Science...Falsely Called "Falsely So Called"
We all have our stories of how we got here and who we
are in the universe. Most stories told by every culture point out the
unique origins of that culture, like as not, springing directly from
that particular cave or mountain in distant and mysterious times in the
past. When the National Geographic Genographic research team gently
informed aboriginal Australians of their African origins, according to
the DNA evidence, the Elders reacted with a simple "no, we originated
here and maybe they came from us." Comforting and upholding of ancient
aboriginal beliefs, but not scientifically true. You could feel the
tension this new information brought into the cultural beliefs that for
so long had encouraged and sustained them. I doubt they will change
their understanding of themselves with this bit of scientific
information.
A similar reaction occurred when the team informed the Navajo in the Americas of their DNA origins linking them to a still existant people in Siberia. The immediate reaction was understandably defensive for Navajo origin stories which had them always living in the Four Corners
area of the now United States. In time, I believe they agreed that
there was room for both the science and the tradition and, in this case,
both maintained their truths on tribal origins. But the science was
more literally correct. The uneasiness was palpable.
And now the Indigenous People's Council on Biocolonialism, the IPCB
is raising even more concerns about the effect this knowledge will have
on belief systems of indigenous peoples. For better or worse,
"Indigenous peoples have consistently voiced their opposition to this
type of research because it breaches cultural values, bioethical
standards and human rights law. The IPCB believes the project is being
undertaken at the expense of indigenous peoples. Debra Harry, the
organization's executive director, writes on their website, "It is quite
likely this project will advance new theories of our origins that may
contradict our own knowledge of ourselves. There can be no claim as to
which understanding is correct, and will result in a clash of knowledge
systems. Moreover, there could be serious political implications that
result from a so-called "scientific" assertion that indigenous peoples
are not "indigenous" to their territories, but instead are recent
migrants from some other place. This cuts at the heart of the rights of
indigenous peoples, which are based upon our collective, inherent right
of self-determination as peoples, under international human rights law."
A standard ethical requirement in human research is that the benefits
must equal the risk. The IPCB believes that in this type of research,
there will be no benefit to indigenous peoples, yet the research creates
substantial risk for the individuals and peoples affected."
It is this advancement of "new theories of our origins that may
contradict our own knowlege of ourselves," that seems to be so difficult
for humans to handle. Truth is still true though denied by all. In such
defensiveness science always get's called "science so called" and even
does in the Bible as "Science, falsely so called" (I Tim. 6:20). This
phrase is always used when the science is really not false, but it is
threatening to sincerely held beliefs. I don't like someone knocking the
nose off my idols any more than the next guy, but that's progress,
painful and ever moving forward. The Bible makes fun of learning at
times in this nervousness over knowledge when it mocks those who are
"ever learning, but never able to come the knowledge of the truth" (II
Tim. 3:7), to which I say, at least they keep trying and even Jesus is
reported to have said, "seek and ye shall find." Of course he meant
spiritually but it's good advice in all endeavors too.
We all have our origin stories that, in time, will probably prove
to not be true, at lest not literally. We live in an age where even most
Christians realize that the origin stories of mankind in the Garden of
Eden, through a first set of parents, Adam and Eve, are not literally
true. The problem with believing that is that much of the doctrine in
the New Testament requires the story of the first Adam and Eve to be
literally true as they lead to such literally true doctrines as the role
of women in the church, why women have babies painfully, Jesus being
the "Second Adam" and the Doctrine of Original Sin. All of these beliefs
and teachings are destroyed by the Genesis story not being literally
true.
If there was no real Eve, or Adam whose fault this wasn't, who
caused all of mankind to fall into original sin, for which we all must
repent etc, then there is no need of repenting of that which never
happened or of needing a Savior in the way portrayed in the New
Testament. Stories and ideas have implications to say the least. Many
Christians think it is ok NOT to believe in things being literally true.
But that has incredible implications for other things they think they
believe but dont' realize the connection and contradictions their
position causes theologically. Plainly, if there was no literal Genesis
like creation of mankind and fall into sin, and it is shown to not be
true by good science, the implications are staggering in how we will
have to change our views. Frankly most won't but will, as always, attack
the messenger and burn the message, or just burn both.
Actually, a simple cheek swab was all it took for me to find out my
own amazing DNA trip out of Africa 70,000 years ago. Perhaps this is
done for some reason somewhere, but for the Genome project, this fear is
very unfounded. Our genetic history is easily taken from the inside of
our mouths. Every cell contains the whole. We are like a hologram where,
even if broken, each piece reflects the entire picture when a laser
light is passed through it. Amazing!
Simply speaking, it appears that ALL modern humans originated in and then spread out from Africa
within the last 100,000 years or less. What a great story to read at
Clan meetings! All the "differences" we see in humans are adaptations we
made along the way in our trek from there to Europe, Asia
and the Americas. Good science gives us good explanations, always
subject to new information about this process. Those humans who
migrated north out of Africa had to give up some of their melenin, which
darkens the skin to protect it from overexposure to the sun, to get
more sun and vitimin D so their bones would not fail them. That's it.
Indeed, we do need to insure the privacy of the individual if they
wish it and we need to be sensitive to the process that others go
through when they are faced with the implications of such information
and research. It takes time to accept change and as stated, many won't,
but rather will just become angry and defensive. We see this all the
time in the attacks Christian literalists launch into from their pulpits
when new knowledge threatens old ideas. I want to be in church the day
we confirm life outside of our own solar system, or even in it. The
Universe teems with life including intelligent life. How do I know
this? It just seems so knowing what we do about the insignificance of
our little planet in the whole big uni or multiverse.
It's funny, in my previous church affiliation there was a belief
that always annoyed me scientifically. It was the belief, now long
discredited, that the Lost Tribes of Israel
turned up as the powerful nations of Europe, The British Empire and of
course, America. I was Dutch, so that clearly put me in the Tribe of
Zebulun, according to the theory. I never gave a sermon on this topic!
However, my DNA shows I made no such trip through the middle east to become an Israelite and go on into Europe. Rather it shows a long trip through Iran, Iraq the various "Beckastans" on out onto the steppes of Asia and then one big swing into Europe as Cro-Magnon and then into France, Holland and England
in much more recent times. That British-Israelism idea is bunk and DNA
testing will show it to be so. That particular idea is racist if ever
there was one. The Mormons also have yet to deal with the implications
of DNA realities. Naive Americans are not related to Israelites. They
come from Siberia
which, as of this writing, has not been found to be a hangout for the
12 Tribes. I predict that , in time, the Book of Mormon will be claimed
to be "Spiritual" and not literally true in order to keep the story
going.
Presidential candidates, as intelligent as they are, cringe when
asked about their beliefs in God or Evolution. Their answers reflect not
so much truth as expediency and take into account what the voters need
them to believe. However, those who believe absurdities can lead
others into autrocities if need be.
So good science is not "science, falsely so called" or "so called
science." Yes, it has implications for theologians and Christians but
believing something is true never makes it really true and we need to
always have a love of discovery. Sorry to say, it is usually the
reactions to new information by those most threatened by it that plunges
our world into chaos and still get the messenger in trouble for the
message.
Dennis C. Diehl
DenniscDiehl@aol.com
DenniscDiehl@aol.com
