Just a Theory?

In my lifetime, I have heard countless people explain evolution to me as “just a theory.” Having grown up in a Christian home and church, I believe that the people around me would often say this because they believe that evolution is wrong and the Church, as a whole, believes the same. Many Christians will add the “just a” before the “theory” to try to downplay the authority of what a theory really is (a generalization accepted by the scientific community after many years of testing and study). I also think that many people call evolution “just a theory” because they have not taken the time to learn about science and to actually understand what they are talking about. There are many people in the church who have taken that time and I am much more able to respect them because they are not only dialoguing with their hearts but are engaging their minds in this argument. The third reason I think that the Church tries to downplay evolution is because of the history that science and religion have had for centuries. People default to the idea that science and religion can never agree. I think that this makes people, including Christians, afraid to ask questions in their faith or in the world of science. But God never said that we should have a spirit of fear, but to be engaged in every sphere of influence in this world. I believe in intelligent design, but I also think that people should learn more about evolution-it is a fascinating and deeply rooted theory that is worth understanding.

Especially if someone is going to call it “just a theory.”