On Matter and God

One of my questions recently has been: How does God as a non-physical/spiritual being interact with the physical world? Does He tweak probabilities on the quantum level to make things happen His way? I have no idea. Is it even possible to know (mechanistically) how this happens?

As I've been pondering this question and not coming up with many answers, I came across this excerpt from a poem by T.L. Harris in 1855. Recognizing the age-old rift between the physical and non-physical, Harris rightly (and beautifully) declares that this is not a problem for God:

Born from the darkest age
Of superstition is that ancient creed
That matter is the enemy of good,
Accursed and hateful to the Infinite;
For every atom is a living thought,
Dropped from the meditations of a God,
Its every essence an immortal love
Of the incarnate Deity; and all
The inmost pulses of material things
Are mediums for the pulses of His will.
God's harmonies through matter pour their flood
Of billowy music. Nature is a rose,
Whose breath, and leaves, and buds, and flowers disclose
The beauty of the One All-Beautiful;
The grace and charm whose source is the Divine.

T.L. Harris - A Lyric of the Golden Age

The “Small Bill” Proposal for Sensible Health-Care Reform

This is a very interesting approach to health care reform that I just found out about through a CMDA email. I think it addresses a fair amount of the key issues while keeping additional government costs low. It definitely seems like something that both parties can agree on in the short term, while taking additional time to hash out changes in the long term.

The “Small Bill” Proposal for Sensible Health-Care Reform

Supporting Earthquake Relief in Haiti

The best way to support earthquake relief in Haiti can be difficult to determine. Unfortunately, there are many organizations that do not spend money wisely, and some which are completely a farce. The American Institute of Philanthropy's CharityWatch.org has published a list of organizations that have received high ratings from their non-profit assessment system at this website.