Comments on: First Person: Evolve

By: Kristen Randle

Kristen Randle — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 16:27:15 +0000

This is delightful. Do you know that Brigham Young, in his statement about science, which I should be able to quote here – but can’t find at the moment – in talking about the “age” of the planet – (could that be quite different than the age of the world?) that science may say one thing (which he respected profoundly) and popular religion another, but he didn’t know. He, himself, the prophet, didn’t know, and didn’t care. It didn’t matter.

And that’s always been my feeling about religion and science – I believe that God designed and built the universe, including our world and its environment and physics -= how he did it, and what tools he used? Who knows? Why does it matter? It’s fun and useful to explore the science of our physical systems; certainly it has changed the quality of our physical lives, mostly for the good. But it hasn’t changed the physical nature of man – to do war, to survive at all costs, to put survival above all things.

I believe evolution is a true principle of science – we see it around us in the world every day. There’s so much evidence that creatures have evolved since they were set her on this plant. But human beings (I don’t believe we are descended from apes, thanks – I mean, we and the apes share the planet at the present time and have very different concerns) have a job to do here beyond being part of the system. I think we are outside of the system; from the second we were self-aware, we’ve been interfering with every natural system there is.

Our business here is unique. Our power to save or destroy remarkable and also unique. That alone demands long and thoughtful consideration.

By: Amanda D

Amanda D — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 14:18:31 +0000

Interesting post. Some things are definitely need to know…and we have to have the faith to accept what we don’t understand. Thanks for sharing your experience.

By: Brenda

Brenda — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 22:56:55 +0000

I was reminded of this experience while reading a CNN newsroom blog regarding Mitt Romney. Several commenters disregarded his experience completely by commenting over and over. “How could anyone vote for someone who believes the earth is 6,000 only years old?”

Sometimes I read the comments associated with Mitt Romney’s name to see how our Church is being viewed by the blogging public. I felt that comment was an attack on LDS beliefs and not Mr. Romney’s politial platform. Which is why it rubbed me the wrong way.

I think there is plenty of space in our religion for us to be scientifically minded and have faith the God. I wanted to title this post By Intelligent Design as a play on words of a movement going on here in the United States as well as some other countries abroad. I feel that it is by Supremely Intelligent Design that there are still mysteries of the universe because that leaves room for us to seek God, to ask Him, the creator of the universe, questions like How? When? and Why?

It is quite possible, that at 18, my training and knowledge were insufficient for a technical answer. I was however, more than satisfied with the answer I got. As a result, I developed a pattern of turning to God with the tough questions from that time on.