Today’s debates between Creationism and Evolution are all too often a reflection of the polarized state in which the world exists. However, as we listen to the extreme ends of the argument as they play out in the media, an important third option is usually neglected. However, many Americans (including Christian Americans) embrace this third option, which is a mixture of both creation and evolution.
A Dash of Creation and a Sprinkle of Evolution
The Holy Bible begins with the words, “In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth, the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters.” (Genesis 1:1-2, NRSV) Evolutionary theories teach us that the universe was a vast expanse of nothingness (to put it in layman’s terms), but that a massive energy source caused a great explosion (“The Big Bang”), which then spewed matter outward.
In the great debate these two incidents are considered to be opposites and incapable of being the same. However, many would argue that both narratives are telling us the same story. Some translations of the Bible refer to God as being a “wind” that moves over the waters while others refer to the “Spirit” of God hovering over the waters. The Greek word used in either translation is “Pneuma”—the breath, or wind of God. The spirit, or breath, of God is also referred to as being a fire or flame in other places. Regardless of how it is translated, this spirit is obviously a source of energy that, upon coming in contact with humanity, makes miraculous things happen. The Spirit is the Creationists key ingredient. Energy is the Evolutionists key ingredient. It is an unknown, but massive energy source that causes everything to begin. Both sides site an energy source: creationists call it the Spirit of God, while evolutionists claim they do not know what it was and has devised a number of theories to explain it.
As the story unfolds the two could be read together: The sky is formed (atmosphere), and everything is covered in water (primordial swamp). Dry land appears, and vegetation begins to be formed. “And God said, ‘Let the waters bring forth swarms of living creatures,” (Genesis 1:20, NRSV) and in evolution life first crawled out of the primordial swamps.
A Hitch in the Story
Although the storyline may be very similar, the major difference is in the timeline. Evolution requires millions of years for its story to unfold whereas Creationism requires only seven days. This is where the hitch comes in.
Many fundamentalists take this as a literal seven days (although it is important to note that there are some fundamentalists who point out that God’s time is not the same as human time and so the length of a day is subjective). However, many American Pentecostals embrace a more liberal theology, which allows some flexibility in the concept of what a day means. Some maintain that a day to God may be a million years to humankind. Some maintain that a day reflects a completed cycle and that what is reflected in Genesis is not seven days, but seven completed cycles. Others point out that the number seven is symbolic of completeness and that the idea of seven days simply means that God’s work had reached completion. The theories go on and on, but in the end they all leave the actual timeframe wide open, allowing the theories of evolution to fit nicely into the picture.
Why Can’t We Be Friends?
Regardless of what the polarized ends of the argument claim, the debate is left wide open to interpretation. So how can we reconcile the two extremes? Evolution reflects the scientific end of the debate: it is the portion of the story that tells us how and when evolution occurred. Religion offers an explanation of who began and guided the process, and why.
Great work. I look forward to more prose pieces even though in your photography you capture some of the most beautiful nature stills. National Geographic would love you !