The United States Supreme Court ruled in 1987 that “Creationism” is a religious belief and, given the separation of church and state, cannot be taught in public schools. Creationism has been repackaged as “Intelligent Design”. The Kansas State School Board recently approved curriculum standards that question evolution and redefine science to include alternative explanations for the origin of life.
Evolution is a theory, not a fact. However, there is a great deal of evidence supporting the theory that life evolved from simple to more complex organisms through a process of natural selection. The evidence includes fossils, molecular data, the distribution of plants and animals over earth’s surface, as well as more recent discoveries about the genetic codes of DNA.
People who are the most passionate critics of evolution believe in biblical literalism. It is mainly conservative Christians who believe that the Bible is not to be viewed as a metaphor or story, but is to be read literally. I believe along with many other mainline religious leaders that the Bible is a source of inspiration but not the literal word of God.
Science in general, and the theory of evolution in particular, directly challenges the authority of the Bible. If you calculate the age of the earth using the Bible, as an Archbishop did in 1650, you will find that the universe was created on October 22, 4004 B.C. In contrast, scientific discoveries in geology and carbon dating conclude that the earth is much older, over four billion years old instead of only six thousand and one.
More than the age of the earth, the greatest source of controversy is the origin of humanity. You may have heard the story of the college professor who was lecturing on the subject of evolution. A student in the back of the classroom raised his hand. When called upon, he asked, “Professor, what difference does it make if some distant grandfather of mine was an ape?” The Professor replied, “Well, it would make a difference to your grandmother.”
What difference does it make? It makes a difference in understanding our place in the grand scheme of things. The Book of Genesis holds that humanity was created in God’s image and authorizes us “to have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and every living thing that moves upon the earth.” The creation story suggests a line separating us from the rest of living creatures and God having a special relationship with us.
Science and evolution have blurred the line of separation by suggesting that we may have more in common with the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, and every creeping thing than we ever imagined. Our species shares genetic codes, physiology, and basic drives with other species of the earth.
Both science and religion grapple with questions of existence. Since the Enlightenment, the two disciplines have held largely separate spheres with science explaining the material and religion explaining the spiritual. Ironically, the theory of materialism has led to the same conclusion as creationism that people have dominion over all the earth without regard to the spiritual value of other living beings.
In recent years an increasing number of theologians and scientists have been approaching scientific theory and religious belief with an open mind. There has also been more dialogue between the two disciplines. As scientists probe the outer limits of space and analyze the tiniest of particles, some have concluded that there is in fact more than just the material universe.
Scientific evidence has increasingly revealed a dynamic, interrelated cosmos. There is a convergence between the experience of mystics through out time and modern findings of quantum mechanics. We are part of a greater unity that is more conscious than material. In other words, our perception that we are isolated beings surrounded by a
material universe is an illusion.
The interplay of science and faith does not take away from the beauty of the stars, the vastness and wonder of the universe stretches my imagination. The theory that my ancestor may have been an ape does not detract from my sense of reverence, I find an even greater sense of responsibility for all of earth’s creatures. Recent developments in physics have opened a window to the great mystery inherent in life. Approaching the world with an open mind, studying other living things carefully, and critically considering all facts as theory is the path of knowledge and spiritual wholeness.
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