I was in my Philiosophy class this afternoon and as usual with this particular class I was daydreaming, except this time I was dreaming about what we were actually talking about in class. We have been in a 2 week long discussion about Darwin's Evolution Theory and Natural selection. Today, we furthered our critical thinking by adding into our discussion some theories about Creationism. According to one particular theory, every living thing on this earth was designed by a divine creator. They were all put here at the same time. The earth is 6,000 years old (up to 20,000 but not more for certain). And no new species were created, however some species could have died off since the beginning of time. This supports microevolution. Another statement, or way to explain this particular notion is that some huge natural disaster (floood) caused all of the unexplainable things that come with believing in this theory. For example, continents drifting, grand canyon, rock sediment and fossils dating farther then the existence of the earth. All of which have some explantion.
In having studied Darwinian Evolutionary Theory, Natural Selection, I noticed (obviously) that there are many contradictions to what even I myself have believed in these past 22 years of living, and now having briefly touched upon Creationism (being taught from an educational perspective and not from a Sunday School Bible class teacher) I am challanged with things I was always expected to believe, and what I in turn actually believe for myself.
Some humans do not have the capacity in their brain to fathom a God, a Divine Creator. Some humans find it very hard to argue scientific facts. Some people trust not in their own understanding but what they have faith in....faith, hope, seeing the un-seeable, believing in the unbelievable. That was what I was daydreaming about in class today. Faith.
In numerous ways this year, my religious upbringing and unfaltering faith have been tested. I have been challenged through school, challenged through society, and challenged through personal experiences. I am a firm believer in God, I am saved through the blood of Jesus Christ, and at one point was a very active member in my youth group and in my college ministry. Listening to the lecture in class today did not change my beliefs, yet in some way, challenged my beliefs enough so that I may become stronger in my faith. Faith is a funny thing. With those people who believe in creationism down to the nitty gritty, ignoring scientific evidence to prove some of their beliefs to be wrong or outdated, those people have outstanding faith in something. They have faith enough to believe that just because society may disagree, just because some facts prove otherwise, or just because they cant see something, doesnt mean there isnt something to believe in.
I think the problem with mankind today is that not enough people have something to believe in. I dont necessarily even mean God, Allah, Yaweh, Jehovah, or whatever you call the Divine Creator. I feel that having something to have faith in at all is beneficial. Its Christmas time now so think about children who believe in Santa Clause. Having a reason to be "nice" all year as opposed to "naughty" gives children incentive to act morally, kindly, and obey their authorities. It also gives them hope that if they do what is right in the end they will be rewarded for it. In retrospect, is the hope and faith children have for a jolly fat man in a red suit much different from the faith we seek in a God? We hope that behaving morally, kindly, and obeying rules will in the end reward us with eternity in Heaven with our Father. We in turn seek to live better lives which results in beneficial and more productive lifestyles. It seems simple enough...it is better to have something to believe in then something to not believe in.
So what is my point in all of this spiritual ranting? Sitting in class today I was challenged with scientific facts, unexplained phenomena, and several other things that challenged my faith in God. And I think that is ok. I feel it is ok with God if our faith is challenged, because the problem with religion and faith and church and all of the politics of God these days is that at a young age children are being forcefed. The beliefs of other people are shoved down your throat at such a young age that sometimes it is refreshing to be challenged with something that doesnt fit the mold of what you were taught because then, and only then, are you able to figure out the answers for yourself.
I look forward to learning more about Creationism and the theories and theorists behind it. I also look forward to doing more outside research on theories that challenge creationism. I am thrilled with the oppertunity to figure out what I believe, and why I believe it. That way if I am ever in a spirtual debate with someone I do not have to rely on knowledge I have been forcefed my entire life. I can rely on what I truly believe in.
And at the moment, what I TRULY believe in is that maybe it doesnt matter.(And following that statement I use the word "maybe" not necessarily because that is how I feel, or what I believe, but because I myself do not know all of the answers either and I am trying to touch on some of the things many people may or may not believe in) Maybe a bunch of men wrote the Bible so the world would stop wreaking havoc on one another. Maybe Jesus was just a nice Jewish kid who came into the world at a time where society needed something to believe in. Maybe a piece of antimatter or random blobs of energy is what created everything on earth. There is no way to know for sure, so maybe it doesnt matter. Maybe what matters is believing in something. Believing that there has GOT to be better out there, there has GOT to be hope of a better life, there has GOT to be good in everyone.
Faith. Seeing the unseen. Believing in the unbelievable.
Dream,
Meg
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Live not by sight, but by faith.
ReplyDeleteBeliveing in something, anything, Does more good for the soul than harm. As a believer, I can't begin to fool myself that my brain is smart enough to understand the thinking of a god.
I'm a philosophy minor, so of course I'm in the minority in most of my classes. But it's not about arguing. It's not about convincing people He exists. A relationship with God is very personal and cannot be defined by a church, a Bible, or what your parents say. It's about having faith that overall, people are good. And having faith that there must be some reason for our existence. If we haven't our faith, then we've nothing.