Institute for Creation (Credulous) Research (Retards), PO Box 2667, El Cajon, CA 92021 Voi
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Institute for Creation Research, PO Box 2667, El Cajon, CA 92021
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No. 234 "Vital Articles on Science/Creation" December 1992
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Pantheistic Evolution
by Henry M. Morris, Ph.D.*
Copyright (c) 1992 by I.C.R.
All Rights Reserved
* Dr. Henry M. Morris is President of the Institute for Creation
Research.
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Ever since Darwin, the concept of natural selection has dominated
evolutionary thought, providing a "naturalistic" explanation for the
origin of species, and thus (as Julian Huxley used to say) eliminating
the need for God. In recent years, however, there has been a strong
reaction against Darwinian evolution in many places. Unfortunately, the
change has not caused these scientists to return to creationism, but
instead, to pre-Darwinian evolutionism. That is, they are abandoning
atheistic evolution and returning to pantheistic evolution. In fact,
this is the pseudo-scientific rationale underlying the so-called New Age
Movement which is sweeping over the world today.
Evolution in Antiquity
Evolutionism is not a modern scientific theory at all, but is as old as
human rebellion against the Creator.
In fact, the belief that life had its origins in a single basic
substance is so widespread among the various peoples of the world,
primitive or civilized, that it can be considered one of the few
universal themes in the history of ideas.[1]
That "basic substance" out of which all things have evolved is said
to have been the primeval watery chaos which had existed from eternity.
From this evolved the gods and goddesses who produced everything else.
This universal belief of antiquity is not just primitive mythology, of
course.
But these deities are . . . actually personifications of
Nature and their activities, predictable and unpredictable,
determine what life will be like on Earth.[2]
Dr. Stanley Jaki, with doctorates in both physics and theology and
author of 32 books, confirms the universality of ancient pagan
evolutionism:
All of these ancients were pagan. The essence of paganism, old
and new, is that the universe is eternal, that its motions are
without beginning and without end. Belief in creation out of
nothing is the very opposite of paganism.[3]
As far as the post-Flood world is concerned, this pagan evolutionism
originated in ancient Babylon, in the land of Sumer, but then spread
around the world with the dispersion, as described in Genesis 11. It
came to full flower in Greece, especially through the writings of Homer
and Hesiod.
The earth itself was known as the mother of all living things. The
Greek goddess of the earth, Gaia (with equivalent names in other ethnic
religions), soon became recognized as "Mother Earth" or "Mother Nature."
How did we reach our present secular humanist world? In times that
are ancient by human measure, as far back as the earliest artifacts
can be found, it seems that the Earth was worshipped as a goddess
and believed to be alive. The myth of the great Mother is part of
most early religions.[4]
Return to Gaia
The author cited above is a brilliant scientist and is one of the
leaders in developing the modern "Gaian Hypothesis," which views the
earth as an actual living organism, evolving itself while controlling
the geological evolution of its crust and the biological evolution of
its plants and animals.
The evolution of the species and the evolution of their
environment are rightly coupled together as a single and
inseparable process.[5]
Lovelock and other leading Gaians do not think of Gaia as a real woman
living on Mount Olympus or somewhere, but as a living, intelligent
"being" comprising the earth and all its evolving organisms and other
systems.
Another distinguished scientist advocating evolutionary pantheism
is Rupert Sheldrake with a Ph.D. from Cambridge University, and later
director of studies in cell biology there.
But today, with the rise of the green movement, Mother Nature is
reasserting herself, whether we like it or not. In particular, the
acknowledgment that our planet is a living organisms, Gaia, Mother
Earth, strikes a responsive chord in millions of people.[6]
As Dr. Sheldrake indicates, the modern "green movement," which is
rapidly growing all over the world, is largely committed to this
concept of pantheistic evolution. In fact, the environmental activists
in politics, both local and national, are strongly influenced by such
ideas.
Lovelock's musings have had two consequences. They inspired a
quasi-political movement based in London, complete with a
publishing arm, that now includes thousands of adherents throughout
the U.S. and Western Europe. Indeed, Gaia has almost become the
official ideology of "Green" parties in Europe: it appeals
naturally to scientifically innocent individuals who worry about
the environment.[7]
This theme is being continually emphasized in public school classrooms
today and, with the recent election results, is almost certain to
become a major theme in the new federal administration. This
is a reasonable assumption based on the selection of a vice president
whose best-selling 1992 book, "Earth in the Balance: Ecology and the
Human Spirit" is so passionately devoted to such concepts.
The worship of "Mother Earth" is also becoming prominent in some
aspects of the modern feminist movement. The more radical feminists,
in fact, are replacing God with "The Goddess," even holding worship
services in "her" name. In fact, Vice-President-Elect Al Gore, on page
260 of his book, cites with approval the statement that "the prevailing
ideology of belief in prehistoric Europe and much of the world was based
on the worship of a single earth goddess," lamenting the fact that
"organized goddess worship was eliminated by Christianity."
