IMAX Film 'Volcanoes' Gets Cold Shoulder
Here is another example of casting the debate over evolution into the two categories of "Enlightened Science" or "Superstitious Rube". The IMAX film in question (which I haven't seen yet) is about Volcanoes, and is being rejected in bible-belt states because of creation/evolution concerns. Where does the creation/evolution debate enter the picture? There are microbes that exist and live from the heat and chemicals of undersea volcano vents. This is truly exciting biology (even for an electrical engineer) worthy of study, and excellent knowledge to present to the general public. One may also reasonably extrapolate that, based on current knowledge of the how the planet Earth was formed geologically, that conditions existed similar to those found by undersea volcano vents.
The movie undoubtedly then makes the unsupported statement that from there (the vent) is where all life evolved*. The issue is, of course, on both sides of the debate. Creationists don't want to hear the word "evolution", at least not as a fact. Evolutionists (is this the first use of that word?) don't want to hear doubt about evolution. Surely, if all life really did evolve from volcano-vent microbes, then there ought to be reams of evidence available there. Or there might be evidence that that was not the source. Either way, that question is the scientific one, and belief, on either side of the debate, can obscure the truth.
Faith, on the other hand, says the following: let us examine the truth. If the truth is that there is direct evidence that all life evolved from volcano-vent microbes, then we must have faith that such evidence is part of God's plan, as is our discovering that fact. If the truth is that life on Earth is unrelated to these microbes, then we have learned a remarkable scientific fact.
*Please remember I haven't seen the film; such science films usually take evolution for granted, and thus statements like that are usually unsupported.
The movie undoubtedly then makes the unsupported statement that from there (the vent) is where all life evolved*. The issue is, of course, on both sides of the debate. Creationists don't want to hear the word "evolution", at least not as a fact. Evolutionists (is this the first use of that word?) don't want to hear doubt about evolution. Surely, if all life really did evolve from volcano-vent microbes, then there ought to be reams of evidence available there. Or there might be evidence that that was not the source. Either way, that question is the scientific one, and belief, on either side of the debate, can obscure the truth.
Faith, on the other hand, says the following: let us examine the truth. If the truth is that there is direct evidence that all life evolved from volcano-vent microbes, then we must have faith that such evidence is part of God's plan, as is our discovering that fact. If the truth is that life on Earth is unrelated to these microbes, then we have learned a remarkable scientific fact.
*Please remember I haven't seen the film; such science films usually take evolution for granted, and thus statements like that are usually unsupported.
posted by Phil Shea | 8:36 AM
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