thoughts from a fence straddler
I started reading through some of the religion vs. science posts. Not religion and science, mind you. I wasn't altogether pleased with the tones people took and the words they used to bolster their side of the debate. But then, why does it have to be one or the other? And why do people have to get on other people's backs about it? Neither camp explains everything about how life came to be as we know it today--not yet, at least.
Me, I believe in God and I believe in evolution. Sure there's conflict, and I've stepped off the fence numerous times on each side. But I keep coming back to both, because there's a lot of persuasion on each side. I have a lot of respect for a lot of creationists I know. It's really hard to be constantly bombarded with taunts, facts, and lies and keep one's faith in God. Alternately, it's hard to be a scientist and be told you're going to hell, or whatever, if you don't believe in God. Who doesn't think about an afterlife at some point, even if they don't believe it it the rest of the time? If I could teach kids this stuff, I'd say, "This is what group A believes. This is what group B believes. They're not mutually exclusive and there are lots of questions about both sides." (Insert Venn diagram...)
My church (which states its belief in the literal 7-day creation) is going through huge talks right now because so many science professors in our schools cannot in goodwill say they believe in a six-thousand-year-old Earth, ergo the literal interpretation of the Bible. In the past they've been fired directly if they state that; these days, though, there is church-sponsored dialogue between the theologians and the scientists, which is generally healthy and respectful. It'll still be years, if not centuries, before my church changes its position on evolution, but the change has to start somewhere.
I know one disillusioned professor, though, whose idea of integrating faith and science is to put them both in boxes and believe in them separately. He says that one day it'll all make sense, and for now, they're neatly compartmentalized in his brain. I like that idea.