The various features of nature like the trees, mountains, rocks and streams appear to have evolved spontaneously. Yet, we’re left feeling awestruck by the seamless way these distinct parts fit together as a whole. The trees are every bit as tall as one would conceive them to be, and the stream that runs only a few feet from the trees flows unobtrusively. The stream doesn’t flood the trees with water, nor do the trees obstruct the stream’s flowing wisdom.
In the glory of nature, we all arrive at an inner knowing that the Earth evolved within the scope of a greater divine plan. There is simply no other way to explain the perfect alignment of Earth’s diverse features within a higher cosmic symmetry.
The feelings of wonder that we encounter in nature render so-called “debates” about our origins meaningless. There is no such debate. For anyone who spends meaningful time in nature knows that evolution and creation are mutually reinforcing principles. The way in which the natural world evolves instills our faith in the existence of a greater divine intelligence.
The unfolding of nature’s evolutionary cycles reveals the mystical qualities of that indescribable presence which is called by many names. In turn, our unwavering faith in that same divine intelligence leads us to look upon nature’s evolutionary processes through inspired eyes.
The creation-evolution “debate”
Intuitively, we all know that evolution and creation are inextricably bound together like the earthy molecules of water and air, but the ideological gatekeepers of Western society have long failed to find any unity between evolution and creation. The tendency to create separation among these two unified principles is on full display in our politics. Surely, most people of voting age are familiar with the contentious debate between evolutionists and creationists that all too often makes for cheap talking points.
On one “side” of this “debate” are the evolutionary scientists who contend that the origins of both humanity and the world came about through evolution alone. For these scientists, this process has unfolded over a period of billions of years and was supposedly sparked by random reactions of various primordial gases and molecules. For them, the mere hint of a higher cosmic order or spark of divine intelligence is simply unfathomable.
However, some renowned physicists like the late Albert Einstein and Michio Kaku (best-selling author and co-founder of string field theory) both espouse the existence of a higher power resembling God. Einstein himself called this belief a “cosmic religion,” as it was derived from his own observations of the physical world and its wondrous patterns of unity. In his description of a “cosmic religion,” Einstein all but conveyed the feeling of oneness:
The individual feels the futility of human desires and aims and the sublimity and marvellous order which reveal themselves both in nature and in the world of thought. Individual existence impressed him as a sort of prison, and he wants to experience the Universe as a single significant whole. (“Religion and Science,” The New York Times)
Kaku, for his part, went even further then Einstein in saying:
I have concluded that we are in a world made by rules created by an intelligence. Believe me, everything that we call chance today won’t make sense anymore. To me it is clear that we exist in a plan which is governed by rules that were created, shaped by a universal intelligence and not by chance.
Embracing the counterpoint of the evolution-creation “debate” are those Christian fundamentalist groups who contend that the origins of the Universe was sparked by a divine intelligence alone. Its adherents take a literalist view of the scriptures and argue that the Earth was created by God within the last 10,000-plus years.
Of course, this narrative contradicts scientific evidence proving the Earth to be at least billions of years old. As a result, many fundamentalists have either disputed evolutionary theories altogether or have insisted that their own interpretations be taught alongside evolution. Fortunately, for the sanity of the world, there exist some well-known Biblical authorities who concede that evolution and creationism aren’t incompatible partners.
In an address delivered back in October of 2014, Pope Francis, the supreme authority of the Catholic Church, controversially said the following:
God is not a demiurge [demigod] or a magician, but the Creator who gives being to all entities. Evolution in nature is not opposed to the notion of Creation, because evolution presupposes the creation of beings that evolve. (Religion News Service)
The evolutionists’ denial of God
Through their mechanized approach to studying the natural world, much of mainstream science has removed the sense of wonder from evolution. It’s not a surprise, then, that these same scientists dismiss the possibility that a divine intelligence (of which we’re a part, not separate from) is behind the evolutionary processes of nature. For, absent its mystical qualities, what does the natural world become but a vast observation lab to be used in humankind’s classification machine?
A series of unanswered questions nags at the evolutionist perspective: What do these scientists believe sparked the whole mystical chain of chemical reactions known as the “Big Bang”? “A random series of explosions” will likely be the answer.
Alright, but another question immediately follows: “What created the primordial gases that were involved in this explosion”? Once again, a swift response will be provided: “The various compounds that formed the gases.”
OK. “Then what created the compounds that formed the gases which then collided together and spawned life”? This line of Socratic questioning, which is an ironic tool of analytic reasoning, will eventually lead one back to a divine genesis.
