Is Evolution a Religion?

Just some ponderings...

I was talking with a friend at work who showed me a design for a bumper sticker he wants to make. It was a series of 4 drawings. The first was the symbol of a fish. The next drawing showed the fish developing four legs. The third drawing depicted the fish, having lost its tail, walking on four legs. The final drawing was of a man walking upright.

It was easy to see what he was getting at, even if he hadn't written "EVOLUTION" underneath it. The implication being that man has (or is) evolving away from "religion". While talking about it with him, it became more and more apparent that even though his drawing was cute, it is blatantly false! Man has not "evolved" away from religion! Instead, evolution has become his religion!

I find it very interesting that more often than not, when you try to debate the theory of evolution, people label you as religious! Even if you stick strictly to the scientific facts. This reaction has its roots in the very essence of what propelled Darwin's theory to the forefront of education.

Voltaire and Kant were in the process of developing a "new" school of thought called "higher criticism". The fallacy in their approach was instead of seeking knew knowledge, they were simply trying to disprove old theories - namely the records found in the Bible.

While there is nothing wrong with trying to disprove the Bible or any other theory, when you refuse to even consider any evidence that might support the theory you are trying to disprove, you loose credibility. Voltaire and Kant openly stated that they would ignore any evidence that might prove the Bible to be accurate.

As a result, when Darwin published his "Origin of the Species", it was grabbed like a baton, and "higher criticism" has not stopped running! Here was the banner of the "intellectual" crowd, the cross, if you will, they can carry before them. If evolution did occur as the theory has developed, then the Biblical account of creation can not be true. Therefore the theory of evolution "must be true".

"Professing themselves to be wise, they become fools". People are afraid to disagree with the theory of evolution because they will be ridiculed by the "educated". My challenge is this - how many of the "educated" are willing to honestly consider the evidence against evolution? And I don't mean reading the Bible. I mean looking at some of the serious challenges to evolution and trying to determine their validity.

One of my co-workers was very straight forward with me when he said "I choose to believe in evolution because I don't want to believe in a creator". I respect his honesty. Evolution is no less a religion than Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Mormonism or animism, there are some things you have to accept on faith and to challenge those things is unthinkable! (Or at least unnerving)

I did just that. I was first exposed to the theory of evolution in college. Here was a serious challenge to what I had been taught all my life. Rather than ridicule it or run from it, I researched it. It was an intellectual challenge. I studied the evidence, challenged both my own beliefs and the theories and postulations presented. My findings? There are to many holes and contradictions in the evidence to trust any water in that bucket. What I did find was it was a pleasure challenging my beliefs. If they can't stand intellectual challenging, I don't want them. If you can't question authority, you become a slave.

Do I disrespect or ridicule evolutionists? No, as long as they believe sincerely what they believe. (Just as a Muslim believes the Koran, a Christian believes the Bible, and a Mormon believes the Book of Mormon.) I only pity anyone who becomes such a slave to something that they are unwilling to even question it - whether it be an idea, a habit, or another person.

I would challenge everyone to question what you believe. If what you believe is true, it will be reinforced, if not, it's not worth holding on to!