a strange land…

We interrupt this blog about Romania to comment on a happening in the good old US of A. The Creation Museum opened up in KY this week….

I went on the online virtual tour and was kind of fascinated, terrified and confused all at once. I read several articles: BBC, MSNBC, some religious sources and then just sat here for a moment sort of marveling at America. Because only in a America would you open something like the Creation Museum. And only in America could you publish the variety of articles with differing opinions on the Museum. I really didn’t find anything that was remotely neutral on the topic. The articles ranged from estatic to bitter.

Since I spent a good deal of college convincing both of my departments I was not in fact crazy, I am used to the myarid of emotions this debate brings up. I am also used to how little the two sides really understand each other. I also have always been amazed by how vitally important this issue seems to be to both sides. Its the bitterness I worry about though, more than the issue it self. THe division this issue causes is amazing to me. And both sides can dish out the bitterness with equal skill. Because some creationists really do think that evolution is from the devil himself and ruining public education and some evolutionist really do think creationists are uneducated, backward and ruining public education and maybe an election or two. Its a bitter fight.

Everyone is quick to make sweeping statements, everyone is quick to make judgements and nearly no one is quick to listen or quick to realize that while we spend 25 million dollars (and far more on research on both sides) to convince each other that we did or did not come from APES, a lot of other stuff is happening the world. Maybe we should stop trying to figure out where the heck we came from and start working on where we are going (dare I say this is a New Testanment princpal).

because when it comes right down to it and although both sides would call me a hertic for it…you can’t 100%, boil water at X temp, glucose to pyruvate prove one way or the other. Both sides require faith, both sides require some science. And that is my theory of the bitterness, its easy to hate what you don’t understand and its even more easy to hate to someone who reminds you of the weakness of your own deeply held convictions.