Evolution Day / Creation Museum
Today is "Evolution Day", and amazingly it has nothing to do with the David Duchovny / Julianne Moore / 7-Up Guy / Stiffler comedy classic. It is celebrated today because it is the anniversary of when Charles Darwin's "Origin of Species" first came out back in 1859. This was of course the famous publication that outlined natural selection and an explanation of human evolution, the theory currently accepted by scientists and taught in science classes across the world.
There are, of course, other explanations of our origins, several of which are known as Creationism (that's a nice science-y sounding word). The most prominent of these use the most popular piece of literature in the world as a primary source of information: the Bible. There has been debate in some parts of the US as to which theory should be taught in schools, and though I am completely sold on the theory of evolution, I can see how those who believe otherwise would not want that taught to their children. In fact, in places like Georgia "alternative theories" to evolution are already being taught. Is there a conflict of interest here? Science is never fact, it is simply the best idea we have about things at the time (see "the world is flat" and "the earth is the center of the universe"). In the case of public schools in particular, is there a mixing of church and state?
Well, all of those issues aside, I thought it interesting that a Creation Museum is opening in 2007 in Cincinnati, Ohio, described as a "walk through history" that "will proclaim the Bible as supreme authority in all matters of faith and practice in every area it touches on" and "will counter evolutionary natural history museums that turn countless minds against Christ and Scripture." I wasn't sure what kind of exhibits this museum might have, so I went on the "virtual walk-through". I recommend you go and do the same; it gives some insight into what the purpose of this museum really is. Here are some of my favorite stops on the tour and their descriptions:
Stargazer's Room
Peer back into the deepest recesses of the heavens, and discover that the latest images of the stars confirm an all powerful Creator, not a random bang!
Bible Authority Room
The Bible is true. No doubt about it! Paul explains God's authoritative Word, and everyone who rejects His history-including six-day creation and Noah's Flood-is ‘willfully’ ignorant.
Ancient Babylon
Witness the confusion of languages at the Tower of Babel and the subsequent dispersion of peoples. Unravel the mystery of the origin of the so-called ‘races.’ Discover how the science of anthropology actually confirms the Bible’s history!
Creation
Explore the wonders of creation. The imprint of the Creator is all around us. And the Bible’s clear—heaven and earth in six 24-hour days, earth before sun, birds before lizards. Other surprises are just around the corner. Adam and apes share the same birthday. The first man walked with dinosaurs and named them all! God’s Word is true, or evolution is true. No millions of years. There’s no room for compromise.
Random bang? So-called 'races'? No room for compromise? If one thing is evident it is this: of all of the differences one may describe between science and religion, none seems more prominent than the fact the science allows for evolution, in more ways than one.
Happy Evolution Day!
3 comments:
Interesting reading. It is unfortunate if subscribers of either theory are seeking to stamp out the opposing one. As you said, science is based upon the best available data, or theory in this case. Since neither theory can be proven beyond a shadow of a doubt, people might as well be aware of both.
I wouldn't mind being able to dispose of the comment with the typo, did you remove the ability to "trash" one's own comment?
No, I didn't remove that ability, nor do I know how to. But I trashed it for ya,
As far as the argument goes, I only see one side saying, essentially, "we are right and every other theory is wrong". This is not to say that scientists are ready to accept any old theory that comes their way, no matter how compelling the argument. Sometimes it takes decades for new understandings to sink in.
In my experience, however, those who study the sciences subscribe to the theory (pardon the usage there) that everything we think to be true is subject to change, if we can be convinced. Therein lies the difference: whereas creationists claim that "there is no room for compromise", scientists (and people like yourself, if I got your comment right) allow for change (thus the "allows for evolution in more ways than one" line near the end of the post).
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