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| Pluto sent down to Minors
Former planet hurt by lack of size, disgruntled fan base
Pluto has been sent down.
It was only a matter of time.
Small body, never got hot, kind of distant.
Astronomers made the decision at their version of the winter meetings, the International Astronomical Union in Prague. The news was announced to inhabitants of our own planet on Thursday, possibly the biggest news story in our lives (think about it) but a crushing blow to the hopes and dreams of the little guy.
"Pluto is dead," said Mike Brown, a planetary scientist at the California Institute of Technology. "Pluto is not a planet. There are finally, officially, eight planets in the solar system."
Pluto is now officially a "dwarf planet," meaning it is one of those round objects that "has not cleared the neighborhood around its orbit, and is not a satellite." Relatively speaking, it only had a cup of coffee in the big leagues. It was discovered in 1930 by a birds-eye scout named Clyde Tombaugh. But Pluto had its chances, coming back year after year just like a Major League Baseball season.
It could never be Mercury, leading off and constantly hot. Venus was all about love and self-sacrifice, a natural 2 spot in the order. Earth, the prototypical No. 3 hitter, the ultimate fantasy pick, the people's choice. Mars, the oft-feared big red machine. Jupiter always had the sweet spot in the lineup. Having Saturn in the order always meant a ring. Uranus, always the team prankster and playing jokes to keep it fun.
Year after year, Pluto tried to leap past Neptune at the end of the order. Because of its eccentric orbit, Pluto actually was able to reach closer to the sun than Neptune during a portion of its orbit. But again and again, Neptune, the savvy veteran (discovered in 1846), would deny the kid. Pluto never really had a legitimate chance.
The youngster with the cold streak also suffered from poor marketing. Initial suggestions for the planet's name had included Zeus, Athene, Atlas, Cosmos, Hercules, Perseus, Prometheus and Vulcan. Instead, it wound up with a name on the back of its jersey that became synonymous with a floppy-eared cartoon dog. Pluto made people laugh. It had become more of a mascot in the ballpark of space than a real player.
Finally, enough was enough. Those 424 astronomers who voted for demotion this week did what most managers and general managers would have done: They sent Pluto down. That created an immediate uproar in certain circles, where Pluto has a fan base. It will be hard for some people to imagine Pluto off the roster. Maybe someday another chance will come. For now, there is a bigger question:
How are billions of Homo sapiens now supposed to remember the solar system's batting order? It used to go something like this:
"My very educated mother just served us nine pizzas." Or "My very educated mother just showed us nine planets."
Fortunately, our mother is not just educated. She is "very" educated. So it appears highly probable that she will think of something else to do, since the pizzas are off the menu. From now on, try: "My very educated mother just showed us Neptune."
Neptune, after all, is now the farthest planet from the sun. The last spot in the order.
Pluto, it's been nice knowing you. The former planet will now hang out with its closest friend, and moon, Charon. They're sure to forever spin yarns about how Pluto once played in the bigs.
Mark Newman mlb.com | | |
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Justified--by Faith or Works?
by Henry Morris, Ph.D.
"Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified" (Galatians 2:16).
Some have argued that James contradicts Paul at this point, since James emphasized that both Abraham and Rahab, among others, were justified by works (James 2:21,25). In fact, this seeming conflict between Paul and James has often been cited as one of the "contradictions" of the Bible.
There is no contradiction, however. Neither Abraham nor Rahab could have been justified by the "works of the law," and James never said they were. Abraham lived before God even gave the law to Moses, and Rahab lived in a pagan culture which knew nothing about it. Furthermore, James himself knew that no one could really be saved by the law, for he said that "whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all" (James 2:10).
Actually, both Abraham and Rahab were "justified"--which means "seen as righteous"--by faith in God and His provision of salvation (note James 2:23; Hebrews 11:31). The righteousness of Christ, who did keep perfectly the law of God, is imputed to believers by faith (Romans 4:3-5). God sees him or her as "in Christ," and so they are justified (recognized as righteous) solely through faith.
However, other men cannot see our faith, and therefore we must be justified in the sight of men by our works. True saving faith inevitably will manifest itself in works of righteousness. "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: . . . For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them" (Ephesians 2:8,10). | | |
| Psalm 27 Of David. 1 The LORD is my light and my salvation—
whom shall I fear?
The LORD is the stronghold of my life—
of whom shall I be afraid? 2 When evil men advance against me
to devour my flesh, [a]
when my enemies and my foes attack me,
they will stumble and fall. 3 Though an army besiege me,
my heart will not fear;
though war break out against me,
even then will I be confident. 4 One thing I ask of the LORD,
this is what I seek:
that I may dwell in the house of the LORD
all the days of my life,
to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD
and to seek him in his temple. 5 For in the day of trouble
he will keep me safe in his dwelling;
he will hide me in the shelter of his tabernacle
and set me high upon a rock. 6 Then my head will be exalted
above the enemies who surround me;
at his tabernacle will I sacrifice with shouts of joy;
I will sing and make music to the LORD. 7 Hear my voice when I call, O LORD;
be merciful to me and answer me. 8 My heart says of you, "Seek his [b] face!"
