I would like my comment to be read in the …

Comment on Walla Walla University: The Collegian Debates Evolution vs. Creation by Logan Villarreal.

I would like my comment to be read in the quiet, respectful tone that I intend. I read all these comments and I hope each commentator could imagine Jesus saying his words. I can’t wish any less for myself.

There is a Cult of Science that is popular; the headlines prove that if a “study” says it it must be true. It’s frightening to think that people blindly follow such things as graphs and error bars (although most don’t get that far into the research).

On the flip side, there are also people who follow the Cult of Tradition. Traditions usually stem from solid reasoning, but sometimes there is new information, new framework to interpret old information, or maybe the old meaning is just lost! It is also frightening to think that people blindly follow their ancestors’ lead; sometimes the flag of our fathers was a bloody one.

C.S. Lewis talked of a Christian phenomena called “God of the Gaps.” In it, he shows how in the past God (or gods) were used to fill in the gaps in science (Think: lightning, center of the universe, etc.)

I grew up conservatively, and I straddle two cultures (or cults, depending on which side you’re on). How does my young generation deal with the very real accusations of science, and the very real truths of the Bible?

A comment that was anonymous above was well thought. “I think many young Adventist worship a God who does not depend on a 6 day creation for potency, power, and existence.” For better or for worse, that’s the position many young Adventists are in. I also happen to know that, beneath the surface, this is happening all over young Western Adventism. Some universities just don’t publish their internal dialogues on full-page spreads.

Bill and Holly, and other sincere Christians reading this, I would submit to you that these issues are not going to go away. There will always be teenagers questioning the status quo. We can push the questions beneath the surface, or we can bring them out in the open where we can discuss them.

And I hope Jesus guides our minds as we talk with each other. We all agree on some really big stuff, such as that we believe the Lord Jesus died to save us from our sins.

If Jesus is not guiding us in our discussions, I think we’re missing the point of why we were created.

By the way, I am a student at Walla Walla University majoring in Bioengineering. I post my full name because I have nothing to hide; I am not ashamed of my beliefs nor am I ashamed of my struggles. I am currently serving for a year at an orphanage in Honduras, which has completely revolutionized my perspectives. I applaud those standing up for their beliefs, also applaud those sitting down to respectfully listen to others’ beliefs. May the grace of Jesus Christ be with you.

Logan Villarreal Also Commented

Walla Walla University: The Collegian Debates Evolution vs. Creation
@Mandi from WWU:

Thanks for your comment Mandi. I am not as far along in the Biology program as you, but it has also opened my mind the the intricacies of God’s created world! No way all this came by chance. I have also grown as a Christian reading all the perspectives in this discussion.


Walla Walla University: The Collegian Debates Evolution vs. Creation

Sean Pitman:
@R. (Biology Major, WWU):

This is also very good to hear.Would you care to write an article on your experience as a biology major at WWU? – specifically with regard to your education on the topic of origins?

Sean Pitman
http://www.DetectingDesign.com

I would like to share that the biology professors at Walla Walla taught us very responsibly. When we learned evolution in General Biology, for instance, our professor presented the information because we really do need to know it (there is a strong academic force clamoring for including it on the MCAT!) but we also learned all the many holes that evolution cannot fill. When I presented some of this with an evolutionist with a doctorate and a job at a government research lab, she closed the door and admitted that evolution was only a “current interpretation” that had serious flaws. She also sadly admitted that to advance in the scientific world, she believed she had to be a proponent of the flawed theory.

Just sharing my experience from an excellent university that prepared me excellently to discuss these issues.

But the only way to convert an evolutionist is to show them Jesus; not show them the flaws with their theory.