Carrie Severson, "AI advances, but robo-replacements still at bay " (2005)

PHOENIX — With judges around the country mandating that public schools remove stickers in science textbooks that state evolution is a theory and not a fact, the Genesis versus evolution debate is heating up once again.

According to Margaret Towne, however, the two do not need to be at odds.

Towne, author of Honest to Genesis: A Biblical and Scientific Challenge to Creationism, began a recent discussion on the integration of evolutionary theory and Genesis by referring to the gospel of Luke, which states that Christians must love God with all their hearts, souls and minds.

“Working with minds also requires us to be critical thinkers, which means to be careful thinkers,” said Towne. “Critical thinkers are open to a new idea. The church has had problems in the past with not being open to a new idea. We should love God with our minds and understand that none of us has all truth. We are all on this journey.”

She pointed out that the same author — God — created both [the world of] Genesis and nature; therefore, she said, society should be able to integrate the two without conflict. Science answers how and why events happen, but can’t speak to who put those events in motion. Because science and nature can help us understand a part of our lives, society needs religion, too.

Towne said the conflict between evolution and religious beliefs continues to resurface, perhaps because many Americans do not fully understand science, the data and its limitations. On the other hand, she suggested Christians may not know how to read the Bible, explaining there is a big difference between knowing about the Bible and knowing how to read it.

“People need to know how to read God’s works — biology and genetics — and then know how to read God’s word,” she said. “Many people look at Genesis as the literal explanation for the origin of the universe and of life. We need to be honest with both Genesis and geology.”

Jim Armstrong, programs director for the Canyon Institute for Advanced Studies, which sponsored the lecture, said featuring this discussion increases awareness of more moderate positions held by many in the community of faith who find these sources to be both coherent and complementary.

“Our primary focus is on subjects that share common ground with both science and perspectives of faith, as a way of working toward more integrated views and understanding of the world around us, and thoughtful stewardship of its emergent challenges,” said Armstrong.

“We don’t all have to agree, but we should pursue the concept of unity,” Towne said. “I love you and we should love Christ together.”

Carrie Severson is a freelance writer living in Scottsdale, Ariz.