A Change In Who We Are

We're in the midst of an ongoing revision of our understanding of what it means to be human. We are struggling to redefine humanity, and its going to radically influence our future.

The redefinition began in the nineteenth century with the work of Charles Darwin, who changed the game by revealing the truth of human history:We are not the progeny of gods, we are the children of worms; not the product of divine planning but of cruel chance and ages of brutal winnowing.

Darwin required a shift in the way we view oursleves -  a shift that is still working its way through the culture; creationism is an instance of the reaction against the dethroning of homo sapiens. Embracing the perspective of evolution, however,allows us to see the value of other species and appreciate our place in the system as a whole; it is a positive advance.

Much of the human race continues to resist embracing the perspective of evolution, and indeed a large industry has developed in religious groups allegedly demonstrating serious flaws in Darwin's work.

Religious groups dig up dinosaur remains with the ieda of proving that the big lizards were on earth less than six thousand years ago, cotemporaneous with humans. Actually, all the serious work done since Darwin supports Darwin and reveals evolution to be a beautifully persuasive explanation of the origin of all life on this planet, including human.

Perhaps we should regard all the cruel chance and winnowing to be itself the work of God, the direct work of God. Perhaps we should shift our concept of how "god" works; away from mud and ribs, and towards fish, lizards, rodents, primates, and humans,  natural selection, and solid, verifiable science. 

It might be time to upgrade our concept of God, simply because we now have the opportunity to make said concept more advanced, more accurate, more realistic. There is nothing wrong in amending , correcting, long held beliefs. Doing so shows flexibility, a willingness and desire to grow and to make  progress, by moving beyond the limitations of traditional, inadequate beliefs.

Science will not cease in the displacement of religion with empirical observable reality. There will come a time when science and religion are synonymous, because accepted scientific fact will dispell all current religious beliefs. Perhaps then humanity will universally become pantheists, with Spinoza their patron saint, and the universe itself their church.

by PZ Myers and Bob Bond

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