Saturday, October 30, 2010

Creation vs. Evolution: We Can All Get Along!

According to a nationwide Gallup survey (reported in the SD Union Tribune on November 17th, 2007), nearly two-thirds of all Americans believe in the idea of Creationism. That is, in this modern age the majority of us think that the Earth was created and humans placed upon it, all within the last 10,000 years! Dinosaurs, if they existed at all, romped along the plains, forests, and seashores side by side with our ancestors. Just to make sure you got this – about twice as many people in the U.S. believe this as believe in evolution. Excuse me?

What’s behind this strange peek into the American mindset? It’s not that we’re a nation of flat-Earth believers who overall deny what science has discovered. For example, as the evidence for global warming has increased, so has our nation’s willingness to believe in that theory. Today, about 95% of the world’s scientists believe that global warming is happening and that it’s a serious issue. Something like 75% of Americans now believe the same thing. OK – so we lag behind the scientists, but we’re mostly on the same page and that 75% number keeps rising. Yet something like 99% of all serious scientists acknowledge that evolution is a reality. In other words, there are about five times as many scientists who question global warming as those who question evolution. Or to put it in legal terms, 99% certainty on the part of legitimate scientists (including many who are devout Christians) is the same as saying evolution is a fact, beyond a reasonable doubt. That's why in court case after court case, schools have been instructed to teach evolution, and have been ordered NOT to teach creationism, at least in science classes.

Of course, there are quite a few “scientists” promoting Intelligent Design (the sneaky new way to say Creationism). But those who are strict creationists, who believe that evolution played no part at all in the development of life forms, that the Earth was created by God a few thousand years ago just as it is today - they’re mostly pseudo-scientists, not really taken seriously by their peers and their “evidence” is easily discounted by those using legitimate methodology. In other words, you'd be hard pressed to find even a handful of respected scientists - people whose research and methodology is accepted by the scientific community - who don't think that plants and animals have evolved over millions of years

An example of the things you hear from strict creationists is that fossils and other ancient records that document evolution cannot be reliably dated. It’s like this: Archaeologist A dates pre-human primate bones at 2 million years old, archaeologist B dates them at 2.2 million years old, while archaeologist C dates them at 1.9 million years old, all using slightly different measuring procedures. “Aha” - says the evolution deniers! “You see how arbitrary those dating methods are? Surely, then, they could just as easily be only 6400 years old!” I'm sorry, but scientists disagree over differences of 5 or 10% in their measurements, yet the Creationists want us to believe that the scientists are off by 99% (virtually 100% wrong). Why in the world do 2/3 of Americans think this kind of reasoning makes sense?

Why should this be? Why can Americans accept global warming, space travel, the existence of sub-atomic particles that can't be seen, computers that do a billion calculations a second - but not evolution? What explains the blind spot in these people’s logic and world view? Of course it’s mostly about religion. Part of it is that folks in the U.S. are more likely to be conservative Christians than other people worldwide. "The Bible says God created man in His image, and that's that." Most European Christians, on the other hand, are perplexed and a bit embarrassed by their American cousins' rejection of evolution. In Europe, evolution is commonly seen as a fact, and most Christians there don't see why that should be a problem. But unlike most European Christians, many Christians in the U.S. basically feel that by questioning Creation you question the Bible and therefore their faith. So they won’t hear of it. Interestingly, most Jews (whose religion is based on the Old Testament) don’t seem to share this curious interpretation, but then Conservative and Reform Jews are noted for their respect of science, and for being open-minded.

What it boils down to for so many is a choice: either the Bible or scientific evidence. Refined further still, it’s either science OR religion. Choose one or choose the other; you’re either with me or you’re against me – no middle ground. And that, unfortunately, is a terrible and absolutely unnecessary choice to have to make. Perhaps the greatest scientist of all time, Albert Einstein, said that “Science without religion is lame.” He also said that “Religion without science is blind”. So – what if we really DON’T have to choose between the two?

