Happy Birthday Charlie Darwin!
Happy Birthday Charlie Darwin! Since everyone in the sciences is marking Darwin's 200th birthday this year I thought I might throw out a few thoughts. As one would expect this anniversary has brought out many comments on the ongoing debate about evolution in the United States. One has to say the United States because we have to turn to Islamic countries like Turkey or Pakistan to find opposition to the Theory of Evolution as vociferous as we have here in the land of the free. By contrast Europeans accept Evolution without much reserve and are dismayed by our seeming ignorance. Scholars say the reason for this is because Europe is more secular and American fundamentalists write off Europeans as a bunch of godless atheists. Such monolithic views are neither accurate nor helpful. While it's true that Europeans have moved away from traditional forms of religiosity, at the same time, according to the European Values Study, they have also increasingly embraced alternative forms of religion and spirituality. This should come as no surprise. Only the most cynical of atheists deny the importance of faith and sacredness in the daily lives of human beings. We all need a sense of meaning and a relationship to something greater than ourselves to guide us through life's travails. However, to be effective, a spiritual belief system has to be congruent with reality. Europeans have accepted the validity of the reality science reveals and found the inflexible traditions and dogma's of their faith unsatisfying. They have simply moved on. This is not a move toward atheism as much as a religious evolution. Yes religions evolve. Anyone with a basic knowledge of the history of Christianity knows that interpretations of the meaning of Jesus have changed over time, in fact since the begining. This also holds true for studies in comparative religions. The real problem in America is a lack of religious maturity. Here in the states we hold on to old ideas like stubborn teenagers who'd rather live in our parents basement rather than face the uncertainties of adult life, even though the possible rewards might be substantial. I think it's a fear of what might be lost, sense of self and community, when in fact we might find better selves and stronger communities if we're willing to change. I was raised Presbyterian but I know very few members of the faith who still accept Calvin's theology as a valid interpretation of the meaning of Christian belief. As Joseph Cambell used to point out, you don't have to leave your tradition to find spiritual truths that are relevant to the time in which you live. The trick is to be flexible and find the spiritual truths within your faith that resonate with what is known about the world and leave the rest behind. Your beliefs can evolve within your tradition as religious beliefs always have. Those that provide guidance that is meaningful in the modern world will survive, others will not. To paraphrase the old saying, you might not believe in Evolution, but Evolution still believes in you and only the fittest will survive.
