CREATION VS. EVOLUTION: IT’S NOT ABOUT SCIENCE

Although today’s special creationists talk and write mostly about scientific evidence and biblical interpretation, it is also clear that their most fundamental concerns have to do with the major existential questions of all humanity, such as: What is the meaning of life? Is there a God? Why do we suffer and die? Why is there evil? Is there life after death? Is there any hope? All religions offer answers to such questions, but creationists (and atheists) insist that evolutionary science precludes answers that would be of any comfort to believers: hence the heat of the arguments. However, there is a broad spectrum of opinion between young-earth creationism and atheism, comprising believers in various forms of “theistic evolution”. There is also reason to believe that some self-described creationists are more concerned with the existential questions than they are committed to biblical literalism. When science teachers face challenges to their teaching of evolution, rather than piling on more scientific evidence, they may find it more effective to take the discussion out of the classroom and redirect it to these existential concerns, pointing out that many believers across denominations have found acceptable answers that are also compatible with acceptance of evolution. As an example of such worldviews within the realm of contemporary Judeo-Christian theology, one form of “non-interventionist evolutionary theology” will be outlined.