Thoughts on Nature, Creation and Expanding the Mind

The LORD brought me (Wisdom) forth as the first of his works,

before his deeds of old;

I was formed long ages ago, at the beginning

when the world came to be.

Proverbs 8:22, 23

Great Blue Heron in flight- the largest bird I counted this spring.

Over the past 3 years, Great Blue Herons have started a rookery in a swamp that is a short bike ride from our home. I counted at least seven nests this year and enjoyed watching the birds come and go as they cared for their young. The heron above flew in front of me, and I was delighted to get a clear picture of it. Great Blue Herons in flight remind me of Pterodactyls, flying reptiles that lived millions of years ago during the time of dinosaurs. I also know that the bones of their powerful wings consist of a humerus, radius, ulna, carpal bones and three phalanges, very similar to human upper extremities. Likewise, the pectoral fins of whales are modified forelimbs with the same bony configuration.

"Adolescent" Great Blue Whale skeleton, focusing on a pectoral fin- Canadian Museum of Nature, Ottawa, ON

When I look at herons and whales, I think about the origins of the earth and of the species that lived here in the past and present. Growing up in the 1960s, my parents were open to the view that creation could have happened over eons of time, with each creation day representing an unknown age. I was also taught that evolution was wrong. In recent years, evangelical Christians have strongly promoted Young Earth Creationism, stating that creation happened in a literal 144-hour period of time. I bought books for my children that presented this view as truth. Regretfully, I never researched or presented alternate theories of creation to my children, even those thoughtfully presented by scientists who believed in Intelligent Design by a divine creator. 

I am currently reading The Scandal of the Evangelical Mind by Mark A. Noll. Originally published in 1994 and republished in 2022, the introduction states:

"...the book is both a scholarly analysis of evangelical anti-intellectualism and "an epistle from a wounded lover" by an intellectual who feels betrayed by evangelical Christianity's neglect of "sober analysis of nature, human society, and the arts". 

Anti-intellectualism is on the rise, not only in evangelical Christianity but also in society as a whole. "Facts" are gleaned and forwarded from social media and other questionable sources without thorough cross-checking and verification. Critical thinking is replaced by emotional acceptance of things we see as truth because they fit within the framework of our personal point of view. There is a reluctance to debate alternative theories or to look at scientific thought and historical perspectives. 

The human genome was mapped between 1990 and 2003, well after I graduated from university. This knowledge has provided new and effective treatments for cancer as well as potential gene editing for disease-producing mutations. The mapping of human DNA has also added insight into human migration patterns and evolutionary history. When I graduated in the mid-1970s, there were no CT scans, no MRIs, and diabetics could not test their blood sugar, relying instead on urine testing. The improvement in medical therapies and surgical expertise during my career in health care was astounding. Yet there is increased suspicion today regarding vaccines, pharmaceuticals, novel medical treatments, and science in general. 

I follow Reverend Dan Scott, a pastor and theologian of my generation who grew up in the same denomination as my family. He has pursued knowledge and wisdom for decades and writes thoughtful posts about faith, technology, AI, and science. Today he wrote,

"American evangelicalism has always had an uneasy relationship with intellectual formation. Anti-intellectualism has long existed within the movement, particularly in our country. Yet evangelicalism also once produced serious scholars of Scripture, capable of engaging science, philosophy, literature, politics, and the arts from a recognizably Christian perspective. Today, however, it is not uncommon for scholars with impeccable evangelical convictions to find themselves viewed with greater suspicion by their own communities than by the secular world."

Denis O. Lamoureux is the Professor of Science and Religion at St. Joseph's College at the University of Alberta, in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. He has doctoral degrees in dentistry, theology, and biology and is a professing Christian who attends a Pentecostal church. I read his personal story in the autobiographical book Struggling with God and Origins. He offers some of his web lectures and handouts free to anyone interested in studying various creation theories. His stated goal is to have students study research and evidence so they can respectfully determine and defend their own creation theory. I plan to review his materials over the next few weeks.

From the majestic Great Blue Heron to the tiny but stunning Blackburnian Warbler pictured below, my exploration of the natural world deepens my desire to gain knowledge and wisdom, knowing there will always be some tension regarding questions that may not have black-and-white answers. 

Migrating Blackburnian Warbler near my home this week