Religion: There are Different Kinds of Truths!!
The title is a statement made by Richard Harries, Bishop of Oxford[1]. Typical of any intelligent theist, he claims that “some of the Old Testament is literal, some isn’t” and insists that “Christians know what to believe and what not to”. For me, this logical non-sequitur sums it up! He might understand, but his flock doesn’t: in fact, they believe, and teach their children, quite the opposite.
What used to be ‘God’s divine creation’ eventually became ‘God’s will’ or the equally ambiguous ‘God works in mysterious ways’. As evolution was fully understood (well, by some), this was diluted even further to something like ‘God let it be’, meaning that he handed over the reins to mankind. It is terribly convenient that God has slowly lessened his grip, especially considering that, of all the processes to choose for the world (his 9th fresh planet that year I hasten to add) he selected evolution, a particularly slow, disjointed and cruel method. Why not just put us all here in the first place?!
Caught between being a very stupid Christian and an enlightened critic of the Bible, Harries holds an extremely precarious middle ground, insisting that, as has now become cliché, “God’s day may not be a human day”.
Importantly, as we develop and hopefully improve our knowledge as human beings, we have absolutely no need to revert to the bible, for re-interpretation and thus concord on our modern morals and actions. Give it up, Richard!
Dr Fern Elsdon-Baker, head of the Darwin Now Project, recently commented that, “the most encouraging aspect of the [recent Mori] survey shows that whilst there are diverse views on Darwin’s theory of evolution, there appears to a broad acceptance that science and faith do not have to be in conflict.” It must get uncomfortable on that fence …
The truth is: there is only one truth … and a mass of opinions and conjecture to go with it. We all must choose a path …
[1] In a debate with Richard Dawkins and Jeremy Paxman
