While serving a mission in southern Chile I often challenged people to ponder some of the deep questions of life: Where are you from? Where are you going? Often, the answer to those two questions helped seekers of truth to answer the more relevant question of what are we supposed to be doing in this life. I propose a parallel exercise to help us understand our religious and practical obligations to the planet and our environment.
Theodore Dobzhansky wrote in 1973 that “nothing in biology makes sense except in the light of evolution” (American Biology Teacher, Volume 35, pages 125-129). Given Gallup Poll data asserting that only 39% of Americans believe in evolution as of February 2009, one must conclude that to 61% of Americans who do not subscribe to the theory of evolution, nothing in biology makes sense. That frightens me because biology (the study of life) and evolution give us a new and deeper understanding of the earth, and our relation ship to it and all things found on it.
Evolution teaches us that the planet is very old, and that the world’s history is our history. Most of us have a difficult time understanding how old the earth really is, but evolution helps us to gain more perspective. Although it appears that life formed on earth relatively quickly (a billion years or so after the formation of the planet), it takes millions of years and generations for time to become meaningful. Earth time is deep time. Our lifetimes are barely noticeable next to the lifespan of the earth. Becoming evo-literate brings our roles on the earth into perspective.
Evolution also teaches us about our intimate and necessary relationship with earth. Using genetic markers, scientists can now trace the human record across the globe, back to Africa where genetic diversity is the greatest. We can see similarities across species as well, not just within species. This understanding of evolution drives home the point that we are related to all life on the planet, rather than mere obligatory roommates of sorts.
Finally, understanding evolution may help us to understand the future of our planet. There is little difference between those that subscribed to a geocentric model of the universe and those today that subscribe to an “anthro-centric” model of the planet. Our religion also teaches us to look outside ourselves to the needs and well-being of others. That teaching should extend to earth and all its inhabitants, not just our fellow men. Men were not meant to be the focus of all life, rather we are intended to be stewards to our planet and the life contained thereon.
I submit that if we continue spreading evo-literacy, people will also become more eco-literate. Once we understand how intertwined our fate and the planet’s fate are, we are much less likely to desecrate the earth. Evolution gives us an immediate and scientifically founded reason to care for the earth and guard against actions that may cause it damage.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
I know I posted a similar comment earlier, but I believe that we can't be too rash to accept the ideas that what holds true in our lifetimes, or even along the scale of known history holds true throughout millions or billions of years. Take the age of the earth for example, it is true that we have recorded the earth as very old. How accurate can a man-imposed and discovered method of dating really be? Maybe it is spot one, maybe not. Also, at what point in the earth's lifespan did it become organized? These are questions that we don't have the answers to. I would be careful to think that evolution and environmental stewardship go hand in hand. I would say that they teach amazing lessons we can learn from and that each has things to offer us. Perhaps the key to treating the planet well and understanding evolution is as simple as the doctrines we learn from the scriptures- don't be excessive, and seek learning by study and faith. (Paraphrasing of course)
ReplyDeletei kinda feel like the world will end before our evolutionary destiny will occur. maybe thats wishful thinking but i hope we dont have that much time to let the world get that much worse.
ReplyDeleteThe debate will continue on and probably will never be decided until truth is revealed or learned for ourselves. We should just do our best with what we have been given and let things that are out of our control be and worry about the things that we can control.
ReplyDeleteI would like to first complement you on a fantastic new word evo-literate. I hope it makes it into Webster someday. I also agree that by studying evolution and the history of the earth we can make better decision in the future. The saying that history repeats its self should cause us to want to better understand the earth’s history so that we can be better prepared for the future.
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't be so quick to say that those who do not believe in evolution don't understand biology at all. Though the theory brings compelling facts, it doesn't mean that it is the whole story from beginning to ending. The theory of evolution can enrich our understanding of the earth around us, and our relationship to it, but it can't take the place of the fact that a Divine creator exists. What needs to be realized is that the two aren't antagonistic.
ReplyDeleteI was surprised by the fact that only 39% of Americans believe in evolution. I agree with your point that evo-literacy will lead to eco-literate. It reminds me of the post where they talked about how understanding our connectedness to the environment will lead to spiritual progression. Understand our connectedness to other organisms also leads to progression in our treatment of the environment.
ReplyDeleteThat was an interesting point that you made. Only 39% of americans said they believe in evolution. But perhaps that actually means only 39% have taken the time to research and learn about evolution. The other 61% are simply repeating what they have heard their parents or pastors say. I think it is important to find out for yourself what you believe in before you begin spouting off nonsense.
ReplyDeleteI think the only way to understand the world and its processes is to look at it using what we know of revelation, creation, and our religion and use that to make sense of evolution and ecology side by side. Ecological processes are proven, and the addition of evolution into the equation adds the missing component of time. I read a paper in a class that talked about merging these two sciences in order to understand biology and the world.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteYour logic seems to me to be sound. It's just like our relationship with strangers: if we recognize that we are all children of God and therefore brothers and sisters, then we will treat them much better. LIkewise, with the environment, if we believe that we all were raised from the dust by a common Creator, then we will more fully respect nature. It is not necessary to believe in evolution to have a deep respect for the earth (though evolution may be correct). What we do need to recognize though, is that all of creation is intertwined in this probationary period we call earth, and whatever means of creation God performed, connected all of life together in a grand masterpiece.
ReplyDeleteEvo-literacy is no doubt fundamental to forming a respect and appreciation for the world around us and our place within it, and the sooner that we can understand that the better. If our schools won't teach it, then it is our responsibility,in my opinion,to teach it to our children. Thanks for writing on this subject, it really is an important one.
ReplyDelete