An interesting post at Uncommon Descent today (it can be seen here). The contest winner answers the question of "Why does Earth's unique situation for science discovery threaten many?" Writer Bruce David asks the interesting question, what is your highest value? There are "those whose highest value is truth, and (also) those for whom being right is more important than anything else." And so, my question to all of us is this – what's more important to you, truth or your being right?
Now you may think I am taking a shot at the atheists out there with this question. But I think it applies at least equally, and perhaps more so, to Christians out there as well. I know I have had (many) times in my life where I wanted to prove someone else wrong (I'm speaking to you Tom L. and Ed, and others), rather than leading us both into a better understanding of what is true. If truth be told, I began reading the Bible just for the purpose of showing my older brother Bill that he was wrong (and that I was right) with his understanding of Christianity. And I am guessing I am not the only one out there to have preferred being right over truth. And so, Mr. David's article raises an important question, why do we fight so hard to show that we are right, especially when the evidence is against us?
Here is the rest of Mr. David's article:
…Imagine that you have grown up into a smug atheist, secure in your beliefs, looking down your nose with benign condescension on those benighted souls who, being either ignorant, stupid, insane, or (dare I say it) wicked, persist in believing in that ancient superstition, the existence of a Creator. Now imagine that suddenly, without warning, science itself has begun to turn on you–cosmology has determined that the Universe had a beginning, the fundamental constants of physics and cosmology are turning out to have been incredibly fine tuned to support the existence of life, the stunning complexity and sophistication of the cell beggars any naturalistic explanation of its origin, and the neo-Darwinian synthesis is being called into question by unanswerable attacks on its explanatory power.
In such a situation, if you are one of those for whom being right is your highest value, one who has identified yourself as a member of the elite who know the obvious truth of things, all this evidence for the existence of a Creator will not just be a threat to your beliefs, it will be a threat to what you imagine is the very core of your being.
And now Guillermo Gonzalez adds fuel to this blaze by providing powerful evidence that the earth itself, the home of and support for human life, is in a highly improbable position perfect for the pursuit of scientific inquiry. Is it any wonder that this is a threat?
The great thing about Antony Flew is that his life has been devoted to a genuine search for truth, and he has always respected those with whom he disagreed. Thus, he had no emotional stake in the outcome of his inquiries, and when the evidence became overwhelming for the existence of a Creator, he happily changed his mind. He is one of my heroes.
I hope this article has caused you to pause for a moment and think about the importance of truth in your life. And so my take away is that we should all embrace truth wherever it is found. Yes, sometimes there can be misreporting of evidence, and untrustworthy sources to be careful of, but I think most of us now what is true when we see it. And how we handle truth when it challenges our long-held beliefs is a good measure of a person's character. Therefore, let us go seek that which is true. Thanks.
1 comment:
Tom, I couldn't agree with you more. Never let wishful thinking get in the way of what the evidence suggests.
The idea of a loving, all-powerful Creator, who put together an entire multi-spatial universe just for us is a wonderful idea. This Creator would give our existence meaning, our lives purpose, and remove the fear about our deaths.
However, there is no evidence to support this. How many times can it be said that "If NOT Darwin, then definitely the Christian GOD." is NOT good logic. Even if there WERE solid support for specific Creation (which there isn't, despite your weak and repetitive arguements about fine tuning and cell structure), there certainly isn't anything that would cause me to choose one Creation myth over another...
To me, the person the author of the post seems to be describing is himself. "...science itself has turned..." ??? Poppycock! Creationists are using twisted snippets of science, pounded into pseudo-shapes of poor logic, to continue a desperate rear-guard action to preserve their cherished beliefs against an onslaught of actual truth.
For every "hole" that apologists and ravers like Behe think they've found in Evolution, a dozen new discovery are made that validate the strength of the fossil record and Evolutionary theory in general.
The author of the post says we shouldn't hang on to our sacred cows when the evidence supports a differing view. This is EXACTLY what Evolution Theory is all about. The Theory of Evolution is a far cry from what it was in Darwin's day. WE have changed our ideas to match the evidence. Biblical Creationists, on the other hand, have changed their ideas very little in the past 2000 years. The Church (and I use this term to denote the Christian churches in general, not just the RCs) has fought nearly every scientific advancement since Galileo first put two lenses in a tube. Talk about denying truth to keep a hold on cherished belief!
Galileo let go of what he had been taught when he gathered new evidence. Newton helped explain what Galileo saw. Einstein filled in the gaps that Newton left behind. Hawking filled in a few more. I follow their teaching, and example.
Behe, on the other hand, has contributed no new knowledge to our libraries. All he has done is to throw handful after handful of mud at the Theory of Evolution. First the irreducible eye was reduced. Then the irreducible wing was reduced. Now the irreducible cell is getting closer and closer to being reduced. When will Behe finally let go, and embrace Truth? When will you quit following his misguided attempts at preserving ancient myth and superstition?
My life is not based on something that MUST be true. New FACTS will never cause my world to crumble around me. Can you say the same?
Veritas libertas,
~E~
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