Canadian Creation Debate

It all started Tuesday, when a reporter asked Gary Goodyear, Canada’s Minister of State for Science and Technology, whether he believed in evolution. Goodyear’s reply? “I’m not going to answer that question. I am a Christian, and I don’t think anybody asking a question about my religion is appropriate.”

Unsurprising, of course, was the flurry of commentary—positive and negative—on Goodyear’s silence. One professor told CBC News he was “first flabbergasted and then embarrassed” by Goodyear’s statements, while another criticized the phrasing of the question, arguing that you don’t “believe” in evolution; it just is. In the meantime, a spokesman for Prime Minister Stephen Harper defended Goodyear as having been “ambushed” in an interview on another topic.

Also among the commentary were numerous scientists telling the old tale that evolution is the foundation of modern biology and medicine. Others disputed whether the minister’s personal beliefs should be public knowledge. And still another claimed that Goodyear’s beliefs didn’t matter as long as he increased funding for research.

So—is he a creationist? Creationists’ initial excitement was dashed when Goodyear himself resolved the situation (somewhat, anyway) on the CTV Newsnet program Power Play. He explained:

I didn’t answer the question because it’s not relevant to the [job], it’s not relevant to what we have to do, what Canadians are worried about. It’s unfortunate a reporter has chosen to take this as something of interest when in fact the focus should be on . . . creating jobs and securing our economic future.1

Then, when asked on Power Play if he believed in the theory of evolution, he answered:

Of course I do. . . . We are evolving every year, every decade. That’s a fact, whether it’s to the intensity of the sun . . . or to the effects of walking on concrete. Of course, we are evolving to our environment. But that’s not relevant.2

Those vague comments didn’t placate everyone, however, as a CBC News article explained.3 Goodyear’s evidence for “evolution” isn’t exactly textbook molecules-to-man evidence, nor does it reveal his views on whether humans evolved, whether God was involved in creation, or how old the earth is.

Or perhaps Goodyear is answering “foolish” evolutionists according to their folly (Proverbs 26:5)—responding by citing the sort of firsthand evidence of “evolution” that actually does nothing to prove molecules-to-man evolution. If that’s the case, we hope he will also heed Proverbs 26:4 when he is asked the question more directly.