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Still room for God

Arizona Daily Wildcat

Wars have been started over lesser points of theology, but the creationism vs. evolutionism argument is annoying, particularly when parents in Louisiana even went as far as putting a warning label on their children's textbooks, fearing the evil of the evolutionist theory would forever damn them to hell. I do not see how intelligent people cannot open their minds to both possibilities. Faith and science can co-exist if people are willing to look at the variety of possibilities that abound.

Theories of creationism and evolutionism do not necessarily contradict one another. One answers the question about why we are here, and the other how. Many people, however, like to highlight the differences in these theories and shut out the possibility of the other. These people seem to be afraid to look seriously at either one of these theories, because it will shake the foundations of what they believe. This might be true, but beliefs can only be strengthened when they are seriously reviewed.

People who use the Bible to back up theories must realize the Old Testament was probably a collection of sacred stories shared orally by a nomadic people before it was ever written down. Though I will allow for the possibility that it was originally the very word of God, it has been passed down through so many channels that I question its absolute accounts of creation. Consider the fact that the Bible, before it even reached people in English, was first translated from Aramaic to Greek to Latin. Though I do not doubt the talents of biblical translators, I know enough about my own pathetic attempts at translations of foreign languages to be critical of the absolute infallibility of the Bible. The book of Genesis answers one question of faith - how did we get here and who created us? The important thing to take from spiritual texts is there is a higher power who did create everything, including human beings.

Personally, science illuminates my faith. But scientists are, unfairly, seen as having an agenda to eradicate faith from people with scientific theory. Ever since Galileo, scientists have been seen as boat rockers bent on destroying faith. That is unfair, because many great scientists in years past have been very spiritual men. Science can never answer the question of why, but it can reveal to the people willing to look an intricate pattern of overlapping, interdependent theories and organisms that can inspire wonder even in the most inert of individuals.

Sure, scientists have hard evidence that the universe was created by a swirling mass of gas and cosmic dirt. So what? That still leaves room for a creator, because as we all know the swirling gas and cosmic dirt had to come from somewhere.

If you believe God created you, no shred of scientific evidence should keep you from that belief. I do, however, take issue with the Christians who try and take the theory of evolution out of biology classrooms. Evolution is a scientific theory, which has a place in a scientific course. The theory of creationism is a spiritual theory, and therefore, has no place in a public school classroom where state and church are suppose to be separated. Christians must also realize that there are people on this earth who do not believe as they do and who deserve to have access to a scientific explanation of the origin of man.

You can have a spiritual concept of the universe and still believe in evolution. Just because we might be the descendants of apes does not mean we lost our most-favored creature status with the creator.

Just because you can scientifically prove that we all climbed out of primordial ooze at one time does not mean that there is no creator. As much as the debate annoys me, I know it is a healthy one. All people need to have their beliefs challenged every once in a while so they can really examine what and why they believe. Faith and science do not have to duel, if your heart and mind are open to all possibilities.