Word to the Wise
Monday, February 9, 2009 - Monday in the Fifth Week in Ordinary Time
[Genesis 1:1-19 and Mark 6:53-56]In the beginning, when God creted the heavens and the earth, the earth was a formless wasteland, and darkness covered the abyss, while a mighty wind swept over the waters. Then God said, "Let there be light........"
This year marks the 200th anniversary of the birth of Charles Darwin and the 150th anniversary of the publication of his famous book, THE ORIGIN OF SPECIES! I'm seeing a lot of articles and other events marking these anniversaries. The most recent issue of National Geographic has a very fine article about Darwin's observations in the Galapagos Islands in regard to finches and other phenomena which led him to postulate the theory of "natural selection." All of this celebration offers numerous opportunities for reflection on the relationship between science and religion, much as any celebration about Galileo does! There will be those who will use the opportunity to take cheap shots at religion and particularly any religion that sees God as the initial creator of space, time and matter! There are others who will once more excoriate the "Godless theory of evolution" or advance the theory of "creative intelligence/intelligent design." It should be noted that Darwin remained a religious person and would not have imagined his book as a destructive instrument. These anniversaries give us an interesting perspective on the scriptures for the daily Eucharist for some days to come. The creation account from Genesis begins today and it remains one of the most majestic chapters in the Bible. There is nothing in Darwin that contradicts Genesis and nothing in Genesis that contradicts Darwin. After all, God created both! That the Catholic Church and many Protestant churches found Darwin and the notion of evolution hard to accept was due more to an inadequate understanding of the Bible than to a hatred of science! Indeed, the only way the Catholic Church ever admits on an official level that a teaching has changed is to see it as an evolving thing! As I see it, Genesis tells the truth and science provides the details! The endless sniping between anti-science fundamentalists waving the Bible and anti-religion agnostics or atheists waving a test tube is dreary and helps no one. Since these folks often insist on fighting their battles in grade and high school contexts, they wind up hurting and confusing children. I look forward to meditating on Genesis for the next few days and learning more about how change occurs in the wonderful universe that God has created. AMEN
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