In a column published by Nissim Ze'ev on this website, the honorable MK declared a holy war against the Ministry of Education's intention to teach the theory of evolution. This is because "the contradictions between the theory of evolution and Jewish tradition and the heritage of Israel are fundamental," and therefore the honorable MK intends to "act with all his might to abolish the teaching of heresy to Israeli children.".
I do not intend to engage in a theological debate with the honorable MK, and therefore I will not peddle the list of important Orthodox thinkers who accepted the foundations of the theory of evolution [for those interested, see Prof. Shalom Rosenberg's book "Torah and Science in Modern Jewish Philosophy"].
In response to MK Zeev's words, I would just like to quote the famous article by Rabbi Yehuda Halevi - Your intentions are desirable, but your actions are undesirable. Your intentions are for the sake of God, but your actions seriously harm Judaism.
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For the line of thinking that underlies Ze'ev's statement, according to which the scientific position and its dissemination should be subject to religious assumptions, is dangerous for scientific research, and even more so for religion.
There is no need to elaborate on the danger posed by this position to scientific research and its progress – it is clear and visible to all. The danger to religion, on the other hand, is a danger hidden from sight. But this danger is incomparably grave.
The first danger posed by this position is the damage to the status of religion: the belief that free scientific thinking threatens religion is a self-fulfilling prophecy, and in such a struggle science will prevail. The history of the Enlightenment in modern times has clearly demonstrated this.
Beyond that, the more serious danger is a danger to the spirit of Judaism: it is impossible, in the name of God, who is truth and whose seal is truth, to veto scientific positions that free inquiry requires. Such a veto stems from fear of science and not from a position of power. Such a veto betrays a lack of faith in religion and its strength. If a scientific position is likely to overthrow and rob the faith, then it was not a faith worth holding on to in the first place.
Therefore, we must issue a sweeping call to the Ministry of Education - for God's sake, study the theory of evolution.
