A Course on Evolution and Faith
What happens when a young person who believes in God studies evolution?
Read this first-hand account to discover what happened to one college freshman.
by Leslie Schwartz
Starting college is a major transitional stage in one's life.
For me, it was a time filled with both excitement and nervous
apprehension. For months I had been dreaming about what the experience
would be like?what my dorm would look like, how the food would
taste and all the classes I would take. I was especially excited
about the last one; I had so many options when it came to planning
my schedule?physics, sociology, political science, engineering,
theater, classics, English composition?the list seemed endless.
So when my Church friends in my local congregation and from
across the country asked me what I was taking and I replied, "Education,
psychology and evolution ," red lights automatically started
flashing in their heads. " Evolution ?why would she want to take
that if she had so many other options!" many of them thought,
and even a few of them outwardly questioned. To some, it sounded
wrong and ungodly. To me, it made perfect sense.
Throughout my schooling experience I was one of the lucky high
school students who never had to deal with an overly liberal
biology teacher forcing the theory of evolution down my throat,
so I never really understood the concepts that formed its framework.
I have always believed that education is one of the most powerful
tools one can utilize, and that it is not only ignorant, but
wrong to say you don't believe something without thoroughly understanding
why and what exactly you don't believe.
I knew and had been taught throughout the years that evolution
was wrong, and that I shouldn't believe it, but I didn't know
the different pieces that built up this supposedly scientific
theory of our existence. I was on a quest for knowledge, and
thought college would be the perfect opportunity to further this
journey.
(Of course, this isn't for everybody. There are other ways to
get this knowledge, such as starting with the booklets Life's
Ultimate Question: Does God Exist? and Creation
or Evolution: Does It Really Matter What You Believe? and
following up with some of the many books on the subject?see "The
Case Against Evolution" at www.verticalthought.org/fall2003/evolution.htm.
But I wanted to get the information straight from the horse's
mouth?or in the lion's den, so to speak.)
Evolution: theory, not fact
On the first day of lecture, my professor stood at the front
of the auditorium and said, "I want all of you to understand
that evolution is just a theory and hasn't been proven yet, but
in this class, for the next three quarters, we will be referring
to hard and fast scientific evidence that makes it a very believable
and globally accepted idea of creation and how life arose."
I was happy he had acknowledged the fact that evolution was
still just a theory, and although he had no idea of God's marvelous
plan for humankind, he wasn't going to lie to us. I knew that
learning the material was not synonymous with accepting it, and
was glad this attitude was presented up front at the beginning
of the year. This made me feel more at ease.
As the quarter progressed, I learned about everything from neutrinos
to the Big Bang to Hubble's Law. Fall quarter consisted of the
evolution of the cosmos, followed by another class during winter
quarter on the evolution of life. During the fall, most of the
lectures dealt more with facts that science presented (apart
from the supposed Big Bang), so I wasn't always at odds with
the material.
However, once we ventured into the evolution of life, questions
and opposition started popping up on all fronts. The theories
my professors presented just didn't make sense to me. While some
of the facts could be observed, like how animals adapt to their
environments, when pieced together to form the much larger picture
of macroevolution, things never seemed to fit.
Though some of my questions could be answered reasonably, the
majority received the response, "We simply don't know." I don't
know about some people, but I don't like to think my existence
depends on a bunch of unknowns that, just by chance, decided
to occur and sporadically form life.
A marvelous revelation
In the middle of the quarter, as I walked to the nearest bus
stop across the beautiful UCLA campus one Sabbath morning to
catch the metro link to services, I was struck by a marvelous
revelation that made everything seem so clear to me.
It started when I began examining the patterns of a falling
leaf and the many interrelationships I shared with the environment
and other organisms. I realized how carefully everything is made,
and how beautiful life really is. All of these thoughts left
me with no doubt that a Creator must exist who has a wonderful
plan for all of this.
I look at life and at the world, and know that although things
are not optimal in many cases, there will be a time when Jesus
will establish His Kingdom and all of humanity will recognize
the true and right way to live in peace.
This is the hope I hold?not the hope in chance DNA mutations
to form an advanced eye structure or the possibility that flying,
instead of running, developed in birds in the Jurassic period.
I now had the facts I had been searching for through my study
of evolution, and the final answer reaffirmed my faith in God's
existence and the proof that He is working in all of our lives.
I don't regret taking an evolution class; for me, it was a way
to become better educated and informed. Everyone should be educated
in what they say they don't believe so they can hold intelligent
conversations with people who have different beliefs and ideas.
I always hated not having a good response to someone's attacks
and wanted to know my opponent's side well, if not better than
they know my own.
The knowledge I gained through this class has helped me do that.
It not only helps me relate better to people in the world now
as I strive to live a Christ-centered life, but will eventually
help me, after Christ's return, to work with people who have
grown up with false beliefs like evolution.
Taking this class has strengthened my prayer life and the amount
of time I spend doing Bible
study because I am more inspired
to prove to myself directly through Scripture why I don't believe
something, rather than blindly accept what I have been taught.
My attitude toward studying evolution clearly parallels my attitude
toward studying the Bible?I wanted to know the subject well so
I could prove the truth to myself and figure out what I do and
do not believe. Every good student of the Bible should take a
similar approach.
Closer to God
As I left the lecture hall after my final at the end of winter
quarter, more than ready to travel home and begin my much-awaited
spring break, I realized that although I was very glad the class
was finally over, I had learned more than I bargained for because
I had a deep interest in searching for God's truth.
Yes, it may have sounded weird or been hard to admit that I
enrolled in a class on evolution, but to me, learning is about
knowing the most you can, and then choosing the right way from
your knowledge. This class helped me gain a better understanding
of evolution and helped bring me closer to God and the truths
He offers through His promises and fabulous plan of salvation
for humankind. So while I might get an A in my evolution class,
God's way offers a much greater reward! GN
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