invented the main ingredient was right under people’s feet – in the sand. Silicon,
found in sand, is used to make microchips for computers. The invention of the
semiconductor created a whole new industry and revolutionized the world.
And now another new sand-based industry has emerged: “frac sand” –
used in the hydraulic fracturing process (“fracking”) to get oil and natural gas
out of rock. Thousands of tons of sand may be used for one oil or gas well, and
the demand has tripled in the past three years, creating a new billion-dollar
frac-sand industry. (The potential environmental damage of this new drilling
technique has made it controversial. Nevertheless, it is an interesting new use
for sand).
And sand’s usefulness is not limited to the physical plane. Its various
properties give us a basis for understanding certain mental or spiritual
conditions, as we can see from the parable the Lord told about the man who
built his house on sand instead of a rock.
All created things, from their Divine origin, have within them a conatus to
bring forth forms of use, and ultimately, in one way or another, to serve human
life. “Even sand emits an exhalation such that it assists in producing something
further.” (Divine Love and Wisdom 172)
There’s a demand for sand because sand demands to be used. Without
human ingenuity, that demand would be unmet; sand’s potential would be
wasted. Sand’s hidden usefulness implies users able to find it.
One more proof that the world was created by a Human God for the sake
of human beings.
(WEO)
dogma versus doctrine
The words “dogma” and “doctrine” are somewhat interchangeable, but there is
a subtle shade of difference in the meaning of the words, which makes having
the two terms helpful in distinguishing between two kinds of belief.
“Dogma” suggests something that is believe