Let's Talk About Evolution
OK gang. I'm confused. Maybe I'm not very smart or something, but I just do not get the whole idea of evolution.
First a bit of background...I grew up going to public schools. Obviously, I was taught that Darwin's Theory of Evolution is how we got to be the way we are today. I accepted it without really any thought that it might be inaccurate or just flat wrong. Actually, I accepted it without much thought at all...except the thought that I'd have to remember what it was called for the next pop quiz.
It seems to fit. It gives a good explanation as to how we are so genetically similar to apes. It gives a good explanation as to what we are to make of certain fossils. And of course, it is a good lesson to teach kids when you're not allowed to use the word "God" in a classroom.
But lately, I've been thinking more and more about what the Bible says regarding how we got here. Namely, that we were simply created...just the way we are. Frankly, it makes a lot more sense to me than the idea that we somehow evolved from prehistoric oceanic sludge. It especially makes more sense to me considering the fact that the "Missing Link" is still...well...missing.
I've been reading my A New Earth book that I told you about. The first chapter talks a lot about evolution and how when faced with a crisis, a species must sometimes "evolve or die". In general terms, I get the idea.
Now, I'm not saying that I don't recognize change when I see it. Sure - we've changed over the years. We're generally taller. We're generally less hairy. We're have a changing skin color as a population. We have changed. In the most general sense of the word, I suppose evolution could be defined as "change over time". Yes, we are changing.
It's the idea of an "evolutionary leap" that seems positively ludicrous to me.
So what is an "evolutionary leap"? In chapter one of his book, Mr. Tolle talks about an example...the classic example of a water animal making it's way to being a land animal:
"at some point, one of the sea creatures must have started to venture onto dry land. It would perhaps crawl a few inches at first, then, exhausted by the enormous gravitational pull of the planet, it would return to the water, where gravity is almost nonexistent...and then it tried again and again, and much later would adapt to life on land, grow feet instead of fins, develop lungs instead of gills." (A New Earth, page 20)
OK, great. Sounds fine. But HOW?!
First, how did a sea creature just venture on to dry land? Ever hear the term "fish out of water"?
Second, it kept trying to get out of the water an on to land? I think a little too much credit is being given to sea animals here!
And then, later, it just grows feet instead of fins, lungs instead of gills?! Huh?
So let's give this whole idea the benefit of the doubt for just a few minutes. Human beings are, by far, the most intelligent beings to ever inhabit the earth. Since there is already more water than land on the planet...and there is bound to be more with ice caps melting away...lets use our highly evolved brains to make an evolutionary leap and to go back to the sea. Seems like it would be easier than cramming more and more people onto less and less land, right?
Let's get to it people...ready...set...go...GROW FINS...ok...now...GROW GILLS.
I know, I know...this all happens over many years and generations. But again...HOW? Is there some sort of trigger in our DNA that must be activated in order to make an evolutionary leap? Do we need to put ourselves in the position of almost drowning repeatedly...maybe then that "leap" DNA will be activated and our kids or grand kids will be born with fins and gills? Or maybe if we jump off enough buildings, but still live to talk about it and to reproduce...will our offspring be born with feathers?
Folks...It just makes no sense to me.
I don't mean to be a brat about this...maybe I'm missing some key to understanding the idea of an evolutionary leap. If I am, please...someone comment to this post and help me understand why you believe this stuff. I truly want to understand how you make sense of this!
Again, maybe it's my simple mind (or my ego, according to Tolle)...but it makes much more sense to me that there is a supreme being (called God here), who created us. He also created the sea creatures. And the apes. And the plants. And if that's the case, maybe, just maybe, we all got here just the way the Bible describes?
I'd love to hear your thoughts on this...
Archeologists and the like are finding TONS of clues as to the biblical faith (there's even a new bible about it, now!) of creationism, but I could get WAYYYY into a long haul with my comment. So I will just say something my husband always says about evolution:
Scenerio: ((people running across the street in front of our car))
"If Darwin was right, those guys would have never made it."
No matter what somebody says it's not going to be enough to convince you that your beliefs may or may not be wrong. This is just as un-debatable as the pro-choice vs. pro-life point of views. But do take in mind that this didn't happen over a few hundred thousand years, it's been millions on top of millions. Go look up vestigial limbs and mitochondrial DNA, I think those are pretty good examples of evolution.
A scientist named Michael Behe wrote a book called Darwin's Black Box, which introduced a concept called irreducible complexity; the idea is that the interdependent parts of a complex organ in any being do not function on their own; thus, how could they have evolved? His example was the human eye--it is extraordinarily complex, but none of its parts operate independently of one another, so if an animal developed a part of the eye, it would serve no adaptive advantage by itself. Thus, it would not lead to the evolution of the species toward the further construct of the eye. The eye could not have evolved part-by-part, because it is irreducibly complex, but it had to develop part-by-part, because it is not possible for it to have somehow sprung into existence with all parts fully functioning (even evolutionists would not propose that). I'm not sure if I'm explaining this well, but look up Behe's work, it is compelling. And you may have guessed, I don't believe in evolution either; despite what the scientific world tells you, it is not fact, it is theory; nor is it defensible, if you are willing to look at it with an open mind.