1. Knowledge

2. Life

3. Believing in Religion

4. Religion and Responsibility

5. Does God Exist?

6. Evolution

7. Evolution of the Physical World

8. The Moon and Evolution

9. Human Evolution

10. Computers and Evolution

11. Science and Evolution

12. Religion and Evolution

Knowing the physical basis of how an entity, such as a plant, functions has a finite limitation. In other words, after an extensive, lengthy, period of research, if an almost complete knowledge is obtained, as to how a plant functions, there remains a difference that cannot be overcome.

The existence of the plant itself is forever separated from any knowledge obtained as to how it functions. The plant will remains as it exists, carrying out its intended functions as it develops. The reality of the existence of life itself transcends its understanding in the minds of men.

However, the nature of the plant itself can be changed by altering a particular function to obtain some desired result. An example of this could be the alteration of the genetic make-up of corn plants in order to obtain resistance to certain diseases. Thus, the interaction between men and plants can result in a transformation of the plant into a more advanced stage of evolution. A planned, rather than a chance evolutionary path.

So, the growth of scientific knowledge itself is an evolutionary tool, rapidly increasing the rate of evolution of life in general.

How much understanding do we have of the complexities of life, the wonders in nature?

Consider the lowly moth. To save itself from predators, it has evolved coloration patterns on its’ wings, that, in some cases, resembles the face of an owl. It is doubtful if the moth can see well enough to discern the features of an owl’s face. But it matters not whether this occurs, for how could a particular species of moth have the ability to develop these unique color patterns, that assist in protecting it from enemies?

Also, consider the evolution of a certain member of the orchid family. In the course of their evolution, they have developed the ability to mimic the form and habits of a particular species of wasp. Their flowering period coincides with the mating season of these wasps, and the form of the flower has even come to partly resembles the form of the female wasp, complete with the odor of her sexual attractant pheromone. How has this transformation evolved?

It seems that these examples illustrate that outside influences cause these transformations to occur; as part of the pattern of evolution, that occurs in nature as a whole.

This manner of evolution is the theme of this essay. How can these examples, and many others, be explained?

Current theories consider the process as one of ‘natural selection,’ or ‘survival of the fittest.’ Explanations such as this consider that these occurrences to be a slow process of evolutionary development, and that these creatures must be adept at creating some particular feature in order to survive. But, this explanation does not seem sufficient enough to account for the actual mechanism of this process.

This interdependent relationship between different species of living forms may occur rather rapidly, in order to successfully take place. A slow process of trial and error seems less likely to explain this characteristic of evolution. A more rapid development, caused by environmental clues shows the potential for such a change to already present. In the individuals involved, being merely expressed under the proper environmental conditions.

This expression might be called ‘intelligence’ in man, ‘instinct’ in animals, or simply ‘evolution’ in plants; different labels for a characteristic function of living beings in adjusting to their environment.

The many examples that could be cited to illustrate that the complexity of the mechanism of evolution could be thought to illustrate the possibility that the occurrence of ‘life’ in general follows a pre-ordained plan. It might even be said that the ‘mind’ of God controls all evolutionary occurrences.

Thus, the coordinate evolution of plants and animal species’ that depend upon each other for survival might be compared to the question of’ which came first, the chicken or the egg?’ Which member of this relationship came first?

Or, did they, more likely, develop simultaneously, and evolve into more and more specialized forms?

As life forms evolved, would there be some common thread, some interdependency inherent in evolutionary advances, whereby these symbiotic relationships occur naturally, in the development of more and more advanced species of life forms.

Does this aspect of evolution reflect a deeper meaning, that all life evolves as en expression of the infinity of life forms potentially present in the natural world?

A conflict seems to exist between the spiritual and secular aspect of trying to lead a successful life.

If one lives primarily by trying to follow the teachings of the Bible, then one must sacrifice most personal ambitions in order to observe these teachings. However, a conflict must exist in striving to live a religious live, if one comes to recognize that there exists a necessity for some people to use their thinking ability in the advancement of knowledge.

In such a situation, an individual usually must dedicate a large part of his life in pursuit of this goal. This effort would result in giving a smaller part of one’s life in the practice of religious worship. So, if one does dedicate a large part of his life in the pursuit of worldly affairs, is he being sacreligious by not relying on obtaining salvation in the world to come, in Heaven?

