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From the article (emphasis mine): The symbolism of the closed cosmos, which informs the fundamental concepts of classic and scholastic metaphysics, has been superseded by the universe of modern physics and astronomy.

You asked: Is that [the underlined phrase] a metaphor?

He could have meant the phrase as a metaphor in that context, but I take it literally, because the sense of self-importance can change as people become aware of physics and astronomy.

I do not find modern physics and astronomy to be a stumbling-block when reflecting on God. To the contrary, now more than ever, the heavens declare Him:

Physics News 4/27/2000

BEST MAP YET OF THE COSMIC MICROWAVE BACKGROUND (CMB)... The 36-member, international "Boomerang" (Balloon Observations of Millimetric Extragalactic Radiation and Geomagnetics) collaboration, led by Andrew Lange of Caltech and Paolo de Bernardis of the University of Rome, confirms that a plot of CMB strength peaks at a multipole value of about 197 (corresponding to CMB patches about one degree in angular spread), very close to what theorists had predicted for a cosmology in which the universe's overall curvature is zero and the existence of cold dark matter is invoked...

The shape of the observed pattern of temperature variations suggests that a disturbance very like a sound wave moving through air passed through the high- density primordial fluid and that the CMB map can be can be thought of as a sort of sonogram of the infant universe. (de Bernardis et al., Nature, 27 April 2000.)

Big Bang Evidence Found – 5/2/2001

"The early universe is full of sound waves compressing and rarefying matter and light, much like sound waves compress and rarefy air inside a flute or trumpet," explained Paolo deBernardis of the University of Rome La Sapienza, one of the members of the Balloon Observations of Millimetric Extragalactic Radiation and Geophysics (BOOMERanG) team. "For the first time the new data show clearly the harmonics of these waves."

Harmonics in the Early Universe – 6/5/2001

The MAXIMA, BOOMERANG, and DASI collaborations, which measure minute variations in the CMB, recently reported new results at the American Physical Society meeting in Washington, D.C. All three agree remarkably about what the "harmonic proportions" of the cosmos imply: not only is the universe flat, but its structure is definitely due to inflation, not to topological defects in the early universe.

The results were presented as plots of slight temperature variations in the CMB that graph sound waves in the dense early universe. These high-resolution "power spectra" show not only a strong primary resonance but are consistent with two additional harmonics, or peaks.

Cosmological Patterns and Galaxy Biasing (pdf)

Stability and Size of Galaxies from Planck’s Constant (PDF)

On a thread not too long ago somebody was wondering whether God had put His copyright on Creation. Could this be it? The Word tells us that He spoke it into being, "in the beginning was the Word, the Word was with God and the Word was God." And God said "Let there be light!"

My view on Origins linked by onedoug at post #7 is based on such sound.

Again, in the "tiny" arena - genetics - I see His signature:

Yockey on Information Theory and Molecular Biology

and on abiogenesis

So it doesn't matter to me whether he meant it as a metaphor. I am not intimidated or dissuaded by science of any kind.

The only people I cannot "reach" with this information are atheist. To these it doesn't matter whether Creation occured 6,000 years ago or 15 billion years ago - neither are acceptable and they reject contrary evidence and reason as heresy.

The shape of the observed pattern of temperature variations suggests that a disturbance very like a sound wave moving through air passed through the high- density primordial fluid and that the CMB map can be can be thought of as a sort of sonogram of the infant universe.

Oh thank you for this, Alamo-Girl. It is amazing to think the entire universe somehow had its beginning in a Word Spoken by God. A real spoken Word, resonating with sound waves initiated by and emanating from the Speaker of the Word (which Word was the Logos of the "alpha and omega") -- from One Central Source, forever "outward"....

"The only people I cannot "reach" with this information are atheist."

In his eight-segment taped lecture on Maimonides Thirteen Principles of the Jewish Faith, Dennis Prager posits, "That the believer has to account for unjust suffering. The atheist has to account for everything else."

Best.