Feature: Faith in science helps students, faculty with faith in God

Lipscomb faculty and students are not shy about stating their opinions when it comes to the long-standing debate over faith and science. For the most part, they don’t say one side prevails over the other and agree that faith in God actually aids in the understanding of science. David McNutt, a biology major from Nashville, Tenn., is one student who believes there is a way to advocate both faith and science at the same time. “I think that there is an equal playing field,” McNutt said. “There are a lot of people who think one has to work without the other. I think that Christians can believe that science is ever-changing. A lot of things point towards evolution, but Christians can believe that there is a natural process that takes place, at the same time believing that God is completely in control.” Shivali Kanal, a biology major from Franklin, Tenn., draws a line between the two topics, describing faith as a way of life, and science as something current and ever-changing. “I think faith and science can sometimes get in the way of each other,” Kanal said. “For example, embryonic stem cell research is a huge issue today, and many people believe it’s not morally O.K. to kill embryos to get the embryonic stem cells and develop them into cells that can treat diseases such as cancer and heart diseases. “That’s a huge controversy. We could either save lives of diseased people right now, or save future lives. It has a lot of moral aspects to it, so that gets in the way.” Paul Justice, a physics major from Bowling Green,...

Lumination Newscast, Feb. 15, 2013

In this semester’s sixth installment of Lumination News, Caitlin Selle and Jeremy Keck are behind the news desk to update you about what’s happening on campus. Ariel Jones brings you up to speed with sports, Nick Glende fills you in on the week’s top technology headlines, Kage Sanderson gives the scoop on all things entertainment and Brianna Langley delivers your weather forecast. This week’s newscast features some insight into the possible off-campus meal plan developments, some info on last weekend’s Presidential Scholars event, a look into the role of science in faith, an interview with a student who has done some notable sketches, some insight into this month’s celebration of Black history month, some footage of the U.S. women’s soccer team practicing at Lipscomb, a look into the SAAC organization, some insight on the past week’s preaching conference and a look at what Lipscomb students did on their Valentine’s Day, as well as our weekly Nashville Spotlight and Tweets of the Week. Be sure to stay tuned for future newscasts published every Friday here on...

Butler Coach Brad Stevens set to headline 4th Annual Evening of Excellence

At the Don Meyer Evening of Excellence in 2010, Tim Tebow stood on a stage in the center of Allen Arena speaking to thousands listening intently to his every word. Last year, Mike Krzyzewski spoke to a similar crowd about his experiences as a coach on the national scale as well as the college spectrum. On Saturday, one of the nation’s premier college coaches will be on stage. Butler Coach Brad Stevens is highly touted as one of the best young coaches of the modern era. Two years ago, Stevens signed a deal that would keep him at Butler until the 2021-22 season. With his several awards and accolades in just a few short years, Butler had no choice but to offer Stevens a long-term offer. Stevens, only 35, has compiled a 139-40 record in five seasons, including back-to-back trips to the national championship game in 2010-11. And while his coaching skills have been sought after time and time again, he continues to turn down offers from larger universities. Since 2009, the former Division III point guard has won two Horizon Coach of the Year awards and the Clair Bee Coach of the Year Award, given to the coach who “has made the most significant positive contributions to his sport” during the preceding year. Stevens told The City Paper he is thrilled to speak at the event, which is named for the legendary Coach Meyer. “He is just a guy that everybody that is in coaching idolizes and thinks the world of,” Stevens said. “He was the star among coaches long before the accident. Everybody in coaching knew of...

‘Blue Like Jazz’ gives viewers unflinching look at faith

Blue Like Jazz is a rarity. Once in a blue moon, the Christian base in Hollywood will strike lightning in a bottle, producing a satisfying look at faith and religion through unfiltered eyes. More often than not, audiences are served up a fresh bowl of faith-based pabulum – be it in the form of a “Kendrick brothers original” (Facing the Giants, Fireproof) or another off-brand copycat you might find at the local Redbox. Films made by the faithful often lack any bite. The projects are too focused on being happy, inoffensive and resolved. The end result is harmless, but a typical Sunday morning sermon usually finds greater success. This past August, golf-centric melodrama Seven Days in Utopia succeeded in slightly rising above the genre, providing a decently endearing story while staying within the confines of the churchyard. Having a cast featuring Robert Duvall and Melissa Leo didn’t hurt. Still, I wondered when the right movie would come along at the right time to finally put an end to the usually languished faith-based fare. I wondered when a filmmaker would be bold enough to portray the daily walk of a Christian without a coating of fresh sugar. Blue Like Jazz, adapted from Donald Miller’s best-selling memoir, finally offers Christian audiences a film they can be proud of – a journey into faith and life through the eyes of a scarred believer. Don Miller (Marshall Allman) stands as the example of the perfect Bible-belt Christian until a horrid discovery sends him from his Texas home to Oregon’s Reed College, a super-secular institution based in free expression. Miller begins to struggle with...

Mat Kearney shares thoughts on music, faith and Lipscomb

This past Friday, Lipscomb students were given a rare treat. Mat Kearney, best known for hit songs “Nothing Left to Lose”, “Undeniable” and more recently, “Ships in the Night” and “Hey Mama”, headlined the free SGA-sponsored spring concert alongside Kiernan McMullan in Alumni Auditorium. Kearney, a resident of Nashville, offered insight into his past, his music, his faith and his love of everything Lipscomb. A native of Eugene, Ore., Kearney’s found his musical influence from A Tribe Called Quest, Bob Dylan and Weezer. Growing up, any sort of hip-hop music caught Kearney’s attention. In college, Kearney started to write his own music. “I would steal my roommate’s guitar and go sit on the front porch, and I was so bad at covering other people’s music that I would just start writing my own songs.” Everything changed when Kearney helped a friend move to Nashville. As a junior soccer player at the University of California State, Chico, Kearney agreed to help a friend drive to Tennessee. “We drove across country in the summer in our un-air-conditioned Chevy S-10 and got to Nashville. And by the end of the summer, I was hanging out at Fido; that was it,” Kearney said. “I was like ‘I’m not going back. I’m not going home’.” Kearney, who had just started to record music here in town, saw that Nashville was the place to be. “I just called home and said ‘I’m moving to Nashville’.” Kearney, a Christian, wants his faith to play a major part his music. “I think my faith is a huge part of what I do,” Kearney said. “Being a Christian,...