Do the Baha’i Writings on evolution allow for mutation of species within kingdoms but not across kingdoms?

8/14/2019 Do the Bahai Writings on evolution allow for mutation of species within kingdoms but not across kingdoms?

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Do the Bahai Writings on evolution allow for mutation

of species within kingdoms but not across kingdoms?

by Bahman Nadimi

Contents:

Introduction

Evolution as discussed in Bah' Writings

Parallel Evolution

Structure and Dynamics of change within each kingdom

Conclusions

Bibliography

I. Introduction

One of the most important aspects of the teachings embodied in Bah' writings are

elimination of prejudice. Prejudice is considered to be source of dissension and conflict

which as Bah'u'llh has indicated is "categorically forbidden in this cause". Normallywhen one thinks of prejudice, one imagines racial, class, religious, gender or national

prejudices as main reasons for contention and strife in human society. Abdu'l-Bah in his

writings has given equal weight to the subject of harmony of science and religion and hehas emphasized the fact that the lack of unity between science and religion as a major cause

of contention and strife. He went as far to say that when unity of science and religion is

acknowledged" then differences of belief will disappear. All will become as one family,one people." [1]

As one surveys the challenges of reconciling scientific thought with religious beliefs, one

becomes aware that the subject of evolution stands alone as the most challenging area forharmonizing religion ad science. The problem is even more amplified when one takes into

account the ever-changing flood of new scientific data coupled with the problem of

reconciling the various (and sometimes contradictory) systems of religious thought. It isdifficult to underestimate the divisiveness that permeates the debate on this subject. Both

sides in this debate seem to have dug in their heels incapable of hearing the other side's

arguments and each side seem to be equally to blame in contributing to the contentious

atmosphere surrounding this debate. The advocates of religion often get caught up indogma and fail to see the "inner" and "symbolic" meaning behind many of their religious

scripture. Scientists on the other hand seem to shun and reject any reference of God to

creation and consider the introduction of divinity to creation unscientific and unworthy ofconsideration.

Scholars studying the Bah' views on evolution will find themselves fortunate, as they willfind a rich collection of Bah' scared writings elaborating on this subject. But studying
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Bah' writings is not without its challenges. One has to be careful not to jump into

conclusions by reading specific quotations, since it may lead to erroneous conclusions. One

may, for example, come to a conclusion that man was first an animal by reading thispassage "but these only appeared by degrees: first the mineral, then the plant, afterward the

animal, and finally man" [2] , but then reading quotation such as "Nevertheless, from the

beginning of the embryonic period he is of the species of man" one realizes the complexityof analyzing Bah' writings on Evolution. [3]

The purpose of this essay is to attempt to provide some additional insight on the Bah'perspective on evolution, specifically by analyzing the Bah' writings in regards to

"parallel evolution" and to also explore the spiritual implications of the Bah' view on

evolution.

II. Evolution as discussed in Bah' Writings

As one reads Bah' writings on evolution, one comes across a specific line of argument

presented by Abdu'l-Bah that indicates that man from the beginning of its existence hasbeen a distinct species. Adbu'l-Baha uses the analogy of a child growing at womb of

mother repeatedly in presenting his arguments. For example we read in the following

passage,

"But from the beginning of man's existence he is a distinct species. In the same way, the

embryo of man in the womb of the mother was at first in a strange form; then this body

passes from shape to shape, from state to state, from form to form, until it appears in utmostbeauty and perfection. But even when in the womb of the mother and in this strange form,

entirely different from his present form and figure, he is the embryo of the superior species,

and not of the animal; his species and essence undergo no change. Now, admitting that the

traces of organs which have disappeared actually exist, this is not a proof of theimpermanence and the non-originality of the species. At the most it proves that the form,

and fashion, and the organs of man have progressed. Man was always a distinct species, aman, not an animal. So, if the embryo of man in the womb of the mother passes from one

form to another so that the second form in no way resembles the first, is this a proof that the

species has changed? that it was at first an animal, and that its organs progressed anddeveloped until it became a man? No, indeed! How puerile and unfounded is this idea and

this thought! For the proof of the originality of the human species, and of the permanency

of the nature of man, is clear and evident" [4]

This repeated line of discussion by Abdu'l-Bah has been a central theme in many of his

writings and talks and thus has provided the basis for many scholars analyzing Bah'scriptures in this area. Many believe that this indicates a biologically separate line evolutionfor the human species parallel to the animal kingdom. In this parallel mode of evolution it

is believed that from the beginning of man's appearance on earth he evolved through a

single and separate biological line, always retaining its human identity. Many others haverejected this line of argument and make the case that this does not negate the possibility that

anatomically humans may have an origin in the animal world, and indicate that this analogy

is meant to convey a "philosophical concept of the origin of complex order in our world


