I suppose I should have seen the inevitable coming. With Michelle Bachmann and Rick Perry running for the Republican nomination it was only a matter of time until the liberal media assaulted their world views. Because they adhere to conservative evangelical beliefs, including a literal reading of Genesis 1, therefore eschewing evolution, they are categorically labeled “anti-science.” No matter where you fall in the political spectrum of things this election year, or where you are in your religious beliefs, this should cause you concern as an American. Evolution should not be the litmus test for whether or not you respect the field of science.
Evolution itself has evolved. I’m not sure if we could have a talk with Darwin himself that he would approve how science handles his theory today. I’m not sure that he might not say, “I took the best stab at it with the tools and data I had, but perhaps I made too great of an extrapolation.” Now, evolution is not only a test for whether you believe in real science or not, it is a test of whether you are a viable political candidate. See, any Neanderthal that rejects evolution certainly has no place in the Oval Office. The only good science is science that supports the evolutionary theory, and the only good candidate is one that embraces that sort of science. Does this sound like America to you?
Evolution has evolved to a worldview, a paradigm and indeed a system of faith. Instead of scientists today approaching their work with an open mind for interpreting evidence, such evidence is instead forced through the filter of evolution to arrive at a conclusion based on evolutionary preconceptions. Instead of saying, “According to the evidence we found, we draw this conclusion,” we see evolutionary minded science saying, “According to evolution, this evidence fits in here.” Of course it’s impossible to approach research without some preconceptions, but I believe evolution has put dangerous blinders on the scientific community.
Despite well researched works of scientists such as microbiologist Michael Behe (“Darwin’s Black Box”) such scions of reason most often get labeled as quacks and black listed in their various fields of science. Science has developed an agenda: produce evidence that fits with the theory of evolution. I ask, is this true science? Does such a heavy handed pre-conception allow for true research?
Evolution is not a perfect theory. I’m sure even proponents of it would admit to that. However, perhaps what we need to understand is that evolution is not the only theory either, even though it is viewed that way. This view of evolution has shaped our very society. It is taught as fact in schools, accepted as fact in scholarly circles, and has for a fact had a dramatic impact on our society from the level of families to the upper echelons of government.
Evolution eliminates the need for a god of any type and exalts man as the pinnacle of creation. It is tied most closely to the philosophies of secular humanism, atheism and free thought. The explosion of evolution into our education system has resulted in an expulsion of the morality of our nation. As our children are taught that we are descended from instinctual animals, the moral fabric of our nation has become finely shredded. Evolution is a religion, Darwin has been exalted to the role of a prophet, and our schools and universities have become chapels where the praises of it are lauded daily.
A total belief in evolution requires that certain portions of it be taken in faith. Scientists believe one day that evidence will be found to corroborate the theory, but it is what it is: simple faith. A majority of scientists have put their faith in evolution. Their insistence on its invisible qualities will rival the dogma of the most fanatical conservative Christian you could run across. One thumps his Bible, the other thumps…well, his bible – a science textbook.
Religion is intrinsically tied to the creation narrative. All religions have sought to explain the origin of the universe and the origin of man. This in itself places evolution squarely in the field of religion. Many religions involve indoctrination, and this is true of evolution as well. From the earliest grades of public education our children are indoctrinated into its tenets. The behaviors we see in our schools and our society today are the decades long result of teaching our children that they are simply highly evolved animals. What do we see? School violence, teen pregnancies, self-centeredness and rebellion to authority.
Every day we tackle issues in our nation that have their roots in evolutionary thought. Abortion. Divorce. Homosexuality. Drug addiction. Domestic violence. The list goes on and on. If no divine authority exists to mandate right from wrong, then it is done so by man’s fiat. If one religion is considered mythology, then all religions must be considered mythology, except for the predominant religion of evolution.
Ultimately evolution is a close cousin of Gnosticism. It produces empty promises of a higher knowledge that delivers one into the custody of his own twisted desires. I love the way the Apostle Paul warns Timothy against such things:
O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called. (2 Timothy 6:20)
I am anti-evolution, but that does not mean I am anti-science. I like reading science fiction, but it doesn’t mean I want to read it as fact in science text books. It’s time we stopped trying to accommodate and incorporate the tenets of evolution into our Christian faith and call it what it is: a lie from the father of lies, a doctrine of the devil, and a flagrant insult to the creator of all things, the Lord God Almighty. It's like the title of a movie I remember from the 80s: "Wierd Science".
Maranatha!
Randy Alan
