Use Your Intelligence

 

I’ve had an interest in creationism since I became a Christian back in the eighties. I was alerted early on to the discrepancy between what I had been taught to believe in school and what the Bible had to say. Often the best that I was told was, ‘Just have faith’. This wasn’t good enough for me, and so began many years of reading and research into the topic, culminating in my fictional novel AND THE BEAT GOES ON.  It turns out there is lots of information out there, some favouring a ‘Young Earth’ model and some an ‘Old Earth’ model of creationism. Of course, there is evidence for both and when listening to either argument, one could be easily ‘convinced’ due to all the ‘so called’ facts. I’ve always been one to let God be God and not try to figure everything out. I think we may all be surprised one day, if and when He chooses to reveal all those secrets.

However, too many people believe blindly in evolution and its so called ‘evidence’ simply because no one has ever pointed out that there could be a plausible alternative. Actually, that’s not exactly true – most people who do question evolution are labeled as religious quacks and discounted before even getting a chance to present anything. It’s really so unfortunate, because if anyone with any brains at all stopped for a minute and just looked at the world around them, there really is no other alternative than to believe in some kind of intelligent design. The probability is SO great that it literally could not have happened. Yet, for some reason, if we throw in that magic and elusive element – time – people will believe anything. How does stretching our thinking past comprehendible time limits make it any more likely?

As a long standing fan of Science Fiction (okay I admit it, I was a Trekkie) it seems like even that genre can at least embrace the possibilities, even if not in the strictly ‘religious’ context. (Any one remember ‘Q’?) Intelligent Design is so sensible, with or without the aspect of Diety, although I suppose it does finally lead to one conclusion: If someone or something out there has the capacity to create the universe in all its complexity, then they are probably worthy of some kind of allegiance, if not worship. As a believer in creation from a Christian perspective, I suppose God in his wisdom chose to let some things remain a mystery. If we could figure everything out then there wouldn’t be any room (or need) for faith. And so I am content to know that God made the universe in His own time, whatever that might mean.

And the Beat Goes On will soon be re-released (with improvements!) under a new title: Conspiracy of Bones. Look for it early in 2017!