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and the purposefulness of our cosmos based on God's plan" . They interpret Abdu'l- Baha's

statements as concerning mainly to the spiritual essence and spiritual evolution of humanity

separate from underlying biological evolvement of human species. [5]

III. Parallel Evolution

Most authors studying the Bah' scripture on this subject, whether believing in parallelevolution or not, believe that parallel evolution model assumes a separate and distinct line

foreverybiological species. This essay is proposing that it is possible that what Bah'

writings really indicate is the impossibility of mutation of species between kingdoms butallows mutation of species or forms within kingdoms. Bah'u'llh himself alluded to the

mutation within kingdoms in the following passage..

"Is it within human power, O Hakim, to effect in the constituent elements of any of theminute and indivisible particles of matter so complete a transformation as to transmute it

into purest gold? Perplexing and difficult as this may appear, the still greater task of

converting satanic strength into heavenly power is one that We have been empowered toaccomplish" [6].

Here Bah'u'llh is indicating examples of transformation in mineral kingdom and humankingdom. In the mineral kingdom he visualized a transformation or transmutation of

elements and he describes a parallelspiritualtransformation in the human kingdom.

Tree, a useful imagery

The use oftree is used repeatedly in Bah' scripture to convey spiritual truths about the

human condition. The statements such as "Ye are the fruits of one tree, and the leaves ofone branch" use tree as metaphor to convey the unity of the human race. Also in other

passages tree is used convey unity between sexes where branches to are used to designate

men, and leaves to designate women. Tree imagery has also used by Abdu'l-Bah todescribe structures within animal and vegetable kingdom.

"Furthermore, the forms and organisms of phenomenal being and existence in each of the

kingdoms of the universe are myriad and numberless. The vegetable plane or kingdom for

instance has its infinite variety of types and material structures of plant life, each distinct

and different within itself, no two exactly alike in composition and detail, for there are no

repetitions in nature, and the virtue augmentative cannot be confined to any given image orshape. Each leaf has its own particular identity, so to speak, its own individuality as a leaf.

Therefore each atom of the innumerable elemental atoms, during its ceaseless motion

through the kingdoms of existence as a constituent of organic composition, not onlybecomes imbued with the powers and virtues of the kingdoms it traverses but also reflects

the attributes and qualities of the forms and organisms of those kingdoms. As each of these

forms has its individual and particular virtue." [7]

In the passage just quoted Abdu'l-Bah not only categorizes different types of biological

beings within each kingdom, he also provides tree as a useful imagery to describe itsstructure. Here the whole tree represents the attributes of the vegetable kingdom as a whole


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and the leaves describe individual types and forms within the kingdom.

The same imagery is used to explain the evolution and structure in the human kingdom aswe see in the following quotation.

"And if this prejudice be the prejudice of nationality consider that all mankind are of one

nation; all have sprung from the tree of Adam, and Adam is the root of the tree. That tree isone and all these nations are like branches, while the individuals of humanity are like

leaves, blossoms and fruits thereof" [8]

This tree analogy has been used in discussions by materialists on evolution. Neo-

Darwinism visualizes a tree-like structure, where it is stipulated that human species andother animal species are branches within its model. It is by using this model that they come

to the conclusion that humans evolved from the animal. What Bah' writings seem to

indicate is that each kingdom has its ownseparate tree. Within each kingdom one can

assume that mutations happened, but mutations between kingdoms is deemed animpossibility.

The impossibility of mutation between kingdoms is specifically mentioned in the Bah'scripture as we see in the following quotation.

"It is the same with the other beings: a mineral, however far it may progress in the mineralkingdom, cannot gain the vegetable power; also in a flower, however far it may progress in

the vegetable kingdom, no power of the senses will appear. So this silver mineral cannot

gain hearing or sight; it can only improve in its own condition, and become a perfect

mineral, but it cannot acquire the power of growth, or the power of sensation, or attain tolife; it can only progress in its own condition". [9]

IV. Structure and Dynamics of change within each kingdom

The dynamics of change within the mineral, vegetable and animal kingdom are generally

well understood. The evolution of simple elements to more complex forms in the mineral

kingdom is explained scientifically. The same holds true in the vegetable and animalkingdom. If it is assumed that human kingdom evolved through a separate path than other

kingdoms, naturally the question arises, what are the dynamics of change in the human

kingdom?

