There Is But One Law
10/17/2024
From time to time I offer the suggestion that “our sinful nature” was a requirement of the evolutionary process that brought forth all of life. That the “Survival Imperative” was to remain alive, no matter the cost. That preserving your own life is what you are genetically hardwired to do, by necessity, to build a species large enough to maintain itself.
In this genetic coding, we were stamped with what would later be called a sin — greed. In my own theology, greed is the most basic tool in the survival toolbox. Guaranteeing yourself not only enough food, water, warmth, sexual partners, and etm., but also MORE than enough to survive, so that you may thrive.
In my personal beliefs, I have no problem with evolution being the tool that God uses to improve and perfect on the whole of life and creation. Anyone in any part of industry knows that once something is made, it is easier to make tweaks to the design to improve it’s performance, rather than to scrap the design and start over from scratch. Over many eras of time, we have arrived where we are, with all of the latest versions of the abundance of life that we have on earth. And even in the eons that have past, God has seen fit to continue on the path of constant improvement through evolution of all life on earth.
So, if our sinful nature is just part of our genetic hard-wiring, does that also make the function of religion in our lives an appeal to some higher form of living than merely a voracious feast of everything around us that is genetically driven?
What if the call from God is merely to call to dampen our greed, when we have enough, or more than enough, to share?
Humanity has always been classified as a social species, though we seldom define how social. For most of history, as we understand it, humanity existed in fairly small groups — mostly related by blood and marriage (pair-bonding), and common interests. As the population of humans grew, so did their social structures.
Many of these structures are found to be very similar in other species — shared burdens of making sure the group is fed, defended, and prospers — by whatever definition of prosperity that you care to use. Among the lower orders of animals, it remains on this rudimentary level. When your usefulness to the “hive” wanes, you lose the benefits of the hive lifestyle. Extremely functional social behavior.
As we rise to the higher animals, we observe a greater complexity to the social orders. As the higher animals have more capability, there is a heightened sense of priority to making sure the next generation has full use of their talents and place on the evolutionary ladder. Rather than the simple functionality of a hive, the context of a pack, or herd, or tribe is far more nuanced. Individual interpersonal relationships form — blood families, allies and enemies form, showing both affection to group members, and suspicion of those not in the immediate group.
Nature has found this to be a working solution. While the imperative of greed keeps the individual alive, the social adaptation to working in groups, developing more complex relationships, and the rise of care and affection serve to make the species prosper. This works with brutal efficiency in the lower species. In the higher species, because of the complexity of both the individual and the social structure, a balancing act that is at least semi-voluntary needs to occur. Without a semi-voluntary default, there would be two biological imperatives forever at war with each other. Which aptly describes human civilization in the 21st Century.
In addition to the standard genetic equipment of “greed” as the ultimate individual survival tool, may I suggest that many higher species were given an “optional” gene to allow them to set priorities to harmonize within the social structure. Most adequately functioning higher social species prioritize the care and education of the young. This has the next generation set in the ways that work for their group. These are taught, generation to generation in all higher social species. None of this, in any higher social species, seems innate to offspring without receiving education both in the “family” and in the greater “group”. In all, the “group” has a higher care imperative than those not in the group. In many, the family (blood-related, pair-bonding and children) has a higher care imperative than the group. In times of great distress to the group, the option of individual greed still arises.
Then we have, all by ourselves, humanity — which has gone beyond sentient (which I define as an innate capacity to care for other members of the group) to self-aware (the ability to distinguish how our actions will pan out in relation to the rest of the world and our future. This is where we tend to separate ourselves from the other species on earth — that we alone can determine not only our own destiny, but the destiny of everything around us. We have the ability (alone, so far as we are able to tell at this point) to alter what God has created, in lasting ways. Some may even entertain the idea of permanent ways.
I truly believe that most human beings, when left alone to live their lives, are decent and care freely for those in their families. Modern life does have a tendency to not leave people alone in their lives, and a cacophony of distractions make it harder to prioritize, or even at times to select an action to move forward. Our “optional” social gene, so good in caring for the species in primitive life, has not kept up with the society that we have created.
Enter religion. We’ve had a long and glorious run on science. We have learned so much about the practical aspects of God’s creation and how things work. We have made scientific advances that have both extended the quantity and quality of our lives. In this first world excess that we are immersed in, it is easy to lose sight of those still in need — not only around the world, but down our own street, in our own community. When the dire circumstances of another, is drowned out by the barrage of pleasure and entertainment, it becomes easy to forget about keeping our “social” gene turned on.
I have posited earlier that our “sinful nature” is merely giving into our genetic mandate to survive through greed. I now put forward that being “created in the image of God” has nothing to do with our looks or appearance, and everything to do with our seeing the world as God sees it. With love and care. The appeal is to keep our optional “social” gene active, and extend that love and care beyond our families and even tribes. To go beyond even humanity and to care for life respectfully in all endeavors.
By this I have concluded that “our being born into sin” is only an acknowledgement of the genetic necessity that we were born with. God’s call to rise above that is only to rise above our animal nature, to fulfill the purpose that God had for us in becoming stewards of the earth. We are to fulfill the gifts that God has bestowed on us — intelligence, ingenuity, imagination, and diligence — by caring for all of the rest of life with love, respect, and compassion.
To state it plainly:
There is only one Sin — to harm another — physically, mentally or spiritually — through deliberate act or negligence.
Therefore, There is only one Law — to treat all we encounter with love and respect.
This is the call. Not to be perfect in action, thought and theology. But to rise above our animal nature and become who God intended us to be. Caretakers of all that surrounds us. Everyone walks a unique spiritual path. Every path that honors this concept, honors God. All paths walked in Love are valid.
In Peace, Faith, and Love,
RL Brandner, Ecc., New Ecclesiastes Ministries
