Theos-Talk Archives (November 2006 Message tt01357)

Friends, 

In the website of the ULT-London, one can see this 
question and answer: 

Q:   What do you think is the psychological effect upon children and ourselves of either or both of the current dogmas on evolution (creationism vs modified Darwinian evolution)?
A:  Both doctrines, the one which, on the literal interpretation of Genesis, attributes everything to the whim of a personal God, and the other which attributes everything to accident, are extreme, and if actually thought through to conclusion, could be devastating to the self-confidence of a child or an adult. To think that our destiny as well as our origin is actually up to the whim of the God of the Old Testament could banish all hope for a better future as well as any thought of ultimate perfectibility. And to think that we, and humanity as a whole, are a colossal accident of Nature raises the possibility that another accident could wipe it and us all away without a trace. It is no wonder that so many young people feel the aimlessness of life, and that so many end up in suicide. What is there to hope for with either of these "revelations?"
Devastating as these two doctrines are, there is another that is, perhaps, more paralyzing than either of them; and that is the dogma, shared by both, that there are no alternatives, no other choices, no other explanations. There is no harm in offering an explanation and freely saying that there may be others from which to choose. But today the Western World is given an "either-or" choice, neither one of which is very desirable. It is the dogmatic claim of sole possession of truth taken by both Science and Religion that has not only generated a heated controversy, but has distracted the minds of the race from seeking an alternative answer. The answer is an alternative. It is somewhere between the two but with the addition of a spiritual dimension. We see it in Theosophy.
Perhaps the saving grace in the situation is that in reality most individuals do not take these explanations "to heart," and that thousands upon thousands are turning to the explanation offered by the Ancient Philosophies that were taught by all the Great Teachers. In the meantime the brightness and hope in a lot of young eyes will be veiled over before these pernicious dogmas can be put to rest.

See more interesting material at 

http://www.ultlon.freeserve.co.uk/index.htm

Regards,   Carlos. 


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