The head of the Human Genome Project talks about his faith

Collins: Why this scientist believes in God - CNN.com

An intriguing editorial piece by the head of the Human Genome Project, Francis Collins, writes on CNN.com why he believes in God, and why it's not a contradiction to be a scientist and a Christian. He attributes his faith not to his upbringing, but to some experiences as a Grad student and reading CS Lewis' "Mere Christianity".

Interviews with Francis Collins are also available online from Salon and PBS Religion & Ethics.

What is "GOOD" about Good Friday?

beliefnet: What is Holy Week, What is Good Friday, Maundy Thursday, Passion, Easter, Resurrection, Last Supper, What is Palm Sunday
"Why is it 'Good' Friday?" - Rev. Dr David A. Killian

Good Friday is the Friday before Easter Sunday. It's the day that Christians use to celebrate the day that Jesus Christ was killed on a cross, and it is a statutory holiday in many Western countries.

As Rev. Dr. David A. Killian from Brookline, Massachusetts says:
"What is 'good' about an innocent man being arrested in the middle of the night; betrayed by one of disciples, Judas; denied by another, Peter; accused falsely by the chief priests; mocked and scourged by soldiers; and condemned to death by the Roman Procurator, Pontius Pilate? What is 'good' about crucifixion as a criminal and being scorned and mocked in one's dying hours? What is 'good' about the crown of thorns on his head, the nails in his hands and feet? Yes, this is a good question, Why is Good Friday called Good ?"

There are different views on this, but the linguistic view is that it is the result of the changes to the English language over hundreds of years. One theory says that Good Friday was " Godes Friday", meaning "God's Friday". Another view is that "Good", used to be the same as "Great" or "Holy".
The spiritual view, as Rev. Dr. David A. Killian from Brookline, Massachusetts puts it, is that "Bad Friday" becomes "Good", "because God took the treachery, cruelty, and injustice of the crucifixion [on Good Friday] and transformed it into an expression of love, forgiveness and faithfulness" by bringing Jesus back to life on Easter Sunday.

Today's beliefnet link explains "Good Friday" and many of the Christian terms and ideas that are used to describe the events of Easter week.

Bono on the Difference between Karma and Grace

This is an excerpt from an interview with Bono from U2, that he did for a biography called, "Bono: In Conversation with Michka Assayas"
In the interview with Assayas, Bono talks about the difference between karma and grace. He gives his takes on the Bible and on the Roman Catholic Church. He talks about whether Jesus is a teacher or a prophet (hint: neither). He talks about giving his fly-glasses to Pope John Paul.

Bonus link: Transcript from Bono's Speech to the 2006 National Prayer Breakfast, in front of President Bush, among others. Bono turns out to be a pretty funny and engaging speaker.

Best Kids Camp!!!

Camp Artaban

I'm a little late putting up today's post because I've spent the weekend on Gambier Island at Camp Artaban. I've spent the 4 best summers of my life working there, and a few of us were up there this weekend doing some maintenance work around the camp.

Camp Artaban is an Anglican camp, but is open to people of all religions and beliefs. The activities include: climbing, swimming, wharf-jumping, drama, sports, hiking, canoeing, rowing, sailing, crafts, windsurfing, archery and dancing. Artaban has an absolutely gorgeous, natural setting in the temperate rainforest of the Pacific Northwest. During the summer, Camp provides a variety of high-energy, fun and meaningful camp sessions for children and families.

It's one of my favourite places in the entire world.

Answering tough questions about Christianity

Starting Point - Helpful Charts and Articles

When people start learning about Christianity, they inevitably have lots of questions and reservations. Is the Bible accurate? Where did it come from? How is Jesus?

The Linkjockey has been participating in a course at his church called, Starting Point. As the name suggests, it provides a starting point for people who are curious about Christianity or are new believers. Starting Point was created by the North Point Community Church in Georgia, USA and its pastor, Andy Stanley. The course is based on 10 weeks in a conversational small group, with a half-hour talk by Andy and a bit of journaling every week. The course is great!

Today's link is one of the online references for the course, and features some of Andy Stanley's fascinating and humorous talks about God in streaming audio. It also features answers to some of the FAQs that people have about God, Jesus, and the Bible.