The Origins of Species
Posted in: Blogging, Faith, History, Philosophy | Posted by: rcornish | Comments: 0 | Date: 24 November, 2009
On this date one hundred and fifty years ago the book, On the Origin of Species was published. Written of course by that sometime honored and other times maligned person by the name of Charles Darwin. The issues that came forth from the work clearly created division at that time and certainly continue today, perhaps even more so. Given this nice round date and some of the scientific based analysis that came from that publication I thought a short blog was in order.
Over the last couple of weeks I had the enjoyment of catching Ken Burn’s latest production on the local PBS affiliate of National Parks. I should have posted before now, because it was available online as well up until last Friday, though there are a few supplemental videos still available at 
Sometimes the mystery of life is just almost too much to contemplate. I have had on three occasions in the last thirteen days of where I have been reminded of a play by the title of Waiting for Godot by Thomas Beckett. I had the pleasure, if it can be called that, of reading that play back in my college days for a drama class. If I recall correctly, I was treated to a viewing of the play, via a video recording, that was almost as dry as the reading of itself. Regardless of that though, the meaning of the play truly did strike a cord with me at the time and I have periodically come back to it several times in life.
I have been asked a couple of times in the last week or two how come I had stopped blogging. Honestly, I did not realize I had. Matter of fact, I only thought it had been a couple of weeks since my last blog entry here in the back of my mind all along. Imagine my surprise when I got on here and realized that today actually marks a full thirty days since my last blog entry. I realize the truth of the song that just played, “Some people would say there is a woman to blame, but I realize it is my own damn fault.”
As most of the world knows, I am having a baby. Well, okay, specifically I am the Daddy part of having this baby, Nikki is the person actually having the baby. Just so everyone knows some details, the baby is due the first week or so of October. Nikki lives just outside of Knoxville, Tennesse. And yeah, there are a LOT of things to figure out between now and then. As if all that was not enough to give a person enough to be concerned with and have a lot on the mind, add the following almost unbelievable situation on top of things.
I read a friends blog the other night, sometime after the election. I was left wondering the same question that he raised in his blog. His blog was 
A few mornings back as I made a bleary eyed drive home for a brief stop over I stumbled on a preacher in the early AM hours who was just starting his message about Jacob and his waiting not once, but two times through seven years of service to her father to eventually have Rachel’s hand in marriage. What a love that must have been to have had that kind of patience and determination. Can you imagine anyone doing that today? 
To begin with I have to say that I am a christian – I know that it may not always sow given my sometimes perceived wicked ways – especially when one considers I am sitting in a bar writing this watching horse racing. But my Father, despite the rift between us, is a minister. My mother saw to it that, at least as youth, I was in Sunday school and church most every Sunday morning. As I have gotten older though, I have personally attended church less and less often. A large part of that, which I have noted before, is that I just have issues with a lot of organized religion, including christian churches (that is another blog for another day). In a nutshell I feel like I am a lot closer to God on Sundays out working with horses, playing with my dog, or just taking a walk through the woods – though a ride is even closer to God in my opinion.
