Life on Earth

Quantum Riddle | Quantum Entanglement - Documentary HD 2019 here. Great resources for learning more about quantum theory (and its relationship to a Trinitarian God) In July 2019, Maggie Ciskanik, senior consultant associated with Jesuit Fr. Robert Spitzer President of Gonzaga University from 1998 to 2009, and quite active on EWTN, contacted me in order to publish some material that I had posted on my blog about the cosmos. In early September 2019, I received this message from her - I am sending it with humble heart as, in my opinion after reading Sir John Polkinghorne, it shows that the cosmos is stamped by the Trinity - The God of Christians: There is an enormous corpus of talks, articles, commentaries, and youtube presentations focusing on one of the strangest discoveries of the 20th century: quantum mechanics and its startling attendant features, the principles of uncertainty and superposition. When you consult the resources identified in this post by Mr. George Farahat, be prepared to increase your understanding of how quantum mechanics has changed our understanding of reality, and how it relates to theology. Two phenomenal lectures by two outstanding professors in two countries have enlightened research about the vast cosmos we live in and its quantum fields that penetrate every creature on earth. The first is a lecture given by Professor Leo Kowenhoven at Delft University in the Netherlands, 2015 (here). In his talk, Professor Kowenhoven shows how nature itself works through quantum processes. He uses the example of a plant leaf which takes the light of the Sun. Through quantum superposition, electrons find a way to efficiently bind to the oxygen molecule, a process essential for human life since we need oxygen to live. He goes on to explain how “qbits” are necessary in building quantum computers and reveals that he and his team have already made these “quantum bits” in the lab. Some of the most interesting ideas come near the end of the talk (starting around the 11th minute) when he lists the big challenges that super quantum computers can help solve, such as: more efficient energy use and storage, better airplane design, optimization for robotics, machine learning, and the use of nanotechnology in healthcare. The second lecture, “The Real Building Blocks of the Universe” was given by Professor David Tong at Cambridge University in 2017. In a brilliant summary of quantum theory, he reveals that there are 16 “fields” that interact in a “harmonious dance.” Along the way, Tong also discusses Einstein's Theory of General Relativity (space-time flow), J. J. Thomson's discovery of the electron, Ernest Rutherford's model of the atom (a nucleus made of protons and neutrons with the lighter electrons moving around it), Faraday's discovery of electromagnetism, James Clerk Maxwell's work, Schrodinger's Wave-Particle Equation, Heisenberg's Principle of Uncertainty, and the thought-experiments of Albert Einstein, Boris Podolsky, and Nathan Rosen. Black holes and quantum theory A great explanation of black holes, by a panel of experts found in this 2015 World Science Festival presentation, was delivered in the presence of the late British physicist and black hole expert, Professor Stephen Hawking. The presentation also explains the relationship between black holes and quantum theory. Astonishment at quantum behaviour In 1982, Alain Aspect and his team were able to experimentally prove that two photons emitted from the same atom will still be in contact tens of miles away. The reader may wish to listen to his lecture here, animated by his love for and “astonishment at” quantum behaviour. Quantum theory and its relationship to a Trinitarian God In the printed word, much of the material written by Sir John Polkinghorne, retired professor of mathematical physics at Cambridge University, is very informative and insightful. In one of his latest books, “Quantum Physics and Theology” (2008), he comments on how “relationship” is being discovered even at the subnuclear level: “Quantum theory brought to light a remarkable form of entanglement between subatomic particles that have once interacted with each other (the so-called EPR effect), which implies that they remain effectively a single system however far they may subsequently separate spatially—a counterintuitive togetherness-in-separation that has been abundantly confirmed experimentally as a property of nature. The physical world looks more and more like a universe that would be the fitting creation of the trinitarian God, the One whose deepest reality is relational.” -Sir John Polkinghorne Dr. Stephen Barr has written extensively on the relationship of quantum physics and theology as well. (See, for example, his article in First Things here). What can we conclude? The above resources reveal and help explain the 2 most important observations in quantum physics: 1. The probabilistic nature of particles which yields the Uncertainty Principle 2. The communication between particles at long distances (quantum entanglement) From 2 above, we can say that everything must be in a relationship. In Christianity, the concept that God is relatedness or relational is found not only in Holy Scriptures (see for example 1 John 4:8; John 10:30; Col 1:15-19; Phil 2: 6-11; John 15), but also in doctors of the Church like St. Thomas Aquinas and, in our days, Bishop of Rome Emeritus Pope Benedict XVI. If this is true, then we can say that the cosmos is signed by the stamp of the Triune God of Christians. George Farahat holds a Masters degree in Information Systems and a Bachelor of Science in Engineering. He is a retired systems analyst who now uses his time to pursue numerous interests which include Biblical theology, anthropology, history of civilizations, and information technology. He regularly shares his insights on his blogspot Today’s Questions. The original post can be found here.

