Amen to That

"The conventional view serves to protect us from the painful job of thinking."
- John Kenneth Galbraith

Next week, in honor of Earth Day, my church is celebrating Evolution Sunday. When I told a friend about it, explaining that unlike right-wing fundamentalist churches, we believe in evolution, she looked shocked.

“You think we came from monkeys?” she asked incredulously.

“Well,” I replied, “not exactly.”

My friend Barbara, another member of my church family, said the appropriate response to that question is “Apparently you’ve never spent much time around a two-year old or you would have no doubt that we descended from monkeys.”

The oversimplification that evolution means we came from monkeys is one of those false arguments put forth by the religious right that fosters ignorance and blind obedience. As Pastor Kerry explained during our worship service yesterday when she announced next week’s program, “This is a church where you don’t have to check your brain at the door.” Yes, contrary to what the media would have you believe, you can be both a Christian and a critical thinker.

©2007 Dixie Darr. All rights reserved