Cosmology is a fascinating field of study. We all want to know how the universe came to be, and we want to know how we humans fit into the big picture. Currently in the US, this topic has become an important issue for education. Everyone wants children to learn about the universe, but the questions about its origin and purpose have so many different answers that it has become a major problem in the content of science textbooks.

Positions on this contentious topic fall generally into three categories: 1 – those who believe that the universe was created by God, 2 – those who believe the universe must have been designed by someone greater than us, and 3 – those who believe the universe exists by chance, subject to laws we are only beginning to discover.

There is a deep gulf between a conviction that we are created by God Almighty who loves us and a contention that something greater than ourselves designed the universe. I honor people who research the universe and conclude that it did not happen by chance. They demonstrate honesty in their work that is refreshing. I actually do not expect science to discover God, only his work.

There is an even deeper gulf between a belief that the universe was created by God and a belief that the universe occurred by chance as the outcome of natural law. Many, but not all, who prefer to believe that natural law explains everything, doubt or actively reject the concept of God. It is very difficult for people who believe there is a God who created everything to talk with people who reject the existence of any god at all.

Quite naturally, people who believe in God prefer that their children not be taught that the universe exists by chance. Just as naturally, people who do not believe in God prefer that their children not be taught what they consider to be a fairytale. When this conversation is stirred into a political stew flavored with differences over the meaning of the term “separation of church and state” the resulting discourse becomes extremely heated.

I am grateful to live in a country where this conversation in all its variations can take place. In China, the state determines what is taught in the schools, and the state registers the religions that are considered legal. The state prints the school textbooks, and the state prints the religious books. In China, scientists research what the state allows and publish what the state approves. In the USA, we have a maelstrom of ideas and opinions and discussions and arguments.

I have a position on this subject. I believe that God created the universe and everything in it. I believe that he created me, as he created all other human beings. I believe that God wants to live in relationship with human beings, including me. I don’t believe that God wound up the universe and left it to run unattended; rather, I believe he is actively involved in all that happens.

I do, however, differ with many of my fellow Christians when it comes to my concerns about the science textbooks in schools. I am not as worried about the content of those textbooks as some are, because I am the product of a science education that never suggested for a minute that God acted in the universe or that people were created by God. Despite this fact, I have never doubted that God created the cosmos or me.

My Christian faith was nurtured and instructed at the direction of my parents. They believed that God created the world, and when I went to church, that is what I was taught. My faith was not shaken by the fact that the school did not teach me about God, because I learned at home that there are many people who do not believe.

Here is the important point: the public schools are not responsible for teaching our children what to believe about God; that supremely important job is the responsibility of parents. As a Christian, I feel obligated to do what I can do to participate in the redemption of society. As a citizen and a Christian I want to speak and act to assure that civic law embodies a high moral standard. Likewise, I want our schools to deliver the best possible education to our children. However, I will never abdicate the responsibility for my children’s growth in Christian faith. That is my job. The schools may teach the latest scientific discovery about the behavior of particles in the picoseconds after the Big Bang, but that teaching does not negate or invalidate faith that God created the universe.

Parents ought to care what their children learn in school, but they need not fear it. Parents who exercise their responsibility to bring up their own children in the faith will be able to address any issues that originate in the schools. We parents have a huge responsibility to our children and to our God. If we ourselves live out our faith in the God who created all things, our children are not likely to grow up believing anything else.

For more information about me, or about Christian faith, visit www.katherineharms.com.