God is very often in the news these days, he is probably the most talked about and talked to ‘force’, for want of a better word, on Earth. Mention ‘religion’ and ‘God’ is not far away, and vice versa; when disaster strikes, God is very often blamed for what, in truth, Mankind has brought upon himself. He can be worshipped or ignored, and also used by people with both good and evil intent. A new take on God, however, has come about recently in a Horizon programme, at the centre of which is the debate on evolution, and in particular Darwin’s theory of evolution.
It is something that should interest us in The Erasmus Foundation because in this programme God, the Great Mind, is being discussed with more logic and reason through a new thinking called ‘Intelligent Design’. Spirit is working hard, no doubt, on impressing people who are ready to take this new thinking forward. It is also forcing the general public, if not the scientists, to think again about theories that so often become fact over a period of time.
The three prongs to the programme are Creationism, where people literally believe the story told in Genesis that God created the world in 7 days, Darwin’s theory of evolution, which he espoused in his book ‘On the Origin of Species’, and the latest catchphrase ‘Intelligent Design’, which claims to have found scientific evidence for a Supernatural Creator, or an Intelligence. They believe that life has not simply evolved from a simple organism, as with Darwin’s theory, but has been created by some form of Creator in its complete form.
When Darwin’s theory came on the scene it sent shock waves round the Christian world in America because if the story of creation could be doubted, so too could the Creator and the thought of a world without God was frightening to many people. Darwin himself was not happy with his findings but it was the scientific evidence that he had to accept. The battle between Creationism and Darwinism developed through the 20th century with a case in 1925 being won by Creationism, thereby making it illegal to teach Darwinism. However, 60 years later, in 1987, it was ruled by the highest Court in the States that teaching Creationism was unconstitutional because Church and State should be kept separate. Creationism was then banned from schools. The next date in the battle for legal supremacy came in 2004 in America when a number of Christian fundamentalists on a School Board of Governors, believed that evolution was a hoax and that the Bible was the truth and should be taught in schools.
It was at this time that Intelligent Design also came on the scene. Professor Phillip Johnson, a lawyer and born again Christian, felt that the theory of evolution was not just science but the cornerstone of western culture. He decided to put his thoughts to the test and put Darwin ‘on trial’. He looked at Natural Selection; how in nature it was the survival of the fittest that enabled the strongest characteristics to evolve. He believed that natural selection, over a very long time, could create the variety of life we have on the world today. He also believed that Science was ignoring one very important area and that was the Supernatural. He was put in touch with Dr Stephen Meyer, who had studied the Philosophy of Science, and the two found they had ideas in common. They proceeded to find a number of scientists who could back up their theory with scientific evidence. One scientist, Professor Behe, found that by looking at the simple organism, the Bacteria Flagellum, which was so complex with 50 different parts, there was evidence it was not a continual evolving process and so had to have been created in its complete form. Another scientist, Professor Dembski, a mathematician, looked at Darwin’s belief that life evolved by chance. He looked at the complex code of DNA and concluded that nature was so detailed that evolution by chance was highly unlikely and appeared to be mathematically impossible. He also believed that a Superpower or Super Creator was behind the evolutionary process.
At the present time the scientists who still believe very strongly in Darwin’s theory will not sit round the table and debate the issue and look at the evidence for Intelligent Design. Their whole response has been negative. The argument continues but George Bush recently gave a boost to Intelligent Design by saying that both sides should be taught. It is a case, perhaps, of ‘watch this space’ in the future.
With other recent programmes, such as the series on Alternative Medicine, and the programme made by the scientist, Professor Richard Dawkins, entitled ‘The Root of All Evil’, are scientists a little fearful of what is happening around them? People do seem to be questioning scientific evidence and knowledge more than they used to, just as they are questioning religious belief. I felt there was a strong arrogance in Professor Dawkins’ manner and approach towards people who followed a religion, and I felt it would have been more interesting if the programme had been researched and presented by someone who was not biased towards one side or the other. What we need now is a programme that includes in the debate the option of another consciousness – our Spirit – and asks logical and reasonable questions that will encourage a broader horizon for both the scientific community and the general public.
“God Rules OK!” is something Paddina used to say and I am sure that one day soon – truth being the daughter of time - this will ring out over the Earth, as people’s minds awaken to the simplicity and logic of the Great Mind’s kingdom.
© Julia Roberts (Maquita) 2006 The Erasmus Foundation.
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