Pope Francis: Responsibility in the face of good and evil

With His preaching on the Kingdom of God, Jesus opposes a religiosity that does not involve human life, that does not question the conscience and its responsibility in the face of good and evil. This is also demonstrated by the parable of the two sons, which is offered to us in the Gospel of Matthew (cf. 21:28-32). To the father’s invitation to go and work in the vineyard, the first son impulsively responds “no, I’m not going”, but then he repents and goes; instead the second son, who immediately replies “yes, yes dad”, does not actually do so; he doesn’t go. Obedience does not consist of saying “yes” or “no”, but always of acting, of cultivating the vineyard, of bringing about the Kingdom of God, in doing good. With this simple example, Jesus wants to go beyond a religion understood only as external and habitual practice, which does not affect people’s lives and attitudes, a superficial religiosity, merely “ritual”, in the ugly sense of the word. The exponents of this “façade” of religiosity, of which Jesus disapproves, in that time, were “the chief priests and the elders of the people” (Mt 21:23), who, according to the Lord’s admonition, will be preceded in the Kingdom of God by “tax collectors and prostitutes” (see v. 31). Jesus tells them: “the tax collectors, meaning the sinners, and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you”. This affirmation must not induce us to think that those who do not follow God’s commandments, those who do not follow morality, saying “In any case, those who go to Church are worse than us”, do well. No, this is not Jesus’ teaching. Jesus does not indicate publicans and prostitutes as models of life, but as “privileged of Grace”. And I would like to underscore this word, “grace”. Grace. Because conversion is always a grace. A grace that God offers to anyone who opens up and converts to Him. Indeed, these people, listening to his preaching, repented and changed their lives. Let us think of Matthew, for example. Saint Matthew, who was a publican, a traitor to his homeland. In today’s Gospel, the one who makes the best impression is the first brother, not because he said “no” to his father, but because after his “no” he converted to “yes”, he repented. God is patient with each of us: He does not tire, He does not desist after our “no”; He leaves us free even to distance ourselves from Him and to make mistakes. Thinking about God’s patience is wonderful! How the Lord always waits for us; He is always beside us to help us; but He respects our freedom. And He anxiously awaits our “yes”, so as to welcome us anew in His fatherly arms and to fill us with His boundless mercy. Faith in God asks us to renew every day the choice of good over evil, the choice of the truth rather than lies, the choice of love for our neighbor over selfishness. Those who convert to this choice, after having experienced sin, will find the first places in the Kingdom of heaven, where there is greater joy for a single sinner who converts than for ninety-nine righteous people (see Lk 15: 7). But conversion, changing the heart, is a process, a process that purifies us from moral encrustations. And at times it is a painful process because there is no path of holiness without some sacrifice and without a spiritual battle. Battling for good; battling so as not to fall into temptation; doing for our part what we can, to arrive at living in the peace and joy of the Beatitudes. Today’s Gospel passage calls into question the way of living a Christian life, which is not made up of dreams and beautiful aspirations, but of concrete commitments, in order to open ourselves ever more to God’s will and to love for our brothers and sisters. But this, even the smallest concrete commitment, cannot be made without grace. Conversion is a grace we must always ask for: “Lord, give me the grace to improve. Give me the grace to be a good Christian”. May Mary Most Holy help us to be docile to the action of the Holy Spirit. He is the One who melts the hardness of hearts and disposes them to repentance, so we may obtain the life and salvation promised by Jesus.

