And a Blessed Evolution Day to You!

Some good news this year from the Pew Research Center for those who care about science and equally, about the long standing campaign against science, particularly biological science (okay climate science is right up there, as well) by organized fundamentalists of several religions, but mostly Christians. This with an assist in this country from a certain political party that has annoyed me sufficiently that I shall refrain from naming it here.

Okay. That good news. About two thirds of Americans now say they believe in evolution. Of course that really is like saying about two thirds of Americans believe in gravity. So, this is a mixed thing.

But, I am about to digress in a major way. So, back to the new numbers.

As one digs into the data it is a bit more complex. Of course. We are dealing with human beings, here. About half of that number believe in the theory of natural selection, while the balance see a divine hand in the process. While this scares some, I’m not deeply concerned about the guiding hand idea. I don’t find it very likely, but I don’t see it as a problem like not believing in evolution at all. It’s there we get the bizarre and when one thinks about it, frightening stuff like Texas’ long standing controversy over text books teaching so-called “intelligent design” as a viable alternative theory. Getting down to brass tacks, it is impossible to do biology without evolutionary science. And that’s where we start moving into the morass. So, as I say, I’m not worried about extras hung on the Christmas tree of evolutionary science.

The important thing is the normalization of evolutionary theory as something assumed within our culture and our education system.

As such I’m a big fan of events like Darwin Day, where people both celebrate the amazing work of Charles Darwin on the 12th of February. And, while it hasn’t quite earned the traction of Darwin Day, today, which marks the publication of On the Origin of Species on this day one hundred, twenty years ago in 1859, as Evolution Day.

And so. Happy Evolution Day. May it bring the blessings of clear thinking and pursuing truth wherever it leads into all our lives.