Tuesday, March 18, 2014

On faith: an evolutionary realization, Not sword related.

This morning I watched the HBO documentary Questioning Darwin, and had an interesting revelation  about faith and purpose for me, as well as my understanding of the world around me.

In the documentary they spoke quite a bit about Charles Darwin's journey and though not talked about in depth they touched on some of his struggle with releasing his findings. In it, they also spoke to some Christians who refute his theory of evolution, preferring the creationist belief that God created the world in 6 days, and it all happened as the bible told under 6,000 years ago. I am not going to get into my take on this as I find it irrelevant, but there was something in all of that which seemed to underlie some of this belief. and it began to make me think about life and meaning and how we as people connect the two.

There were several people who as I heard it anyway said that if the bible was not true, and if the creation of the world was not done as outlined that our lives would not mean as much, and our meaning would be lessened, as if the story of creation is not true, it begins to unravel the fabric of their belief and as such the only way for the rest of the faith in the Bible to be true was for a literal translation of the bible.

I have also heard, over the years that people, without God's laws fall into chaos and would not be good people without the word of God as outlined in the (Christian) bible and so, prayer in school is needed, and teaching of biblical thought, should be required in schools to counter this kind of failure in faith that leads people to do bad things and leave the grace of God himself.

 There are some, who the belief in their faith makes life meaningful for. I do not hear in these cry's desperation, but hope, and faith that they are doing what is right for them because they believe it is right. Along those lines since it is what they believe is right, they would like to encourage others to follow the same path, because it is one that works for them. That there is only one true way, and all who do not follow it, they either do not know better or have not seen the truth in it and should be shown the way.

I have also known plenty of people, who are, as I see them people of good upstanding character who have no faith, or no concept of something beyond themselves that still act in a way that I think most would call good. Some of these call themselves atheist, some call themselves  agnostic, some at one time had a faith that they grew up in, or had at one time in their lives, but through means have fallen away from the faith because of the way that it was practiced or the actions of a person or group of individuals in the faith and as such have not found someplace they feel is their Spiritual home. More to the point, they are not looking for one, it has no purpose to them.

What struck me in this documentary was something that I had not given a lot of thought to, which was, some people rely on their faith to give their lives meaning. To me, that is a great thing. If that means that you go to church and pray and do what you do because it is your belief that it is what God wants you to do and from that you are good to your neighbors, and work to be a good person, then to me that is awesome. If embracing evolution is something that you cannot do because it shakes that, then I understand a reason behind fighting against it, to you, it is an attack on you and your faith without which life simply would not have the same meaning.

So the thing that really strikes me is that we, as humans look for our place in the world. Since long before we had agriculture, and probably since before we were humans even, we have had a burning desire to figure out what that place was. We want to know what happens to us after we die. Is it lights out and that is all? Is it an afterlife in a land of milk and honey? Do we return and live again to become better and better until we can break free from the cycle of life and death?

Ancient people answered these questions different ways. Some answers were in the questions asked. Yes we live on as something else or something more, no, we do not and go to an underworld presided over by Hades, yes we are reborn into another life over and over until we reach perfection, then we are free from the cycle. But what all of these answers created for the ones asking and answering them was a purpose and meaning to life.

I know some Atheist who believe that life is only what we experience with our 5 senses, and that when we come to die, it is only the purpose that we have had here, and the impact that we have made that matters. I also know some Christians who believe that living a good life is important because it means that when we come to die, that we will live a good life after we are gone that we would not had we not been good to one another. I think the irony in both is that without knowing what the person's faith was, you may not be able to tell them apart by the life that they lead. The Atheist helps someone bring in their groceries not because they are building up good Karma here in life, but because it makes them feel good to help out someone else. The Christian who feeds the neighbor kid who they know does not have food at home to eat, may be doing it because it is right to help each other, or because love one another is something they believe in, or even because doing so will help them feel like they are being a good Christian and is good in the eyes of God who, when they come to die, will judge them and so, should be as good as they can.

What matters, regardless of faith, is that we find something that makes life worth it. If Darwin was right, and that shakes your faith so badly that you could not live a good life. Then I support you believing what you do so that you are a good person. If believing that there is nothing more than the life we lead and as such it drives you to be a better person, then at the end of the day it is a good thing as anyway that we as people can make the world better makes it better for all of us.

Maybe it is just me, but I would rather a room full of people who are good regardless of their faith then people who are not, because of their faith. I would rather a christian who is doing good works to help his neighbor because it is the right thing to do, then the one who is mean and terrible to them because they do not agree on the nature of life, and death, and what it all means.

We will not all see eye to eye on things. That is the nature of individuals living together. But that does not mean that because we do not see eye to eye that we cannot be friends based on what we do agree on. I would rather a atheist who does not steal from my house, then someone who shares the same faith that does. I would rather a neighbor who I can greet if I see them on the street, then one who will not talk to me because they do not share my faith. What it comes down to is that it is better to have good people around you who for whatever reason they are doing the right thing are being good people to each other, then 10,000 who share the same belief in the nature of life and death, but who are cruel to those who do not share it.

The last thing I want to say is this. We do not agree 100% on anything I promise you, but why not build laws that support the things we do have in common. No one likes having their stuff stolen. I am not sure there are a lot of people who believe that killing people is a good and just thing to do without definite cause. If we are going to live together, we have to respect each other, we do not have to agree, but you can respect someones right to choice without letting it have bearing on you. I do not smoke, but if I went around beating people up who choose that for themselves, then I would be a jerk and deserve the repercussions of that. So I can do this. Not smoke, choose to not be around those who do, and let those who do, do it, it is their choice and not mine. If there is conflict, lets agree to sit down at the table and talk about solutions that work for both of us, not just my way, or just your way, but a way that is somewhere in the middle, that though not perfect for both, works enough for both of us. If at the end of my life, my decisions are wrong, and my choices were bad ones, then let me face my maker and face my judgement on my own, If you are right, it will happen either way anyway, so let that me my cross to bear, until then lets try to work together rather than