Take it on faith

So, in our science that operates on "facts" versus faith, the following appeared in numerous news web sites today:

1. A planet that has characteristics that can support life (based on what on earth supports life) has been identified "near" the earth. (actually, we can't see it, we can only assume (is assume like faith at all?) its presence by anomalies in what we observe of its sun)

2. It is about 20 light years away...meaning that if we traveled at the speed of light it'd take 20 years to get there. (that is "near" the earth?) (and, how exactly do we "know" it is that many light years away...no one has traveled a light year)(...and...the light we are observing occurred 20 years ago on that assumption...any faith there?)

3. It is "100%" certain to have the characteristics that would allow it to have abundant liquid water, a statement the discovering scientist is "nearly certain" of.

And they think we people of faith make some big leaps...

http://www.usatoday.com/tech/science/space/2010-09-30-planet30_ST_N.htm

Interesting discussions

I had an interesting discussion with one of my teens today about evolution versus creation. She really wanted the fast answer, of which, of course, there is none. I asked her which she thought took more faith to believe.

Creation.

OK, how did we get the creation story?

I dunno.

We have it written in a book that has been used for at least 3 thousand years of human history, including the 3 biggest belief groups in the world, that was written by someone who was there, stating it happened around 5-6 thousand years ago, and was carried forward in oral-then-written form so accurately it has never been contradicted by archeology.

OK, and now how did we get the evolution story?

It was written by theorists over the last 200 years or so about things that, if true, would have to have happened billions and hundreds-of-millions of years ago. What actually happened and how it happened have been the subject of dynamic theorizing since the theory was developed in the 18th century.

Which believer has to have the greatest faith in his version of the beginning?

Ohhh.

Aliens?

Funny how the search for extraterrestrial life has moved from the H.G.Wells War of the Worlds flavor to the certain satisfaction the geniuses would feel if they found 1 live virus under a rock somewhere in space. What a gift we have in this perfectly balanced earth...