Evolution of Religion

I remember countless childhood nights, lying in bed, feeling very afraid to die, even though I went to Church and Sunday school.  I just couldn't accept the version of heaven and the afterlife that I heard about there.  Also, I grew up in a scientific household and I wasn't raised to see how the two, Science and Religion, could coexist.  Now, years later as an adult, I can see plenty of room for both views.  This has taken a lot of searching and growing on my part, however. 

In order for Religion to evolve past having so many sceptics, it must reconcile itself with the scientific community.  In fact, Judaism has been doing this for 2500 years.  The first instance of this trend started after Alexander the Great and the Greeks conquered Judea in 500 BC and then culminated in the invention of Talmudic Judaism in the 1^st century AD.  Incorporating Greek terms and beliefs into the Talmud allowed Judaism to survive under Roman provincial rule.  Next, in the 17^th century, Baruch Spinoza again revolutionized Judaism by equating God with Nature and removing the idea of a personal God that meddled in the affairs of humans and punished our wrongdoings.  Spinoza’s philosophy was reflective of the 17^th and 18^th century belief that, “if people would only be rational in all matters, including religion, then all of mankind’s problems would be solved and the messianic hope would, in effect, be realized.” (SHOFAR, Summer 2004, God in Nature or Lord of the Universe? : The Encounter of Judaism and Science from Hellenistic Times to the Present, David G. Singer, 90)  

Baruch Spinoza

Finally, the 19^th century brought about a revolution of science and technology, which in part, led to two horrific World wars in the early part of the 20^th century.  As a result, Mordecai Kaplan founded Reconstructionist Judaism in which God is defined, “as the natural force in the universe that promotes morality and goodness in the human race.”  (Singer, 92)  This view is very much like that of the ancient eastern religions.  Yet many modern western scientists refuse to espouse Kaplan’s ideas of being somehow connected to a spiritual realm.  A prime example of a prominent 21^st century scientist who is a staunch atheist is Stephen Hawking.  When addressing the similarities between Asian philosophies and physics he said, “A few physicists like to make a connection between an “observer dependent” universe and ideas in Eastern mysticism: Hinduism, Buddhism, and Taoism.  The universe of Eastern mysticism is an illusion.  A physicist who attempts to link it with his own work has abandoned physics.” (Stephen Hawking / An Unfettered Mind, Kitty Ferguson, 104-105)

Stephen Hawking

 Hawking has an incredible need to push out the possibility of God’s existence.  It almost feels like a vendetta, but considering the circumstances of his existence, anger at a higher power is definitely understandable.  Diagnosed with ALS at twenty one, his mere existence 50 years later could be considered by some to be a miracle, but not by Hawking.  When asked about God’s interest in human life he quipped, “we are such insignificant creatures on a minor planet of a very average star in the outer suburbs of one of a hundred thousand million galaxies. So it is difficult to believe in a God that would care about us or even notice our existence.” (Ferguson, 80)  Hawking’s approach to his field of study is to negate the need for God by explaining all of life’s mysteries with science alone.  Many would argue, however that the human mind, no matter how brilliant is not capable of comprehending all of the universe’s mysteries.  I agree with Einstein who made the following analogy:

The problem (of God’s existence) is too vast for our limited minds.

We are in the position of a little child entering a huge library filled with

books in many languages.  The child knows someone must have written

those books.  It does not know how.  It does not understand the languages

in which they are written.  The child dimly suspects a mysterious order in the

arrangement of the books, but doesn’t know what it is.  That, it seems to me,

is the attitude of even the most intelligent human being toward God.

(Einstein/His Life and His Universe, Walter Isaacson, 386)

Einstein was very religious from a young age.  Later, as he matured into a scientist, he revered the beauty and perfection that Science revealed in the World around us.  Rather than choose to look at humans as pathetic and weak, unworthy of God’s notice like Hawking, Einstein instead chose awe for the realm that Science revealed, thereby equating the two.  Einstein believed that atheism was an unfortunately bleak way to experience life.  He had the following to say about atheists: 

The fanatical atheists are like slaves who are still feeling the weight

of their chains which they have thrown off after hard struggle.  They

are creatures who – in their grudge against traditional religion as the

‘opium of the masses’ – cannot hear the music of the spheres.  (Isaacson, 390)

By comparing atheists to slaves, Einstein implies that they are trapped in their way of thinking.  Just like slaves are often born into their condition of slavery, so are we all born into our unique set of circumstances that shape the way we view the World around us.  This renders the concept of Free Will, especially problematic and Einstein said that it was one aspect of Judaism with which he did not identify, saying instead:

I do not at all believe in free will in the philosophical sense. 

Everybody acts not only under external compulsion but also

in accordance with inner necessity.  Schopenhauer’s saying,

“A man can do as he wills but not will as he wills,” has been a

real inspiration to me since my youth; it has been a continual

consolation in the face of life’s hardships, my own and others’,

and an unfailing wellspring of tolerance. (Isaacson, 391)

Albert Einstein

Like Einstein, I know that I don’t have control over a lot of really influential factors governing my life and neither does anyone else.  Fortunately, despite my negative childhood experiences with religion, I was able to find a spirituality that works for me and now I can share that with my children.  The following vignette about me and my son illustrates exactly why I think it is so important that religion evolve.

“Henry honey, why aren’t you going to sleep?” I ask sternly, but not yet too annoyed.

“I’m afraid of dying,” came back the honest and slightly terrified reply.

“Ok baby,” I walk into his room and climb in bed next to him.  “Why are you afraid of that?”  Fortunately, we haven’t ever had any pets or relatives die.

“Because I don’t know what’s going to happen.”   

“Well guess what Henry, I used to be afraid of that too when I was your age.  But I’ve done a lot of growing and learning since then and I’ve learned a lot about God and dying and I know there is nothing to be afraid of.  I promise.” And I kiss him on the forehead and hug him in my arms.  “You know what I do when I’m afraid?” I ask.

“No, what?” he asks.

“I pray, do you want to pray with me?” He nods his head against my chest.  “Ok, please God, help me not to be afraid, say it with me, ‘please God help me not to be afraid, please God help me not to be afraid….”

I hear his voice reciting with mine.

A week later, we are driving back from the grocery store talking about Pokemon, when Henry interjects a sudden topic change.  “Mom, guess what?”

“I don’t know, buddy, what?”

“The prayer worked, I’m not afraid to die anymore!”

A healthy spiritual existence is an important part of the whole person.  When Religion obstinately refuses to evolve it pushes people away who can’t reconcile what they hear at Church with the messages being heard out in the rest of the World.  The Jews have addressed this problem and have been working to reshape Judaism to fit with scientific teachings for millennia.  Einstein, a Jew and one of the world’s most prominent scientists of all time, had a perfectly evolved view of God and Spirituality.  As humans, we must accept there are mysteries not even the most brilliant scientist can solve.  Any Religion claiming to have all of the answers forgets the message of humility and acceptance at the core of any spiritual teaching.  Why couldn't all of the world's religions come together with the scientific community and evolve?