Evolution Versus Religion

Ever since Charles Darwin first came up with the Theory of Evolution, it has gained credibility and popularity among many people. This has pushed it into the education scene, creating much controversy. Some parents are strong in faith and believe that Darwin’s theory of evolution goes against their religion, and they would prefer that it would not be taught in public schools. The theory of evolution, however, does not infringe upon the principles of Christian beliefs.

Francis Ayalo, a professor at the University of California, states that “Well informed Catholics do not see conflict between their religious beliefs and the Darwinian theory of biological evolution.”(1) He further explains that Science is one of multiple methods of attaining knowledge, and each is limited in its ways. For example, science is based entirely on facts and observations, while literature is based on imagination and creativity. Each have their benefits, and neither alone are a good way to achieve knowledge. He continues by saying that the pope has approved the theory of evolution by saying that “the scientific disciplines cannot be in contradiction with divine revelation.” In simpler terms, the pope is saying that the doctrines of science do not interfere with the doctrines of religion.

In the words of Brian Greene, “There’s no way that scientists can ever rule out religion, or even have anything significant to say about the abstract idea of a divine creator.” (2) He continues to say that science is very good at explaining how things work, while religion, many people think, is much better at explaining why things are. This can be applied to many things; Creation of the Universe, Evolution, Molecular theory, the list goes on. Science can explain how evolution happened. Natural selection favored organisms that were more “fit” for their environment, that organism survives for a longer time, allowing it to reproduce more, the gene with the advantage is passed on, the process continues until you have a new species. Religion is better at explaining the why. In the Christian bible, God created Man to be above all beings, to build and design, to communicate unlike any other being. Both are not only compatible, but they compliment each other. Greene states further on in the article that many scientists accept Deism, the idea that a Supernatural figure set the universe in motion then walked away, but have a hard time accepting the actual religion of a Deity that intervenes periodically.