EMPIRICAL THEOLOGY IN THE LIGHT OF SCIENCE

Abstract. Empirical theology stands in contrast to science insofar as it seeks to understand the nature and source of human fulfillment and insofar as science seeks to understand the world and human beings regardless of the implications of that knowledge for human welfare. However, empirical theology is like science insofar as it affirms a dynamic, relational naturalism; accepts limitations of the human knower, thereby making all knowledge including religious knowledge tentative; seeks causal explanations as well as religious meaning; and argues that a key criterion for justifying ideas is their ability to explain experience already had and to predict new experiences in Lakatosian-type progressive research programs.     

Islamic law and human rights: A contribution to an ongoing debate

In this essay the author criticizes two opposite approaches to the relationship between Islam and human rights: the incriminating and the apologetic approach. They are either anachronistic in that they judge the rules of classical Islamic jurisprudence by present‐day standards, or they entirely ignore its heritage. The author attempts instead to develop a new approach whereby classical Islamic jurisprudence is analyzed in its historical context. In order to examine whether Islam recognized a notion of fundamental rights, the author first tries to establish to what extent the notion of legal equality is recognized in Islamic law. Secondly, he examines two hierarchical legal relationships, viz. that between master and slave and that between husband and wife, in order to find which basic and inalienable rights Islamic law assigns to the weaker party in these relationships. His conclusion is that classical Islamic law offers points of departure for the development of a modern theory of human rights rooted in Islamic notions.>     

Performance Asymmetries in Computer Mouse Control of Right-Handers, and Left-Handers with Left- and Right-Handed Mouse Experience

Precision and general computer mouse aiming performance by right-handers (RH-RM) and left-handers with right-handed mouse experience (LH-RM) and by left-handers with left-handed mouse experience (LH-LM) were compared. A number of performance measures, such as reaction time, time to reach a target, time to click on target, and cursor trajectory, were analyzed. Superficially, specific hand experience seemed to dictate performance asymmetries, but a closer look revealed interactions between hand preference and hand performance. That finding has implications for theories of handedness. In addition, precision and general directional aiming with the mouse cursor showed a clear right hand superiority in reaction time in both RH-RM and LH-RM subjects, whereas LH-LM subjects showed no lateral asymmetries. Finally, the overall time taken for the task, averaged across groups and conditions, favored the experienced hand by some 180 ms. In practical terms, that is not a large difference, especially because the difference will be reduced with practice. Thus, the use of the inexperienced hand can be advocated when there is a need to forestall or ameliorate repetitive stress in the experienced hand.     

Contribution of growth, fatness, and activity to weight disturbance after septohypothalamic cuts in adult hamsters

The mechanism responsible for weight stability in adult hamsters was investigated by (a) transecting the dorsoventrally oriented nerve pathways between the septal area and hypothalamus (SH cuts) and (b) partitioning the observed increases in the rate of weight gain into three contributory components: changes in somatic growth, in body fatness, and in energy expended as voluntary activity on horizontal disks. Between 60% and 70% of the weight increase after SH cuts was due to acquisition of lean body mass, and 30%-40% of weight increase consisted of excess body fat. After SH cuts, serum growth hormone and insulin concentrations were increased on Day 14, food intake was increased between Day 2 and Day 42, skeletal lengths were greater on Day 77, and voluntary activity levels were 84% lower on Days 10-45, relative to control hamsters. It is concluded that dorsoventrally oriented nerve pathways in the septal area are involved in the control of growth, maintenance of body fat reserves, and voluntary activity and that they contribute to the maintenance of stable body weight in adult hamsters.     

Twin Gestation Pregnancies: Genetic Counseling and Testing Experience

We report on the prenatal genetic counseling and testing experience in 343 pregnancies with twin or higher multiple gestations. By self-report, 8% (27/343) parents of these pregnancies reported meeting with a genetic counselor, and 23% (79/343) elected prenatal genetic testing. The most common testing procedures elected were maternal serum analyte screening and amniocentesis to identify fetuses with aneuploidy or neural tube defects. Use of prenatal genetic testing was correlated with advanced maternal age. No association was found between use of genetic testing and use of OI/ART or the length of time needed to conceive. Forty percent (11/27) of those who met with a genetic counselor opted to decline prenatal testing/screening. These data suggest that although clients with multiple gestation pregnancies would likely benefit from genetic counseling, many are not availing themselves of this service. Implications of these data for the genetic counseling profession are discussed.