Jubilee Johnston’s letter-to-the-editor (Clarion, Nov. 25) does well to note that “… students are not being taught … that both evolutionism and creationism are faith based.” It would be better said that “students are not being taught that both Materialism and Theism are faith based.”
First, there is no inherent or necessary disagreement between a theory of evolution and creationism. Many Theists — Jews, Muslims, Christians, etc. — believe that God could have used a process of evolution by which to create life.
The real disagreement is between Materialism and Theism. Materialism/Scientific Materialism is the belief that the material world is all that exists, and Materialism is by definition atheistic — there is no possibility of a God. Far too often Materialists dishonestly tout their atheistic Materialism in the guise of evolutionary theory.
Both Materialism and Theism are grounded in faith, and both retreat to a single, self-authenticating source of authority which is accepted by faith. Moreover, one’s faith further defines what one accepts as fact. The Materialist’s faith sees only blind matter. The Theist’s faith sees the hand of God — “In Him we live and move and have out being.”