Sometimes Good People Can Disagree (?)

Okay, friends. I have a dirty little secret, and I hope you don't hate me when you find out what it is.

I believe in evolution.

I thought you're a Christian????...

And I am. Many mainstream Christians and mainstream Christian churches believe in evolution to some degree. There are many different kinds of evolution, many evolutionary theories. I don't want to get into a philosophical argument or bring anyone over to my side. My vision of God is big enough to include Him possibly creating creatures capable of changing and growing with their environment. And that's all I'm gonna say on the topic.

I feel like a traitor to my beliefs sometimes, because most homeschoolers stand on the other side of that ideological chasm. I don't want to cause trouble. I don't want to debate. I've read their books and I still believe what I believe. I could never trust in a God who would try to trick me by making the world look older and more potentially diverse than it is. God seems, well, nicer than that, at least the Guy I talk to every day. But most homeschoolers won't let you join in their reindeer games if they see your bright shiny red scientifically modern nose. So I nod and smile when they tell me about the latest cool curriculum they found. I say nothing when they laugh about dinosaurs--you know, those fictional creatures.

Last year, my then eleven-year-old almost lost his religion entirely because several adults in his life presented religion and science as an either/or proposition. Thanks, guys. We talked it through, and my future physicist is still shaky in his faith.

That's okay, because I don't think adults should have to lie about what they believe. They had every right to share their thoughts. I wish I had the same luxury.

It came up again today at a play group. It always comes up. sigh And I kept my mouth shut. Part of me pats myself on the back for being so gracious; part of me feels like a big fat liar.