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Politics : Should God be replaced? -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: pezz who wrote (455)	8/17/2000 9:58:21 PM
From: Solon	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 28931

I think perhaps this question can be looked at best by going to the works of James Lovelock (the Gaia Hypothesis), and the Philosopher, Teilhard. Teilhard believed that the fundamental substance of the universe was a type of mind energy. He believed that everything was imbued with the consciousness (of God), if you will, and that evolution advanced toward consciousness (sentience), and greater complexity. Lovelock sees a coevolutionary process obtaining in the planet and its biosphere, wherein life is cooperating amongst all its parts to preserve and advance life. Apparently, the sun has increased about 25 % in warmth since life was formed, but life has survived on Earth by preventing the Earth from a corresponding increase. You would have to read both of these people, and I am going from memory and probably mistating some facts. I'm working, but perhaps I can find some links later. Essentially, Lovelock sees the Earth as an organismic whole which seeks to preserve its life. One thing we know, the most complex and the most conscious creature has made it to the top, and he is also the creature which consciously identifies a commonality with the rest of life; and contrary to the violence that normally marks evolutionary jumps (as I think the Tiger put it), we have humans fighting for the survival of ALL species (well, perhaps not mosquitos, but...)! Teilhard talked about the coming of a new interconnectedness of consciousness which he termed the noosphere. I really don't remember much about it right now, but perhaps we should have a look at it... Perhaps when Man has reached full consciousness he will not have any body at all (nor will his identity be less than unity). This makes sense to me at the rate that JDS Uniphase is turning the world into light energy :) I think we allow the alien perception of the dinosaur's bodies to obscure the true point (IMO) of evolution...progress toward sentience, complexity, and IDENTITY (and eventual absorption)into all life and consciousness. It is not man that is winning the race--it is consciousness, awareness, sentience, and a self that is expanding outside of individualized boundaries. The only thing I know for sure about this opinion is that it is wrong...but I hope it is tending in the right direction... If God is the universe, then, yes, the meteorites are part of immanent being expressing itself. For those that enjoy reverse reductionism, it might be worth saying that perhaps in the end we will find that the universe only has two basic modes--ON or OFF. This makes sense to me, too.