I have been doing a lot of thinking lately about evolution and creation.  In the past I have held firmly to the rare belief that God did not create the cosmos in a literal six days, but took His time.  I based this belief on the poetic nature of Genesis 1, the timelessness of God evidenced in verses like II Peter 3:8, and the piles of geological evidence that my father, a Christian geologist, showed me.  While I am certain that this belief is consistent with scripture, many Christians are appalled by my interpretation of facts.  

    Many feel that I am not trusting God, by looking to science instead of the Bible for answers regarding the nature of how the universe was created.  Now I am beginning to study biological evidence for evolution, and I am, quite frankly, overwhelmed by how convincing a case can be made for biological evolution.  This evidence is not from "bad" science, bent on disproving God, (although there is lots of that), but from good scientific work dedicated to finding a real understanding of the world we live in.  This has been very convicting for me, and has prompted a real examination of Genesis 1:1 in order to really find what in the creation account excludes evolution.  I am troubled, and relieved to report that I have found very little in Scripture to dissuade me from buying into evolution.  I am not completely convinced yet, and must undertake more study before I make my mind up.

    I fear though, that many Christians will chastise me for "abandoning" the Bible in exchange for science.  Thus here is my answer:

    God has revealed Himself to us in two ways; through Scripture and through His creation. Romans 1:20 Science is a tool that God gave us to better understand His creation.  As it would be foolish to neglect the study of scripture, isn't it also foolish to neglect the study of creation?  I don't understand why so many Christians are "afraid" of Science.  When Science provides evidence for a new understanding of the universe Christians often resist it.  When Copernicus came out with his theory that Earth and the other planets revolved around the sun, instead of everything in the universe revolving around Earth, the church was outraged.  Now, everyone accepts this theory as fact, and nobody questions weather or not it is consistent with scripture.

    The trouble is that radicals on both sides of the evolution debate have polarized the issue so much that the truth is clouded and hard for anyone to see.  (We live in the Shadow Lands).  Atheists such as Sam Harris and Christopher Hitchens have seized evolution from the real scientists and screamed that it shows how foolish belief in God is.  I can assure you that nothing in the science of evolution explains away God.  Meanwhile, aggressive Christians, many of whom know nothing of science, try to discredit evolution because it threatens what they believe.  Many times this belief is based on a poor understanding of scripture.  I think that we Christians need to relax. Complaining about evolution only shows our fear of it.  Evolution is a possible explanation of how the universe became the way it is today, it can never explain how the universe became. Is God so small that He could not have created the universe through a process?

    I've listed a few references to help if anyone else is curious about evolution.