Albert Einstein’s religious beliefs clouded his judgment enough for him to abandon the “expanding universe” his calculations indicated.   Further calculations pointed to accelerating expansion and invisible forces which he and many others considered “errant”.  Turns out his mistake anticipated Dark matter and energy and is a key element in astrophysical research today.

Galileo’s “Copernican” theory which contradicted the Catholic Church’s “truth” that the earth was the center of the universe almost got him executed. Instead, he said what the Pope and his folks wanted to hear and escaped with his life to a life sentence imprisoned in his own home. Was his punishment from God or man?

From the dock - an aircraft carrier appears huge: from aerial images against an ocean - not so huge.

From space, oceans are blue patches among green and brown land masses -  partially obscured by clouds.

Earth is virtually invisible from outside our solar system; the sun  virtually invisible from beyond several light years; and our entire Galaxy is barely noticeable from even the nearest galaxy.

To most of the universe, the Milky Way is an invisible speck only seen with the largest telescopes of another species on another world.

The Creator did not make our heads too big,  we did that all by ourselves with our own free will.   Can we afford to fear or deny that  beyond understanding, or should we accept it in faith, as we do our next breath?

“There are no atheists in foxholes”.

Nobody really knows who coined the expression, but it describes warfare in which your only defense is a hole deep enough to avoid a direct line of fire. The only thing you had to worry about was a shell landing in there with you.   As the shells got closer the prayers grew more fervent.  Even atheists began to pray.  Foxholes yielded body parts, soiled underwear, and a new generation of God fearing men.  Maybe there really is a Creator - Ya THINK?

Science and religion often seem to conflict. In reality - each follows a different path in search of the same truth.  We must continue our pursuit as a challenge resolute in fellowship not confrontation. It is in this choice that we acknowledges the limitations of our mortality so we might recognize within ourselves something much greater.