of such advanced technology. We are beyond making better tomato plants - we are now discussing making “better” people. It is time more of those who consider themselves the cultural elite begin listening to the cautious voices who, while not trying to impede progress, nonetheless caution, “Just because we can do something, does not mean that we should do something.” The result of the “stem-cell wars” demonstrates that we can still conduct ethical scientific inquiry. We can both enjoy progress and honor the dignity of all human life.
One thing I miss about being in school were the tremendous Ping-pong games we enjoyed. I would often play with Jake and the matches would look something like this.
I commend to you an excellent article in Touchstone magazine by Russell D. Moore, looking at how his adoption of two boys helps him understand our adoption by God through Christ. You won’t find a better explanation of adoption anywhere. Don’t wait for the book, read the article - The Brotherhood of Sons.
