It’s time for religion to embrace reason.

During last year’s first Republican debate, a simple question was posed to the 10 candidates: “Does anybody [on stage] not believe in evolution?”

Three of the candidates raised their hands.

How, in this age when anyone can easily access information on evolution, can we have three people who are aspiring for the highest office in the nation flat-out deny the concept of evolution?

This brief episode illustrated a disturbing trend in our nation: the belief that faith is more important than reason.

“I don’t care what the science says; the Bible says this” has become a credo and almost an affirmation of faith among some religious groups.

NIU is no exception when it comes to this type of thought. I have run into numerous people on campus who have not accepted evolution.

Rafal Zielinski, a student here, said, “As a Christian, it is hard to accept.”

It may not seem important at first, but if someone cannot accept such a well-supported scientific theory, then what can they accept?

One of the keys to intellectual advancement in college, as well as in life, is an ability to objectively evaluate evidence and arrive at conclusions consistent with that evidence.

We have to know what we believe, and we also need to have the facts to back our beliefs up. We should be willing to challenge previously held beliefs in light of new evidence, and we cannot be afraid to abandon old beliefs.

Fundamentalist religion infringes upon these principles. It’s time some religious people realize this.

Much of what religious texts say is allegorical, so it should not be taken literally. There are some important lessons that are to learned from the Bible, but the origin of species is not one of them.

If there is a God and this God gave us the ability to use science, the greatest tool we have for understanding the world, then why wouldn’t he want us to accept its findings? Why would he want us to rely instead on superstition and emotion? He wouldn’t.

Regardless of what flavor of religion you follow, reason is not something to be feared. You should turn to religion if you feel it answers the question of why we are here, but we should all rely on reason to find out how we got here and how we stay here.

Evolution has a strong argument, and there is much to be discovered if one liberates his or her mind from the chains of literal religious interpretation.