Or, instead, is it God’s plan that man should in general use any special skills which they are given in the development of this world, and regard religion to be of secondary importance?

Many Bible references stress the notion of man being at one with God and Jesus. The phrases used suggest that God and Jesus are as one: "I am in Him and He is in Me."

Also, Jesus tells of the necessity of having faith and believing in Him. "Anyone who believes in Me believes in the Father who sent me." These sayings. taken together, suggest that one way to have a true belief is to have a knowledge of religious teachings. If one applies knowledge of Jesus' life, or His way of thinking, as expressed in the Bible, into one's own life, it is possible to live a life dedicated to the teachings of Jesus. This means that if one can truly imagine being at one with Jesus, the problems of this life can more easily be resolved. True belief implies placing one's self in Jesus' place, in the life being lived in these times, and acting as He would in encountering life’s present-day difficulties.

This way of thinking might imply having a great arrogance; to try to act as Jesus would; but, at the same time, would require living with humility. Having this attitude would be the ultimate way to express a true belief in His life.

This, indeed, is the goal of true belief, and the success in accomplishing this goal is a measure of living a life based on religious beliefs.

The word God is found in the Bible, in books and literature all over the world. The idea of God is known by thought processes in the mind of people of all nations. This idea of God that exists in the minds of men has transformed human society. The Bible, the word of God, contains the inspiration, in the form of the ten commandments, for all the laws of government and society that is the basis for an ordered, civilized existence.

The idea of God has built churches; given one day a week, for all who chose, to worship; made religion a life's work for many, and even caused lives to be sacrificed in His name. The belief in God's existence, simply an idea in the minds of men, is reality. It may be possible that the idea of God was created by, and is only known in, the mind of man. That, in itself, is an incredible occurrence.

But, if God did exist before the creation of the world, that may only be truly revealed as men grow in wisdom and understanding. It seems incomprehensible that the world was made without purpose, that we exist by some chance occurrence. Is it not a miracle that life has arisen and evolved so that men can have this understanding? Does it not seem obvious that life will continue to evolve and man grow closer to understanding the true nature of God?

Not all men can have the same understanding, of course, for one has to live and contribute to society. The idea of God may or may not be believed, but it helps and comforts those in search for a higher purpose in living.

As men continue to search for God and grow in understanding, it may be that the closer we grow to God in knowledge, that the more clearly will He be revealed. That is, when we reach a more complete understanding of the idea of God, and He has meaning for men everywhere - an influence felt throughout the world; then, in fact, God will have a more complete presence.

At that time, The Second Coming may take place, as a more perfect understanding of God is reached in the minds of all men.

Which came first, plants or animals? Since both forms of life are supposed to have a common ancestor, the question is not readily answered. However, the evolutionary history of the planet indicates that the more rapid development of plants seems more likely. For example, the presence of large amounts of oxygen in the atmosphere seems to be due to the biological processes of plants. The transformation of carbon dioxide to oxygen must have occurred for most of the time encompassing the existence of life forms. That is the large amount of oxygen needed to support animal life must have first been present, in order to insure their survival. This would then be an indication that plants must have been in existence prior to the evolution of higher forms of animal life.

The different, unrelated, species of animals and plants that evolve in a similar manner in different parts of the world having similar climates, suggest the imperative influence of the environment on evolutionary changes. This observation also suggests that the survival of a species is not an exclusive function of these changes, which can be immediate, and yet refined slowly in their succeeding generations.

For example, a learned behavioral response to changes in the environment can result in the development of this function as a permanent characteristic, while related species living in a different environment will continue to exist without this newly acquired characteristic.

The life that exists on Earth is dependent on, and inter-related with, the environment; particularly the air, oceans and materials in the Earth itself.

In our modern world, this includes a necessary dependence on oil and natural gas which powers the machines we rely on to function as a society. Thought must be given in order to understand the processes that occurred in forming these materials in such abundance. It is known that they did form by the death and decay of living forms that preceded our present-day existence.

Some further thought on this subject should lead to the realization that there would be no other use for oil, gas and coal, except for the functions that they now provide. These substances are foreign to the realm of nature, even having properties that are hazardous to living beings. This, being the case. we must ask why they were formed, since they do not contribute to the support of life.

