RTB has a podcast service they call Science News Flash which is a commentary on science in the news that impacts Christian theism. Most of the time they do stories favorable to theism, but recently they did one with their resident Ph.D. in chemistry, Fuz Rana, on a new development wherein self-replicating RNA has been created in the lab. The audio is here:

http://podcasts.reasons.org/newsflash/20090112-FR.mp3


If that doesn't work go here:
http://reasons.edgeboss.net/download...sh/podcast.xml

and click on:
Life As We Know It Nearly Created in Lab


For a secular report of the same story go here:
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releas...-ssd010909.php

This story is about origin of life research that clearly supports a theory that there was an RNA world that could have preceded and evolved into our current DNA based life. I'm posting this mostly so theists will be aware of this research and know that more than likely there will be further advancements along these lines. Though I don't think it reduces the arguments for God, anymore than gravity or evolution do, I'm sure some theists will be troubled by it. I think theists need to reconsider their understanding of the relationship between science and theology and it would be good to remember what Augustine said around 400 A.D. - that Christians who maintain something from Scripture that is obviously false only hurt the faith. Sometimes our interpretation of the Bible is wrong, sometimes science is wrong, but I believe that when both are right there is no conflict.

If theists would like to discuss this issue further I would like to make more comments.

I'd like to discuss it further. I'm wondering why theistic faith needs to be reconciled with science? It seems as though you are saying that if science were to discover something that you could not reconcile with the bible, you would thereby denounce the science.

No offense, but that makes you look like a fool. Why not just use science to strengthen your faith where applicable and where it conflicts, just declare your beliefs as faith, instead of denouncing the science?

I can respect someone who simply asserts that they're sticking with god regardless of what science says through their unwavering faith. But when they go beyond that to say, "Well, then the science must be wrong because it conflicts with my faith", does not deserve any respect.

Not sure if I explained that correctly or not. It wasn't meant to be offensive.

NotReady, I could not gain access to either link that leads to RTB. However I did read the report from eurekalert.org but my understanding of science is not the best and I was having a hard time figuring out what this actually means. What do you see as possibley troubling for theists which doesn't reduce the arguments for God?

In another thread someone said we don't know how life started so although I believe evolution I believe life originally was set starting by God. I imagine this is referring to the letter in Nature that somebody posted in SMP about how we're realizing and recreating the start of life up to RNA as genetic material. If this is the case there is strong evidence that God needn't have been involved in the process.

Thank you Malcolm X, but this doesn't really change much though correct? Because if God "needn't have been involved", that doesn't really mean that God wasn't.

Try this:

Go to the RTB main page. On the right side of the page is the icon for Science News Flash. Click on the RSS icon - the other one is for itunes and I don't have much luck with that. That should take you to the page that has the mp3's which you can listen to and/or download. Let me know if you still can't get there.

But if there was no need for God then what is it that we would be proposing he did?

It's that sort of an question that only religion will try and answer so I guess we're all happy - you get you're answer, scientists don't need an answer. Just as long as God is kept out of the scientific telling of the origin of life.

Malcolm X, is this what this is all about? God isn't about whether He created the world. What does God creating the world have to do with you? Nothing. You benefit none whether God created the world or not. You only benefit when God's relation to the world affects you. And it only affects you when you stop looking out there for Him and start looking inside.

For some reason this makes me laugh. Not personally at you, but just a humble laugh. This world is our domain. We are here to control it. God controls heaven and the communication through mankind. You are never going to find proof that God did or did not create the earth and He didn't put us here to search for that answer.

God's about YOU. YOU!

Got it. I used the iTunes link though and it worked fine. Thank you.

http://www.newscientist.com/article/...n-the-lab.html
I think this is a link to the new scientist article. I can't listen as I'm in the library at the moment.