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...it is OK to use the brains God gave us to discover the world around us. We have a God-given curiousity that is insatiable. We have God-given common sense to discern what's possible and what is probable, or vice versa.

When Captain Kirk was pitted against the lizard monster, the planet landlord informed the foes that everything had been provided for their utility; they just had to figure it all out for themselves. Sorry to use the Star Trek example, but it kind of reflects my feelings and observations about us, our world and perhaps, our Landlord.

When one attempts to take literally the stories of Genesis, it obviously becomes a major task because of what we now know about the world and the universe. Then it hits home: Genesis was written by people (divinely inprired, or not) for ancient people who had no knowledge of science, and yet desperately needed an explanation with regard to how they all got here. Two thousand years ago, and up until a hundred or so years ago, the story sufficed. But, we no longer live in the shadow of technology, and we know a lot more about the makeup and history of the world around us.

In other words, the Genesis story no longer sufficiently describes the world we live in, given that our God-given curiosity and brain power have been in full force throughout the centuries. Isn't it beautiful?

There is no reason to feel guilty about professing such knowledge. It doesn't necessarily render the bible or it's teachings obsolete. God must be proud of His handiwork. We're figuring it out. It's a tribute to us, in spite of our imperfections (see the story of Adam and Eve which is a splendid parable describing such, but places far too much blame on females for our condition). God, as usual, will leave the adjustments in our theology to us, but that in no way means we must eschew the bible in favor of some New Age theology. It's OK to read the bible in this era of new knowledge and embrace the spritual search of our ancestors. They had no way of knowing things would turn out like this; you can't fault them for trying to lead us down the path of righteousness. If they were alive, they would tell us: Hey, we weren't writing a science book, we were giving you an account of our spiritual search. Take from it what you will, but you will be better for it, nonetheless.

The argument is not Creationism vs Science. In fact, I believe Rabbi Jesus would laugh at such things. He might say, in his infinite wisdom:

"So, you've discovered molecular structure, you know about genetic imprinting (my father's idea, took millions of years to produce, but hey, he's got nothing but time!), you understand how to use carbon molecules and the doppler shift to mathematically calculate the age of the universe and of the fossils you dig up. Hey, my children, you're finally scratching the surface!!! Stay with it; someday you may learn the secret, but as the Father tells me regularly, the Grand Mystery will probably elude you for a very long time. I see you make a few mistakes along the way. Minor setbacks. I realize that your peers will prove you wrong, if you're wrong, but your work is necessary, if only to root out the truth, or at least to expose a new point of view that could be further explored. It's a tedious process; did you think it was going to be easy? You may never know the total, complete and absolute truth, but the search is part and parcel of your mission, outside of learning to love one another and take care of the place. Carry on, but don't let anyone cajole you into believing they know the complete truth! They are the true heretics."

Doesn't that make sense, my good friends?

The Jews, it is historically known, evolved from ancient animus hordes. That is to say, Hebrew ancestors worshipped the physical world around them: trees, mountains, etc.

The Hebrew focal point is Moses, who inspired the notion of a single deity and a saviour. Christians give allegiance to Rabbi Jesus as the Son of God, who rose from the dead they say, while millions of Jews do not believe it.

I submit to you all, that your religion is a product of the proximity of your birth. Had you been born in India, China, Japan, or some other place, you would have been raised as a Hindu, Buddhist, Moslem, etc. All believe in their heritage and the stories that surround them.

All major religions of the world have a creation story. Even the ancient Greeks and Romans, with multiple deities, believed in their Genesis.

How is it then, that the Judeo-Christian account of Genesis is the correct one at the expense of the others, which are far older?

There is the Epic of Gilgamesh, Siddartha, and other stories. They are no less important than the bible, and they remain beautiful spritual searches for the generations. Is it fair to ask: If one is right, does that make all others wrong?

Well, not necessarily, if you observe the mission of each of them. All point to everlasting life. All point to an omnipotent God, or gods. All point to living a life of stoicism and restraint. All point to living a life of devotion.

Also, many early religions allude to some sort of resurrection from the dead. This is not something new for Christians. In other words, the Christians borrowed heavily from ancient religions.

My advice is that you all continue your search. You may decide that Christ is your saviour, and that is fine. You may determine there are seven levels of holiness and that you are near the bottom rung: You have some work to do. You may decide that the Koran speaks for you. Hopefully, that is for your benefit and the benefit of all mankind. You may decide you are a deist like Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson (the Jeffersonian Bible does not feature a single miracle): you believe in an omnipotent God, but are curious as to the question of Jesus' divinity. You may decide you are an agnostic: You realize that the universe may be overseen by an all-powerful entity, but you can't possibly have a personal relationship with that entity. You may believe in the God of Corn and Soybeans, in which case, I'm sure you live in Iowa.

Point is, we're all looking for goodness and the good life.

Don't worry about Santa Claus not being the "reason for the season." He's all about giving, and that is good. Just be the best human you can be (it's probably not necessary to make pronouncements of beliefs). The omnipotent God is not so petty as to send you to hell if you accept the scientific beliefs that surround you. Cast away the guilt. Use your head, and go forward with God's plan.

Well, yes and no Cr.

Genesis was written to provide information to ancient people about their origins. It satisfied their need at the time. No, there is no reason to believe that the text is accurate outside of spritual importance, and our scientific descriptions of what happened continue to modify to this day. I'm not advocating acceptance of one over the other. I know that we don't know what happened, but we have a lot of information that has provided snapshots of the birth of the universe.

It's a great time to be alive.

ITF