It is amazing and troubling to think our existence on Earth is something that has evolved rather than created. Charles Darwin in his Theory of Evolution put forth the concept that “natural selection acts to preserve an accumulate minor advantageous genetic mutations.” One of the points discussed during the History Channel’s airing of “The Link” was Ida has nails instead of claws. The full skeletal remain always displays pelvic and ankle bones very similar to those of humans.
The troubling part of this discovery arises as one contemplates the role God plays in our lives. Christianity, in the grand scheme of things, has been around for a short time. Even Jewish faith and traditions have been acknowledged for a little longer than Christianity. For some time I have journeyed down the road of Gnosis to expand my understanding the role of God.
Scientific discoveries, like Ida, create more questions and make me feel like I am alone in the desert. Alone in my personal desert, struggle I do with how God and life after death coexists with our daily lives. When the time comes that our Earthly capsules expire, will our spirit rise from the land to join the creator? The question arises from discoveries of animals, and possibly humans, existed 47 Million years ago while current religion is less than 3000 years old.
Religion brings order to our lives for without it chaos would reign. God brings love, comfort, and fear into our lives. Imagine a world where the only meaning of life was survival. Religion acts as a pacifier and gives hope that our lives are more than time spent on Earth. Christians believe that we were created in the image of God.
Are we really? Or did God start the ball rolling with Ida and we have just evolved to our current state?
Faith always plays a role in how individuals interpret the world around them. Some put their faith solely in science, others solely in religion. I think those are the ones that miss out on the greatest debate.
ReplyDeleteYou have to remember that religion, and more importantly "organized religion," was created at least in part to give communities of people rules to live by. While I don't doubt that there were other motives, I always think of the 10 commandments as the most obvious ways to stay in the good graces of your neighbors.
And you have to remember that religion, and more importantly religious books, were written by men as a way to interpret their faith. The reader must interpret these words back again to put them in context. In my opinion, a lot of confusion happens within the finer details of organized religion.
If you're having doubts, you're not alone. I think an extraordinarily large amount of the population tries to balance their differing faiths (science and religion).
I suggest watching the movie Dogma. It's not a fantastic film, but it's kind of funny and seems to find a balance between what is written and what faith and belief actually are. And, hey, sometimes a laugh is all you're really looking for.
By the way... I was right on the Supreme Court nominee... pay up!
Its been a while since I have seen Dogma, I may have to see it again for a good laugh. I do agree that Religion brings peace, most of the time, to the choas that would reign without. The Ten Commandments are great ideals to live by.
ReplyDeleteHaving a debate on evolution/creation topic is needed in our time. My hope is that the topic can be done without emotion but knowing we are dealing with science vs. belief it may difficult to have. I want to believe their is something more to our lives then our brief existance on Earth.
It is through this belief that I seek Gnosis rather than traveling exclusively down Judiasm, Christianity, Islam, or Buddha. I did have a conversation on Face Book about the fact that man wrote the words into the Bible and it was done by a council of men at the command of Emperor Constantine.
Now for the Supreme Court nominee, I owe nothing yet. I said in my post that a sacrifial lamb will be offered and we have it Sotomayor. This will be fun to watch play out.
I don't think there's a need for a debate between science and religion. Faith is too personal to hold a debate over. Who am I to tell you what you should believe? Instead I propose that each individual needs to find their own balance between the two. It's only with balance that one can find their own answers to many of life's questions.
ReplyDeleteAnd, considering the balance of dems to republicans, my wallet eagerly awaits your cash. ;)
Why does a debate always have to end up with a winner or a loser? I think many would benefit from an open and candid discussion on the topic. Through the sharing of viewpoints and ideas will bring clarity to ones belief and interpretation.
ReplyDeleteIf you are going for the Gnostic perspective then you would worry less about how we got here and more about why we are here.
ReplyDeleteThe Gnostic view of creation is neither intelligent design, or evolution...to Gnostics creation was cosmic mistake! To Gnostics the real God (the source of consciousness and knowledge) thought and as a result of thought created life. The entity that was created from the consciousness of the creator believed itself to be God, being misguided and imperfect, in turn created the Earth and humanity to be enslaved to its own will and ego.
That’s the short and less messy version of the Gnostics theory of the God of the Old Testament, a God who is jealous, wrathful and plain did not care for the wellbeing of humanity. The Gnostics asked the question, if there is a God, then why did God, who cares about mankind, create evil and make life so hard? Why was the Garden of Eden taken away?
To the Gnostic, the answer is because man, even though created by a misguided creation of the perfect being, has a spark of the divine all knowing consciousness. As of result we have the capacity to seek and understand the truth of our creation and if so unite with the perfect once again. To Gnostics the truth is that this imperfect, selfish, jealous deity has “tricked” mankind to worship it as if it were the perfect source of all consciousness and through man’s institutions has shrouded mankind with trivial temptations, ambitions and beliefs meant to keep us from understanding the true source of knowledge and salvation
Yada, yada, yada…what’s the point. My point is that this debate of evolution vs. creation can be just another interpretation of the distractions that we as humans allow ourselves to get involved. Really, in the grand scheme of things, does it really matter how we got here? Should we think more of why we are here, what is our purpose in life and what is the best and most constructive way to spend our time? To Gnostics, wars, violence, ignorance, greed are all the result of man, having not thought of why, but how we got on this Earth.
If we are talking about natural selection you can see why Gnostic Christianity was not the species of theology that won the most converts. It’s conceptually abstract, salvation is based on the premise that to understand the truth, one needs to think, not possess faith. Jesus of Nazareth was merely the vessel in which the true God challenges mankind to seek knowledge, to seek the truth and by doing so escape the enslavement of this earth to be once again united with the Universe and total consciousness.
To quote Meatballs, one of the greatest Gnostic movies ever made, “it just doesn’t matter…it just doesn’t matter” how we got here, it only matters what we do with our time. Do we as individuals break away from conventional wisdom and expectations, or do we like drones in a beehive get caught in the day to day triviality of this world?
The world is too much with us; late and soon,
Getting and spending, we lay waste our powers;
Little we see in Nature that is ours;
We have given our hearts away, a sordid boon!
This Sea that bares her bosom to the moon,
The winds that will be howling at all hours,
And are up-gathered now like sleeping flowers,
For this, for everything, we are out of tune;
It moves us not.--Great God! I'd rather be
A Pagan suckled in a creed outworn;
So might I, standing on this pleasant lea,
Have glimpses that would make me less forlorn;
Have sight of Proteus rising from the sea;
Or hear old Triton blow his wreathed horn.
William Wordsworth
Jesus of Nazareth is merely a vessel. As a Gnostic, Jesus of Nazareth is one of many vessels in the pursuit of the individual to understand the mysteries and “know” the true divine creator. The question I ponder is why has it taken so long, since the creation of Earth and our solar system, for humans to become who we are in order to understand God?
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