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A UMNS Commentary
By Gary B. Sherman*
7:00 A.M. ET January 4, 2012
A web-only illustration courtesy of wordle.net.
An article, “Six Reasons Young Christians Leave Church,” highlights results from a study by the Barna Group. The findings were reported in the recently published book, “You Lost Me: Why Young Christians Are Leaving the Church ... and Rethinking Faith” by David Kinnaman.
This nationwide study found evidence that for too many young folk,
“Churches come across as antagonistic to science.” The study found
“three out of 10 young adults with a Christian background feel that
churches are out of step with the scientific world we live in (29
percent)” and that many young people are “turned off by the
creation-versus-evolution debate.”
The research also “shows that many science-minded young Christians are
struggling to find ways of staying faithful to their beliefs and to
their professional calling in science-related industries.”
These findings are a clarion call for The United Methodist Church to be
more accepting of science throughout all our ministries for the benefit
of all God’s children. Embracing an attitude of reconciliation and
partnership with science will be essential if we hope to attract young
people and keep them engaged in pursuit of a rich spiritual life —
rather than repelled from it — in a modern world where science continues
to reveal objective truths about the natural world.
An Evangelical Lutheran Church in America brother in Christ, the Rev.
Greg Cootsona, “found (him)self wondering whether members of (his)
church really wanted to hear about how Big Bang cosmology relates to
Genesis 1, or what the image of God means in light of contemporary brain
science.” A trial balloon revealed the answer was unambiguously “yes” —
his congregation was eager to explore how science interacts with
theology.
Important to learn more
In this age of wide-ranging and significant scientific advancements,
pastors certainly do not need to “teach” science. But, it is important
for pastors to become more accepting of objective truths and pre-eminent
scientific theories about the natural world upon which every single one
of God’s children lives, most in desperate poverty.
To help other pastors bring the message to their congregations that
science and theology can be complementary, Cootsona founded the Scientists in Congregations
program to “identify resources for congregations and to catalyze
conditions for a sustained, rich, generative engagement between science
and faith.” Many denominations, including United Methodism, have
recognized the advantages of the program. Because the program’s funding
is limited, it is available now to only a few dozen churches
Fortunately, Sunday school classes and interest groups can use existing
free or low-cost resources that promote and teach the compatibility of
science with theology. For example, Dr. Francis Collins, director of the National Institutes of Health and an evangelical Christian, has developed an excellent study and discussion series, “Religion and Science: Pathways to Truth.”
This series offers extensive educational support materials including
DVDs, participant guides, a leader’s guide and a course website that
could be adapted for use in any number of church settings to help guide
learning, reflection and discussion.
Not wanting to lose teens and young adults who have been made disciples
for Christ, our United Methodist General Conference has, at each
quadrennial meeting since 1992, moved in a variety of ways in a similar
direction to the Evangelical Lutheran Church in American regarding
evolution.
The United Methodist Church's official positions as stated in the Book of Discipline (2008, ¶160.I.F) and Book of Resolutions (Resolutions 5052 and 1027)
on science and evolution forthrightly and courageously address key
issues at the interface of science and theology. General Conference is
the denomination’s top lawmaking body. Through its official statements,
the denomination has taken a stand against how some are using the debate
in ways that threaten both constitutionally guaranteed religious
freedoms and the constitutional rights of students in public school
science classrooms.
Debate put to rest
The creation-versus-evolution debate was put to rest within science more
than a century ago. Scientific evolutionary theory now is so
extensively corroborated by overwhelming convergent evidence from many
disparate traditional and emerging scientific disciplines that the
proportion of scientist-adherents versus scientist-dissenters has become
unprecedented. On June 29, 1987, Newsweek reported that of the 480,000
earth and life scientists in the United States, 99.85 percent
accept evolution over creationist explanations of the natural history
of our planet and its myriad life forms. Pope Pius XII put the debate to
rest in Catholicism in his 1950 encyclical when he stated that
evolution is not in conflict with theology. The Presbyterian Church
(U.S.A.), United Church of Christ, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in
America, The United Methodist Church and others have followed suit with
similar statements from their leaders.
The task now is to educate all ages of our membership that the debate is
over. We can explore the mysteries of the natural world and universe —
the realm of science — and at the same time seek moral, ethical and
spiritual guidance within humanity’s many faith traditions — the realm
of religion. We need to understand that the creation stories in
Scripture — some would call them parables or metaphors — use
scientific-appearing descriptions to teach subjective truths about
interpersonal relationships and spiritual responsibilities, but they do
not represent scientific thinking or theories, and they do not reveal
objective truths about natural history of the world and universe.
The young folk are right. To deny evolution is simply anti-science.
Denial of evolution also demands rejection of reason and experience —
two of the four capacities John Wesley urged all Methodists to bring to
bear upon the task of developing a more complete understanding of faith
and God’s many gifts. In our society, where creationists speak loudly,
silence about how religion and science are compatible also comes across
as anti-science and anti-reason.
General Conference guidance
Knowing that many clergy are not science experts, General Conference has provided guidance and resources through its official “endorse[ment of] The Clergy Letter Project and its reconciliatory programs between religion and science and urges United Methodist clergy participation.” The Clergy Letter Project is available for all of our congregations to participate.
As of this writing, more than 13,000 clergy of many faiths, including many United Methodists, have signed The Clergy Letter.
The United Methodist denomination and so many thousands of individual
Christian clergy have enthusiastically lent their public endorsement to
the clergy letter initiative because of the inspired message of the mere
two-paragraph letter. That message shines a light upon a path that has
been elusive for such a very long time and sensibly reconciles
scientific and religious perspectives on creation through a better
understanding of the “different orders of truth” each is committed to
exploring.
Each February since 2006, the Clergy Letter Project has promoted the celebration of Evolution Weekend
— originally Evolution Sunday — and your congregation is invited to
participate during 2012. Last year, more than 650 churches from all 50
states participated. Sign up for Evolution Weekend 2012 by sending Dr.
Michael Zimmerman (mz@TheClergyLetterProject.org) an email with your name and title and the name and address of your church.
What a great opportunity to show the scientists and science-friendly
members in your congregation — especially the youthful ones — that your
church’s Open Hearts, Open Minds and Open Doors are fully open to them
as well!
*Sherman, a veterinarian and life scientist, taught and conducted
research for 25 years and now serves as National Program Leader for
Veterinary Science at the USDA’s National Institute of Food and
Agriculture. He is a member of Oakdale Emory United Methodist Church in
Olney, Md.
News media contact, Maggie Hillery, Nashville, Tenn. (615)-742-5470 or newsdesk@umcom.org.
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