I think that there has only been one person in my life who I considered a friend who believed in creationism. She was actually a member of my staff, and a woman who I respected tremendously.
As someone who had had no breaks in life, she gave birth to her second child in a homeless shelter before her 21st birthday, and then managed to finish a college degree by her mid 20's. No nonsense, smart, striving, she multitasked family and work and home and got it all done. As a counselor working in a program designed to get women off of welfare, (a program I oversaw many many years ago) she was an inspiration to the women she served. A fireball of energy, a taskmaster, a team player, a motivator, she often broke into brief, loud, poignant monologues.
And one day, her powerful voice carried throughout all of the rooms in an ample office suite, as she loudly proclaimed "Well I KNOW I didn't come from NO MONKEYS!"
My heart sank. But there was nothing for me to say. I saw various staff making shocked eye contact with each other. I dropped my eyes and shuffled papers or some such thing.
That was many many years ago. She lives in another state now, and I see updates on facebook on family vacations that she is taking and see photos of her kids' graduations. I feel so good knowing that she is doing well. She thanks god a lot on her facebook page, for all of the blessings in her life.
But I credit her strength, drive and intelligence for all of these "blessings" she enjoys. They are her achievements. Not the intervention of the same god who let her give birth in a homeless shelter so many years ago.