The following two quotations shed some light on this subject

"Ye are all leaves of one tree and the fruits of one branch." By this it is meant that theworld of humanity is like a tree, the nations or peoples are the different limbs or branches

of that tree and the individual human creatures are as the fruits and blossoms thereof" [10]

Here one can see that different nations, races and peoples represent the limbs and branches

of tree of humanity. One can see that different races evolved and changed through out time

to form nations and peoples. This evolution changed the physical characteristic of humansas the statement by Bah'u'llh "ye are the leaves of one tree" states that we are one species,

the species of the human race. This reality of oneness of mankind occupies a central


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position in the teachings of the Bah' Faith.

Now as alluded before, in the human kingdom what mutates and changes are spiritualattributes. What separates each human being from other is the degree which each person

transforms or mutates their spiritual reality to a higher form , and as Bah'u'llh mentions

the task of spiritual transformation or "mutation" of mankind to a higher form is what he is

empowered to accomplish. The evolution of spiritual types also has evolved over timesimilar to the process of evolution of species in the animal and vegetable kingdoms. This

following quotation make the contrast between mutations of species in animal andvegetable kingdoms and spiritual evolution in human kingdom.

"Sense-perception gives rise to desire, desire to will, will to action, and action again tosense-perception. This chain ever repeats itself, and so the powers of thought, memory,

reason, and the emotional capacities are evolved in spirit. These power and capacities of

spirit, expressed in individual human beings, constitute human characters. Through these

successive evolutionary steps, spirit develops characters having Divine attributes. Thepositive, creative aspect of God is reflect in the them. Individuality is derived from

expression in individual form. Self-consciousness accompanies individualised character,and the being thus endowed has the potentiality of rising to the knowledge of God.Characters inspired by the universal human spirit continue in lines of specific developing

types, as did species in the vegetable and animal kingdoms" [11]

V. Conclusion

The Bah' writings on evolution seem to indicate separate paths of evolution between the

mineral, vegetable, animal and human kingdoms. These teachings do not negate the

possibility of mutation or transformation within each kingdom. But it seems to state the

impossibility of mutation or evolution between kingdoms. This has important implicationsfor study of human development. First one cannot use examples of mutation in animal

kingdom to infer a mutation from animal kingdom to human kingdom. Hence this modelwould be in conformity with most scientific evidence, since most of the proofs cited for

evolution involves the mutation paths with animal and vegetable kingdoms. Secondly it

puts emphasis in spiritual evolution of humanity. In regards to human's physical attributes itstipulates that we are the same species, thus providing a scientific and moral grounds for

elimination of prejudice. Here the different types, or "species" of humankind are its

spiritual attributes. The evolution and differences in physical attributes of humans are

deemed non-essential and irrelevant to the development of human race. Also to theindividual human, it places the emphasis on development to spiritual development where

the responsibility of transforming or mutating to a higher form is within the reach of allindividuals irrespective of race sex or national origin. Thirdly it provides a holisticprospective for humanity. By looking at whole of humanity as one tree, as Abdu'l-Bah

reminds us in the following passage, one needs to acquires spiritual morals and values that

requires us to spend our focus in assisting and regenerating whole of human race.

The Blessed Beauty said: "All are the fruits of one tree and the leaves of one branch." He

likened the world of existence to one tree and all the souls to leaves, blossoms and fruits.


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Therefore all the branches, leaves, blossoms and fruits must be in the utmost of freshness,

and the bringing about of this delicacy and sweetness depends upon union and fellowship.

Therefore they must assist each other with all their power and seek everlasting life. Thusthe friends of God must manifest the mercy of the Compassionate Lord in the world of

existence and must show forth the bounty of the visible and invisible King. They must

purify their sight, and look upon mankind as the leaves, blossoms and fruits of the tree ofcreation, and must always be thinking of doing good to someone, of love, consideration,

affection and assistance to somebody. [12]

VI. Bibiography

[1] Promulgation of Universal Peace P.65

[2] Some Answered Questions P. 199



[5] See Origin of Complex Biology by Eberhard von Kitzing

[6] Gleanings of Writings of Bah'u'llh P. 200

[7] Foundation of world Unity

[8] Selection of Writings of Abdu'l-Bah P. 299


[10] Abdu'l-Bah, Bah' World Faith - Abdu'l-Bah Section, p. 246

[11] Compilations, Bah' Scriptures, p. 301

[12] Abdu'l-Bah, Bah' World Faith - Abdu'l-Bah Section, p. 215

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Do the Baha’i Writings on evolution allow for mutation of species within kingdoms but not across kingdoms?