Catastophists beleive that the mutations currently exist, that the catastrophic event needs only to occur to eliminate those least fit to survive, allowing the mutation to dominate. Take virology. We now have created bacteria such as MRSA, VRE and CRE who exist because they survived their Holocaust. This evolutionary development has happened has appened within a human lifetime. I didn't cite Auschwitz as a specific event but to pose the possiblity of a Global Holocaust, say the rapid spread of a disease with no known cure. Something catastrophic, say for instance the deaths of 3/4 of life on the planet. Something that affects us all. What of Spiritual Evolution then? I'm really just arguing on Merle's side. Firstly that Evolution, as a process, is gradual but that Evolutionary change on a broad scale is sudden. Secondly, what does it take to get people to drop all of their conventional, rote, belief systems and question things like the existence of God and the meaning of Life? Can't we equate this last part to an Evolutionary process?
________________________________ From: Joe <[email protected]> To: [email protected] Sent: Tue, April 9, 2013 1:24:02 PM Subject: [Zen] Re: evolving consciousness William, Of course, they both operate. Gradualism is slower. But catastrophes are just major changes thrown into the conditions that Gradualism works within. But for either, Selection is at play. And so remains the speed-limit. Maybe the speed of light will be exceeded at some time by some means. And maybe it's possible in the working of catastrophism to incur a mutation or niche by wiping out a whole region or class of people, or a species. We might as well admit the future possibility of it. I'm an Asteroid-Scientist, and can point to instances of major sudden change that affected the entire biosphere. Between incidents of dramatic catastrophe, Gradualism continues to do all the work. Does it not? A change in thought or feeling occasioned by Auschwitz is not evolution of the kind we are talking about. It's not even "spiritual" evolution, in the very vaguest sense. If it has caused evolution, we certainly don't see it working, even in Israel or Palestine. Anyway, I don't think so, there. It should never have been expected. Selection is very slow. Not because that's better. But because that's how Selection works. And it's not happening with consciousness, therefore, at a speed such that we will ever live to see any changes. But, ...that we can uncover our true inherent Human inheritance is still the greatest single miracle and discovery of the past 2500 years, to my mind. The uncovering of it happens suddenly; not gradually. ;-) Although a good basis of methodical and regular practice always precedes and supports the awakening. The results of all the evolution by selection are in the safe-deposit box; the key to open it is merely to slough-off the metal hide. And this we can do. There is no future time better than now in which to do this. --Joe > William Rintala <brintala@...> wrote: > > Joe: > > There are 2 schools of thought regarding Evolution the Gradualists, which you > espouse, and the Catastrophists, who believe that evolution is precipitated > by > catastrophic change, e.g. the extinction of the dinosaurs. Could a similar > catatrophic change occur in our spiritual evolution. Auschwitz, Buchenwald, > Hiroshima, Nagasaki on a Global scale? > > Auschwitz
