Darwin, Very well said. I especially liked how you described your age. Greg Darwin wrote: > As many of you know, I am an Engineer. In my 61 orbits around our > star, I have seen many wondrous things brought about by the creativity, > dedication, inquisitiveness, and doggedness of the human mind and spirit. > Whatever supreme being you may or may not believe in, you have to admit that > we have and can accomplish difficult tasks and overcome what appear to be > insurmountable circumstances and odds. Whether you attribute that to the > inventiveness of man or the guidance or assistance of a supreme god is up to > you. I prefer to believe that God created us with a free will so that we > could arrive at our choices without his interference but certainly with help > from Him should we ask. The best way I can illustrate how I feel is with a > simple story that the late great comedian (and Baptist minister) Jerry > Clower told many times: > > > - - - - - > God Will Take Care of Me! > > It had been raining many days and nights upstate from where this > fellow lived. The weathermen were forecasting flash flooding and the > authorities were out warning people to evacuate. > > A sheriff's deputy came by the house and told him he had better > hurry up and move to higher ground. > > "Don't worry son, God will take care of me!", he said. > > A few hours later the water was rising and lapping at the top step > on his porch. > > A fireman in a boat came by and told him to get in and he would take > him to safety. > > "Don't worry about it, God will take care of me!", he replied. > > By the next morning he was on the roof praying to God, thanking him > for His watch and care over him and asking him to continue to do so. > > In the distance he heard a helicopter approaching. They arrived and > lowered a rope. The rescuer shouted through a bull horn, "Grab hold of the > rope and we will save you! Grab hold of the rope!" > > He yelled back, "Don't need to, you go on and help others. I'm not > worried, God will take care of me." > > The scene shifts now to the pearly gates. > > After entering, the fellow seeks out God and says, "Lord, I don't > understand? You promised me in your Word that if I put my faith and trust in > you, you would take care of me. I prayed that you would take care of me, and > here you went and let me drown." > > To which God replied, "Just what did you expect me to do? I heard > your prayers and sent a car, a boat, and a helicopter!" > > - - - - - - - - - - > > Are stem cells the "helicopter" that God is providing us with to > accomplish more great and wondrous things? Did the Creator provide us with > the capacity for great knowledge and intelligence with the restriction of > not using it to the fullest extent for the betterment of his creation? >** --------- End Original Message ----------- ** >