Of course, the scientific mind of rationality will cleverly flip all questions alluding to the presence of a Creator back onto the questioner. The ego-mind will set out to “prove” that the cycle of first cause continues endlessly without there being a single and identifiable demonstration of divine will.
In fact, these words of reverse logic are often shovelled back at the metaphysical questioner when they’re backed into the corner of flawed rationality: “If, as you say, the gases were created by the compounds, and the compounds by a Creator, then there must have also been a source who created God?”
We may counter this cynical response with either one of the following lines:
- There is no source who created the One. There does not exist anything greater than IT. IT is, IT was and IT will forever be.
- It’s not possible for us to answer this ultimate of existential questions through the mind of reason alone. For the mind can’t grasp the inception point of such creative glory. Only through the intuitive channels of meditation and prayer may we gather some insights into the sacred nature of the Universe’s eternal cycle of becoming. Even then, we still can’t know for sure. Perhaps this is why some Indigenous tribes of North America coined (and have made longtime use of) the term “The Great Mystery” to refer to questions surrounding the Creator’s mystique.
Even when accounting for these rebuttals, the following question will still burn in the minds of evolutionary scientists: “If we can’t know for certain the details of this said Creator, how are we to truly know that IT even exists?”
The answer to this question lies in faith alone. Faith is the transcendent quality that is currently found lacking in evolutionary circles. However, as the Christian fundamentalists show, placing too much faith in a single source of divine knowledge can be downright foolish.
The creationists’ denial of evolution
Since the 1980s, groups of fundamentalist Christians have been on a crusade to either diminish or abolish the teaching of evolution in public schools. These efforts stem from an understandable frustration among many conservative parents about the fact that government-funded schools are openly hostile to religious teachings.
To a certain extent, they’re correct in their assumptions, for the chief function of the public education system (at least in America) is little more then to indoctrinate children into becoming obedient consumer sheep.
Of course, the open and honest discussion of such existential themes as creation would interfere with this process. If children were taught that there is a higher power whose inspiring qualities could be discovered within, they would never grow to accept the world of illusion pushed by society’s charlatans. For when we intuitively grasp the existence of this higher realm, we know in our hearts that it’s the only power worthy of our respect.
Unfortunately, many of our own educators have been conditioned through the worship of the mind to preach the worldly values of the system. The result? Open-minded discussions of creation aren’t permitted. In fact, most teachers practice a form of self-styled censorship when it comes to topics of religion and spirituality. This glaring omission from school curriculums extends specifically to the teaching of the divine origins of our own species.
The Christian fundamentalist groups are correct, then, when they point out the secular bias in public schools. The feelings of frustration they feel towards the education system for indoctrinating their children is justified. In fact, these feelings may even explain (to some extent) why a growing number of families are electing to homeschool their children.
Nonetheless, the Christian fundamentalists’ practice of targeting school districts that teach evolution is misguided and hypocritical. In their crusade to diminish or abolish the teaching of evolution, these fundamentalist groups commit a great affront against the very God they claim to be defending. For what is evolution but the natural unfolding of IT’s creation? In their relation to this unfolding, these groups are essentially saying this: “Let us celebrate God as our Creator, but then let us deny the glory of HIS creation.”
The Creationist perspective is also riddled by the blind faith that its propagandists place upon selective readings of the Scriptures to discredit evolution. The Bible is only one source of divine wisdom. There exist countless sacred texts from alternative traditions (like shamanism and Hinduism) through which the natural evolutionary rhythms are worshipped and honoured.
What makes the Bible the singular authority on the matter of our origins? Are we to take literally the facts from one source whose historical credibility has been widely questioned and debated? The evolutionary tool of carbon dating (while hardly foolproof itself) has at least established the fact that the Earth is far older than 10,000 years old! Surely, we can all agree on this, right?!
Consequences of the “debate”
The evolution/creation “debate” only serves to reinforce ignorance, disunity and a lack of reverence for nature. Further, through constructing a false duality between evolution and creation, we’ve stunted our own progress towards the light of oneness. For as long as we continue to pit the theories of evolution and creation against one another, we’ll continue to deepen our own ignorance of the mystery of how we came to be here in this moment.
The politicization of these concepts is shameful enough. Even more unsettling, though, is that neither group is committed to the pursuits of truth and wisdom. Christian fundamentalists will argue that they are. However, their leaders and spokesmen only seek to control the human spirit and mold it to fit their narrow conceptions of God. Likewise, many staunch evolutionists show little reverence for the soul. In fact, they seek to disappear it altogether before the forces of reason and logic.
Sadly, this false debate also engenders separation between people who are otherwise in desperate need of unity. From my own personal experience of having taught college-level government courses, I’ve witnessed how this dualism breeds conflict among young people.
