Reinventing the Sacred: A New View of Science, Reason, and Religion

Kauffman, a complexity theorist at the University of Calgary, sets a huge task for himself in this provocative but difficult book: to find common ground between religion and science by redefining God as not a supernatural Creator but as the natural creativity in the universe. That creativity, says Kauffman, defies scientific assumptions that the biosphere's evolution and human activity can be reduced to physics and are fully governed by natural laws. Kauffman (At Home in the Universe) espouses emergence, the theory of how complex systems self-organize into entities that are far more than the sum of their parts. To bolster the idea of this ceaselessly creative and unpredictable nature, Kauffman draws examples from the biosphere, neurobiology and economics. His definition of God as the fully natural, awesome, creativity that surrounds us is unlikely to convince those with a more traditional take on religion. Similarly, Kauffman's detailed discussions of quantum mechanics to explain emergence are apt to lose all but the most technically inclined readers. Nonetheless, Kauffman raises important questions about the self-organizing potential of natural systems that deserve serious consideration.

A work of generative genius that is almost a sustained prose poem on the subject of how reductionism is not really a good way of looking at how the universe works.

Available from Amazon.com

Can Science Be Sacred?

Steve Paulson reports on a growing movement among secular scientists and philosophers. They believe the natural world around us is full of marvels and mysteries, but they typically don't believe in God. Neither do they like the term "atheist." Some prefer "Religious Naturalist." Steve fills us in on "the awe and wonder crowd."

Listen to "Can Science be Sacred?"

21st Century Freemasonry

What is 21st Century Freemasonry? It isn’t your grandfather’s social club with funny hats – that much is certain.

21st Century Freemasonry is a modern movement taking place in the United States. It’s about protecting our freedoms, preserving the environment, and bringing people together to make a difference. Many of the founders of our country were Grand Orient Freemasons. They understood the value of working together to overcome the barriers that stood between them and the enlightened world they envisioned. That struggle is still taking place over two hundred years later. Our generation is the recipient of a grand tradition dedicated to freedom and equality, and it is our solemn duty to both ourselves and those who came before us to carry it into the future. Freemasonry is the vehicle through which this tradition is passed from one generation to the next.

It’s time to stop watching the tube, browsing the net and playing Wii. It’s time to get up, get out, and join the movement!