Are inability to see but one (the Problem with Creationists and Darwinists)…

There is a wonderful picture that motivational speakers and lecturers use alike.  Depending on how you look at the black and white sketch, you either see the image of an old hag or a young woman.  Motivational speakers and lecturers use the picture to make a apparent poignant message: things change depending upon how you look at it.  (I am amazed how in the depiction of the image, its message is subtly revealed.  The young woman refuses to look at us; he face is hidden.  The old woman, hideous, faces us, at least more so than the young woman.)

Most of the time, the speaker takes a poll of his (or her) audience to see if they can identify the image.  The crowd gives differing answers causing confusion until an explanation of the image is given to the audience.  At this time, everyone gets the idea that there are different ways to perceive things.  It is an inherently great message, one which most people understand but do not live out. 

There are many divides caused by the inability of two sides to see the different aspects of things.  The news channels constantly blast us with the girlish gossip of capital hill about how the Democrats and Republicans are at each others’ throats.  There are age old disputes about who displaced who from which sacred land.  The debate I find most interesting is the inane battle raging between so-called Creationists (recently reforming themselves under the flag of proponents of Intelligent Design) and the Darwinists marching under the almighty power of Science.

For all their differences, these two armies crusading for truth have at least common theme between them: their inability to see the multiplicity of things.

I recall a time in high school during study hall when I saw a fellow student working on a map as a part of his Geography homework.  I noticed in particular that he had labeled the colored pencils he was using to color the map pursuant to its particular color.  To me, labeling the pencils was somewhat girlish and moronic, and I told him so in the way that only a moronic high schooler could.

Boy did I feel stupid when he explained to me that he was color blind.  He obviously could not differentiate between certain colors.  I remembered after he chastised me of the image in my Biology text book the little image composed of green and red circles organized to show a green 3 on a red background.  This did nothing to increase my understanding of his condition only to make me feel sorry for the guy.  (To this day, I wonder if he was allowed to drive without being able to see the green “go” light or red “stop” light”.  Perhaps, he saw the location of the lights and knew.)

It wasn’t until the daily newspaper started printing images like those 3-D posters so popular in the 90’s, the ones filled with dots of color, I begin to understand the disability he lived with.  I had the inability to see the images in the dots no matter how much I strained or crossed my eyes.  I saw waving lines, but I couldn’t see the car or boat, just a bunch of dots floating across my eyeballs.

Perception, whether it is seeing colors or images in in dots, is important two persons to have the common knowledge in order to discourse.  The problem is that sometimes, having a common perception is impossible.  It is like trying to see the young woman and the old woman at the same time.  Your eyes and your mind just will not let you do so.

This is why Creationists and Darwinists will never be able to reach common ground.  Excusing my large generalization, Darwinists are unable to understand a concept of a God because for a Darwinist there is always a scientific explanation, usually an evolutionary one, for phenomenon.  The beauty of flowers, the majesty of mountains, the wonder of the sunset, all are a result of scientific forces in play.  (I recall a friend I once had who refused to buy or receive flowers because he found offensive the offering of the sexual organs of living things as a sign of affection.)

Creationists on the other hand adhere to an equally obstinate position.  For the Creationist, the Bible is the only explanation for the way things are.  As a result, the only acceptable interpretation of the Bible is a literal one, and one only makes sense in the shoes of the modern Creationists.  For them, the Earth was made in seven days, with each day having 24 hours each.  There is no room for an interpretation of a day to incorporate more than 24 hours. 

Multiplicity is the key, seeing that there is in fact layers of truth which might co-exist with one another.  In order to truly understand the Universe, one has to be able to switch from “old woman” to “young woman” and understand that these layers work together in conjunction with each other to create the whole.  Until then, we can never hope to have the mutual tolerance we all seek.

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