Saturday, July 02, 2011

On evolution and creation

Here are some thoughts about creation myths, and what value they have in light of evolution. I don't get into any technical debates here, but just so you know, there are a few physicists I highly respect, including Richard Feynman and Freeman Dyson, who say there is strong evidence the earth is billions of years old, so that's the viewpoint I'm writing from.

Science and God. Evolution and Creation. How can I believe in both?

Do I believe the story of creation is true?
Look at it this way. If a tree falls in the woods and no one is there to hear it, does it make a sound? Perhaps reality exists only as we experience it, and the "Let there be light" of Genesis signifies the beginning of our consciousness as much as the creation of the sun and stars.

Search the shadows and side-streets until you find the face of Christ. Remember his words, "as ye have done to the least of these, ye have done it unto me." Look at history through their eyes--the starving, the orphaned, the victims of oppression. What story are we to tell? Which story communicates more truth about their situation? Should we tell of how a billion years ago a fish crawled onto the land? Or should we say to them " 'Let there be light.' We as humans possess the divine light of consciousness to lead us out of the darkness and shadows."

So how can I believe in both? Because society needs both.
The image is where evolution falls short. The language of science is not designed to create symbols as universally meaningful as those in our myths, stories, and religions.

Scientific language will not match religion's ability to create universally meaningful images. It's not designed to. Society cannot live on rationality alone. We need the images of our stories, symbols, and myths.

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