by Darren Meade

Created on: May 26, 2009   Last Updated: May 28, 2009

Paradoxically, both science and religion are equally based on faith, trust, and belief and are bulwarked by the authority of impressive literature and historical documentation. As seen from even brief analysis, each paradigm draws from a different realm of presumptive reality with no means of crossover.

There is actually no inherent conflict between religious or secular viewpoints until they are converts to ideological 'isms' and thus imply a claim to emotionalized exclusivity. Conflict exists in the mind of the observer and not in that which is observed. The levels of consciousness of spiritual realities denote nonlinear dimensions, which are related primarily to context, essence, and a realm rather than provable, factual specifics of linear content. The Bible utilizes parables, myths, legends, allegories, and metaphors to illustrate principles rather than use of specifics so that the literal factuality of Biblical stories is operationally irrelevant. Meaning is an abstract category of nonlinear thought and reason and its symbolism is not compatible, concrete, literal terminology.

We see the same principles illustrated by the wisdoms that are revealed solely by humor. A joke is not a factual statement but instead utilizes paradox or hyperbole to clarify reality by the use of ambiguity. Like the fable, humor is a means of crossing over parameters of paradigm. The same principles are illustrated by fiction and fairy tales as well as poetry and all forms of art. The mechanism is often one of contrast or purposeful distortion in order to highlight significance, implication, and meaning. The author would also bring to light, that subatomic particles, physics and so forth had to be illustrated for understanding in which the 'Bible' was written.

It is a mistake to confuse the abstract and the literal. Thus, we could summarize the 'Scopes' conflict as being incompatibility of the literal versus the abstract levels of comprehension and presentation. Truth can be obscures or rejected but it cannot be disproved.

The term 'creation' is an abstraction that implies emergence, appearance, and progressive existence of increasing complexity and efficacy. Every field of human inquiry has been progressive; simultaneously, the universe has been expanding in infinite directions at the speed of light. With a little reflection, it would appear that there really is no conflict between Evolution and Creation for they are intrinsically one and the same (e.g., Creation is progressive,

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