Snow monkeys, belonging and why Darwinism sucks...

John and I have been watching the series Life on the Discovery Channel.  It is a series that captures in stunning cinematography portions of life that few of us will ever get to see up close.

Last night we watched "Primates" and I was interested to learn about the Japanese snow monkeys. These primates live in the coldest climate imaginable in Japan. A group of them live in an area called Jigokudani ("Hell's Valley") due to the steep cliffs and hot water steaming out from the earth's surface. It is a harsh environment in winter with snow on the ground for a third of the year.

And while you might think that all of these monkeys have it good being able to warm themselves and play in spa-like pools with the water at a warming 105 degrees, the series explains that not all of them get to do so.  Only the most powerful and their offspring.  Others sit at the edges watching but never being allowed in. Elitism in monkeys seems really, really sad.

The narration for the series is typical science textbook on how life began and evolved...each species eventually developing into another across millions of years.  Whether you embrace evolution, creationism, or some blend of the two, there is something about Darwin's "survival of the fittest" that can't be ignored.

In Darwin's theory it is what has to happen for progress. But in our human life it looks like racism or the lines between wealth and poverty or even the cafeteria in middle school. Contrast the quality of life between the dog-eat-dog world of lies, betrayal and power struggles and one where humans actually love their neighbor, help the poor and show kindness as Jesus described.

What if the real argument in Darwin vs. creationism has nothing to do with carbon dating, the missing link, or the evidence of design? What if it is much more personal than that?  We are happier in a world where we--like everything else--are made to belong. People with talents and gifts to be shared. People who need to receive love and to give it. People who flourish not at the expense of others but to the benefit of others.

It occurs to me that "survival of the fittest" with humans vying for power over each other will lead to our destruction and not the next step on our evolution. Having the "law of love written on our hearts" is a much more satisfying way to evolve. Darwin recorded the theme of a fallen world. Christ lived the theme of a restored one.