Faith

I was reading a couple of interesting articles on the origins of our species this morning. The first proposes that perhaps our human ancestors and chimps interbred to form a hybrid species that dies out a looooong time ago. Thankfully, I guess. Though I must say, I wondered where my extreme fondness of bananas came from. Did it really die out? The second article examines our past lineage and makes some predictions toward what the future possibly holds for our species. Really interesting stuff. And it seems to me that scientists have determined it to be a fairly clear fact that us humans all came from the same stuff in the same place.

Actually, I just linked to another article about a recent court ruling regarding science and religion in American schools in regard to the debate over the origin of humankind. I haven't read it all yet. Let's read it together. If you want to work your brain out further, have a read about intelligent design.

The debate is heated and ongoing.


I got to work and brought up what I'd read about things with my super-Catholic co-worker and she gave me the same response she always does when she doesn't understand me or doesn't agree with me. She stared at me like she was looking through me. And finally she smiled and said "I don't theenk so."

What? You don't think humans came from primates? You don't think the scientists theories and tests hold water? You don't think DNA means a thing? OJ? You don't think I like bananas with unexplained zealousness? I picked up a ruler and poked her in one of her staring eyes, "What don't you think?"
She smiled again.

An aside: it's a Korean thing to smile and not expand. Not explain. Not engage.
It bugs me.
I know what it means; that we're supposed to change the subject and move on to other things, and oft times I do. But sometimes, I play my "foreigner card" and trump their smile with my curiosity and stubbornness and I push my envelope a little.

"But it seems like it isn't even an "if" anymore. It seems like a "when and how" (our species evolved) these days."

She smiled again, and said "only God knows."
Hmph.

She's a biblical literalist. World: 7 days. Women: made of man's rib. Everything on Earth: saved in Noah's Ark. Red Sea: parted. Loaves and fish: magically many. Water: walked on.
Mmmmmm'kay.

I've got loads to read about loads of things, and I'm going to start on "biblical literalists." I need to read up on it, because I sincerely DON'T GET IT. I know the crux of belief in these matters relies on faith, but I don't get that either. And is it wrong of me to wonder about the intelligence of biblical literalists?

But I do. I question blind faith. I question those who don't question things. People who know me will attest to the fact that I question pretty much everything. "Why" is a wonderful world, as is "how" and "really?"

In a synchronistic kind of way, the Big Ho (Kevin) posts a bit about Sir Ian McKellan, one of the stars of the DaVinci Code movie, stating that the Bible should have a disclaimer in the front of it about it being fiction.

Kevin goes on to talk about, well, things. Good things. Go give him a read and have a think.

I surely don't think the Bible is fiction. As a child, I loved the stories. Noah and his Ark was fantastic. Lazarus was great! I had a deep appreciation for these tales, but then again I thought Santa and the Easter Bunny rocked. As I grew older, I was almost relieved to learn what a parable was. Suddenly, Jesus being the Son of God related to me specifically inasmuch as I was a child of God too. Suddenly, the seemingly fictitious tales of Noah and Moses and Mary and whomever started to make more sense in a not-so-literal way.

But still, years later, I question those who take these things literally.
Belief. Faith. Laziness?
I don't know.
But, I want a banana.