Creation vs. Evolution—NOT!

Between watching the presidential candidates respond to questions concerning their views on evolution during the 2008 presidential debates, hearing the calls for a theocracy from Republican candidates for the presidency in 2012 and reading reviews of Gail Collins’ new book about battles on the Texas School Board, one could easily have forgotten that the Scopes “monkey” trial seemed to have settled the question back in 1925. That 87 years later Americans are still arguing over creation vs. evolution seems the ultimate anachronism.

But the battle is not really about creation vs. evolution. While the debate could be construed as part of a larger struggle between science and religion, even that is an inadequate framing of the issue. To talk about a struggle between science and religion would be like referring to a struggle between science and art, science and poetry, science and music. The fact is humans use a variety of intellectual tools and creative expressions to uncover and express profound truths about the world. Each approach provides a different lens through which the mysteries of origin, process, meaning and value in the world are discovered and explored.