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Reynolds Rap

Reynolds Rap

Harry Reynolds  /  October 13, 2011  /  Views: 464  /   1 Comment

Warning: This column will make some people mad. In fact, it is well within the realm of possibility there will be riots in the streets, which, we all know - according to the well-worn mob justice formula - will force the people who put out this fine newspaper to go into hiding.

A friend of my, Chardonnay, named after the wine, an Apostolic, finds herself at odds with me over evolution. Her father, also of that fine faith, must, one admit, have a well-honed sense of humor.

We have something in common, her father, being staunch supporters of the National Rifle Association. His sons have names like Winchester, Remington, and AK-47. You want our guns; you will have to pry them out of our cold, dead hands.

Before my first child, Michelle, was born, my wife talked me into getting rid of my arsenal. I guess she worried about Michelle being a safe-cracker. I also gave up my cigarettes, thanks to the old "You don't want her to grow up without a daddy."

Chardonnay wears long denim skirts (or is it blouse?); a well-mannered, gentle girl, who retains her faith in an unfaithful world, engages in debate with me over the evolution versus creationism thing.

I was baptized as a fundamentalist, in a river, at the age of 16. The preacher, a man with calloused hands, a tree surgeon, performed the ritual. As a preacher, he was on the shy side; he did not read easily; there was no slickness to him; he did not relish the collection plate; all-in-all, he was a simple man of God.

Fundamentalists take the Bible straight, as the literal Word of God. That being said, the Bible's history of the universe (earth included) being a handful of millenniums, while evolution points to the universe exploding from a singularity some 13.5-billion years ago, are irreconcilable.

The existence of dinosaurs, both camps - but the time element diverges significantly. Evolution sets the demise of the last dinosaur at 65-million years ago. Dinosaurs ruled the world for hundreds-of-millions of years, for those subscribing to evolutionism.

Fundamentalism backs the dinosaur into a corner. Assuming, the 5,000-year thing is true, Earth was extremely crowded and chaotic. Apparently, few people noted the presence of the dinosaur, though, I suspect, it was hard to ignore T-Rex and his gigantic menu.

Chardonnay holds to her belief in Creationism, and I respect that. Fundamentalists believe in something immutable. They have faith, and that is not a bad thing. The world could use a bit more faith and a lot less cynicism.

We do not agree on when - or how - the world came into being, but we do agree it is a wonderful place, a blue orb dancing among the stars. It does not get much better than that.

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Jim

on October 13, 2011 at 08:20

I agree with your position, Mr. Reynolds. Unfortunately, your rambling style (with its accompanying comma overload), make it a frustrating read.

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