23AR28-41

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AR 28:41 - "Diversity training" - a Christian response

In this issue:

ORIGINS - "... the big bang model isn't wrong, some of our assumptions about it might be"

POLITICS - "Ramaswamy's battle against what he calls 'woke-ism'"

WOKE MOVEMENT - options for dealing with diversity training

WORLDVIEW HISTORY - hidden treasure in three essays

Apologia Report 28:41 (1,638)
November 29, 2023

ORIGINS

"New Webb Telescope Observations Throw a Wrench in Our Understanding of the Big Bang" by Brian Koberlein (Universe Today, Aug 28 '22) -- (Yes. We missed this one.) "The Big Bang is not dead. Recent observations by the James Webb Space Telescope have not disproven the big bang, despite certain popular articles claiming otherwise.  ...

   "We generally think of evidence for the big bang being centered around two facts: first, that more distant galaxies have a higher redshift than closer ones; and second, that the universe is filled with a cosmic background of microwave radiation.

   "The first suggests that the universe is expanding in all directions, while the second suggests that it was once in a very hot and dense state. These are two of the Three Pillars of data supporting the big bang, the third being the relative abundance of elements in the early universe.

   "But these observations are just the foundation of the big bang model. We have long since expanded on these to create the standard model of cosmology, also known as the LCDM model. ...

   "The Tolman test predicts that in a simple expanding universe, the surface brightness of galaxies should diminish proportional to both redshift and distance. We only see the effects of redshift.

   "This fact has led some to propose a static universe where light spontaneously loses energy over time. ...

   "If the universe is static and light is tired, then the Tolman test predicts exactly what we observe. Hence no big bang.

   "Back in 2014, Eric Lerner et al. published a paper making exactly this point. ...

   "It's a common misconception that redshift proves that galaxies are speeding away from us. They aren't. Distant galaxies aren't speeding through space. Space itself is expanding, putting greater distance between us. It's a subtle difference, but it means that galactic redshift is caused by cosmic expansion, not relative motion. It also means that distant galaxies appear a bit larger than they would in a static universe. They are distant and tiny, but the expansion of space gives the illusion of them being larger. As a result, the surface brightness of distant galaxies dims only proportional to redshift. ...

   "A static, tired-light universe wouldn't have any remnant heat from a primordial fireball. Not to mention the fact that distant galaxies would appear blurred (they don't), and distant supernovae wouldn't be time-dilated by cosmic expansion (they are). The only model that supports all the evidence is the big bang. Lerner's argument is an old one that has long been disproven. ...

   "Our current understanding is that after the big bang, the universe went through a period known as the dark ages. During this period, the first light of the cosmos had faded, and the first stars and galaxies hadn't yet formed. Webb is so sensitive it can see some of the youngest galaxies that formed just after the dark ages. We would expect those young galaxies to be less numerous and less developed than later galaxies. But the Webb observations have found very redshifted, very young galaxies that are both common and surprisingly mature.

   "It's the kind of puzzling and unexpected data astronomers were hoping for. It's why we wanted to build the Webb telescope in the first place. And it tells us that while the big bang model isn't wrong, some of our assumptions about it might be." <www.tinyurl.com/3czp3cue>

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POLITICS

"Vivek Ramaswamy and the Christian language of Hinduism" (Religion News, Jul 28 '23) -- "The ancient tradition of Sanatana Dharma - more commonly known as Hinduism - has long been misunderstood by unfamiliar audiences, especially in places like the United States, where Christianity predominates. ...

   "Hindus hold a pluralistic worldview in which many paths exist to experiencing the supreme, eternal spirit of reality known as Brahman. ...

   "To help people from other backgrounds better understand their faith, Ramaswamy, like other American Hindus, has emphasized the elements of Hinduism that relate closely to Christianity - such as a focus on one God that all of humanity shares.

   "The Hindu American Foundation, the largest nonprofit representing the religious community, has started shifting away from using the word 'idol,' instead using 'deity,' so as to eliminate the chance of misunderstanding by Christians. ...

   "Anantanand Rambachan, a Hindu theologian and author of 'Pathways to Hindu-Christian Dialogue,' says that, while it is not incorrect to say Hindus worship one divine being, practitioners should not shy away from explaining that this one being has infinite names and forms. The faith is neither polytheistic nor monotheistic, he says, but something entirely more complex.

   "In communicating our tradition, we should not be afraid to be different," said Rambachan. "To reduce the murtis (idols) only to a symbol, is not to be faithful to centuries of a very sophisticated theology."