At the General Audience, Wednesday September 8, 2020 Pope Francis: Confront COVID with unbounded love

Pope Francis focused his attention on the concept of the “common good” in his catechesis at Wednesday’s General Audience. Seeking the common good together Continuing his reflections on “Healing the World,” Pope Francis said we can emerge from the coronavirus crisis better than before “if we all seek the common good together.” At the same time, he lamented that we are beginning to see “partisan interests emerging,” with some people seeking to take advantage of the crisis for selfish purposes. Pope upholds right to education notwithstanding wars and violence “The Christian response to the pandemic and to the consequent socio-economic crisis is based on love,” the Pope said, and especially the love of God for us. We in turn are called to love everyone – not only our friends and family, but even our enemies. This is difficult, the Pope acknowledged, but it is an “art that can be learned and improved.” Building a civilization of love Love, he continued, not only helps us to build personal relationships, but also allows “social, cultural, economic and relationships flourish, allowing us to construct a ‘civilization of love’,” Pope Francis said, using an expression beloved of the sainted Popes Paul VI and John Paul II. Love without borders The current crisis, said Pope Francis, is helping us to see that the good of each person individually is tied up with the common good of society as a whole, and vice versa. And he insisted, “A virus that does not recognise barriers, borders, or cultural or political distinctions must be faced with a love without barriers, borders or distinctions.” *** If, on the other hand, solutions to the crisis are tinged with selfishness or egoism, the Pope said, “we may perhaps emerge from the coronavirus crisis, but certainly not from the human and social crisis that the virus has brought to light and accentuated.” Instead, everyone – and Christians in particular – have a duty to work to promote the common good. Politics rooted in ethics and nourished by love Pope Francis admitted that politics often has a bad reputation, and perhaps not without reason. A “good politics is possible,” though, he insisted, when it “puts the human person and the common good at the centre of its duty.” This calls for everyone, but especially those with social and political commitments and duties, to root their actions “in ethical principles,” and nourish them “with social and political love.” *** Pope Francis said, “Christians, in a particular way the laity, are called to give good example of this and can do it thanks to the virtue of charity, cultivating its intrinsic social dimension.” Called to improve social love Now, said Pope Francis, is the “time to improve our social love, with everyone’s contribution.” The Holy Father insisted that everyone must do their part, with no one excluded. “Thus, through our gestures, even the most humble ones, something of the image of God that we bear with us will be made visible, because God is the Trinity, God is love.” *** With God’s help, Pope Francis said, “we can heal the world,” if we all work together “for the common good.”

