Soldiers in the war of religion verses science battle on in the conflict of creation verses evolution. A debate that’s waged everywhere from the class room to the floor of congress continues on in this country, and probably will forever. But who’s to say which position is the correct one? Is there even a correct position? How will we prove it?
I guess the greatest battle field in this debate, however is the class room. In a public school system who is to decide what we teach our children? Perhaps we should base our decision on science and its’ “facts”. Or possibly we should side with religion and its’ faith? Maybe we should try a subtle compromise like intelligent design. I believe there is no real solution. As long as there are many different kinds of people, from different backgrounds, converging in one establishment to learn the ways of man, there will be conflicting interests.
Personally I don’t see why we couldn’t just teach all of the differing points of view on the matter, and let intelligent people make their own informed decisions about what they believe. It would be simple to rewrite the tests to allow for this. We could simply treat each theory for what they are; theories.
However I don’t see this as a viable solution in a world where one is right, and everyone else is wrong. Take the Christian religion for example; there are numerous denominations within the church, and just as many differing positions within each one of those denominations. It would be hard enough to get all of those people to agree let alone get them to agree with peoples of other faiths.
The latest weapon in the Christian arsenal seems to be creationist museums. One such museum, which cost $25 million to build and covers over 50,000 square feet, is located in Petersburg, Ky. This dedication was designed and built to convince people of the “science” behind the creation story of Genesis. In displays where Adam and Eve bathe in a river next to dinosaurs, the creation story is made to fit in with science; or at least that’s the idea. How far the creationists have come, they are now using pseudo science to back up their views on the origins of mankind, as well as the universe itself.
In his article, Creation “Science” Is the Christian Right’s Trojan Horse Against Reason, Chris Hedges states;
“Totalitarian systems usually start as propagandistic movements that ostensibly teach people to “believe what they want.” This is a ruse. This primacy of personal opinion, regardless of facts, destabilizes and destroys the primacy of all facts. This process leads inevitably to the big lie. Facts are useful only if they bolster the message. The use of mass-marketing techniques to persuade and convince, rather than brainwash, has led tens of millions of followers to accept the toxic totalitarian line by tricking them into believing it’s their own. Ironically, at the outset the movement seemingly encourages people to think “independently” or “courageously”.”- AlterNet.org, 3/29/07
It seems that some see this as another arm of the supposed Christian rights battle to take over the world; considering the catholic churches past, I wouldn’t suspect that this is too far from the truth to be considered. This idea is amplified by the governments’ recent attempts to bring the church back into the state. This is somewhat ironic considering this country was fled to and founded by “patriots” who wished for freedom from just such a state. This country was built on the cornerstone of freedom of religion; now it’s that particular right that the government is trying to take away from us, along with many others.
In a very humorous article written by John Stanton, Interview With God: God Returns! America Saved! Supports Bush 100 Percent; he writes;
“For example, in America he is the Judeo Christian God and in other countries he could be Allah, Brahma or Buddha. God said he is like a Swiss Army Knife-multifunctional for all occasions. He said there are billions of species like us but that “Americans have impresses me with their audacity to think I’m on their side.” “-Global Research, 12/10/04
As amusing as it may seem, couldn’t God be all of the Gods we worship? Couldn’t He have more than one name? Could it be possible, with the varieties of languages and ethnic backgrounds inhabiting this earth that God may have picked up a nick name or two? Or that God has been interpreted to be many different things to many different people? Perhaps we will never know. However, it doesn’t seem to me to be outside the realm of possibilities.
Yet I digress, the issue in question is whether these two sides will ever come to some kind of understanding. I don’t believe they can. It is much too hard to look in the mirror while pointing ones finger elsewhere.
It seems to me a waste of precious energy to spend so much time arguing about the origin of man. My opinion is that man is here, we are sentient, and we have a responsibility to each other to help one another out when we can. Wouldn’t it be easier to do the work of God if we would set aside frivolous projects like proving the Genesis creation? Couldn’t we better spend our time, as believers in God, living the way Jesus told us to rather than worrying about what everyone else is doing? Maybe the millions of dollars spent on these museums could have been better spent feeding needy families and sheltering the homeless.
