We have an on going Creationism verses Science debate in our house. And I rather enjoy it.
As many of you know, an international student lives with us. Ky is from China. This is the second school year he has lived with us while going to high school here in the U.S. He is a sophomore.
But none of that has anything to do with our ongoing debate. I will tell you about how the debate begins.
Silence in Routine
When Ky first came to live with us, I asked him his religious beliefs. He said “nothing.” Unsure if he understood my question, I asked if he believes in any kind of god, he said no. I asked where he believes his family ends up after they die. He said no where. I explained my family’s Christian beliefs. He nodded in response. And that was that.
Since then Ky attends a Christian private school daily, the reason his parents sent him here. He gets an education from a Biblical perspective and knows Christian beliefs well. We haven’t pushed him on being a believer. After all, Christianity is very new to him and when he first came, he was only 14 years old. In the beginning there were big changes in that young boy’s life. We have only asked that he be respectful of what we believe.
Until recently, there hasn’t been a lot of religious discussion either. He makes it known that he doesn’t want to go to church services or church activities, but he goes along with it minus a lot of fuss. A little fuss, but not a lot. He bows his head when we pray and memorizes his assigned scripture from school. I assumed he may be open to Christianity. But you know what the assuming person looks like…
The Debate Begins
A couple weeks ago, we somehow began talking about the age of the earth. You know, the discussion of whether the earth is billions and billions of years old verses just thousands of years old. I mention my belief that the earth tends more toward thousands age bracket, and Ky lights up… and the debate begins. He implies, most respectfully, that my belief is absurd. Science certainly proves that the earth is much older than that. We go back and forth about monkeys, evolution, progress over the years, Noah and the flood, and get no where.
We even open the Bible and read the creation story, one he isn’t necessarily opposed to. Ky points out how details are left out, how there COULD be more time included in the creation process. How some aspects of the earth could have existed before God spoke the words (like the notion of time). Some of these details aren’t specified in the Bible, and in addition, could have gotten lost in translation.
I agree that his observations are possible, satisfied that Ky admits God COULD have existed and created. We each smile inside, thinking we have “manipulated” the other toward our side of a belief system.
Tangents
The earth’s age discussion leads to many interesting topics, like aliens, what Noah took on the ark, whether amoebas should be considered creatures and why Adam didn’t name them, whether Adam and Eve’s bodies possessed immunity before the fall, life after death and more debatable subjects. All Creation verses Science discussions.
I have to admit that I kind of dread Ky’s questions at first. I know he looks to debate because he is passionate about science, and I don’t know if I have the appropriate Christian rebuttals for him. And I don’t like confronting conversations either. He is the one asking the thought provoking questions. I am the one avoiding. Shame on me.
I Need A Challenge
But the whole situation turns out to be great in my opinion. Once I say out loud that we obviously see things differently, we are able to state our points without attacking. Both of us even had the other stumped here and there, causing the other to stop and think through an appropriate response from our given view point. And sometimes, each of us just had to say “I don’t know”.
I for one need to be challenged in my beliefs here and there, and forced to verbally defend them. I don’t want to be complacent. (My husband, on the other hand, doesn’t find the debates so pleasantly stimulating. He sees it more as defiant conversation. That’s ok I suppose. To each his own.)
Conclusions?
In the end, we agreed that I won’t be swayed to his scientific way of thinking, and he won’t be swayed to my “God way” of thinking. If I ask him if he believes in God, he says no way. But sometimes he talks about God as if he exists. And my thoughts go to, “So, your saying there’s a chance…” Movie quote for the day.
At the end of our debate night, my husband and I ultimately tell Ky that we engage in such conversations because we care about him and want what’s best for him. He seems to appreciate that. In addition, I tell him that I believe in God not because I have it all together like science does, but because I am needy. I need God in my life. I am thankful for what he has done for me. Do I understand every part of Christian beliefs? No. But that is where faith comes in. And it takes much more strength to belief in what we cannot see that it does to believe in what we can see.
Since then the topic of science verses creation comes up here and there. I think my husband and I are getting used to this conversation. My daughter makes some good points in our discussions too. Sometimes we needle each other with it, sometimes we seriously want to discuss. But I think we have come to the place where we respect each other’s thoughts, knowing we love the other despite our differing views. We have been in a good place since the debate begins. Or at least I am in a good place.
And as I said at the end of our initial debate, “That is all I have to say about that.” (Another movie quote.) But not really. It keeps coming up. 🙂
I kinda think he was right