Secular purpose

[Jim Maule]

richard duncan <rduncan at UNLINFO.UNL.EDU> asks Alan Gunn

> Exactly what do believe was God's creative role? Do you believe
> that God *directs* the evolutionary process? Or does He (She?) merely
> sit back and watch a process outside His (Her?) control? Or did God
> merely cook up a bowl of Primordial Soup and then move on to some
> other part of the Universe no longer concerned about the development
> of life on Earth?

This question got me to thinking that evolution and creationism
aren't necessarily conflicted. Creationism provides the WHO and the
WHY (which science doesn't purport to answer) and evolution describes
the HOW. The difficulties begin when those who literally interpret
Scripture as part of their theological belief system consider
evolution to be a HOW that conflicts with the POOF notion.

Some scientists don't like the idea of an answer not
provided/providable by science coming from a theological source and
some believers/theologians don't like the idea of a science that
provides an answer clearly in conflict with literal readings of
Scripture.

So why can't this be explained to students without providing an
answer? Is it the temptation to which educators (even law professors)
and too many of my students (even in such mundane topics as computer
law and tax law) succumb: i.e, what is the answer (thus assuming that
there is an answer and that we know it?) After all, religion rests on
faith and not knowledge.

There must be a difference between the teaching of conflicted
theories of transubstantiation and consubstantiation, which have no
impact in the secular world as such and teaching the stage on which
the conflicted theories of ultimate origin are played out.

True education, after all, doesn't give answers. It leads (e-duco
from the Latine) those being educated to learn how to seek answers.
(And then ultimately, if they succeed, they discover that life is one
huge process of seeking answers... which, if found, provide more
questions. And I'll bet there are both secular and theological
authorities for that proposition. I think... I'm still trying to find
the answer.....)

Jim Maule
Professor of Law
Villanova University School of Law
Villanova, PA 19085
maule at law.vill.edu
http://www.cilp.org/~maule
(610) 519 - 7135