That Mean Evolutionist Called Me a Name!

One of my daughters showed me a snazzy new app that, with a bar code scan of any product, will tell you the political leanings of the company's top officers and any political groups and PACs receiving their financial support. I'm guessing it helps you target for boycott products marketed by those whose views don't match your own and happily fellow travel with those who do.

I'm not much of a boycotter. I buy or not based on personal needs and preferences. When I'm bumbling up and down the aisles juggling problem solving, looking well informed and trying to get a good deal, the policy views of CEOs, directors, sales staff or assembly line workers don't factor in too much. I don't have to like every opinion tossed into the arena of ideas, nor pretend they are all of equal worth, but anyone, even corporate officers, are welcome to hold any view they like. Boycotting, protesting, picketing, ostracism and the attendant name calling to change someone's view seems silly to me.

It was curious then, in our open and enlightened age, to recently see a believer in evolution label as 'invalids' those who aren't so convinced. "Invalids"? Really? I'm guessing in his subtle way he meant only a mental, emotional or intellectual invalid would think differently than he does. Ouch! Confirmation bias and projection of Freud's father figure aside, I've seen some pretty convincing evidence that there might just be a Creator behind everything except those dumb people on COPS who never know how the bag of dope got in their undershorts. I can't explain them. The prickly evolutionist's charge of invalidism to those still halting between two opinions was given heft with a word from Bill Nye The Science Guy. Bill implored parents who don't fully embrace evolution as an adequate explanation for what can be seen to please refrain from saddling their kids with such a narrow concept as creation. Bill said the world needs them to be free from the notion of creation and implied a waiting world is counting on them to embrace evolution as the only explanation. No others need apply. End of discussion.

Look, when the topic is 'how did everything happen?' you know the answer or answers can't be small. What is humanly known set next to what might be knowable is likely a BB alongside the sun. Adaptation explains some things. Clearly, many things have changed over long stretches of time. Some things might be better explained as products of design and just maybe, there's a designer sneaking around behind the design. At this point there seems to be a lot of puzzle pieces missing and I'm not sure anyone is in a position of authority sufficient to rule out either the marvels of the scientific method and the discoveries of insightful, super observant people or the possibility of a creative act by a really big, really smart, really resourceful being.

My real problem with evolution is the evolutionists. There are so many competing agendas and voices, some shrill and reedy and some as inviting and mellifluous as an NPR host. After all the fireworks, claims and counter claims, I'm still really not clear what it is I'm being asked to assent to. I can't sort out all the denominations of evolutionists and it sure doesn't help to see a spokesmen for the cause verbally dope slapping a guy who's not quite on board. Invalids? Really? I know some pretty robust, open minds not on board yet.

When the question is "Where did it, we, all of it come from?", a question so intriguing that it begs a real puzzler like, "does it mean anything?", it's not time to shut down any reasonable voice. Additionally and to match the great girth of the question, "reasonable" should be allowed a pretty broad definition. Not every voice has equal weight in every sphere, of course. The Fundamentalist evangelist won't be much help in the molecular biology lab. He will be a nuisance to the serious white coats and the agnostic has very little to say to the frightened North Korean believer who is encouraged by the still small voice in her closet of prayer. Boycotting good ideas just because they aren't yours is dumb.

Name calling! Is that any way to treat an invalid?