Religion and Theory of Evolution

[NewGuyOnTheBlock]

Well, the Abrahamic religions are quite outspoken on their views of evolution and how they perceive it affects their religion. I'm curious; How does evolution affect other religions? If you are not affiliated with an Abrahamic religion, I am curious to hear how Evolution affects, coincides or contradicts your spiritual beliefs. In this context, I will offer no rebuttals or discourse; this is topic is specifically to attain views from those whom I rarely hear from.

Thanx.

 

[sayak83]

Well, the Abrahamic religions are quite outspoken on their views of evolution and how they perceive it affects their religion. I'm curious; How does evolution affect other religions? If you are not affiliated with an Abrahamic religion, I am curious to hear how Evolution affects, coincides or contradicts your spiritual beliefs. In this context, I will offer no rebuttals or discourse; this is topic is specifically to attain views from those whom I rarely hear from.

Thanx.

Hinduism as such does not have a problem. But some Purana's have creation stories that contradict it, so if a certain group considers that Purana important, then they resist evolutionary theory.

 

[Subhankar Zac]

Most God believing Hindus have no issues with accepting evolution. Hindu time scale makes the universe to about 155.05 trillion year old.
So, many find it plausible to think that things might have started out smaller in the beginning. Yes, some Hindus either reject it outright or have their own theory on this based on scriptures like a few Gaudiya sects.
Overall, most would accept it. Hinduism mostly had a symbolic aspect with it than literal, which makes evolution n big bang (Hiranyagarbha song in the rig Veda) easy to accept

 

[Riverwolf]

Well, the Abrahamic religions are quite outspoken on their views of evolution and how they perceive it affects their religion. I'm curious; How does evolution affect other religions? If you are not affiliated with an Abrahamic religion, I am curious to hear how Evolution affects, coincides or contradicts your spiritual beliefs. In this context, I will offer no rebuttals or discourse; this is topic is specifically to attain views from those whom I rarely hear from.

Thanx.

Much appreciated. All too often, we're ignored.

My religion, Heathenry (aka Germanic Polytheism) is not dependent on any dogma or necessary "belief." Religiously speaking, I'm free to accept or reject certain stories and accounts within our Lore as I see fit.

Therefore, I have no problems whatsoever accepting the current scientific consensuses on any issue they tackle, be it biological evolution, astrophysics, chemistry, whatever. There's no contradiction because I treat the Old Stories as they should be treated: stories.

 

[Godobeyer]

Well, the Abrahamic religions are quite outspoken on their views of evolution and how they perceive it affects their religion. I'm curious; How does evolution affect other religions? If you are not affiliated with an Abrahamic religion, I am curious to hear how Evolution affects, coincides or contradicts your spiritual beliefs. In this context, I will offer no rebuttals or discourse; this is topic is specifically to attain views from those whom I rarely hear from.

Thanx.

Hello

I believe Creator and how he created the creation, are beyond our understanding.
I believe human mind is really limited ,can't reach that point.

*the something coming from nothing had no sense.

 

[NewGuyOnTheBlock]

Hinduism as such does not have a problem. But some Purana's have creation stories that contradict it, so if a certain group considers that Purana important, then they resist evolutionary theory.

This is illuminating, and a parallel to the Abrahamic condition; those who view the Genesis acccount important resist evolutionary theory and those who do not have no problem with evolution.

Thank you for your perspective.

 

[Godobeyer]

Evolution is theary not fact.

 

[Sapiens]

Hello

I believe Creator and how he created the creation, are beyond our understanding.
I believe human mind is really limited ,can't reach that point.

*the something coming from nothing had no sense.

You are badly out of order, the OP specifically requested NON-ABRAHAMIC input.

You also need to look up the use of FACT in science and learn what a SCIENTIFIC THEORY is.

 

[Jainarayan]

Evolution is theary not fact.

No one ever claimed it to be fact. Where did you hear otherwise?

 

[Quintessence]

My religion is strongly (and deliberately) informed by the sciences; to the point that I don't really regard them as separate things with respect to my way of life. I feel the sciences are born out of the same root as religions - a desire to know, understand, and navigate the world around us. While the sciences limit their methods of knowing and understanding with data and numbers, religions allow more free-flowing and aesthetic or artistic approaches to these questions. I find it difficult to imagine doing one without the other - likely because I have loved both the sciences and the arts since... ever.

