Issue #60
Last Update October 22, 2008
Commentary November 2007 Much has been made lately of the fact that most of the Republicans running for President don't believe in the Theory of Evolution, or do believe in Creationism or Intelligent Design. That frames the issue in entirely the wrong terms. When looking at the universe and its contents, belief is irrelevant. One can believe in the Trinity, the Flying Spaghetti Monster, the Tooth Fairy, or in the honesty of ones Congressperson. When it comes to facts, however, one either recognizes the fact, rejects the fact or says the validity of the item in question is not yet determined. The fact, however, exists irrespective of our opinion of it.
The importance of a candidate's stand on Evolution is not that his or her religious beliefs are strong, weak or nonexistent. It is that this issue is an indicator of whether or not that person is able to deal with facts as they are, rather than as he would like them to be. The universe doesn't care. Evolution goes on regardless of anyone's opinion of it.
It is ironic that Darwin and many of his original defenders were religious; several were prominent clergymen. They were of the opinion that God had created a wonderful universe, and understanding that universe was a way of glorifying God. That position, too, was irrelevant, except in its effect on human behavior. The universe doesn't need our approval; it just is, and ignoring or distorting its structure and operation just gets us into trouble eventually. Pretending a rock isn't there means that not only do you stub your toe, but but the pain could have been avoided.
It's true that our knowledge is not perfect. One of the differences between science and religion is that science is continually checking what it knows against what is, and when differences appear, what it knows changes to more closely approximate what is. In the meantime, what we know is the best approximation to what is that we can come up with, and is the best foundation for action.
Ignoring or distorting physical fact means forgoing the benefits that understanding and using those facts could bring, and makes us less able to cope intelligently with the ethical and moral dilemmas that might arise from a fuller understanding of how nature really works. A morality founded on willful ignorance always turns out to be harmful.
Coming back to those politicians: who would you want to lead the country through a difficult and complex situation: one willing to face the facts and plan accordingly, or one who shuts his eyes, covers his ears, and says loudly, “La la la I can't hear you.” We are just ending an Administration whose spokesmen derided the “reality-based community”. We don't need another President of that sort.
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