Evolution, part 2
Feb. 21st, 2007 09:03 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
apparentparadoxI just finished reading the second book in Dan Simmon's Hyperion Cantos books. One of the interesting things in the first two books is the notion of the "evolution of gods" (or of mankind's relationship to god). Part of this idea is that initially the relationship between man and god required that man (Abraham) sacrifice his child (Isaac). Later, parents sacrifice themselves to save their children. The next "evolutionary" step in god's development is that "no sacrifice be necessary". (OK, I'm glossing over a lot here, just go with me).
An interesting twist is when one of the characters "realizes" that Abraham was willing to sacrifice Isaac not to prove his (Abraham's) obedience to god, but as a test to see whether god was worthy of worship -- that any god which would actually require such a sacrifice wasn't worthy of worship.
All that stuff got me thinking about the "spiritual evolution" of mankind, and got me wondering whether the whole Jesus (and Muhammad) thing was really a test from god to see if mankind was worthy. I think that based on what happened 2000 years ago, and what has happened since (the crusades, various wars including the current one), I'd have to wonder whether mankind has evolved at all and is worthy of divine intervention.
An interesting twist is when one of the characters "realizes" that Abraham was willing to sacrifice Isaac not to prove his (Abraham's) obedience to god, but as a test to see whether god was worthy of worship -- that any god which would actually require such a sacrifice wasn't worthy of worship.
All that stuff got me thinking about the "spiritual evolution" of mankind, and got me wondering whether the whole Jesus (and Muhammad) thing was really a test from god to see if mankind was worthy. I think that based on what happened 2000 years ago, and what has happened since (the crusades, various wars including the current one), I'd have to wonder whether mankind has evolved at all and is worthy of divine intervention.