Whenever the topic comes up, pro-creation students show great disdain for those who deny the existence of a creator and IT’s creative role in the Universe. Similarly, the pro-evolution students ridicule the creationists for their religious zealotry and lack of hard scientific proof. Amazingly, this controversial topic never fails to surface, despite my best attempts to avoid it!
Finally, both parties have inadvertently contributed to the demystification of the natural world. This mindset has come with grave consequences for the health and well-being of the planet. If we can’t adopt the perspective that views the origins of the Earth and her subsequent unfolding as a mystical phenomenon, what greater force remains to restrain us from polluting her oceans and chopping down her forests? In indirect ways, the ideologies of both the evolutionary scientists and the Christian fundamentalists enable the Earth’s destruction.
In their denial of nature’s divine genesis and qualities, the evolutionary scientists strip the evolutionary process of its own mystique and wonder. In so doing, they lend tacit justification for nature’s profiteers in industries like coal, oil, lumber and big agriculture to exploit her bountiful treasures. If the Earth is deemed unworthy of divine recognition by the so-called experts, what moral imperatives exist to restrain the harmful activities of the Earth’s plunderers?
As a related aside, imagine the following future scenario and envision how it could contribute to acceptance of a true eco-spiritual vision:
A joint statement is read by leaders of the evolutionary science community to the public, announcing their following conclusion: The patterns and rhythms of nature fit within a divine scheme of creation and henceforth on the Earth should be honoured as sacred.
In such a scenario, the scientists would be acknowledging the truth that Indigenous peoples all over the world have long known, practiced and taught for countless millenniums. Given the enormous influence and power that Western science currently wields, this statement would go a long way in establishing a sacred earth covenant.
Meanwhile, evolutionary scientists would be wise to ponder these words from the Zen poet-sage J.W. Hackett:
In metaphysical quest reason is ever blind,
for the diversity it discerns
is but a dream of its own design.
By dividing mind against self,
It can never know the One within ALL
that abides in becoming.
The Christian fundamentalists are also complicit in the Earth’s demystification. In denying the Earth’s long and epic unfolding, they’ve neglected a very key aspect of Creation. When the Great Mystery lit its fateful spark, IT undoubtedly intended for all beings to evolve. Perhaps this lack of reverence for the Earth’s creative evolution explains why the Christian church has long failed to honour the Earth.
In an old but hilarious skit titled “God and the Environment,” the now disgraced comedian Louis C.K. brilliantly captured the contradiction of the Christian fundamentalists’ belief in God and their general lack of respect for the Earth—which he attributes in part to their disbelief in evolution (you can watch an animated clip inspired by the skit here). From the outset of the clip, C.K. jokes with the audience about how the public dislikes environmentalists. He then expresses his bewilderment at this fact and explains that many of the people who dislike them are Christian fundamentalists.
C.K. then conjures up a mock scenario in which God returns to the Earth only to find the planet trashed by oil spills and the like. The remainder of the skit then focuses on God’s shocked and angry reactions upon IT’s return.
C.K.’s points are clear: It doesn’t make sense for people who profess to love God’s creative power to destroy IT’s evolutionary creation. Further, the Christian fundamentalists’ lack of reverence for the planet contributes to real-world consequences for the Earth’s well-being.
Evolution and creation are one
One day, while driving back to the airport from Redding, California, I sat in heavy contemplation on this very topic. At the time, I was writing this piece and I wondered if it was worth finishing. I questioned if Americans even took the evolution/creation debate seriously anymore.
Well, about halfway through the three-hour drive, I pulled my car off at a rest stop to enjoy a short break. After parking my car, I walked into the bathroom to urinate. Nothing out of the ordinary here, but after selecting a urinal, I was shocked to discover what lay inside the receptacle. Looking down into it, I saw a small flyer with the words: “Evolution v. God” printed on it. The flyer appeared to have been released by a Christian fundamentalist group and mocked the stance of evolutionary scientists.
Amazed by this synchronicity, I immediately completed my symbolic urination upon this dishonest debate! I concluded that this event was a sign from the Universe to continue with the writing. In my decision to proceed, though, I found it increasingly difficult to convey the belief systems of both groups without totally offending each.
Neither group should feel insulted by honest portrayals of their flaws. For both perspectives alone don’t add up to a clear and full picture of reality.
Fortunately, neither group should feel insulted by honest portrayals of their flaws. For both perspectives alone don’t add up to a clear and full picture of reality. The evolutionary scientists should recognize that the whole scheme of evolution that they spend much time observing is derived from a divine genesis. For their part, the Christian fundamentalists should acknowledge that evolution is the divine process by which creation miraculously and continuously unfolds.
