Wednesday, February 27, 2013

From Where I Stand (For lack of a better title)

I have always believed that in most of the world's unanswered questions, the truth usually lies somewhere towards the centre of things.  Maybe it's because I was raised in house where science and mysticism held equal places on the mantel.  Maybe it's because I found myself surrounded by enough people from each end of the spectrum that something sunk in.  I'm not really sure, and I think that in and of itself would take a whole lot more research then I am willing to give it.

On with my point.



The big rivalry of our modern age - and I'm sure ages past - has been between Science and Religion.  I know, not again!  Yes, again.  Its just the most accessible examples around.  Specifically, Creationism vs. Evolution.  Yikes!

Sometime ago, last year, I was unfortunate enough to get dragged into a debate on Evolution.  Ok, well, it became a debate when a group of co-workers, chuckling at the mere idea of Evolution asked me if I believed in it.  The conversation went something like this;

'Marshall, do you believe in Evolution?' one of the three women at the Service Desk asked me.

Looking around for some distraction that could save me from this, and finding none, I took a deep breath, approached the women and answered.  'Yeah, I'd say I do.'

'Oh, really?' she chided me, while her companions offered me patronizing smiles.  'How come?'

Home come?  How come?  Is she crazy?  I realized that I didn't have a good answer.  That is to say, I didn't have a quick answer.  'Well,' I started, trying to hastily organize my thoughts.

'They say,' she interrupted me, 'that we came from monkeys.  If we came from monkeys, then why are they still here?'

Flabbergasted, I could only stare.  But my rebuttal was tearing at the walls of my mind like a caged beast.  Because, we didn't come from those monkeys!  Damnit, it wasn't even monkeys.  We just share a common ancestor!  Evolution is adaptation, and shit, look at how we adapt now!  Cowardly, all I could do was nod politely at what I saw was ignorance.

Ignorance.  That's really what lies at the heart of this matter.  Now, understand, that I in no way want to demonize pure ignorance.  Those who are truly ignorant and simply people who do not know any different.  Maybe its because of how they were raised, or the part of the world that they were raised in.  You can't blame folk for simply being ignorant, because they first must be given a chance.  After all, you can't blame someone for not knowing how to drive if it's the first time they get behind the wheel.

The real demon here is Ignorance without Curiosity.  To be ignorant, to not know any better is one thing, but not having the need to understand, to learn, to see it from another angel, drives me nucking futs!  And I am sure that someone out there might read this and think that I'm being too harsh, will argue that some people are not equipped to see an issue from another side.  Bullshit! I say.  We all have the capacity to look at life from a different point of view, to walk that proverbial mile in someone else's metaphoric shoes.

I have, at times, found myself in the midst of people who have found one side of an issue and have stood there like statues, bolted to the ground.  They will not listen.  They will not consider your point of view.  They will not debate, they will only argue.  And that is my issue, with people like this.  They Will not.  Not because they don't know better.  Not because they can't. But because of will.  They aren't willing to step outside themselves and look at it from your spot in the world.

It doesn't matter which side of the debate you stand.  I don't care.  Everyone believes one thing or another for a variety of reasons.  I get it.  There are certain things that I myself feel so strongly about that it can be difficult to admit that it could be any other way.  But I'll try, I'll try to see it from your standpoint.  It might not make sense to me, but god-damn, I want it to!

Are you a Creationist?  Fine.  But let me ask you one thing; Why can't Evolution be something Divine?

Thanks for reading - even if it did take me a while to meander on to my point.

Marsh.

No comments:

Post a Comment