Here's a little hint on my thoughts about the 'evolution of religion'...
...Bill! --- In [email protected], Chris Austin-Lane <chris@...> wrote: > > One can, annd people often do, analyze the spread of ways of living among > thinking beings as being subject to evolutionary dynamics. The spread of > Buddhist meditation through the world is a good example that is relevant > here. A decent percentage of people that are exposed to sitting take it up > into their life and tend to spread it, even as electronic forms of > distraction spread into daily life more and more. Ideas such as "do not > take lives" has had a lot of reproductive success in the last hundred years > or so. > > No reason to bring genetic evolution into the argument. Ideas and behaviors > spread quite outside of the individual's intent. > > Thanks, > --Chris > 301-270-6524 > On Apr 9, 2013 6:33 PM, "Bill!" BillSmart@... wrote: > > > Joe and William, > > > > The engine of biological evolution is mutation. It is not gradual but > > sudden. > > > > I can't comment on 'spiritual evolution' because I believe spirituality to > > be illusory. It's meaningless to me to try to define how illusions wax and > > wane. > > > > ...Bill! > > > > --- In [email protected], William Rintala brintala@ wrote: > > > > > > 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.à Take virology.à We now have created > > bacteriaà such > > > asà MRSA, VRE and CRE > > > who exist because they survived their Holocaust.à 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.à Something catastrophic, say for > > > instance the deaths of 3/4 of life on the planet.à Something that > > affects us all. > > > What of Spiritual Evolution then?à I'm really just arguing on Merle's > > side.à > > > Firstly that Evolution, as a process, is gradual but that Evolutionary > > change on > > > a broad scale is sudden.à Secondly, what does it take to get people to > > drop all > > > of their conventional, rote, belief systems and question things like the > > > existence of Godà and the meaning of Life?à Can't we equate this last > > part to an > > > Evolutionary process? > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > ________________________________ > > > From: Joe desert_woodworker@ > > > To: [email protected] > > > Sent: Tue, April 9, 2013 1:24:02 PM > > > Subject: [Zen] Re: evolving consciousness > > > > > > à > > > 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.à Could a > > similar > > > > catatrophic change occur in our spiritual evolution. Auschwitz, > > Buchenwald, > > > > Hiroshima, Nagasaki on a Global scale?à > > > > > > > > Auschwitz > > > > > > > > > > > > > ------------------------------------ > > > > Current Book Discussion: any Zen book that you recently have read or are > > reading! Talk about it today!Yahoo! Groups Links > > > > > > > > >
