CHRISTIAN
NATURALIST
THE CLASSIC
by Caleb Bomske
Caleb Bomske is a Canadian ecologist from the Puget lowland forests of British Columbia. He has a BSc in biology from Pensacola Christian College (PCC) and an MSc in biology from the University of Nebraska at Kearney. He is currently working on research projects involving muskrats (Ondatra zibethicus). His research interests include wetland ecology, herpetology, and paleobiology.
Caleb Bomske is a devoted Christian with a very personal, unwavering faith in the Creator of all things. He is also an adoring husband and a committed father. Caleb enjoys herping, nature photography, backpacking, and any activities that keep him outdoors, in nature.
The Classic Christian Naturalist is a blog that returns to the roots of the biological sciences, back to the time of Charles Darwin and those before him. These were men and women at the frontier of discovery; physicians aboard ships that circumnavigated the globe, philosophers cataloging museum specimens, or priests with the spare time to run experiments. These were the times when observations were the predominant discoveries - not the application of statistical methods or complex global analyses. New species were all the rage.
This blog also endeavors to return to the predominant Christian philosophy of that time. When being a Christian was a sign of good character. People seemed to know that Christian morality was necessary for a functioning society. Christian principles influenced the ethics of science, they were the rationale behind a drive to discover new things, and they united (and divided) a diverse array of scientists from many different European nations. This blog shamelessly acknowledges that Christian society is vastly superior to all others. Not to say that these people and their societies were perfect, but to revere the Creator and uphold his moral code. A classic Christian naturalist holds to these seven tenants unwaveringly:
-
LOVE GOD. There is one merciful Creator God who is deserving of all glory and should be feared and loved above all else.
-
LOVE FAMILY. Respect of the Christian family unit is invaluable to success and long life, especially in regard to reverence of children towards their parents and monogamous love between a man and a woman.
-
REST SPIRITUALLY. Regular and habitual reflection through prayer and thoughtful meditation should be second-nature.
-
BE CONTENT. Contentment and gratitude should be practiced in all areas of life, including property ownership, family relationships, or possessions.
-
BE HUMBLE. Consider others to more spiritual, more knowledgeable, and more important than yourself - showing compassion on the less fortunate, seeking peace with everyone, and accepting unjust suffering to yourself with dignity and endurance.
-
REJECT SIN. Sin - especially murder, stealing, and lying - should never be tolerated in the life of any person who calls themself a Christian.
-
EMBRACE PURITY. Have an insatiable appetite for righteousness; a passionate desire to please God through a blameless life before Him and, as much as is possible, before humankind.