Letter to Christian Evolutionists--Kansas School Board controversy

Dear Dr. Sutherland,
I too was raised in a evangelical fundamentalist household. I distinctly remember the first time I touched a book that had the word evolution in the title. Even though I was in my twenties I still had an almost irrational fear that the book would burn my hand if I touched it. I pushed through that weird feeling of revulsion and fear and read the book. What I found with that book was compassion, gentle truth, logic and humility. These are traits I have yet to find in the dozens of creation books I read before and since. The books by 'Christians' were full of sarcasm, nastiness, and smugness. I have read many other books by scientists. Without exception I find the tone of the authors far more Christian than the 'Christians who write the nasty 'creationists' books.

I have taken to calling the six thousand year creationists, little god Christians because their god is so tiny compared to a god who rules the 15 billion year old universe. A universe only six thousand light years across is the size of a bee bee compared to the size of the earth if the earth represents the size of a 15 billion year old universe. Time is distance and size in astronomy.

Not only is their god kind of puny and little he also has to be a "liar god" because he made the universe appear to be much older. Why would the true god of the universe need to test our faith by making the universe look older than it is? Why would he create light in transit as one of my little god friends claims must have happened? Do lies and deception fit with the characteristics that we know God has?

Evolution evidence is overwhelming. So species do not remain the same. So what? So there is change over time, who is in charge? If God uses what we call evolution as His creative force what does it matter to us?

I was a middle school science teacher in Vista California for many years. In the early eighties science could be pretty much freely taught but in the nineties and beyond it got more and more difficult. Children were being taught at church and at home to disrupt the teaching of science. Their goal seemed to be to monopolize time whenever Darwin or evolution were brought up so that it could not be taught. Many teachers in our district gave up teaching it altogether. In my son’s high school biology class at Vista High the word evolution was mentioned only one time during the entire year!

The Institute of Creation Science in Santee sent out materials to all who received their newsletters recommending how students should "defend creationism" in the classroom. I know I was on their mailing list. Christian students felt if they did not speak up, then they were letting God down. I invited them to speak to me after class. No one was interested.

I talked to my pastor who also was uncomfortable with some in our congregation. He allowed me to speak to the congregation at the Sunday evening service for four weeks in a row. Still even after the talks, the intolerance continued for other Christian points of view. I did get most of the congregation to accept that the world could be very old. I was less successful with evolution.

I had been a Sunday School teacher for almost twenty years. Suddenly for the first time ever parents showed up to sit in on my classes. The church librarian began to order 'dinosaur books' from the Institute of Creation Research which told how God had created dinosaurs on the fifth day. Our new Sunday school materials were ordered showing Dimetrodon with humans. The literature called Dimetrodon a dinosaur (instead of a much earlier mammal like reptile).

I gave up my long time position as fifth grade Sunday School teacher. (I never expressed my views on an old universe or evolution to those children.--I understood that good people could differ--that some of their parents had different views.) Nevertheless I quit. Finally my wife and I left the church altogether. Shortly afterwards the pastor was forced out. This was a Christian Missionary Alliance Church.

After we left a group of fundamentalists came in who did not believe in public education. They even started talking about arranging marriages for their children. I am really concerned about the bent our faith has taken.

Glad to read your letter to the editor in science. Have you heard of the Christian alliance for Progress?
http://www.christianalliance.org/site/c.bnKIIQNtEoG/b.592941/k.CB7C/Home.htm

You might find their web site interesting.

Yours in Christ,
darwindad