Well, that’s the very compelling case Dr. Francis Collins makes in his 2006 book The Language of God. Collins is an interesting individual. As a devout, born-again Christian, he most definitely believes in God, Jesus Christ as humanity’s savior, and of course the Bible. Yet as the former head of the prestigious Human Genome Project, he is one of the world’s top experts in the field of genetics (so important to the understanding of evolution) and a scientist of unimpeachable reputation. The thesis of Collins’ most interesting book is that evolution may disagree with the literal reading of a small part of the Bible, but otherwise it meshes just fine with Christian religious beliefs.

It's this very literal reading of the Bible that causes so much trouble, by the way. 3000 years ago, when Genesis was written and humans understood so little of the natural world, could God really have explained how He created the universe with a Big Bang 6 billion years ago? How He caused sub-atomic particles to interact with the various cosmic forces emanating from dark holes, multiple-dimensions, and all the esoterica of astro-physics that we have trouble grasping even today? Seriously - how could the Bible have talked about this stuff 3000 years ago? So does it really lessen the value of the Bible and religion to think that the writers of Genesis used wording and analogies that the people of the time could understand - rather than only writing what was strictly, literally, verbatim true? Not really, a rational person might conclude.

But back to Collins and his book: Evolution is a fact beyond any reasonable challenges, and shouldn’t be a problem for believers, he argues. Put another way, there is no conflict between science and religion, between being a faithful Christian and a believer in the facts of evolution. Collins painstakingly addresses the most common arguments that Creationists and Intelligent Designers proffer, debunking each of them with cold, hard, convincing facts. Convincing, that is, to anyone with an open mind. In his view, incidentally, God gave humans a mind and wants us to use it to help understand the world He has created and, thus, to know Him. Collins goes on to show why God exists, and how He must have been the original source of life, which then changed over time via evolution. Whether you believe that part or not; whether you’re a fervent Christian, a firm evolutionist, an atheist, or somewhere else in between, you should at least read what Collins has to say. But the bottom line is that this fight – evolution vs. religion – is really needless.

What makes this even more needless is that in 1996 Pope John Paul II proclaimed that Evolution is “more than just a hypothesis” and that it is compatible with Christian faith! Probably no modern Pope was more loved and respected than John Paul II. And whether you're a Catholic or a Protestant (or even if you're not a Christian at all), can you think of anyone more knowledgeable about Christianity and the Bible than the Pope? The Pope, most European Christian leaders,and most Jewish leaders believe is that the Old Testament is beyond question - EXCEPT in matters involving science, which of course has broadened our understanding of things immensely over the centuries. Evolution's not just a theory; evolution (a scientific fact) doesn't conflict with Christianity. So said the Pope, traditionally the leader of the Christian world! Even if they're not Catholics, why would 2/3 of Americans think that the Pope lacks faith in the Bible, or isn't a good Christian, or any of the other claims made of those who believe that evolution is a reality?

So just what are we arguing about? Most Jews (who wrote Genesis, incidentally), most European Protestants, and the leader of the Catholic church believe in evolution, so obviously you don't have to sacrifice your religious beliefs in order to think the same. This isn't 1256 or 1803, when such an idea would have been unthinkable, just as space travel, computers, and atomic bombs would have been unthinkable - blasphemous! We've learned SO MUCH; we have endless examples of irrefutable proof. Why won't the strict creationists look at this proof with open minds? How in the world are they going to attract the agnostics of the world, those who WANT to believe in Christianity, but aren’t sure? If American Christians' position on something as clear cut as evolution is one of denial, why should people follow their beliefs on matters of (non-verifiable) faith alone? Honestly, strict Creationists: let's limit the debate to whether God created life on Earth, or whether it arose all on its own - THAT's the only part of the evolution issue where there's any reasonable doubt.

20 comments:

Sophie Abrams said...

I agree with the essay because the claims made by the Creationists are far fetched and ridiculous. The quote from Einstein was very relevant because the Creationists are excluding all science from their perspective and in a sense, they are blind in their logic.

Anonymous said...

I believe the idea that the human race just popped out of nowhere is ridiculous. How can an entire human race just appear in a matter of seconds? It can’t. Ok, sure, different archaeologist have different dates for pre-human primate bones. But with the technology we have today, I think we can tell the difference between 2 million years and 6,400 years. I think scientists have a lot more evidence explaining the creation of man, the bible does not. I’m not telling people that Christianity is false, or to test their faith in God. I think that people should be able to believe in what they want to, but don’t try and persuade me to convert because I won’t.

