Spiritual Implications of Evolution Being True or Not
Discussion Actions
There’s been a long-running discussion entitled “What are the empirical data to which evolutionary religions submit?”
Neither side seems to have convinced the other of anything, so I’m going to try to start up a related thread that might generate more light than heat.
Let’s say there isn’t compelling evidence that evolution is a fact. If so, how does that change one’s approach to spiritual growth? Please respond with any ideas you have.
For me, if evolution is a fact it explains a lot about the Nature of God. It means that God is not a super-human engineer who designs the Cosmos like a human would design a machine. At least, not yet. It’s more likely then that the ability of God to function like a human engineer is just now emerging through humanity. This makes a pretty big difference for me. For one, it solves the problem of theodicy (Google it if you’re not familiar with the word). Rather than being just low-life who should always bow down in worship, evolution means (like Jim Marion would say) that I must grow spiritually to someday claim my own divinity and co-creatorship with God, so that, as a joint heir with Jesus of the Kingdom (Rom. 8:17), I will myself know how to manifest on this Earth not only what is needed, but true abundance (John 10:10).
24 Responses
-
-
Charles,
Are you familiar with the saying that we should “take the Bible seriously but not literally”? Taking it literally results in treating it like a science textbook, which it isn’t. It is our myth – or metaphor if you like. If you look in it for scientific or historical facts then you will find some, but it many cases you will discover that it is incorrect. But that’s OK – this is not the purpose why the books of the Bible were written.
I would also appreciate some sources/links about the moon rocks dating – preferably from an unbiased source.
-
Charles, i’m asking this question here as it relates to your response to Loren’s about “would taking your position have any impact on any aspect of one’s daily life, spiritual or otherwise?”
you remain steadfast to your beliefs about the bible because science cannot show “empirical” data to prove biological evolution. so then, is it fair to assume that you believe the bible is the ONE TRUTH? i understand that you are part of the UU community, which is committed to tolerance and respect for all beliefs…but…what is your position on the development and growth of religions NOT of the Jewish-Christian faith? why so many and why choose one over the other? why did 2 of the most popular religions of today (buddhism & christianity) develop almost parallel to each other? Hinduism even older and almost as popular. how do we not just “tollerate” other religious beliefs and actually live as ONE? understand as ONE? and grow as ONE….which is what we are a part of…ONE larger organism a part of another. why the Bible and not the Koran, or the Pali canon? why prayer and not contemplative meditation?
just some thoughts.
-
Josh, Thank you for the thoughtful questions. I hope that I do not come across as being too “steadfast” about anything. My intention is to keep an open mind and to continue to explore different possibilities about everything. In my opinion, the Bible is NOT the “one truth”.
For me, it is a reference book that I can use to help guide me to make the “right choices” for myself. Another person might use the Koran or some other writings as a guide for themselves. In my opinion, if one doesn’t stand for something, they will fall for anything.
Decades ago I watched a TV debate between the atheist Madelene Murray O’Hare and some Bible thumping evangelical. They disagreed on the present condition of the dead. She didn’t believe in hell as a place of eternal torment after death. The atheist was right and the evangelical was wrong, according to the Bible.
I do not know how to answer your questions about Buddhism, Hinduism, etc. It is OK for each person to be free to make the right choice for themselves and to live by those choices.
You can probably guess that if anyone comes forward to claim that their belief system is a “right” and other belief systems are “wrong”, I will be there asking for empirical data.
To be a Unitarian Universalist, there is no dogma to accept. We welcome everyone. We try to live by seven principles that I am sure that very few people would disagree with. http://www.uua.org/visitors/6798.shtml
The seventh principle seems to include what you said above, “Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part”.
Josh, what an interesting question indeed. In fact, the idea of evolution appeared in the same century that the theology of the death of God. Not that they were closely related, but I think they both stem from the same desire for search for the truth.
While evolution does not exclude the possibility of a personal, interventionist, theistic God, it also provides a spiritual basis for alternative approaches, including the non-theistic concept of God, embraced amongst others by bishop John Spong, who is one of my spiritual inspirations.
Once the idea of a theistic God has been put aside, it’s hard to imagine it ever coming back – even if evolution were somehow to be disproven. However, to disprove evolution would be a major thing, and such a major discovery would be likely to re-shape our spirituality as well in ways impossible to foresee.
The bottom line is that after events such as Auschwitz or the recent earthquake in Haiti it’s impossible to imagine an omniscient, benevolent and all-powerful divine being. They prove that the ideas we had about God were imperfect and that we created a God in our own image – just better and more perfect. But every crisis is an opportunity, so instead having to cling to rigid dogma we are now free to go on our new spiritual pursuit.