Spiritual Evolution - Reader comments at The New York Sun

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War & Peace

Submitted by K. Smith, Nov 3, 2006 16:54

Shermer's an interesting character. I'm not sure he's consistently right, but he's got something charming to him, so I listen. I can't help myself.

The third book Shermer reviews reminded me of a recent Bill Moyers program on PBS about Green Christians and a soi-disant "creation care" movement within some evangelical churches today, including some unexpected places where environmentalists have always been perceived as godless liberal freaks who hate their country.

Other than these people, there's a definite anti-environmental slant within the born-again crowd. The 'apocalypse now' gang at best doesn't believe that humans have any effect whatsoever on the world. At worst, they support increased consumption and ensuing pollution as a way of hastening the miserable, desperate, frightening end times of prophecy. See http://www.counterpunch.org/santos07292006.html for a perspective on this from a Native American writer.

As for personal opinions, my mom believes in god. She also believes in evolution, because, in her words, her god is smart enough to have come up with evolution. This is not unlike the Deists who founded this country, who said god made the world, made natural laws to keep it self-winding, and then he left. He's not listening to your petty little prayers, he's not creating natural disasters, and he's not giving Notre Dame a fourth-quarter victory, because he's simply moved on.

If I was a theist, I think I'd be one of these.

But there is a lot of evidence to support spiritual evolution. This means that in order to progress and survive as a species on the planet, we must take spiritual steps toward understanding the unified, interconnected nature of life and of us. Otherwise there will be no environmental, political, or societal change. No health, no justice, no peace, no abundance, etc. Lower organisms have been proven to do it; to bind together for their survival. So can we.

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Other reader comments on this article

Comment	By	Date
Religion and science share a few characteristics that ought to make anyone with a toe-hold in either science or religion... [MORE]	Julius Barber	Nov 8, 2006 18:00
Anyone who has spent any of time talking to folks whose basic language is god-speak knows that there are two... [MORE]	Bob Zimmermann	Nov 4, 2006 19:50
The only reason why humans need a god is the fear of death, which includes the refusal of a definite... [MORE]	Roberto Hollnagel	Nov 4, 2006 16:39
Let's say that we look at our reality with an open mind, not with any agenda. It's a miraculous adventure... [MORE]	cause and effect	Nov 3, 2006 20:55
Intelligent Design usually involves some aspect of life and its development. I wish to present a fact of chemistry / physics... [MORE]	Ed Bonds	Nov 3, 2006 19:49
Shermer's an interesting character. I'm not sure he's consistently right, but he's got something charming to him, so I listen....	K. Smith	Nov 3, 2006 16:54
This article summarizes consdierable material that is already in print, but does so in an illuminating way. I would only... [MORE]	Stanley Krippner	Nov 3, 2006 12:25
Religion stems from a deep need of people to have the feeling they are being taken care off. The need... [MORE]	Yohanan Brada	Nov 3, 2006 10:54
Michael Shermer has a remarkable ability to take on an idea and flex it like a Rubik's cube to show... [MORE]	Frank P. Araujo	Nov 3, 2006 10:27
I found the last three paragraphs of this article particularly interesting and, truly, baffling. Shermer assumes that the supernatural equals... [MORE]	Mark Hausam	Nov 3, 2006 10:26
see title [MORE]	bob huff	Nov 3, 2006 10:04
Just like always, Dr. Shermer scientifically explains the steps of evolution by scientifically reasoning rather than mythical stories of creation... [MORE]	Sara Smith	Nov 3, 2006 07:51
The three counties south of Cincinnati called northern Kentucky have evolution/creation living side by side. Big Bone Lick State Park,... [MORE]	Mr. Andrew O. Lutes	Nov 3, 2006 07:11
As a strong atheist, anti-theist,I am proud of Dr.Shermer now being a fellow atheist and will read his new book... [MORE]	morgan-lynn lamberth	Nov 3, 2006 06:41
I'm glad that your passionate in your views, but do you really think the agruments proposed by Stenger or Rossown... [MORE]	Michael Geiser	Nov 3, 2006 09:32
As usual, the theists response is that the argument isn't to their liking; therefore there is an error in it. Simple... [MORE]	Bill Henry	Nov 4, 2006 12:32
Morgan-Lynn Lamberth wrote, "As a strong atheist, anti-theist,I am proud of Dr.Shermer now being a fellow atheist ..." Dr. Shermer did... [MORE]	George Slusher	Nov 4, 2006 12:34
Bill: You mistakenly lump me in as a "theist". And what's with you going all "Ad Hominem" on me there Kemo... [MORE]	Michael Geiser	Nov 6, 2006 15:20
Don't know why you thought my response was aimed at you. I suspect I accidently checked a box or something. I... [MORE]	Bill Henry	Nov 6, 2006 17:06
Michael, choose all possble attributes , only to find that none work!Stenger is so right after all.One has to make... [MORE]	Morgan-Lynn Lamberth	Jan 31, 2007 19:52
The trouble I still have is in the logical consistancy of the argurement and not the passions behind them. From your... [MORE]	Michael Geiser	Feb 1, 2007 12:36
An excellent article, with some pithy observations, but one major error: Richard Dawkins' TV show was on Channel 4, not... [MORE]	Tony Kehoe	Nov 3, 2006 04:04

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