I would personally be surprised to learn that groups of people don't worship together in 1000 years. No idea what thoughts or beliefs they will have but that was never the heart of the matter
Thanks, --Chris 301-270-6524 On Apr 10, 2013 12:00 AM, "Bill!" <[email protected]> wrote: > > > 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. 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 desert_woodworker@ > > > > 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 > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > ------------------------------------ > > > > > > Current Book Discussion: any Zen book that you recently have read or > are > > > reading! Talk about it today!Yahoo! Groups Links > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >
