Faith and Science

Many people of faith tend to have an issue with evolution. Evangelicals add up the dates within the pages of the Old Testament and recorded history to calculate a sum of 10,000-6,000 years. The universe was constructed with a time handicap. The mountains are aged and stars were created as Red Giants, White Dwarves or decaying nebulae. For many, science and the story of evolution are incompatible ideas with the Judeo-Christian story.

For me, the issue is not with whether or not mankind has ascended from the apes. The issue does not reside in whether evolution nullifies the validity of the Bible. The crux lies in whether or not their was an intelligent being who designed the universe. If it was made in six literal days, great! If it was made in six billion years, wonderful! Science and faith can run in parallel directions. Atheistic evolution is a greater leap of faith than belief in Intelligent Design. The sheer complexity of the human eye is enough to show that something or someone created this all.

Maybe the opening chapters of Genesis is an allegory for millions of years of evolution. I have no problem whatsoever with a billion year old galaxy. Of course, there are a couple of problems with this theory, such as the origin of sin and evil. Nonetheless, the common denominator of evolutionary behavior is God, whether mankind came from monkeys or planetary systems arose from pygmy matter.

Faith and science only veered from each other's reach during the Enlightenment and subsequent philosophical eras. I believe that is an awful crime. Whenever I gaze at the heavens, I am utterly amazed at the depth of detail. Immense photos of distant galaxies help affirm my belief in an Almighty. Whether the universe was designed with the appearance of age or if it spread through a "Big Bang," it does not shake the foundation of my faith.