In all honesty, I have been perplexed by the tremendous amount of animus and vitriol that has been brought forth by fundamentalist Christians over the theory of evolution. Of course, I understand that scientific discovery has contradicted much of the Bible and, on this ground alone, this has provided the fuel to resist the acceptance of the evolutionary process. However, from my perspective, the loathing of the theory seems to go even deeper than this and I have been at a loss to understand why...until now.
While I'm only about one-third of the way through the book The Evolution of God by Robert Wright, I can honestly say it is one of the best books on any topic I have read in the past few years. As the title indicates, in a very easy-to-read and engaging manner, Wright shows that religious belief itself has evolved over several millennia. His underlying thesis provides the explanation that has eluded me.
From the standpoint of the evangelical movement, their beliefs today mirror those of the time of Jesus and before. Their position is that their belief system has NOT evolved through the subsequent centuries. In their view, it originated suddenly as a revolutionary concept -- one God and one chosen people -- and has stayed the same through today.
If evangelical leaders were to accept the scientific basis of evolution as it pertains to organisms, their fear is that adherents might apply the very same methodology to the belief system as well. If this was done on a mass scale, then evangelicalism would collapse under its own weight! Therefore, it must be resisted at all costs.
Needless to say, their own premise that their religion has not evolved over the years is patently false. Anyone who seriously reads the Christian Bible from front to end can see for themselves that the foundations of Judeo-Christian thought changes through the years. Wright makes a persuasive case that, in its earliest form, what became Judaism started out from a polytheistic base and slowly progressed to monotheism, borrowing concepts and ideas from other religious belief systems along the way.
Even in modern times, we can see an evolution in regards to Christian belief. At the outset of the American experiment, slavery was an accepted practice and Christians only need point to various citations in the Old Testament to justify God's approval of it. Today, however, I know of no official evangelical organization or association that sanctions slavery. This offers but one example of how evangelical thought has evolved.
There is another bit of evidence that proves that evolution is more than some offhanded theory: our own lives. To take myself as an example, my knowledge, skills and views of the world have changed as I have aged. The way I understood the world around me at age 5 is not the same understanding I have today at almost age 53. As I have learned new information and experienced new experiences, my thought process has evolved. It will continue to evolve -- I can't do a thing to stop it -- until I take my last breath (maybe, beyond).
So, in my estimation, the evangelical movement is fighting a losing battle. The weight of evidence and personal experience ultimately will fold their house of cards. For me, this explains why they are behaving so loudly and nastily now. Their backs are against the wall and they are prepared to fight to the death (mainly figuratively).
While I'm only about one-third of the way through the book The Evolution of God by Robert Wright, I can honestly say it is one of the best books on any topic I have read in the past few years. As the title indicates, in a very easy-to-read and engaging manner, Wright shows that religious belief itself has evolved over several millennia. His underlying thesis provides the explanation that has eluded me.
From the standpoint of the evangelical movement, their beliefs today mirror those of the time of Jesus and before. Their position is that their belief system has NOT evolved through the subsequent centuries. In their view, it originated suddenly as a revolutionary concept -- one God and one chosen people -- and has stayed the same through today.
If evangelical leaders were to accept the scientific basis of evolution as it pertains to organisms, their fear is that adherents might apply the very same methodology to the belief system as well. If this was done on a mass scale, then evangelicalism would collapse under its own weight! Therefore, it must be resisted at all costs.
Needless to say, their own premise that their religion has not evolved over the years is patently false. Anyone who seriously reads the Christian Bible from front to end can see for themselves that the foundations of Judeo-Christian thought changes through the years. Wright makes a persuasive case that, in its earliest form, what became Judaism started out from a polytheistic base and slowly progressed to monotheism, borrowing concepts and ideas from other religious belief systems along the way.
Even in modern times, we can see an evolution in regards to Christian belief. At the outset of the American experiment, slavery was an accepted practice and Christians only need point to various citations in the Old Testament to justify God's approval of it. Today, however, I know of no official evangelical organization or association that sanctions slavery. This offers but one example of how evangelical thought has evolved.
There is another bit of evidence that proves that evolution is more than some offhanded theory: our own lives. To take myself as an example, my knowledge, skills and views of the world have changed as I have aged. The way I understood the world around me at age 5 is not the same understanding I have today at almost age 53. As I have learned new information and experienced new experiences, my thought process has evolved. It will continue to evolve -- I can't do a thing to stop it -- until I take my last breath (maybe, beyond).
So, in my estimation, the evangelical movement is fighting a losing battle. The weight of evidence and personal experience ultimately will fold their house of cards. For me, this explains why they are behaving so loudly and nastily now. Their backs are against the wall and they are prepared to fight to the death (mainly figuratively).
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