Creation or Evolution? (first published in the autumn of 2005)

I was reminded at our Harvest Festival of the very old, deep-rooted and continuing debate between the “creationists”, who believe in a world created by a superior being, God, and the evolutionists, the disciples of Darwin, who believe in a natural evolution of all living species. There isn’t room here to look at the whole debate, even if I had the necessary knowledge, but I am reminded of a couple of points – Bishop Mike includes in his repertoire of sermons the story of a famous philosopher, mathematician and radical atheist of the 1950’s, whose scientific curiosity led him one day to examine the molecular structure of the carbon atom, and concluded that this, the most basic element which is present in every living organism, was so complicated that it could not possibly have evolved naturally, and had to be the result of an intentional design by a superior being, after which he became as devout a believer as he had previously been a non-believer. More recently, Francis Crick, one of the Nobel prize-winning scientists who discovered the “double-helix” structure of DNA also declared that the complexity of this structure meant that there could not be a sound scientific argument for evolution through natural processes, and concluded that a force of superior intelligence was responsible. Rather bizarrely, Dr. Crick then concluded that earth and all its life had been created by an extra-terrestrial, alien super-being. So near Dr. Crick, and yet so far! The Genesis story may be a part of Jewish folklore, and certainly similar creation stories exist in many cultures and faiths, but there is no reason to rely on an extra-terrestrial alien for the great creator, our God, who through His Holy Spirit is alive and dwells among us today.

Finally, the long-awaited day is nearly upon us, and may God bless Simon, Beata and Tomek in their life and ministry at St. Martin’s.

God bless you all

Keith