Your face, LORD, I will seek. 9 Do not hide your face from me,
do not turn your servant away in anger;
you have been my helper.
Do not reject me or forsake me,
O God my Savior. 10 Though my father and mother forsake me,
the LORD will receive me. 11 Teach me your way, O LORD;
lead me in a straight path
because of my oppressors. 12 Do not turn me over to the desire of my foes,
for false witnesses rise up against me,
breathing out violence. 13 I am still confident of this:
I will see the goodness of the LORD
in the land of the living. 14 Wait for the LORD;
be strong and take heart
and wait for the LORD. Footnotes: - Psalm 27:2 Or to slander me
- Psalm 27:8 Or To you, O my heart, he has said, "Seek my
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| An article from www.icr.org
Beautiful, golden fossilized amber begins as resin. Exuded as a
sticky liquid from bark or wood, it polymerizes into solid amber. It
slowly degrades when left in the open and therefore must be rather
quickly buried in dense sediments. There are about twenty amber
deposits, the most prominent locations are in the Baltic and Dominican
Republic.
Many thousands of amber pieces contain fossils. A variety of animals
are preserved in those golden tombs, including insects, crustaceans,
tadpoles, lizards, annelids, snails, and spiders. In 1997, a piece of
Dominican amber was appraised at $50,000 because it contained a frog.
Even hair of mammals has been found. Such preservation gives us an idea
of the pre-Flood ecosystem thousands of years ago.
The beautiful and aromatic blue amber of the Dominican Republic is
the most rewarding of the ambers for aesthetic and scientific reasons,
and holds the record when it comes to fossil content. Not only does
this amber contain ten times more insects than Baltic amber, it also is
90% more transparent. Some of the fossilized creatures are extinct, but
this is hardly evidence for vertical evolution.
There have even been discoveries of preserved animal and plant DNA,
"Amber has preserved ancient life to such infinitesimal detail that it
even captures fragments of DNA of the organisms entrapped in it."1
The discovery of DNA segments is not surprising for the creationist.
However, it stupefies the Darwinist, because evolutionists maintain
that amber is many millions of years old.
The oldest known amber containing insects is — according to
evolutionary dating — 146 million years old. But what is found are
animal forms that remain unchanged. Secular biologists are constantly
amazed that creatures displayed in such a clear sarcophagus can be
identified down to genus or even species. For example, small oak tree
flowers have been found dated at "90 million years old," but they are
still oak. The same is true for the oldest feather (100% feather — not
a transition from a scale), the oldest mushroom, mosquito, biting black
fly, and fig wasp. All that is seen in these organisms is no change
("stasis") or the possibility of extinction. This in no way supports
the case for macroevolution, but is certainly what creationists expect.
To conclude, just as the mineralized fossils found in sedimentary
rock units worldwide fail to support macroevolution, the same holds
true for animals and plants found in "ancient" amber. Creation
scientists aren't particularly surprised by the plants, animals, and
DNA found in amber considering the youth of this planet. Furthermore,
creationists have been requesting these creatures in amber should be
subjected to Carbon 14 dating. A similar requst is made to date the "70
million year old" soft dinosaur tissue recently discovered in eastern Montana (see Origins Issues "The Devastating Issue of Dinosaur Tissue").2 But secular scientists are reticent. Why? The search for truth should actively go where the physical evidence leads.
Endnotes
- http://www.amnh.org/exhibitions/amber/
- See also Yeoman, B. April 2006. Schweit-zer's dangerous discovery. Discover, p. 37.
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| Psalm 51 (New American Standard Bible)A Contrite Sinner's Prayer for Pardon.For the choir director. A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet came to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba. 1Be gracious to me, O God, according to Your lovingkindness;
According to the greatness of Your compassion blot out my transgressions.
2Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity
And cleanse me from my sin.
3For I know my transgressions,
And my sin is ever before me.
4Against You, You only, I have sinned
And done what is evil in Your sight,
So that You are justified when You speak
And blameless when You judge.
5Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity,
And in sin my mother conceived me.
6Behold, You desire truth in the innermost being,
And in the hidden part You will make me know wisdom.
7Purify me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
8Make me to hear joy and gladness,
Let the bones which You have broken rejoice.
9Hide Your face from my sins
And blot out all my iniquities.
10Create in me a clean heart, O God,
And renew a steadfast spirit within me.
11Do not cast me away from Your presence
And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.
12Restore to me the joy of Your salvation
And sustain me with a willing spirit.
13Then I will teach transgressors Your ways,
And sinners will be converted to You.
14Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, the God of my salvation;
Then my tongue will joyfully sing of Your righteousness.
15O Lord, open my lips,
That my mouth may declare Your praise.
16For You do not delight in sacrifice, otherwise I would give it;
You are not pleased with burnt offering.
17The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit;
A broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise.
18By Your favor do good to Zion;
Build the walls of Jerusalem.
19Then You will delight in righteous sacrifices,
In burnt offering and whole burnt offering;
Then young bulls will be offered on Your altar. | | |
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