When Darwin Goes to Church

photo courtesy of skakos on Harmonia Philosophica

Charles Darwin was the first person to really propose the idea of evolution to the world, and this theory is widely accepted among scientists today. As a biology major, I have heard a lot about Darwin and his theory, and the evidence that supports it. On the other hand, as a Christian, I have heard a lot about God and the idea that he created the world and that evolution does not exist. Until recently, I always kept these two clashing theories separate from one another in my mind, but through discussing what I have been learning about in college to family members and friends (who do not believe in some of the ideas that biology has to offer) I have begun to ask myself where to draw the line.

I have always believed in a higher power, but evolution has always made sense to me as well.  Now that I am learning more about Christianity, I have found that the two do not mix well. The theory of evolution basically tears down all of the ideas that the Bible has proposed about God creating everything, along with other scientific theories such as the Big Bang and Panspermia. This question must then be asked:  can you still believe in God and also believe in biological theories such as this?

I think that you can. I think that there can be a balance of what you learn in the Bible and what you learn in biology class. Although a person may believe that God created all life, I think that they can also believe that the life God created evolved into different creatures with different adaptations. Biology is a lot like religion; there are many different theories to explain everything. You must pick and choose what to believe based on evidence and how you form your views. I think that both the field of biology and the field of religion are supposed to be questioned and tested by the individual, because most of the ideas in both are not completely concrete and proven. Both require an open mind, and with this there can be a balance between them.