   The piece closes with remarks by Amit Desai, founder of the United States-India Relationship Council PAC (USIRC). "Ramaswamy's battle against what he calls 'woke-ism' and his embracing of young voters is enough to sway his vote. He points to Rishi Sunak, the prime minister of the UK and a member of the Conservative Party, as an example of someone who has held his Hindu faith on unapologetic display." <www.tinyurl.com/mabrkhbp>

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WOKE MOVEMENT

"How to Keep Your Job Without Losing Your Soul: A Survival Guide for Diversity Training" by John Ferrer (Christian Research Journal, 46:1/2 - 2023) -- "On the surface, 'diversity training' seems like a great idea. Everyone agrees that racism, sexism, and bullying are bad. But the diversity industry is rife with progressive neo-Marxism and diversity training activities are often modeled after 'struggle sessions' from the Cultural Revolution (Maoist China). Should Christians participate?"

   Ferrer begins: "Maybe you've heard stories about DEI, SEL, CRT, or Unconscious Bias training. ... What will you do about this diversity training?

   "You've got options. But before picking one, you should know what you're up against. ...

   "Advocates like the U.S, Chamber of Commerce claim diversity training is a 'business imperative,' so companies can provide 'opportunities for everyone' to 'help lift communities and strengthen the health, prosperity, and competitiveness of our nation and our society.' In the past these programs were called 'sensitivity training,' reflecting a growing awareness of sexism and harassment in the workplace. But today they're more often about racial and LGBTQ diversity, with a progressive political spin Some of the more gracious critics say diversity training just doesn't work. Anthropologists Frank Dobbin and Alexandra Kalev explain: [D]iversity training is likely the most expensive, and least effective program around. ...

   "Harsher critics argue that the multi-billion-dollar diversity training industry is a trojan-virus, packaged in slick appealing buzzwords, yet filled with corruption, extortion, and radicalism. ...

   "Increasingly, diversity training has shown itself to be a deeply corrupt and disingenuous industry smuggling neo-Marxism into the corporate world under the guise of team building and etiquette training. There is no long-term well-vetted evidence showing that diversity training achieves greater greater diversity, equity, or inclusion; instead, workplace relations are typically worse after diversity training. ...

   "The objections stem from heavy-handed tactics and politically charged ideology cloaked in the buzzwords 'diversity,' 'equity,' and 'inclusion.' ...

   "Diversity training fails at promoting diversity, rather it reinforces stereotypes and erodes trust while fostering hyper-sensitivity, division, and avoidance. ...

   "To understand why the diversity training industry has boomed, and with it, countless companies shoe-horning race and LGBTQ into their media marketing, one has to follow the money. ...

   "[D]iversity training is part of a larger socio-political incursion. It should not be taken lightly. From the standpoint of employers (bosses/owners), diversity training represents a concession to powerful forces injecting progressive (Leftist) politics into the workplace. From the stanpoint of average employees, diversity training is ideological arm-twisting - comply *or else.* ...

   "[H]ow alarmed should we be?" There are multiple concerns to consider; Ferrer treats some of the more obvious. "Even if the training is optional, however, you may still decide to attend, say for research purposes, or as an undercover whistle-blower. ...

   "If your best option is to attend the seminar, then you still have the choice of how to carry yourself during the training. What will your strategy be?" Ferrer summarizes four options that James Lindsay <www.tinyurl.com/AR-on-James-Lindsay> recommends. You can get an impression of what is behind them from their titles: "Gray Rock, Spying, Outright Resistance, and Trolling."

   Ferrer finds that "As Christians, we can add a fifth option ... hold fast to the truth; steadfast against the confusing torrent." He applies this to each of the previous four categories and adds: "At times ... we should take good notes preparing to blow-the-whistle if we must. ... If the training requires agreeing with lies, foolishness, or evil, then we'll hav to decline in open resistance. ... We may even need to point out bad logic with a pointed question or joke." <www.tinyurl.com/3emjwv38>

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WORLDVIEW HISTORY

The latest issue of Christian Research Journal (link above) also contains an unusual convergence of citations regarding the Christian doctrine of the self and worldview history. A single source is central to each of three essays in this issue of CRJ: 

   "Dances with Wolves: When 'Woke' Predators Invade the Sheep Pen" by Bob Perry explains how Carl Trueman <www.tinyurl.com/AR-on-Trueman> "chronicles the twisted way we have moved the locus of our sense of self from the transcendent to the immanent" in his book The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self. <www.tinyurl.com/4auspf92> "Though Trueman focuses primarily on how this has affected sexual identity, the historical freamework he uncovers applies to every aspect of this self-focused agenda."

   In "The Floor Always Feels Safer: A Glance at Some Origins of the Modern Self and the Way We Live Now," Anne Kennedy takes a philosophical fishing expedition as she discusses Trueman's "unparalleled historical narrative." Her piece is summarized: "This is an age of the individual turned unfathoably inward. An age in which a person seeks to find answers about the world by looking deeper into herself. An age in which it is perfectly sensible to hear someone say, 'I am a man trapped in a woman's body.' How did we get here?"

   Matthew M. Kennedy's "Christian Parenting and the Peril of Public School Education" describes "but one symptom of a much broader and deeper cultural transformation that Carl R. Trueman describes in The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self" prior to his (Kennedy's) review of some current children's curriculum examples.

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