Why I do Not Believe in the Literal Interpretation of Biblical Creation

The Bible speaks about Creation in the book of Genesis for 13 paragraphs. 13 short paragraphs. I graduated with a B.S. in Neuroscience, and one course I was required to take was Sensory and Motor Neuroscience. This was an introductory course. We just barely scratched the surface of the subject and yet the text book was over 1500 pages. Sensory and motor neuroscience is just a small piece of human cognition, which is just a small piece of human neurology, which is a small piece of biology, which is a piece of chemistry, which is just a piece of physics. I find it impossible to believe that something as complicated as the creation of all existence can be completely explained in a matter of 13 paragraphs. But somehow millions of people worldwide take these 13 paragraphs as a literal translation of how human existence came to be.

Dumbing down the birth of the universe to 13 literal paragraphs pretty much says that God's (if there is a God) work is about as complicated as me pulling a rabbit out a hat. It may surprise and entertain you, but in the end its rather unimpressive. However, the birth of existence is anything but unimpressive, it is a miraculous chain of events that is still unfolding, and something that we will probably never fully comprehend. This interpretation of creation points to a much more impressive God who is truly omnipotent and omnipresent.

Evolution and Current Christian Thought

I was born and raised as a very conservative christian. My whole family is very religious, and like most Christians today, they try and deny the fact of evolution. While this makes no sense to me, it is also very concerning. People are believing the ideals of Christianity without even thinking. This mindless "faith" has created a sect in America that is ignorant to any fact that does not conform to their strict and unforgiving view of Christianity. This is unfortunate because I believe that it is possible to be intelligent and rational and at the same time religious. Most Christian's disbelief in evolution is just one example of faith without thinking or reason.

There is so much factual evidence behind the "theory" of evolution that it is no longer a theory. It is as true as relativity or microbiology. Unfortunately, most Christians want to deny it. This doesn't make any sense to me because evolution points to a much more powerful God than the strict interpretation of creation that many people follow.

Imagine that I am a baker and that I make two different cakes. The first cake tastes absolutely perfect to you, but only you. Some people may enjoy it, and others may just find it disgusting. The second cake that I make taste absolutely perfect to you, but it has the ability to adjust its tastes and consistency so that it tastes perfect to everyone that eats the cake. It evolves to be the best fit for any situation.

The first cake is the general Christian view on creation. God created the earth and all the creatures that inhabit it as it is today. However, if a major catastrophic event occurred, the creatures of this planet would not be able adapt, and everything would die out. However, with evolution, the plants and animals, like the cake, can adjust to every situation. They may not be perfect overall, but they are the best solution for each individual environment. This is a much more magnificent system, and if there is a God, it really points to "his" true genius. He knew that the earth would change, and that all life would have to adapt, so he created a system that can function in a variety of environments, and can evolve to solve any problem.

Obviously this is a vast oversimplification, but you get the point. If I was a Christian, I would want to believe in a God that is intelligent enough to create a system that works in every situation, not just the current situation. That would seem a little more "omnipotent" to me.