I ponder a lot on the balance between science and religion. I used to accept creationism unconditionally, until I started thinking about it more closely. I now find the evidence for biological evolution to be overwhelming, yet I am always curious to find information that reconciles the two ideas.
I was watching this wonderful TED Talk (that phrase is quite redundant) in which Harvey Fineberg makes a case for the idea that not only did we evolve, but we continue to evolve, and, given enough time, will begin to see some interesting adaptations (but don't hold your breath – evolution takes thousands of years) or may guide our own evolution through medical advancements. Not only was I impressed by his gorgeous, HD slides (sans bullet points), but also very excited because, while I've often considered this neo-evolution and its implications on health and wellness, I hadn't yet considered one of his mind stretching hypotheses which seems to coincide with a fundamental teaching of Christianity.
From a biological perspective, the sole purpose of an organism is to pass on its genetic code. Primordial, single cell organisms did this asexually – by splitting themselves in two and reusing the same materials. Larger organisms, such as humans, do this sexually (yippee!) by combining two separate cells and their genetic code – a lesson in the discipline of negotiation and compromise. The important concept, which he introduces at around 7 minutes, is that along with sexual reproduction comes the expendability of the rest of the body. To put it more precisely, "You could say, that the inevitability of the death of our bodies enters in evolutionary time at the same moment of sexual reproduction."
Doesn't this sound familiar?
"But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die." – Genesis 2:17
"God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth." – Genesis 1:28
Now, I understand that most modern religions discard the teaching that the 'fruit' which Adam and Eve partook of was sex, but the two are, nevertheless, closely correlated. Only after Adam and Eve partook of the fruit did they bear children, and "Because that Adam fell, we are; and by his fall came death." Fineberg's assertion is an uncanny paraphrase of Old Testament scripture!
I still feel that there are numerous discrepancies between scripture and the theories of Intelligent Design or Theistic Evolution. Even so, I found this to be an enticing overlap of science and religion. Watch the video yourself and tell me what you think.