Coexistence of Creation and Evolution

When I picked up my 10-year old son from his religious class a few days ago, he wanted to ask me about God and dinosaurs. At first, I thought my son was joking. But when I saw his innocent and bewildered eyes, I realized he was serious.

So, I said, “Okay, what’s the question?”

My son quickly asked, “Daddy, who came first: God or Dino?”

What the heck?! That was the most baffling question I’ve ever heard from a child. To my astonishment, I scrambled for an answer relevant to his religious subject.

After a deep breath, I answered, “Of course, God first. He created dinosaurs.”

Then he argued, “But Daddy, God created the universe just a few thousand years ago, whereas dinosaurs existed millions of years ago.”

I thought, “Serious indeed!”

So, for the next hour, we discussed both the mystery of Creation and the basic principles of Evolution. Luckily, I’d read something back in the day. Thanks, comic books!

But what is it really — The 7-Day Creation or The Billion Years of Evolution?

Don’t ask me. All I know is that facts and myths have long been intertwined in our lives, providing myriad colors and flavors to our existence. The key here is the word “believe.” As long as you fully believe in something, whether it is a fact or a myth, it is as real as yourself.

So, if you believe in Creation, even though you don’t have other proof but your Holy Book, that is your reality. It is absolutely a fact for you, no matter what science says.

By the same token, if you believe in Evolution, considered by science as fact, that is your world of reality. You would definitely dismiss any notion based on heresy.

The good thing is that both ideas can coexist as part of the great tapestry of life. This is the reason why, for centuries, people, despite different understandings, have still lived — and will forever live — as one humanity.

The bad thing is when both parties try to shove their ideas down each other’s throats. It proves nothing but ignorance and stupidity.

Take this short “Turtle” story from Stephen Hawking’s book A Brief History of Time:

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A well-known scientist (some say it was Bertrand Russell) once gave a public lecture on astronomy. He described how the earth orbits around the sun and how the sun, in turn, orbits around the center of a vast collection of stars called our galaxy.

At the end of the lecture, a little old lady at the back of the room got up and said: “What you have told us is rubbish. The world is really a flat plate supported on the back of a giant tortoise.”

The scientist gave a superior smile before replying, “What is the tortoise standing on?”

“You’re very clever, young man, very clever”, said the old lady. “But it’s turtles all the way down!”

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Okay folks, whatever you believe in, whether it’s a Fact or a Myth, Creation or Evolution, just make sure you live your life to the fullest.

Ooohhh yes, please enjoy the beauty of the Turtle… oops, I mean, the colorful life.

 

Category: LIFE