Pope Francis: Pray and Fast for Lebanon on Friday September 4, 2020

One month after a massive explosion at a fertilizer storage facility tore through Beirut and reopened Lebanon’s old wounds, Pope Francis expresses his and the Church’s solidarity with the troubled nation and calls for a worldwide day of prayer on Friday, 4 September. “One month after the tragedy that struck the city of Beirut, my thoughts turn once again to Lebanon and its people, so sorely tried,” the Pope said during his weekly General Audience. He called a Lebanese student priest with a flag of his country to stand next to him. Pope Francis is sending his Secretary of State to Beirut to represent him in the 4th-September prayer for Lebanon with the Patriarchs, and Bishops as a sign of unity with the Lebanese people. Freedom and pluralism Reiterating the 1989 appeal of Saint Pope John Paul II he said, “Lebanon cannot be abandoned in its solitude.” Holding the corner of the Lebanese flag as a gesture of his closeness with the Middle East nation, he described Lebanon as a country of hope and expressed admiration for the people’s faith in God and their ability to make their country a “place of tolerance, respect and coexistence unique in that region”. Lebanon, the Holy Father said, is “a message of freedom and an example of pluralism, both for the East and for the West”. “For the good of the country and the world, we cannot let this legacy be lost,” he said, alluding to the long-drawn crisis in the country. Even before Covid-19, Lebanon was undergoing the worst economic crisis in its history, which triggered large-scale anti-government protests last year. Today, nearly half the country's 6 million people are living below the poverty line. Analysts warn that the scale of the catastrophe may be worse than the 15-year civil war, which raged from 1975 to 1990. Appeal to political and religious leaders Pope Francis encouraged “all Lebanese to persevere in hope and to summon the strength and energy needed to start anew.” He particularly urged “political and religious leaders to commit themselves with sincerity and openness to the work of rebuilding, setting aside all partisan interests and looking to the common good and the future of the nation”. The Holy Father asked "the international community to support Lebanon and to help it emerge from this grave crisis, without becoming caught up in regional tensions". He exhorted the people of Beirut to take courage and find strength in faith and prayer. "Do not abandon your homes and your heritage. Do not abandon the dreams of those who believed in the dawn of a beautiful and prosperous country. " Addressing the country's pastors, bishops, priests, the consecrated and lay people, he urged them to accompany their suffering faithful with apostolic zeal, poverty, austerity and humility. "Be poor together with your poor and suffering people," he said, insisting, "Be the first to give an example of poverty and humility." “Help your faithful and your people to rise up and be protagonists of a new rebirth.” The Holy Father urged the nation's Church leaders to work for harmony, the common good, and a true culture of encounter and living together in peace and fraternity, which he said was so dear to St. Francis.

Sunday August 30, 2020 - Pope Francis at the Angelus: We in trust must Imitate [Jesus] expending our life unreservedly for love of God and neighbour

At the Angelus on Sunday, Pope Francis says “taking up the Cross” means imitating Jesus by expending our life in service to God and neighbour. By Vatican News In Sunday’s Gospel, Jesus speaks to His disciples about the mystery of His Passion, Death, and Resurrection – a teaching, Pope Francis said, that the disciples are not yet able to understand, because their faith “is still immature, and too closely tied to the mentality of the world.” The Pope said that for Peter and the other disciples – and for us too – the Cross is seen as “a ‘stumbling block’, whereas Jesus considers the ‘stumbling block’ [to be] escaping the Cross, which would mean avoiding the Father’s will.” This, the Pope said, is why Jesus rebukes Peter so strongly, saying to him, “Get behind me, Satan!” READ ALSO Pope addresses tension in eastern Mediterranean sea 30/08/2020 Pope addresses tension in eastern Mediterranean sea Becoming true disciples of Jesus In the Gospel, Jesus then immediately explains, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.” Pope Francis said that in this saying, Jesus “indicates the way of the true disciple, showing two attitudes”: renouncing oneself, which means a real conversion; and taking up one’s cross, which “is not just a matter of patiently enduring daily tribulations, but of bearing with faith and responsibility that part of toil and suffering that the struggle against evil entails.” READ ALSO Pope prays for Mauritus, ahead of World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation 30/08/2020 Pope prays for Mauritus, ahead of World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation Participating in the salvation of the world Focusing on the latter, the Pope said, “Thus, the task of ‘taking up the cross’ becomes participating with Christ in the salvation of the world.” Images of the Cross should be a “sign of our desire to be united with Christ through lovingly serving our brothers and sisters, especially the littlest and the weakest,” Pope Francis said; adding, “The Cross is the holy sign of God’s love and of Jesus’s sacrifice, and is not to be reduced to a superstitious object or an ornamental necklace.” Instead, he explained, when we look at a crucifix, we should reflect on the fact that Jesus “has accomplished His mission, giving life, spilling His blood for the forgiveness sins.” In order to be His disciples, Pope Francis said, we in turn must “imitate Him, expending our life unreservedly for love of God and neighbour.”