-CJ Ankeney

Angel Aguilar said...

I agree what Alberts Einstein said that " Science without religion is lame" because its true that many people only dedicate their lifes into religion and that they are eventualy get tired of it. So theres Science involved that says that everything came from nothing, so theres something religion can get mad about and prove to everybody that there religion is true. In a sense its right that people depend on religion and science because they have a right to choose what they want to believe in.

Andrew Weaver said...

Creationism vs. Evolutionism is a pointless fight. It’s about as pointless as fighting over the front seat for a five minute car ride. Though I believe both sides have a right to their opinion, I don’t think that either side can win, or should even be fighting. We are all entitled to our opinions, no matter how foolish they seem. Even though I believe Evolution is correct, it's still pointless to fight about it.

Jon Strebler said...

It would be nice if readers would reflect on the essay's main point more than just choosing to back evolution over creation, or vice versa. The essay is about the why there really is no need to choose sides; how about more comments on that, and the specific points given to back that assertion?

Anonymous said...

Francis Collins states he believes in evolution as well as God. If he can do it, and it's a true statement, then why do people have to fight on whether evolution is better than God or vice versa? Can we not question things both scientifically and religisly? Choosing sides is bever easy so why should it be easy for this subject/topic?


-Loran Brantley

Natalie Eisen said...

Yes, it’s true that the beginnings of a human race are important. But why argue so strongly about it? Why can’t those who support creationism admit that the evidence could be valid about dinosaurs and such? The methods of dating are only slightly inaccurate, as was said. That’s like saying that if scientists get marginally different results each time they run an experiment, the experiment is entirely inaccurate. If scientists could speak logically or philosophically about the manner, maybe creationists would understand it better.It would be nice if people could agree to disagree.

As much as I would love to say that they could bridge the gap, it would be rather hard to do. Scientists would have to say that the evidence in the Bible is valid, which they are probably loath to do, while creationists would have to say that the evidence of the other party is proof enough. Both are too proud to say “Okay, you might be right.” So while they can get along, I don’t think they will.

Marissa Camp said...

I believe that the earth and humans were not just created, they evolved. But, to think in the mind set of a Creationist that the Bible was written thousands of years ago with no knowledge of there being. They could only base there ideas on mystical figures. We know in the 21st century that we have more technology than they did, and it is true that both parties should be heard but to have believers push there ideas on Evolutionist and vice versa will not help anyone. The only solution is to live without ignorance of both.

Nadia said...

I find that people who openly support the creation idea and urge others to think similarly are very similar to Lady Gaga. They are both using something to get themselves attention. For Lady Gaga it is her clothing and for 'Creationists' it is their belief. I find it amusing that while Europeans understand that Evolution is a theory that is basically true and that our culture, which is in many aspects based off of the European culture, is unable to find truth in this statement. I am in agreement with the idea that god gave us brains to think with and we should realize that although the bible and religious texts are very important to certain religions, they could use some updates.

Zoe Duerksen-Salm said...

In the essay both Dr. Francis Collins and Pope John Paul II represent examples of the main point that people shouldn't have to choose between the two. Collins and the Pope are both respected and are Christians who believe in God, Jesus Christ and the Bible. However, they both believe that evolution and religion can combine. Collins stated that almost everything in the bible, except for a few literal readings, could and can mesh just fine with the evolution beliefs. Meanwhile, the Pope said that Evolution is “more than just a hypothesis” and that it is compatible with Christian faith and beliefs.
So if a Pope and a Scientist can agree without fighting why can’t everyone else do the same?

Pamela Crick said...

This entire debate over Creationism and Evolution is incredibly unnecessary. I don't understand why there always has to be an argument when two people don't agree. These people never look at both sides of the story.
I feel that Collins did a good thing by showing that one can believe in God and still believe in evolution. People don't need to get so uptight when something they believed in is challenged. Instead they should take into consideration the critique and perhaps use their own knowledge to find a "middle" point where both people can get along.
This fight over Evolution and Creationism is incredibly ridiculous. If someone is so stubborn as to not believe or even take into consideration the other side, then they might as well just forget about it and continue on believing on whatever they do without causing any drama.
People have the right to believe what they want and people shouldn't be trying to convert them and perhaps both sides should even be taught in schools, because it doesn't really seem fair that only Evolution is.

