Two Views, not One

As they floated down the Mississippi Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn look at the stars and wondered whether they was made or just happened. The options haven't changed much over time. Today we are faced with the same question: was the world, universe, life made, or did it just happen? Unfortunately, there are many in the debate who would like to limit the discussion to how the world happened. They call creationists "creatards" or simply dismiss them as religious. The fundamental question is whether God exists or not.

Religion is bad they say; look at all the wars, the intolerance, the bigotry. We would be better off without it. To this I say phooey. Phooey? You say, why such a weak response? Phooey, because the argument is so weak as to be completely without merit. It is a shell of an argument designed to avoid true discussion.

Science is unwilling to face the facts. Yes the facts. There are two options, not one. Either the world was made or it just happened. Both have equal merit. Both have reasons to be believed. Religion is too big of a topic to be dismissed. How can you lump all the worlds religions together, they cover too wide a spectrum. While many religions hold to certain tenants, many are diametrically apposed. Some accept the just happened view.

To dismiss religion as a whole is like dismissing statistics as a whole. We've all heard the statement, "Statistics lie and liars use statistics." I would say that arguing that religion is bad because bad people do bad things with it is on the same level. Religion, like statistics, is powerful and can be used for great good or great evil. When someone says that they don't trust statistics, I say that what they really saying is, "I don't understand statistics and so I am easily confused." In the same way saying that religion is bad is to state that they don't understand religion. A brief study of religion will show you that it is the both the best and worst of humanity. To lump the religious views of Satanism with those of Christianity is to be ignorant of the facts.

I hope that some day we can engage in an open dialogue about where we came from and that we do not dismiss each other, or resort to name calling.