Sometimes being a layman has its advantages. I have no problem reconciling Darwin and my Bibles. I cannot explain how the universe and its creatures were created. I believe my Bibles when they state that a “Creator” was involved, and that “He” created it from “nothing” in six “days.” I have to admit that there are an enormous amount of issues that I simply cannot get to grips with. I don’t even know exactly what my Bibles mean by “nothing” or a “day.” I believe science has proved that our universe and species have developed over millennia. I do believe that one, and only one, of those species, Homo sapiens, meaning “wise man” or “knowing man” developed into something unlike any other species.
“Humans have a highly developed brain, capable of abstract reasoning, language, introspection, and problem solving. This mental capability, combined with an erect body carriage that frees the hands for manipulating objects, has allowed humans to make far greater use of tools than any other living species on Earth. Other higher-level thought processes of humans, such as self-awareness, rationality, and sapience (being wise), are considered to be defining features of what constitutes a ‘person’.” (2)
I do, however, believe we should add one more distinctive feature when defining a “person.” This is coupled to my view on the concept of “eternity.” Staring up into the night-sky, and taking note of what science has to date established as facts, I cannot but believe that space is eternal. There is no end. One can travel for ever but will not be able to get to a fence with a sign attached to it saying: “The End.” Even if there were such a point, we could question what lies beyond that point. So, if we can travel for ever, it means “for ever” in terms of time as well. To me that means “eternity.” Then, in my mind, the feature that distinguishes Homo sapiens definitively from other species is that we have a “hope” of experiencing eternity in some way, state, or form.
How did we receive this “hope”? I believe that at some point during the millennia of evolution, humans received an addition trait over and above that of a physical body. This was not the case in any other species, and contributes to our uniqueness. We call it a “soul”, but what exactly that means, no one knows. I do however believe that this mysterious entity gives us the capability to exist “for ever” in some way, shape, or form. In this regard, the discovery of the Neanderthal man (an extinct member of the
Homo genus) is an interesting development in our knowledge of the past, and could possible in future assist in our understanding of whom exactly we are.
How, what, and where this “eternal life” will be, I believe no one knows. I can appreciate the quest of those individuals who spend enormous amounts of time, money, and effort to find some answers, but I believe it is a futile exercise. We can speculate, guess, fantasize, and dream, as much as we like, but unfortunately we will not be any the wiser from within our present reality. The simple fact is: we cannot go there in terms of space, time, or any other dimension, and then return to our situation and report back.
Why do we have this “hope”? According to my Bibles we were made so special so that we would be capable of spending eternity in the presence of the Originator, applauding him/her for giving us this unique opportunity called “life.” Why do only some of us believe this? I simply don’t know. As I said before: “Being a layman has its advantages.”