Anonymous said...

I have various thoughts on this issue but it all pretty much boils down to this. The conflict has varous views influenced by factors such as religion, family beliefs, etc... The idea of creation seemed very sketchy to many people, and therefore they took the evolution theory into concideration. Sure it sounds crazy, but life is crazy, and it all boils down to one's beliefs.

-Ismaeel Orabi

Anayeli said...

Scientists use the term evolution to explain the process of how the earth was created. Biblically the earth was created by God. According to a survey recently done, about two thirds of Americans believe that evolution did not exist. These people grasp the idea that creation was only because of God and don’t open their eyes to try to believe in other things. I understand the fact that their religion and believes are what identified them. Most of these persons have lived all their lives with these influences and now it is hard for them to tear apart from what their parents, family, etc. have taught them throughout their childhood. The majority of scientist, which includes some that are devoted Christians, are certain that evolution took place on earth. As hard as it is to believe that evolution took part in the creation of the earth, we have to give it some belief since evidence has been left behind for us to see.

Anonymous said...

I agree with your blog 100 percent. I have bee nsurrounded by many people who are very religious and get very hurt when people don't have the same beliefs as them. I also agree that it is imoportant ot have an open mindest toward new facts and figure that scientists are coming up with. There are some parts then can go towards the other side, but overall I agree with your article.
- eddie Sanchez 3b

Emily said...

I believe that there is no real need to pick sides, I mean at least we humans are alive. I don't believe that the human race was just placed on the Earth and left here. I believe it took millions and millions of years to create what we are today. I also however do believe that scientists have not figured out how we became to be on this Earth because it has been such a long time since the first human was sighted, and how would they know when human kind first started unless they were there.

Joanna Garcia said...

The option for some to choose between religion or science is true, in conservative Christians. I like how you show a different option then both of these, since it is true, you can have both. There are a number of reasons why this could not work as well. A reason my family is argumentative on science is because, science again and again has tried to prove religion wrong. An example are stigmatas, they are known as a message from God, while scientist view them as of hysterical origin, or linked to dissociative identity disorders. This and many other topics are when both science and religion crash, and the reason my family doesn't believe in Evolution. Reason for many people’s disapproval of science intervening with religion.

Kristen Phung said...

The fact that many people choose to ignore the scientific facts and stick to their common must be frustrating to scienttists. Nothing is better then being seeing their work be completely refuted by those who have strong beliefs in creation! Personally I'm not very religious so it doesn't bother me. I think that schools should teach both the values of creationism and evolution so it doesn't feel one sided, and those that believe in evolution can see the views creation and vice versa.

Saul said...

I believe that humans were created by God. I am a Catholic. We Catholics believe that God created Adam and Eve and made this world. We believe in the Big Bang Theory. Sure it seems weird how us humans were appeared out of the sudden. Its strange how only two people created this entire human race. It seems weird because many of us don't look alike. We all have different traits and that is what makes this strange. I certainly believe that we had some type of adaption that made us all change and evolve. Just like a Pokemon evolves they get stronger and we did to.

Vaso Vasich said...

While I am a proud Christian, I have to agree with some parts of this article. My favorite part was Albert Einstein's quote when he says that, "Science without religion is lame" and "Religion without Science is blind". I am a proud Christian, however I do believe that evolution had a role in creating the people that walk on this earth today. Overall I feel that we are entitled to believe in what we believe in and that this will be a never ending fight on who is right and who is wrong.

Anonymous said...

I believe that evolution vs. creation is a timeless argument. I am a strong believer in evolution and there is copious amounts of evidence to back evolution up and the fact that certain Christians deny the fact that with the technology we have today we can not tell between thousands and millions of years ago is absurd. But in the end i don't believe the entire Christian community is going to have an "ah-ha" moment and suddenly realize the merit behind evolution. I have my beliefs and others have theirs. All those beliefs should be respected.
-Isabel Roe