From the time I was a young girl I have spent most Sundays in church learning and listening to the word of God. I consider myself a christian and a believer of the Bible. However, this does not define every aspect of my life, I am not just one thing. I am also a biologist who believes strongly in the forces of evolution and natural selection. To some, this may seem controversial and hard to grasp...in reality these two seemingly opposing subjects make up who I am and what I believe.
Growing up, I wasn't really familiar with the term, "evolution" and I really couldn't tell you what it meant. I wasn't truly taught what this term meant until my college experience, this opened up a whole new love for me. Evolution quickly became my passion and what I've spent majority of my time studying. I am constantly learning new things and expanding my mind on the subject. Charles Darwin was a man way ahead of his time. All of his professors were clergymen and believed that the organisms inhabiting this earth were a product of perfect creation and nothing went extinct or evolved because these organisms were created perfectly. Darwin's realization was not instant nor did he feel comfortable going against something he had been taught his entire life, he too started off believing in creationism. What would modern science be like if Darwin had not stepped out of his comfort zone to publish, "The Origin of Species". After this publication science was forever changed and I am so thankful for young scientists like Darwin.
I get questions a lot like, "So, you believe humans have evolved from monkeys?" this is just pure ignorance. No, I do not believe humans started off a monkeys, neither is that what the theory of evolution states. Evolution states that organisms must evolve and adapt in order to survive and reproduce, this is a fact we see in nature all of the time yet people are too uneducated to see it happening before their eyes. Species share a common ancestor with other species, and yes I can believe this and still believe that there is a God.
My study of evolution and biology have made me appreciate the natural world around me, God's creation. It's almost impossible to truly appreciate anything until you truly study it. Every day I am learning about the human body, nature and the world in which we live in and it just makes my christian bond stronger. Evolution is real and it will remain real until humans are long gone. Science is based on observations, religion is based on faith...neither can prove or disprove one another. Science gives those who study it a choice to believe or not to believe in the supernatural. I am proud to be a christian and a evolutionary biologist.