They do, in fact, but only in the purpose for which they are used; a basic support system for activities in modern society. This consideration brings to mind the fact that the inevitability of the formation of these materials must indicate some predestination in the evolution of life. If they were not gotten rid of by modern technology, they would remain in the earth until some catastrophe occurred, when they would be released from their earthly prison by some geologic process.

This is a rather obvious example of life’s evolution being preordained. Many others exist. The age of dinosaurs and their extinction, without which more advanced life forms could not have developed. Even the location of planet Earth, itself, in the Solar System. If it were not exactly in the position it is in, with regard to the Sun and the other planets, life itself would not have developed to such an extent.

These few examples, and others, illustrate the inevitability of the existence of life. The hardship and adversity endured during the evolutionary processes that occur are a necessary part of the continuing development of living beings. A very basic part of evolution is the necessity of advanced life forms arising from the elimination of more primitive specimens; a characteristic of the predatory nature of life in general, which exists even today.

What will happen on Earth when the Moon leaves? It is known now, or at least widely assumed, that the Moon was once part of the Earth. It is believed to have separated when a very large object collided with Earth, rather early in the development of the Solar System.

What this massive object was can only be the subject of uncertain speculation at this time. But, the Moon's orbit has, since it separated from Earth, become increasingly farther and farther away, and, it is thought that eventually the Moon will leave Earth’s gravitational attraction forever.

What, then, will the effect be of this separation on life on Earth? What were the conditions like when these objects were closer together in the distant past?

One observation is certain, that the ocean tides on Earth are daily affected by the gravitational pull of the Moon. Going back in time, then, it seems more than likely that, when the Moon was closer, it exerted a much more dramatic effect on the movement of the waters of the oceans.

This effect must in turn have had a much more invasive effect on the land masses surrounded by water, with erosion occurring to a much greater extent. What would have happened to the land masses themselves? Would their present-day separation have been caused by the gravity of a near-by Moon? What, then, of the future? Will the permanent separation of the Moon from Earth cause a catastrophe of a different nature? Picture the Earth without any tidal motion of the oceans, as occurs daily at this time. Will the effect of the oceans on the land masses come to an end without tidal motion? What of the creatures on both land and sea that now depend on the movement of the tides on their very existence? Will they even survive this inevitable occurrence?

The advances in the standard of living have been accomplished by the ideas developed in the minds of men. The evolutionary process in force in this development is best described as the more effective use of man's brain in creating ideas of more and more complexity.

In the course of everyday living, experience has been an invaluable teacher in devising more efficient and effective means of accomplishing necessary functions.

These gained experiences are thus refined by people with more knowledge and experience, and this knowledge is then passed on to succeeding generations.

At the same time, however, an additional process is at work. This is the method of communication between people, communities and eventually, nations. The improved methods developed are shared with others through both the written and spoken word.

This improvement in methods of communication more and more exceeds any previously existing process. As the growth of technology increases, closer communication between cultures in different parts of the world will result in bringing closer and closer together peoples of the world in one global community.

The methods of communication used have evolved from the written word through radio and telephones to television and computers, and, lately, to the interconnection of computers and telephone systems being joined together.

Eventually, if this trend continues, as people become more and more interrelated, wars may cease, cooperation increased, and hunger and disease eliminated. This utopia should be the goal of mankind. Otherwise; an alternative, the end of civilization as we know it, could be the ultimate result.

The advent of the computer age may suggest a further step in the process of evolution. The control of more and more of the natural world by our species indicates that we may have reached the limit to further advances in physical development of any species.

The further advances of man's domination now resides in the development of his mind. But this part of the evolutionary process, the advances in man's ability to think, has been aided by, and now may be surpassed, by the recent advances in computer technology.

Now, our dependence on these machines has become total, as they are being incorporated more and more into the functions of our daily life. The even more recent development of the inter-net system using computers has extended the evolutionary horizons even more dramatically, as all people in different regions of the world are becoming more and more involved with each other in 'hyper-space' existing in the internet system.

This may be the evolutionary advance of the future, as technology becomes more and more sophisticated.

