Monday, September 08, 2008

• Email to a Friend

  A friend of mine from way back recently chatted me on Facebook. He asked if I wouldn't mind emailing back and forth some debate-ish emails about Christianity. He says he actually knows little about Christianity, and would like to see things from a Christian's point of view. I said yes, thinking that Hey, if the guy is just askin' for it, why not? ;) I'm posting it here because I thought that a few of you would be interested.

  Pray for me. He is not a Christian, and what I say could influence him. I've changed his name, for just privacy's sake.

  This is the first email I have sent him, and it is in response to his question, "How do you feel about creationism or Intelligent Design being taught alongside evolution in schools?" He went on to say that he was against it, but wouldn't mind it being taught in an elective class that was not required.

  ---

  David,

  (You can assume I believe in creationism.)
   
  I feel that it is only fair. One problem an evolutionist might have with these being taught alongside evolution is that creationism/ID are not science, and so should not be taught as if it is. Now, no one is claiming that creationism is science. It is the biblical view of what happened at the beginning of the world/universe. That said, that doesn't mean that there is no scientific evidence for creationism, because there is.
   
  The problem that I have with creationism not being taught at all is that teaching only evolution is not fair. Evolutionist scientists have theories, supposedly backed up by "rock-solid" scientific evidence, about how the world began and where mankind came from, which are very important issues. These evolutionist views absolutely contradict what the Bible teaches about these things. So why should one world-view be taught, and not others?
   
  Evolution is not "the-un-biased view", nor the "no-presuppostions view". To believe in evolution is to have a whole set of axioms (basic principles that we accept as the base of our knowledge, on which all evidence and proof for our knowledge is based). We do not all have the same axioms, but we do all have them. So why is one set of basic principles (axioms) being presented, but others are not?
   
  Christians go to public schools and then go back to their churches and are going, "What!? School says THIS and You say THAT. . . what do I believe? Is there any way to compromise?" The common way to compromise this is by saying that instead of God creating the world in 6 literal days, He actually created them in 6 metaphoric "day-ages", which would coincide with the evolutionist theory that it took billions of years for us to get here. There is much that is theologically wrong with this view, but my point is that Christians are hearing from the church, "God created the world, in 6 literal days" and then from school that, "There is no God and we all evolved." Since the two institutions are highly revered in the mind of the Christian, he seeks to either combine the two, or abandon his faith in God altogether.
   
  I personally believe that they should stop teaching evolution altogether ;) but that is just wishful thinking. All I want is that the other views are presented, and that evolution is not presented as fact, but as the theory that it is.
   
  I have to go work on some homework for class, and blow my nose (allergies). Tell me what you think! (not about me blowing my nose, but about what I've said and about the topic in general.)
   
  -Melody

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