Why Evolution is True:
THOUGHTS ON JERRY A COYNE’S BOOK IN SUPPORT OF EVOLUTION
by Azrael Encarnacion
I'm discovering, while reading Jerry A. Coyne's New York Times bestseller, Why Evolution is True, that more annoying to me than a creationist, is a scientist trying hard to convince one about evolution.
I'm about almost halfway through this very insightful book, written no doubt, by someone who is passionate about evolution and sharing its wonders; but nonetheless the work is anchored by its determination to arm believers of evolution against creationists. Coyne even admits in his preface, detailing the book's focus, "for the many who find themselves uncertain, or who accept evolution but are not sure how to argue their case..."
Don't get me wrong, I'm no creationist and yes I believe the notion that God created the Earth and all the inhabitants within it as told by Genesis, all within six literal days, to be ridiculous! If I were a scientist, I would probably find it offensive to the massive collection of data and hard work by countless individuals who've organized facts and tested theories to further define their processes. All to have someone brush it off because they've placed their faith in a literal telling of a religious book, that places Man as special over all of God's creations. But Coyne and any other person who becomes salty enough to argue a creationist into a submission hold of logic is just as ridiculous.
The creation story sounds like poetic magic. Its beautiful in any form its told, whether Christian or various myths from Egyptian, Aztec, Greek and East Asian sources. Its full of the language that simplifies nature yet elevates it at the same time. Anyone who believes in a creation myth literally is operating on another level of understanding. They're accepting a world much wider than that of reason and science. Its almost a waste of time to try and reason with that kind of logic (or lack thereof).
Why Evolution is True, so far, is delightful in its information about evolution but whenever Coyne takes a stab at creationist, I find myself defending them. This is an annoying hiccup! What I keep thinking is, it doesn't matter what you write, if God created it all, then its beyond our natural science because a god would defy all nature science, wouldn't it?
Coyne actually says it best when at the end of Chapter 3, after talking about Bad Designs and how they seem typical of a natural process like evolution rather than an intelligent designer, "if a designer did have discernible motives when creating species, one of them must surely have been to fool biologists by making organisms look as though they evolved."
Yes! That would totally be possible if an all-powerful, all-knowing god did indeed exist. That's why intelligent design is so acceptable by those who believe it. How do you combat that? How do you wrestle a thing as supernatural as a ghost? The attempt to do so by Coyne, comes off as writing a book on toy manufacturing to arm debunkers of Santa Claus.
I've read Kenneth Miller's Only a Theory a few years back. Miller is a warrior for evolution testifying in hearings whenever there is a controversy with evolution being taught in schools in the U.S. I've also watched some of his lectures on the subject and back then, even though I was already a fanboy of evolution, he brought me up to speed with all the clear evidence for and solidified a more concrete understanding of what evolution actually is.
Miller's Only a Theory was not direct artillery against creationists. It was a reinforcement of what a "theory" means in science and distancing it as a synonym for estimated opinion, which is a common tactic creationists use to discredit evolution. Miller actually believes in God. His ability to function as both scientist and Christian have not wavered either from the other.
Its hard for me to enjoy science when it bullies its ideas onto others. By bullying, I mean trapping the argument in logic that can only really go one way. Ignoring that creationist logic is fueled primarily by faith. When their faith makes them see 4 fingers when you've got 5 raised, what are you gonna do? Take them to Room 101 till they change their mind, heart etc.?
I think Coyne could have found a better approach to tackle this discord between perspectives. I certainly would have appreciated it more. Evolution is a fascinating subject, in its transformation of nature from simple to complex there is, in itself, a poetic majesty that makes me feel connected to a marvelous universe where such things are possible. I'm not part of any religion and I'm not a scientist, intuitively, evolution just feels right. A book about why it faithfully feels right would be interesting. Or one where evolution is explained as a creation myth (hahahaha, now I'm trolling).
Ionno, maybe its up to me to stop bitching about Coyne's book and write my own. Whatever the case, I am looking forward to finishing Why Evolution is True. Maybe I'll learn Coyne's fear of what happens when its believed to be false.