Evolution vs. Creation in the Classroom

This issue has come up again as some school districts around the country have begun to teach Intelligent Design as an alternative to Evolution. Here’s something that should shock most of you, I don’t know what to think on this issue. So, let me begin by stating what I believe.

1) I do not believe the Theory of Evolution adequately explains the origin of life, especially intelligent life. I have always found it funny that Humanity is sometimes called the “crowning achievement” of evolution, as if evolution has a goal. If you truly agree with evolution, then you must also believe that there is no goal to evolution. Evolution is not concerned with intelligence, only survival, and you don’t have to be intelligent to survive. The dinosaurs did quite well for a lot longer than we have so far, and most of them were dumb as rocks. If it hadn’t been for a meteor hitting the Earth, they would still be here and we wouldn’t. If a meteor hits us tomorrow, we will be gone, too. I plan to write an essay explaining further my objections to the Theory of Evolution such as gaps in the fossil record (missing links), random mutations and mechanisms found in higher organisms that correct these mutations, et cetera. But this will require much research, so be patient. It will come soon.

2) I believe that God created the universe and life. There was a time that science believed the universe was eternal, with no beginning and no end. Science held this position in order to avoid the problem of creation. When Edwin Hubble discovered the Red Shift, science had to face the fact that the universe does have a beginning (the Big Bang). Now there is a movement in science that claims that there may have been many Big Bangs, that the universe is created, then collapses, and is then created again. This chain of bang, crunch, bang, crunch could go on for infinity. However, any evidence that there was a universe before ours was destroyed when that universe collapsed. This is just another attempt to avoid the problem of creation. What is this problem? The universe contains everything. All matter and energy is contained in the universe. Outside of the universe is nothing. The physical laws that govern our universe say that matter and energy cannot be created, they only change forms. The problem with creation is it requires that all matter and energy that make up the universe be created out of nothing. According to science, this cannot be, therefore there is a problem. The only solution seems to be God. Even the very existence of these natural laws that govern the universe indicate the existence of an intelligent designer.

3) I do not believe that God created the universe exactly the way the Bible describes. I have often said that the Bible was never intended to be used as a science or history book. The Bible tells us what we need to know but cannot find out for ourselves. Science and history are subjects we can learn for ourselves. Genesis 1, like much of the Bible, is a parable intended to explain the nature of God and our relation to Him. Jesus often taught in parables, and no one would ever take those parables as literal history. Likewise, much of the Bible is a parable not intended to be taken literally. Such literal interpretations often miss the deeper and more significant meaning.

The truth is, I don’t really know how the universe was created. I believe that God created it, but I don’t know how. It seems to me that some form of evolution played a part in creation. I tend to lean toward what I call “Creation by Divine Anointing,” meaning that God creates new species out of old ones. This is why the fossil record is missing intermediate species. The fossil record indicates not a gradual progression from one organism to a higher organism, but rather a dramatic leap from one to the next. The fossil record also shows evidence of “wrong turns.” Those who believe in the naturalistic theory ask, “If God created life, then why did he make so many mistakes such as the dinosaurs?” My answer: God did not want it to be obvious that He created the universe. Remember, God created man to have fellowship with Him. God wants man to freely choose to live with Him. If God created the universe in such a way that it would be obvious to us that He created it, then we would have no choice but to believe in God and therefore we would have no free will. We would be denied the chance to freely accept or deny God and we wouldn’t be able to enjoy the kind of fellowship God wants to have with us.

Therefore, God created the universe in such a way that we are left with unanswered questions. At times the universe looks like it was created by an intelligent being (creation out of nothing, mechanisms in the biosphere that maintain the balance necessary for life), and at other times it looks merely natural (wrong turns in the fossil record, the seemingly natural tendency for gas and dust to clump together to form stars and planets). This is done so that the question of creation remains a question of faith. Do you believe that God created the universe or do you believe it is all natural? The evidence is lacking on both sides, but you have to pick one or the other. So, like everything else in life, it is a matter of faith.

So, back to the original question, should Creation by Intelligent Design be taught in schools? Again, I don’t know. I do believe that too often children are taught the Theory of Evolution as if it were a widely accepted and undeniable law of nature, such as gravity. Children should be taught Evolution, but they should also be told that the evidence for Evolution is lacking and it does not explain everything about the origin and development of life, including some very critical parts of the story such as how the whole thing got started in the first place. They should also be taught that many people believe that the universe was created by God and that this is a valid belief since there is no proof to the contrary.

The question is, though, should science class go deeper into the subject and teach students HOW God might have created the universe? And this is the question I cannot answer. I don’t know that a lengthy discussion on God and His acts should go on in a science class. Perhaps that would be a subject better examined in philosophy class (and students should be required to take such a philosophy class). Perhaps science class should only teach as fact that which can be proven using the Scientific Method, and anything else (such as Evolution and Creation) should be taught as a possible explanation for what we see around us. The decision on what to believe would be left up to the student. But then again, if there is a God then His existence would be a subject that should be covered in science class, albeit a subject that cannot be proven without faith.

I hate to leave this post as it is without a final opinion, so I’ll leave it at this: whenever a subject like this comes along that blends science and philosophy, then those who teach such subjects should work together to provide a comprehensive education for their students. Science teachers and philosophy teachers should work together to ensure that all aspects of the subject are thoroughly examined. While science class might be a better theater to discuss some aspects of the subject, philosophy class should not be overlooked as an excellent opportunity to discuss the other parts of the issue.

–J.E. Heath
Enthralled by my wisdom? Get more at per-fidem.org.
Comments? Email us.

Texian Weblog © Copyright 2005, Jason E. Heath