"Evolution and Spirit" - Commentary by Tony Seton

Evolution and Spirit

Jeff and Carol Brown resigned their seats on the Dover, Pennsylvania school board after their colleagues voted to direct high school science teachers to tell their students that there are gaps in the evolution theory. Of course there are gaps but the board is skidding down a slippery slope, hoping to replace, it appears, the teaching of evolution with pure -- cough, cough -- creationism. They don’t want their children to learn about the scientific theories about how we got here. They want to go with the Bible, solo.

The Browns believe in both the Christian god and evolution, which seems eminently reasonable. There is impeccable science behind evolution, but there are also some significant holes in Darwin’s story. However, the Biblical story, while entertaining, is all holes. There is no science behind it. And unless the yahoos are willing to forego all knowledge -- which indeed they might be -- we must stand up for the truth, that there is more than one book.

And more than one religion. I long believed in no belief. I still, even more surely, don’t believe in the long white robes and white beard kind of Christian god. However, over the past couple of decades, I’ve had a bunch of personal experiences which have informed me that there is something going on; I’ve referred to it as a larger reality. As far as I know, I’m the only adherent to my personal version, but I suspect many people hold similar beliefs, which center on the point that they don’t know what it is that knits evolution together with reality and they don’t have to know.

People with crippled minds or limited intellectual capacity tend to have to fill in the unknowing with an answer of their own choosing. Their solution is not based on wisdom or facts; it is the corrosive spackle of fear.

According to the polls, ours is the most religious country in the developed world. We also have the highest percentage of our people in prison. We also have capital punishment. We don’t have universal health care. But we are the world’s leading arms merchant. Just so no one confuses truth with beliefs or religion with basic human decency.

And that’s SetonnoteS...I’m Tony Seton.