Our times call for a unification of the two perspectives and a swift end to this near half-century conflict. For in a cosmic sense, science and religion aren’t bitter enemies. They’re blissful bedfellows that complement each other. A great way to begin unifying is for us all to expose the absurdity of this debate whenever we find ourselves embroiled in it.
So what should we say to both scientific and religious zealots? You could elect to go the more abrasive route and inform them that they share common ties as extremists, but saying that won’t make either feel happy. Now, if you sincerely want them to listen, try referencing the above-mentioned thinkers. If you find yourself in a conversation with a dogmatic evolutionist, remind them of Einstein’s belief in a cosmic religion. Similarly, if you find yourself in a conversation with a dogmatic creationist, introduce them to the enlightening comments made by Pope Francis.
Another way (and arguably the most effective way) that we can dissolve this conflict is to encourage as many people as we can to spend time in nature. It matters not the natural venue they choose, as the forest, the ocean and the mountains all have the same humbling impact on our souls. The idea is for us all to commune with the Earth. Only then can we experience for ourselves how every aspect of nature evolves within a greater web of oneness.
Children intuitively know the truth
Finally, we must be honest with our children. As young beings, they’re much more in tune with the constant marvels of creation than most of us adults are. It’s crucial that we acknowledge this fact. For like other animals, children are naturally tied to the realm of spirited intuition. They haven’t (yet) been indoctrinated to believe the countless societal myths that are packaged, sold and cynically labelled “education.”
One of those myths that they’re taught is that evolution and creation stand in direct opposition to one another. Deep down, we all know that this can’t possibly be true. Our souls have a unique ability to detect the truth.
Insofar as evolution is taught in the schools without due mention of a divine intelligence, the children will know they’re being lied to. They’ll wonder silently to themselves why their teacher’s words aren’t consistent with their mystical experience of reality.
Conversely, these same children will quietly ask themselves how it’s possible for God’s creation not to evolve and blossom. They’ll come to suspect that the image of God being force-fed to them in their counter-evolution classes is both an imposter and a perversion of the real qualities of Creation. For naturally, the child is an enchanted participant on the Earth. As they devote a great deal of their time to roaming the Green Oasis, children come to identify with their Creator through nature.
Each child already knows a great deal about evolution if he or she has spent considerable time interacting with various natural features, be it a stream, a frog or a tree. And all children love rocks! What could possibly teach a young person more about evolution than rocks, the oldest (and perhaps wisest) ancestors of the Earth?
As children observe living and conscious artifacts of evolution, they do so through the eyes of awe and wonder. Their curiosity entices them to dare to imagine how the stream, frog, trees and rocks all fit together as a whole. Consciously or not, this childhood seeking is an expression of their soul’s desire to connect with the Infinite.
The challenge that lies ahead is up to this generation to meet. We must find a way to unite the teaching of the two perspectives in our school curriculums, but they must be tied together in a way that mirrors the natural sense of awe and wonder that children posses. Every attempt should be made to introduce children to alternative frameworks that place the evolutionary process squarely within the context of a divine intelligence that’s rooted in nature.
Native American (Indigenous) spirituality
Towards these ends, an emphasis on Native American spirituality would make for an excellent jumping-off point. For within the reality of the Native Americans, nature is revered as the ultimate expression of wholeness.
Native Americans believe in the presence of a Creator, which they aptly term the Great Mystery. They understand that IT communicates the essence of IT’s qualities and channels IT’s life lessons to us through the subtle signs of a sunset over a mountain, an innocent doe that appears in one’s path and a giant fish that swims by to greet us in a river.
Furthermore, Native Americans regard nature as something of a seamless flow that is constantly evolving moment to moment. Surely, children would relate most meaningfully to this approach of teaching evolution and creation alongside one another.
It makes sense to ground our education in the philosophical underpinnings of our oldest ancestors. Later, as their own knowledge evolves, children may gradually come to complement the teachings of Native American spirituality with that of complementary spiritual traditions from around the world.
The teaching of alternative metaphysical approaches could either reinforce or build upon the notions of evolution and creation as one. Possible forays into the exploration of Eastern spiritual philosophies such as Buddhism, Hinduism and Daoism (which all look upon evolution as an eternal process within a greater cosmic scheme) would expand a child’s blossoming consciousness and go a long way towards breaking our culture’s dualistic thinking. Perhaps we could finally put to rest a most absurd and fruitless debate and intuitively recognize that creation and evolution are ONE.
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