This sharing of ideas {knowledge}, or communication, is now at the forefront of the advance of civilization. It crosses national boundaries, even the limitations imposed by the differentiation caused by racial barriers. One might even call this evolution a revolution due to the radical nature of the interaction of men and machines.

This interaction of living beings with inanimate objects is a departure from the usual interpretation of evolution. It would only be conjecture to try to imagine where this revolution will lead.

One consequence that is beginning to become evident is that man has begun to venture into ‘hyper-space’, and to participation in, or involvement with mental images that substitute for everyday reality. This interaction of the human mind with computer technology signals the beginning of journey that is, in all of its complexities, difficult to comprehend.

The increasing store of knowledge does not seem, in itself, to have any limitations on man’s relation to himself, or his soul. On the contrary, we can say that scientific progress, as related to an ever-increasing store of knowledge, must be an aid to man in either building up, or tearing down, theories about himself as a human being.

Two sciences concerned with man directly are Psychology and Biochemistry. Their’ increasing importance would suggest that a corresponding increase in man’s interest in himself is taking place. Also, science is very much concerned with man by the limitations imposed upon him by his senses. How the actual significance of events, and what happens in their occurrence, can be understand to be an ideal that any scientist or philosopher would like to attain.

If we can picture progress in these areas slowed down to such an extent, as it was in the early days of science, then the state of affairs from day to day, moment to moment, or thought to thought; is much the same as before, with only the intervening interval of time being reduced.

Conceiving of time as the all-important factor, we can compare the rush of water during a flood to the rapid build-up of scientific facts. The rapid occurrence of each tends to sweep away and overcome all in their path. The little amount of water occurring during a rainfall is readily assimilated, and is a necessary part of natural occurrences. Similarly, the passage of time is related to scientific advancement.

As flood water can drown plants and cause destruction, so accumulated knowledge, can ‘drown’ man in its enormity; unless stored up, like water in a dam, and only used as needed. However, the plant, being more important than the flood water which feeds it; and man, being more important than scientific knowledge, must eventually overcome this flood.

The Sun, sustaining plants in everyday life, dries up the water and helps plants to recover. Similarly, man’s soul, or spirit, sustaining him from day to day, gives him continued sustenance.

The aspiring, thinking, self of man causes him to seek knowledge, and it should be evident that his desire for knowledge is an important factor in the advance of science. Man as an independent soul is becoming more realizable as he uses the progress of science to enable him to benefit from his environment. Separation from the physical world of laborious, time-consuming tasks has given him more time to exhibit the great powers of his mind. Thus, if man keeps his proper perspective, he will use science as a tool, and keep control over it.

A somewhat vague trend is becoming more apparent as our fund of scientific knowledge increases. That is, al scientists tend to approach the same basic viewpoint; that as they gain more and more knowledge, the interrelation of their different fields seem to have some similar basis.

For example, just as a pragmatic philosopher has one opinion of a controversial belief, and an idealist another one, with both having good arguments; so the physical and organic chemists have different, valid approaches in their methods of research. Their different views seem to be limited, restricted, views of some manifestation of a basic force in nature.

Einstein, for example, tried unsuccessfully to correlate the similarities of the phenomena of light, electricity, magnetism and gravity into some common basis. Possibly, man will approach the final discovery of the relatedness of everything to some vital force, some ideal, as the mind of God; which we may relate to the willing force in man. Then, one can say that the search for knowledge has been an end in itself; following the evolution of thought toward a final truth; that science has been a shadowy picture of reality created by some force in the mind that we can call the soul-- the only factor in the universe of infinite importance.

Religion has had a very important part in the advance of civilization. Indeed, it has been the basis for most, if not all, of the moral guidelines under which men and governments coexist.

As men acquire more and more knowledge about the world in which he lives, different societies and nations should develop more of an understanding of the necessity of maintaining a peaceful coexistence. Thus, as the system of a global community becomes more of a reality, the advance and importance of religion also may become more of a factor in this development. More and more, religion will become an integral part of the community of man. At some future time, we may then come to realize that the soul of man is not bound by the physical restrictions imposed by nature. But, instead, we may become more of a part of God's plan, participating more fully in the realm of the universe that exists beyond the boundaries of our earthly domain.