"I'm not sure, but he seems to be inordinately fond of beetles."
— J.B.S. Haldane, when asked what the study of science taught him about "the creator"
In reference to Haldane's remark, this Australian ministry posts the following joke, which it credits to Ken Cox, about Adam naming the animals in Eden:
GOD: And here's the next species, one I'm particularly proud of …
ADAM: Beetle.
GOD: Excellent. Now here's another …
ADAM: Beetle.
GOD: No, you just named the last one "beetle." This one is quite different — look at the pattern on the wing cases, and the shape of the antennae …
ADAM: Beetle.
GOD: Well, OK, though they certainly look different to Me. Now, the next species is —
ADAM: Beetle.
One reason I believe Haldane's comment is excellent theology is his choice of the word "fond." That connotes both intimate familiarity and delight.
Fondness is exactly what God seems to be expressing in the final act of the book of Job. This ancient play begins as a dialogue between poor Job and four of his friends on the subject of human suffering. In the final act, God enters the scene and something unexpected happens. Instead of settling the debate and explaining the meaning of suffering, God launches an extended monologue about his fondness for creation, rhapsodizing about everything from ostriches to Orion.
Here's the bit on ostriches:
The wings of the ostrich flap joyfully, but they cannot compare with the pinions and feathers of the stork.
She lays her eggs on the ground and lets them warm in the sand, unmindful that a foot may crush them, that some wild animal may trample them.
She treats her young harshly, as if they were not hers; she cares not that her labor was in vain, for God did not endow her with wisdom or give her a share of good sense.
Yet when she spreads her feathers to run, she laughs at horse and rider.
God, as described in the Bible, is not always easy to understand, but this much is clear: God loves the way ostriches run.
The author of Job is perhaps a bit too harsh — ostriches are not completely "unmindful" as they watch over their eggs — but that's not the main point here. God is basically saying, "OK, how about those ostriches? I mean, brains aren't really their forte — but have you seen them run? Man can they run! It's something to see."
I like this portrait of God very much.
This highlights one particularly strange feature of so many of the "scientific creationists." Despite calling themselves "creationists," they seem to take little delight in creation itself. We can imagine another dialogue along the lines of the joke above:
GOD: How about those ostriches?
CREATIONIST: You made them on the fifth day, 6,000 years ago. Genesis 1:20, "And God said … let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the sky."
GOD: Yeah, well, they don't so much fly as run. They're flightless birds — ratites — kind of a fascinating evolutionary cul de sac, you know. But you've got to see these things run …
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