(aiming higher)

Psychological Warfare 505
“New eyes to see the dawn.”

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page 132, Ursula  K. Le Guin, ‘No Time To Spare.’

“ … if a poll-taker asked me, ‘Do you believe in evolution?’ my answer would have to be ‘No.’

I ought to refuse to answer at all, of course, because a meaningless question has only a meaningless answer. Asking me if I believe in evolution, in change, makes about as much sense as asking if I believe in Tuesdays, or artichokes. The word evolution means change, something turning into something else. It happens all the time.

The problem here is our use of the word evolution to signify the theory of evolution. This shorthand causes a mental short circuit: it sets up a false parallel between a hypothesis (concerning observable facts) and a revelation (from God, as recorded in the Hebrew Bible”) – which is then reinforced by our loose use of the word believe.

I don’t believe in Darwin’s theory of evolution. I accept it. It isn’t a matter of faith, but of evidence.

… the reality of actual things and events in time is subject to doubt, to hypothesis, to proof and disproof, to acceptance and rejection – not to belief and disbelief.”

She follows with … “I see no opposition between accepting the theory of evolution and believing in God.”

Ursula was poking at cognitive dissonance when she used the term ‘short circuit.’ We remove the veil that handicaps many by saying ‘the fact we have a tail bone means no Christian should believe in accept or embrace the theory of ‘biblical creationism.’

1^st Corinthians 13:10: “When the fullness of time allows us to see, we reject the myth that is used to blame Eve.” (gnofleas paraphrase)

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