Say No to Turkana Boy?

A report comes from Ethics Daily that a Kenyan Bishop is opposing the display of "Turkana Boy" in Kenya's national museum. Though "Turkana Boy," is the best preserved and most complete example of Homo Erectus found to date -- and dates to 1.6 millions years ago -- the Bishop's reading of Genesis precludes it's display.

And so it goes -- even in this country a sizable number of people believe that what they see in our natural history museums is just a big lie! Instead, they'd prefer a visit to the Paluxy River in Texas where we're told they'll find tracks of humans and dinosaurs together -- as you would expect if you were using the Flinstones as you're science text!

James Evans writes and I agree:

Bishop Adoyo has not called for a nationwide debate on the merits of evolutionary theories. Instead he is flexing political muscle. He is calling on evangelicals to boycott the museum and has demanded that Turkana Boy be moved to a back room with a big warning sign that says, "Evolution is not a fact."

Which is pretty much what happens in this country as well. In science versus faith battles across the land, the faith community lifts up the Bible, declares they are right and the scientists are wrong, and then you end up with a sticker on a text book that says, "Evolution is just a theory."

For over 500 years people of faith have been at war with people of science. In nearly everyone of these contests--from whether the sun revolves around the earth or to whether illness is caused by demons--the faith position has proven to be incorrect.

Science helps us understand how God did something; it does not remove God from the process. Science may challenge narrow, literalistic readings of the Bible, but it does not necessarily diminish God in any way. That is unless our view of God is too small.

Comments

Anonymous said…
As a Christian and as a Kenyan I feel that the whole evolution vs. creationism debate is a complete waste of time .For hundred of years Kenyans have worshipped and believed in the one true God and studied Evolution. Some of the people involved in the evolution discoveries in Kenya, infact a majority of them are bible believing Christians. Evolution in Kenya is taught in schools from as early as elementary school .I even remember trips to the national museum to see "Lucy”. Christian religious education-CRE is also a compulsory subject in elementary school just like science .Meaning that Evolution is also taught as a compulsory subject.

As a Kenyan I have never had an issue with the Evolution theory! It’s just a theory .My only worry today is the importation of "western values" to Kenya that have nothing to do with Christianity .Faith in God is exactly that! Faith, it can not be hammered into someone .It is a gift from God. A good Christian church should not have an issue with evolution theory. If sound teaching of Christianity is taught the people will know were the truth lies .You can never hide the truth .Church leaders should stop being influenced by American evangelicals who want to Americanize Christianity.(Creation vs. Evolution is an American debate not a Christian debate) Faith can not be gained by locking up scientific theories in back rooms. If your faith in God is so fragile that it can not stand the challenge of an old theory then maybe you need to be reading the bible more and fighting the theory less. it is activities that call for artifacts to be stored /hidden that give Evolutionist a voice .Christian have nothing to fear .We have lived with evolution’s 'evidence' but Kenyans have always known that God created the world including Adam.

The bible is very clear that to the world our faith is foolishness .But none the less it is the truth .We can not and should not hide fossils. Our faith can withstand and indeed it has withstood any challenge thrown against it .Let Creationists and Evolutionist fight it out in America. We know what is true .God created everything .We don’t need to argue about it

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