I Survived the Christian Right: Lesson 8
By Michael Camp • Mar 1st, 2010 • Category: thinkingI Survived the Christian Right: Ten Lessons I Learned on My Journey Home
Lesson 8
Science vs. Religion – Go Where the Evidence Leads
Us vs. them attitudes are in the science vs. religion and creation vs. evolution debates. Typically, the people debating are the extremists, who only see things in black and white. There can be no mixing of their cherished positions. Fundamentalist young-earth creationists who believe in a 10,000 year-old earth based on a literal interpretation of the Bible are pitted against fundamentalist evolutionists, like the New Atheists (Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens, and Sam Harris as opposed to reasonable atheists like Michael Ruse), who mock all theists for believing in the myth of God and the fairytale of religion. Yet 67 percent of Americans say it is possible to believe in both God and evolution.48 The media often reinforces these polarities by distorting any moderate views. For example, they rarely differentiate non-literalist old-earth creationists (who include reputable scientists and technically, theistic evolutionists who believe God created the first life forms) and lump them together with the antiquated ideas of the Dark Ages. Given these realities, here are the lessons I learned:
Evolution is not the enemy. First, it’s possible to reconcile evolution with a biblical worldview. Francis Collins does it persuasively.49 Don’t let staunch atheists who have an axe to grind tell you evolution proves there is no God. They delude themselves.50 Nor should you allow staunch creationists to argue evolution is incompatible with the Bible. They hold to a rigid literalism.
Evolution is not immune to criticism. Evolution is usually portrayed as one specific unified theory held by all reputable scientists. There are in fact several competing theories and many ways to look at the scientific data. Stephen J. Gould and Niles Eldridge proposed the theory of punctuated equilibrium that critiqued the Darwinian view of continuous gradual evolution. Gould said the absence of fossil evidence for intermediary stages between major transitions of biological design was a nagging problem for gradualistic evolution.51 Eldredge said the fossil record screams loudly that what Darwin theorized…slow, steady, evolution…is not the case.52 Molecular Biologist Michael Denton critiqued orthodox Darwinism in his landmark book53 and subsequently made the case for a form of guided evolution.54 Biologist Dean Kenyon, who pioneered evolutionary self-organizational theory, later repudiated it and embraced a design hypothesis.55
Intelligent design is neither the enemy nor immune to criticism. Intelligent Design (ID) theory is commonly represented as a fundamentalist wolf in sheep’s clothing. The facts don’t warrant this. ID theory is misused by the Christian Right to bolster their exclusivism56 and therefore deemed guilty by association. It should be examined critically, but remarkably diverse intellectuals support the idea. These include agnostic mathematician and Darwinism-critic David Berlinski57 and the former most renowned atheist in the world, Antony Flew, who announced to a shocked world that intelligent design must have been involved in the origin of the coded chemistry in DNA.58 Moreover, ID is not incompatible with evolution. Tenured professor of microbiology Michael Behe, a leading ID proponent, holds to the evolutionary tenet of common descent.59 Finally, critics who claim ID is not a real scientific theory probably have not carefully evaluated the case.60
Question the rhetoric of the extremists and look carefully at the evidence for both theistic evolution and intelligent design. Go where the evidence leads.
[48] CBS News poll, October 23, 2005
[49] Collins, Francis, The Language of God: A Scientist Presents Evidence for Belief
[50] Berlinski, David, The Devil’s Delusion: Atheism and its Scientific Pretensions
[51] Gould, Stephen J., Is a New and General Theory of Evolution Emerging? Paleobiology, vol 6 (1), p. 119-130 (1980)
[52] Eldredge, Niles, Confessions of a Darwinist, The Virginia Quarterly Review, Spring 2006
[53] Denton, Michael, Evolution: A Theory in Crisis
[54] Denton, Michael, Nature’s Destiny: How the Laws of Biology Reveal Purpose in the Universe
[55] I heard Kenyon speak at a Discovery Institute event in Seattle, WA in the summer of 2007
[56] The Christian Right-influenced Dover, PA school board forced teachers to make a pro intelligent-design statement in classrooms, despite the advice of the Discovery Institute not to do so.
[57] Berlinski, David, The Deniable Darwin
[58] Flew, Antony, There is a God: How the World’s Most Notorious Atheist Changed His Mind, page 95 and 123
[59] Behe, Michael, The Edge of Evolution: The Search for the Limits of Darwinism, page 182.
[60] Meyer, Stephen C., Signature in the Cell: DNA and the Evidence for Intelligent Design, pages 403-415
Michael Camp is a former missionary for evangelical relief and mission organizations and a church-planting ministry. He lived in Africa for seven years, earned a Master degree at Eastern University, and was a senior writer for World Vision. You can find more of his ideas on what Jesus would brew in a book he is currently writing entitled Confessions of a Bible Thumper: My Sojourn as an Evangelical and Quest for a Reasoned Faith. Addicted to multi-tasking, he is also brewing a second book in his mind with the working title, Smart Ways to Change the World (and Avoid Unintended Consequences). To follow his progress and read more of his ideas, visit his blog at Deep Thought Pub.
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Thanks for this. Now you’re really talking my language. I saw Ben Stein’s documentatry/case “Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed.” I was flored by the scientists, journalists and other professionals who were expelled from univeristy or fired from their jobs simply for starting the dialogue about intelligence design. ( http://www.expelledthemovie.com/ ).
When did we become a society where you can no longer question? When did academia become so closed to observation, critique and fundamental inquisition.
I’m really starting to believe John Avlon is onto something with his book “Wingnuts.” The lunatic fringe (on both sides Right and Left) are going off the deep end trying to be right.
Chyristina,
Agreed, about us becoming “a society where you can no longer question.” I met some of those scientists and professors who were expelled. There’s a knee-jerk reaction on both the far right and far left that writes people off by the their association with terms. Evolution and Intelligent Design are dirty words to them. We need to find a way to bridge that gap. I will check out Avlon’s book.