Dr. Stephen Godfrey, curator of paleontology at the Calvert Marine Museum in Maryland, discussed why he feels that the debate involving creationism and evolution is an unfortunate and unnecessary battle in his special presentation, "Science, Faith, and the Structure of the Universe through the Eyes of the Bible" on February 12 at the Virginia Museum of Natural History in Martinsville.  Over 100 visitors attended the lecture.

"The intent of this talk is to show that Genesis presents an observational cosmology (how the Universe appears to an Earth-bound observer)," Godfrey said.  "The Bible does not, nor does it claim to present an objective scientifically accurate description of the Universe. The original readers would and should have taken Genesis literally, but we are not obligated to do so today.  By reconstructing the structure of the universe based on the Bible, a person of faith should gain new insights and maturity into what it means to have faith in God. For all attendees, this presentation should affirm their interest in the wonder of scientific inquiry and provide resolution to this needless debate."

Godfrey's presentation is closely related to the book "Paradigms on Pilgrimage: Creationism, Paleontology and Biblical Interpretation", co-written by Godfrey.  The book presents an alternative view of understanding how the natural scientific history of the earth and the scripture of the Bible relate to one another.

The presentation was part of the Virginia Museum of Natural History's 25th Anniversary Lecture Series and was presented in conjunction with the special exhibits "Darwin: Evidence & Evolution" and "Darwin's Enchanted Islands", open at VMNH from February 7 to April 23, 2009.

"Darwin: Evidence & Evolution", developed by the Virginia Museum of Natural History, celebrates the scientific achievements of Charles Darwin.  Darwin’s 200th birthday was February 12, 2009, while 2009 also marks the 150th Anniversary of the publication of his famous work, "On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, or the Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life."  On the basis of the knowledge he acquired on his research trip to the Galapagos islands, Darwin eventually formulated the theory of evolution of species by natural selection, a theory that transformed biological thought.

"Darwin's Enchanted Islands" features the Galapagos Islands through the photography of Ronald Gard, a renowned photographer and conservationist. The exhibit also features photography and scientific specimens on loan from Dr. Cleve Hickman Jr., professor emeritus of biology at Washington & Lee University. Dr. Hickman's research focuses on the systematics and distribution of the marine invertebrate fauna of the Galapagos Islands. He has published a series of illustrated field guides to Galapagos marine life, most recently "A Field Guide to Corals and Other Radiates of Galapagos, 2008".

The museum's 25th Anniversary Lecture Series continues on March 12 with "Darwin and the Galapagos", presented by Dr. Judith Winston, curator of marine biology at VMNH.

Click here to learn more about the VMNH 25th Anniversary Lecture Series, including details about the next lecture on March 12, 2009.