Evolve is such an interesting word. Evolve involves change, adaptation, development and a whole bunch of other things. But tell someone that they might have evolved from monkeys, and whoa, Nellie! Them’s fightin’ words! Many in the Christian community are openly offended when our public schools allow scientific theories over religious theories in their textbooks. Sometimes even school boards split over such issues.
In 2004 some of the school board members (We’ll call them ID’s for Intelligent Design) in Dover, Pennsylvania became concerned with the (in their opinion) overwhelming references to Darwin’s Theory of Evolution in their science books. They felt that God — make that the intelligent designer — should have equal time, especially since the students were already God-fearing kids. Other board members (some of them churchgoers) disagreed (We’ll call them Darwinians) and took the position that, while they personally believed in God and all, it would be wrong to introduce anything other than scientific data in the classroom, thereby upholding the separation of church and state mandate.
The ID-ers proceeded to read statements in the science classes, saying that, as Darwin’s Theory was just a theory, then the kids ought to be aware that there may be other explanations to the beginning of life. Also, a bunch of alternative school books showed up, called Of Pandas and People, giving just such an explanation. The books were donated by an unknown source.
Anway, artwork was trashed, lives were threatened, words were slung and school board meetings were finally becoming interesting. Finally some local parents decided to sue the lot of them, and in 2005 Federal Judge John Jones convened a trial that would be dubbed “Scopes 2” after the famous “Monkey Trial” in 1926. Experts lined up on both sides, hoping to prove that their data was more accurate.
The ID-ers said that some things were so complex in design that they couldn’t have “just happened” or even evolved. The Darwinians (actually the ACLU) said that “intelligent design” was just another word for creationism, which had already been dealt with in previous courts, and that it was just another attempt to introduce religion into the secular school system. The trial lasted two months. The judge took another month to deliberate. Intelligent design lost.
The technical term for the defeat was that intelligent design teaching violated the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment of the Constitution (still struggling with that one). But what caught my attention was the poor performance of those who called themselves Christians and charged forth to defend the faith.
The court found that two of the ID-sided board members had sworn statements that they had never referred to creationism, only intelligent design. However, local film footage from previous years caught them on tape saying the “c” word. They also stated that they didn’t know who had “donated” Of Pandas and People. It was them. Or at least they had organized it. More research uncovered the fact that key documents for intelligent design introduced at the trial were, in fact, shabbily reworked creationism documents that had already been ruled against in a previous federal court.
Judge Jones’ ruling was not well received. He started getting lots of hate mail, along with threats against him and his family. Just like the bitterness and ugliness back among the fine folks of Dover, PA.
And we want to lead people to Christ? Have we not learned of him? To love our neighbors, and in so doing, love our God? Shame on those who take up the sword of pride and shed the blood of those he came to save! Does God need defending? Is it really all that important to beat the truths of the Bible into all areas of society? That isn’t what Christ taught or did. Neither did Paul or the other apostles. We fight to defend our position that we didn’t come from animals, and in so doing, behave worse than the animals themselves.
We must realize that our daily witness is not in word wars or spurious debates, but in the meekness and gentleness of our Lord. We must allow for the Holy Spirit to convict and soften the hearts of our fellow Homo sapiens (Latin for “wise or knowing humans”). And we must operate in the center of God’s love. I believe, if truth be known, that we’re much more offended than him. Let his light shine. He’ll take care of the fire.
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