Movie shows Darwin’s struggle with theology, science

A movie called Creation is drawing new attention to an old debate on Pitt’s… A movie called Creation is drawing new attention to an old debate on Pitt’s campus.

Released in the United States late last month, “Creation” depicts English naturalist Charles Darwin as he struggles to balance his theory of evolution with his marriage to Emma Wedgwood, his religious wife (and cousin) whose faith contradicts his groundbreaking work. The movie dramatizes the couple’s efforts to rectify science and faith. In the process, it sheds light on the most heated discussion in contemporary science and theology.

Greg Voss has observed this issue firsthand. Voss is a minister working with the Christan Student Fellowship, a nondenominational campus organization dedicated to helping college students live in a faith-oriented way.

The movie seems to be kindling discussion across Pitt’s campus, he said. Like the Darwin portrayed in “Creation,” religiously oriented students seek to reconcile their beliefs in the classroom every day.

Voss said he works closely with about 30 students at Pitt and Carnegie Mellon, and the issue of evolution is often a topic of conversation and concern. But he feels optimistic about the message behind the new movie as a way for students to begin reconciling the clashing ideologies.

“I think students are starting to realize the argument between creationism and evolution does not have to be an ‘either/or’ issue,” Voss said. “Throughout the Bible, in both the books of Genesis and Romans, we see that evolution does not necessarily disagree with God’s larger plan.”

Voss explained that the early sections of the Book of Romans offers pertinent insight into the faith end of the debate. He read one excerpt of the book: “‘For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities — his eternal power and divine nature — have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made so that men are without excuse,’” Voss read. “Coming from a faithful perspective, scripture like this opens up a range of possibilities when it comes to reconciling creationism and evolution.”

“Many biblical passages show us the reason and logic behind evolution can be yet another expression of the greatness of God,” he said. “Every cell in our bodies — the way those cells differ from the cells in trees, fungus and other animals — it all points to something bigger.”

Michael Helfand, who teaches 19th-century and Victorian literature at Pitt, offered a similar opinion of the proposed merger between evolution and creationism. Helfand has taught both graduate and undergraduate courses covering the theory of evolution in the 19th century. He believes the debate has already been settled in many ways and that a movie like “Creation” can further smooth the rift.

“The discussion that went on between Darwin and his wife is an important one when it comes to merging Christian dispensation with biological fact,” Helfand said. “Evolution is an accepted fact, but there are always going to be additions and corrections. Unless students believe in the biblical creation story verbatim, there is no conflict between a belief in God and a belief in evolution.”

Both the Roman Catholic Church and the Church of England have accepted the theory of evolution at different times since Darwin published “On the Origin of Species,” Helfand said. He added that conflict only arises when the Bible is read in a literal sense, a practice that is less accepted today than in the past.

“At the end of ‘On the Origin of Species,’ Darwin calls out to young people to give his theory a fair shake,” Helfand said. “Darwin never thought that he had nailed everything down, that he had defeated faith, but he did think that he had found some relevant explanations for life.”

Despite Helfand’s ideas, students of faith still encounter significant difficulties in science classrooms at Pitt, Voss said, because many professors refuse to engage in a give-and-take conversation that equally addresses creationism.

“It is vital for Pitt and other universities to leave open room for conversation, which is what I hope this movie and other similar projects can do,” he said. “Faith needs to be given a fair chance, because faith and science are comparable and should be complementary.”

Stanley Shostak, a retired Pitt biology professor, elaborated on the way in which science and faith can be reconciled, both in and out of the classroom. Shostak taught courses on evolution, histology and embryology at Pitt, and has visited the village of Downe, England, where Darwin wrote his masterpiece.

“It is very important to understand that Darwin was not a hero but a very unique scientist,” Shostak said. “A great deal of what he said still escapes many biologists. When we get right down to it, it is very hard for anyone with a mathematical or biological background to not see a purpose in living things. Many scientists see evolution as a replacement for God, but I don’t think Darwin meant it to be that way. His objective was never to kill God.”

For this reason, it is essential that biology teachers keep creationism in mind when teaching evolution, Shostak said.

“Just because Darwin views man as a particular assembly of genes, a biological cocktail of selection and interaction, that does not mean we can reduce the issue to God versus evolution,” Shostak said. “While the ways in which creationism and evolution differ are not trivial, both theories are going after the same truth.”

Pitt student Robert Yon agreed. Yon is a junior studying history and political science. He is also the president of Pitt’s chapter of Campus Crusade for Christ, a group dedicated to spreading the New Testament across campus. He first heard about the movie through a fellow Crusade member and thinks evolution can fit into Christian ideology.

“In my experience, it seems like those people who are strong atheists and believe completely in evolution require as much faith as any Christian,” Yon said. “I see a lot of similarities between the dogmas that I think most people don’t want to admit exist. At the end of the day, there isn’t a complete fossil record, nor is there any complete evidence for God. We need to have faith either way.”

This fact is vital to any reconciliation between creationism and evolution, Yon said.

“A lot of the time there is a misconception that Christianity and hard science can’t coexist,” Yon said. “But I know a lot of people who work hand in hand with both. As long as you know where you stand on the issue the two can go together very closely. It’s all about keeping an open mind.”