Evolution

Lets take a few steps back here. Does anyone remember reading my first post? Is anyone even reading this entry, let alone this blog? In case you don't remember, it was about my views on religion. Let me restate the post in a few words: I think that religion is a blight upon the earth, but do not blame those who have fallen prey to it. In any case, two days ago in biology, I came to learn that the person sitting next to me did not believe in evolution and instead believed that earth was created by God. I stared dumbly at him for a few seconds and replied with a rather vacant "what?". When I realized that this person was not in fact joking and earnestly believed in creationism, my first impulse was not to hold him in low esteem as I always feared I would, but to be curious. I asked him what he thought of dinosaurs and either he evaded the question or I was too confused to understand his response. My second impulse, to my confusion, was not to argue with him over the lack of scientific evidence supporting creationism, or for that matter Christianity in general. Instead, I suddenly felt immense pity, not because I thought that he was wasting his life but because he was being taught that something he didnt believe in was a fact. In the past I had always been among the most ardent supporters of evolution's involvement in education, and I still am, but now I see that even something that seemed as clear cut and obvious as that has an ugly side. Regardless of whether they are right or wrong, having what must seem like someone's false opinion shoved down one's throat by an authority figure must be a traumatic experience. In spite of this ethical dilemma, however, I still hold fast to the principles of science and continue to believe that evolution should be taught in schools. I believe that people must know the truth, but now I see that there are sometimes consequences, for a scientific theory is not clear-cut to one who does not trust scientific principles. It seems as if everything in this world has a dark side, but I am not willing to give up on the world yet.