Cosmic Pantheism
In fact, the idea of pantheistic evolution is not even limited to
that of Earth and its systems. Modern New Agers embrace the whole
universe in some form of conscious cosmic evolution. The famous
astronomer Fred Hoyle, in fact, has written an entire book entitled,
"The Intelligent Universe" (London: Michael Joseph Co., 1983), rejecting
terrestrial Darwin-type evolution in favor of cosmic pantheistic
evolution. Another British astronomer and physicist, Paul Davies,
thinks that modern notions of "order from chaos" somehow prove that the
"creative cosmos" has created itself.
In recent years, more scientists have come to recognize that matter
and energy possess an innate ability to self-organize.[8]
Then, continuing, he proves this merely by citing:
...the astonishing ability of an embryo to develop from a single
strand of DNA, via an exquisitely well-organized sequence of
formative steps, into an exceedingly complex organism.[8]
Dr. Davies neglects to explain, however, just how the DNA was ever
programmed to do this. Perhaps Mother Nature did it! In any case, this
is exactly what more and more scientists believe today.
All nature is evolutionary. The cosmos is like a great developing
organism, and evolutionary creativity is inherent in nature
herself.[9]
But that is not all.
The universe as a whole is a developing organism, and so are the
galaxies, solar systems, and biospheres within it, including the
earth.[10]
It is not possible in our limited space to discuss this further,
but the fact is that there is no more scientific proof (or even real
evidence) for pantheistic evolution than for atheistic evolution.
Evolution in any form is nothing but "cunningly devised fables" and
"science falsely so-called."[11]
As the Catholic physicist, Dr. Wolfgang Smith has said:
The point, however, is that the doctrine of evolution has swept the
world, not on the strength of its scientific merits, but precisely
in its capacity as a Gnostic myth. It affirms, in effect, that
living beings created themselves, which is, in essence, a
metaphysical claim.... Thus, in the final analysis, evolutionism is
in truth a metaphysical doctrine decked out in scientific garb.[12]
Evolution in the Last Days
Just as pantheistic evolution served as the world's religion in the
early days, so it will do again in the last days. The New Age is really
nothing but a revival in modern garb of the Old Age--that is, the first
age after the Flood, when King Nimrod led the world in a united
rebellion against the Creator. (13) And just as all the groups in the
wide spectrum of New Age beliefs are founded upon a base of pantheistic
evolutionism, so all have as their ultimate goal, just as Nimrod did,
the development of a global system of government, culture, finance, and
religion. The United Nations Organization is currently the focus of
these plans, but it will eventually "evolve" into a much stronger
international government in which all "the kings of the earth (will) set
themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and
against His [Christ], saying, Let us break their bands asunder, and cast
away their cords from us" (Psalm 2:2,3).
To accomplish this, they must first teach men once again (as they
did in ancient time) to change "the glory of the incorruptible God into
an image made like to corruptible man," and then to "[worship] and
[serve] the creature more than the Creator" (Romans 1:23,25). As
Robert Muller, former Assistant Secretary General of the United Nations
(presumably speaking on behalf of that organization) has said:
I believe the most fundamental thing we can do today is to
believe in evolution.[14]
Now, if the most fundamental thing that New Agers (as well as the
older style secular humanists and social Darwinists) can do to bring
about such a world system is to believe in evolution, that means the
most effective thing the remnant of believers in God and His Word can do
to offset this is to believe and teach a soundly Biblical and scientific
creationism. This must include the great truth that the Creator has now
also become the Lamb of God, our sin-forgiving Savior, and soon will
return as eternal King.
In that day, "These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb
shall overcome them: for He is Lord of lords, and King of kings"
(Revelation 17:14).
References
1. Ernest L. Abel, Ancient Views on the Origin of Life (Fairleigh
Dickinson University Press, 1973), p. 15.
2. Ibid.
3. Stanley L. Jaki, "Science: Western or What?" Intercollegiate Review
(Vol. 26, Fall 1990), p. 8.
4. James Lovelock, _The_Ages_of_Gaia_ (New York: W. W. Norton and Co.,
1988), p. 208.
5. Op. cit., p. 12.
6. Rupert Sheldrake, "The Rebirth of Nature: The Greening of Science
and of God" (New York: Bantam Books, 1991), p. 10.
7. Tim Beardsley, "Gaia," _Scientific_American_ (Vol. 261, December
1989), p. 35.
8. Paul Davies, "The Creative Cosmos," _New_Scientist_ (Vol. 116,
December 17, 1987), p. 42.
9. Rupert Sheldrake, op. cit., p. 95.
10. Op. cit., p. 151.
11. II Peter 1:16; I Timothy 6:20.
12. Wolfgang Smith, _Teilhardism_and_the_New_Religion_ (Rockford,
Illinois: Tan Books and Publishers, 1988), p. 242.
13. Genesis 10:8-12, 11:1-9.
14. Robert Muller, as cited in "United Nations' Robert Muller - A
Vision of Global Spirituality," by Kristin Murphy, The Movement
Newspaper, September 1983, p. 10.
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This "Impact" was converted to ASCII, for BBS use,
from the original formatted desktop article.
Comments regarding typographical errors
in the above material are appreciated.
Don Barber, ICR Systems Administrator
Fax: (619) 448-0900
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in the form of two documents:
"Tenets of Scientific Creationism,"
and "Tenets of Biblical Creationism."
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