As a reminder, I view gods as that which a person or culture chooses to deify. The attributes of the gods beyond that depends entirely on what one chooses to deify. Deification signifies a particular relationship between the person and the thing deified. To deify something is like applying an honorific title - it says "you are of deep worth" or "you are sacred" or perhaps "you are awe-inspiring" and "you are amazing." I find everything to be amazing, to be of deep worth, and to be sacred, so I consider all to be gods (to put theological terms to it, I'm a polytheist/pantheist/animist).

When all is gods, this makes the role of the sciences perhaps a bit unique in my religion compared to the standard image my countryfolk get in their heads. Where the transcendent one-god of the monotheist religions cannot be studied with the sciences, my gods can. I consider the sciences to be the study of the gods. Well, they're one way of studying and knowing the gods. It's a method I particularly love, because there is so much wisdom that can be gleaned from it. Biological evolution echoes one the most important lessons of my religion - that all things are interrelated and interconnected; other organisms are our kin. Biological evolution shatters the "great divide" many in my culture like to believe in; it shatters anthropocentrism. And in shattering that, it shatters depauperate Western ethics that fail to regard anything that isn't human as an ethical subject or as a person.

Long and short, not only is there no conflict whatsoever between the sciences (evolutionary biology or otherwise) and my religion, my religion is grounded in wisdom derived from the sciences (my "creation mythology" is the Epic of Evolution, is the Universe Story). Finding mythos in the sciences isn't something unique to me. There's a pocket movement here and there that does this, though it doesn't seem to have caught on, unfortunately. This book in particular inspired me.

 

[George-ananda]

Well, the Abrahamic religions are quite outspoken on their views of evolution and how they perceive it affects their religion. I'm curious; How does evolution affect other religions? If you are not affiliated with an Abrahamic religion, I am curious to hear how Evolution affects, coincides or contradicts your spiritual beliefs. In this context, I will offer no rebuttals or discourse; this is topic is specifically to attain views from those whom I rarely hear from.

Thanx.

In Advaita/Hinduism there is really no immediate creation myth for evolution to contradict. I think evolution works smoothly will the idea of gradual ascent of the jiva (spark of God/Brahman).

 

[metis]

Not only isn't there a problem in Buddhism with the ToE, dharma actually supports it with the teachings of "dependence arising" along with the concept of "impermanence". IOW, it's just plain old common sense-- everything changes over time plus nothing changes exclusively by itself.

 

[Godobeyer]

No one ever claimed it to be fact. Where did you hear otherwise?

I hear it today in this video

Ex-Muslim Atheist owns stupid Zakir Naik on evolution

 

[Godobeyer]

You are badly out of order, the OP specifically requested NON-ABRAHAMIC input.
.

Sorry I did not notice that.
anyway there is no problem

 

[Jainarayan]

I hear it today in this video

Ex-Muslim Atheist owns stupid Zakir Naik on evolution

It's a theory, not a fact. But being a theory doesn't mean it's false or unprovable. A theory can be tested and observed.

 

[LuisDantas]

Not only isn't there a problem in Buddhism with the ToE, dharma actually supports it with the teachings of "dependence arising" along with the concept of "impermanence". IOW, it's just plain old common sense-- everything changes over time plus nothing changes exclusively by itself.

This.

 

[LuisDantas]

It's a theory, not a fact. But being a theory doesn't mean it's false or unprovable. A theory can be tested and observed.

It is both a theory and a fact.

 

[Godobeyer]

It's a theory, not a fact. But being a theory doesn't mean it's false or unprovable. A theory can be tested and observed.

In case of evolution how can be tested and observed ?

 

[Jainarayan]

It is both a theory and a fact.

Yeah, true... fact to the extent we see it happening today. That should give the anti-evolutionists nightmares.

 

[Jainarayan]

In case of evolution how can be tested and observed ?

It's happening today. Polar bears are adopting a more aquatic life-style due to the loss of Arctic sea ice. Those polar bears that have traits enabling them to survive in the water will pass on those traits.They may eventually go the way of seals, and ultimately whales and dolphins. Brown bears are moving further north due to a warmer climate, and breeding with polar bears. Because they can breed and if they can produce fertile offspring, the two species may eventually re-merge. They were once the same species. Animals are adapting more and more to their environments. That's how evolution works. It's not "survival of the fittest" it's "what traits do I have that will let me survive and reproduce?" Those traits may be tiny changes, but over time they accumulate.