Evolution vs. Creationism

Evolution vs. Creationism. This has been a very hotly debated topic and there seems to be a lot of misconceptions and misinformation out there. One such misconception is that if you believe in evolution than you do not believe in God, and another prominent one is that evolution means that we came monkeys. There also seems to be a lot of animosity out there towards people who do not believe the same as the majority. There is nothing wrong with having differing opinions. If everyone believed the same thing this world would be an incredibly boring place.

With that said, I would like to add that evolution and the belief in God have absolutely NOTHING to do with each other. Nor does evolutionary theory state anywhere that we come from monkeys. I believe in God and Jesus and angels and Divine intervention and miracles. But I also believe in science. I have been a student of both science and theology (all religions) for most of my life. There is nothing in science that disputes the existence of a God. According to evolutionary theory, homo sapiens sapiens (that is modern man) evolved through a long line of ancestors. Homo sapiens sapiens from homo erectus from homo neanderthalis and so on down the line. We and all primates are cousins. We are all part of the same evolutionary tree as it were. As simians evolved the tree split into several different branches, each with it's own evolutionary line. One branch formed the many species of monkeys (lemurs, gibbons, baboons, etc), another branch formed great apes (gorillas, chimps, orangutans, etc.), and the third formed us - humans. So we do not come from monkeys, we are merely their cousins, genetically speaking. This in no way discounts an existence of God. Someone had to start the ball rolling didn't they? Besides, all evolution states is that the many species that live on this planet, from single-celled amoeba to humans, have the ability to learn and adapt to their environments. THAT'S IT. It doesn't even try to touch the subject of God or religion. And proof of that is evident in the Bible you are reading. The mere fact that the original draft of that book was written by hand on parchment scrolls and we are now communicating on a computer shows that we as a species have the ability to learn and adapt to our environments, thus proving that we have evolved over the past 2000 years. God didn't make the computer you're typing on, but He did give you the ability to learn how to use it. Do you understand what I'm trying to say?

Also as far as creationism is concerned and the theory of intelligent design, you must also realize that what you are reading in the Bible is not the only account. What you are reading comes from the Old Testament which was a recounting of a story originally contained in the 5 Books of Moses. This story was originally adapted as a way of shaming the Canaanite's Goddess. The Canaanites were a matriarchal society (ruled by women) and the Israelites were a patriarchal society (ruled by men), and they were constantly at war. The Canaanites worshiped a female creator deity called Lilith. The Israelites that adapted their own creation story to include a condemnation of their deity. When you read about the Garden of Eden you learn that the original female creation was not Eve, it was Lilith. God created them both equally. As an equal Lilith refused to serve Adam and fled the Garden into the barren wastes that was the world beyond. Once there, she was turned into a vampire like creature (which is where that myth originates) and became the leader of all the evil creatures that filled that void. In fact, the 5 books of Moses are filled with tales of her wickedness after her transformation. Anywho. After that, God created Eve from Adam's rib. From man to serve man. And I'm sure you know the rest of the story from there. And just a little side note, if you actually look at all religions and mythologies, every single one of them has a creation theory, a flood story, a serpent, and a virgin birth. So it is not a uniquely Christian thing either. And the remember, the only difference between a religion and a myth is that a religion is something that you believe and a myth is something someone else believes.

Now I don't want anyone to think I'm trying to bash them or contradict their beliefs in ANY way. I am absolutely not trying to do that. I just want you to realize that you can believe in God and science at the same time, they do not contradict each other. I also think we need to stay open minded and tolerant when it comes to other peoples beliefs - regardless of what they might be. Remember, minds are like parachutes. They only function when open. :)