Thank you for picking up the fourth issue of DOULOS Magazine – the last for which I will have the privilege of serving as editor in chief. This has been one of the most challenging, enriching, and enjoyable endeavors of my college career, and I have never regretted founding this ministry to my beloved University of Maine campus. I will miss it, but my sadness is eased by my confidence in the staff that will carry on our mission, especially my successor, Scott DeLong. Readers, rest assured, you will be well served by Scott and his team in the years to come.
Last year was the 150th anniversary of the publication of The Origin of Species, Charles Darwin’s landmark work that theorized “evolution by natural selection” as the natural means through which life came to be as it is today. The university honored the occasion by putting together a lecture series discussing the applications of Darwin’s theory in many fields. I was able to attend the keynote lecture, given by prominent philosopher and secular humanist Daniel Dennett, and found it illuminating and logical, if a bit shallow in his critique of religious thought (not an oxymoron).
Evolution, though almost unanimously accepted by scientists, remains controversial in the general public. In a 2007 Gallup poll, over 40 percent of American adults said they believe “God created human beings pretty much in their present form at one time within the last 10,000 years,” effectively rejecting the foundation of modern biology. If you think that’s high, I bet the percentage would double if the sample were narrowed to believers, particularly Protestants. Many hold that Scripture renders Darwinism impossible, but is this true?
Romans 1:20 clearly says that in the natural world, which is the only realm that can be explored scientifically, is found evidence of the qualities of its Creator. Christians should be enthusiastic supporters of science, eager to learn about the wonders of this universe and how our Father in Heaven made it. God’s work and His Word come from the One and the Same – the truth found in both therefore cannot be in conflict. We should not be afraid of scientific inquiry – it is no more capable of disproving God than a study of Romeo and Juliet could disprove Shakespeare.
And yet, a shocking majority of the faithful continues to dismiss scientific discoveries and theories as little more than conjecture or outright lies. I don’t think any scientific tenet should be accepted based on its popularity, but a well-supported theory should not be discounted on the basis of biblical interpretation, provided another interpretation is just as valid.
I am also disturbed by the growing population that believes Christianity and evolution are incompatible in the opposite direction, insisting that scientific discoveries deny the existence of free will, universal morality, souls, and even God. I believe this viewpoint, led by the likes of Dennett, Richard Dawkins, and Sam Harris, is misled, but we faithful will gain little ground if we aim to discredit proven science instead of the atheistic conclusions that do not necessarily follow.
This issue of DOULOS confronts evolution and presents a variety of perspectives from those who see the Bible as God’s complete revelation of Himself. Perhaps you will not be persuaded in any direction by their arguments – that would be perfectly acceptable. But please read them with an open mind and engage in this important dialogue with your friends, pastors, and teachers. The implications are monumental; until the Christian community shows a greater willingness to explore the foundations of scientific thought, I fear we risk losing our credibility as a source of truth in the eyes of the world. Any viewpoint that dismisses another without reasonable justification will be deservedly marginalized in the marketplace of ideas.
A servant of the God who made me and everything else that lives, has lived, or will live,
