The Evolutionary Model of Religion Refutation

The Evolutionary Model of Religion

Under the influence of Darwin's Theory of Evolution, most social scientists and anthropologists have concluded that religion began with early man's pantheistic deification of the forces of nature. According to them, early man was amazed by the more cataclysmic and devastating forces of nature, like lightning, thunder, volcanoes, earthquakes, etc. which they supposedly conceived of as supernatural beings. Consequently, they sought ways and means of appeasing them, much in the same way they sought the aid of their leaders or more powerful tribes. In this way, early rites of worship, like prayer and sacrifice, were supposed to have developed. The North American Indians, who believe in spirits of the river, forests etc. are used as examples of this early stage in the evolution of religion known as animism. At this stage, they claim, every individual had a personal set of gods. The polytheistic situation among the Hindus of India, where every family has its own personal god, is cited as an example of this stage. Economic necessity and the struggle for survival eventually caused family links to expand, and thus tribes evolved. Tribal gods, in turn, gradually replaced the old family gods and with each successive generation, tribes The Evolutionary Model of Religion

Under the influence of Darwin's Theory of Evolution, most social scientists and anthropologists have concluded that religion began with early man's pantheistic deification of the forces of nature. According to them, early man was amazed by the more cataclysmic and devastating forces of nature, like lightning, thunder, volcanoes, earthquakes, etc. which they supposedly conceived of as supernatural beings. Consequently, they sought ways and means of appeasing them, much in the same way they sought the aid of their leaders or more powerful tribes. In this way, early rites of worship, like prayer and sacrifice, were supposed to have developed. The North American Indians, who believe in spirits of the river, forests etc. are used as examples of this early stage in the evolution of religion known as animism. At this stage, they claim, every individual had a personal set of gods. The polytheistic situation among the Hindus of India, where every family has its own personal god, is cited as an example of this stage. Economic necessity and the struggle for survival eventually caused family links to expand, and thus tribes evolved. Tribal gods, in turn, gradually replaced the old family gods and with each successive generation, tribes became larger and larger and the number of idols got fewer and fewer. Eventually ditheism emerged in which all of the super-natural powers were confined to two main gods, a god of good and a god of evil. According to evolutionists, an example of this stage can be seen in the religion of Zoroastrians of Persia.


Prior to the appearance of the Persian 'reformer', Zarathustra (Greek: Zoroaster), Persians were thought to have believed in natural spirits, clan gods and family gods. According to the evidence gathered and interpreted by anthropologists, during Zoroaster's time tribal gods were reduced to two, Ahura Mazda who, according to them, created all good in the world, and Angra Manyu who created all evil. 1

When tribes gave way to nations, tribal gods in turn gave way to the national God and monotheism was supposedly born. The God of Israel, a portrayed in the Old Testament is a national entity, fighting on their behalf against their foes. The Israelites in turn are referred to as His chosen children. The Egyptian ruler, Akhenaten of the fourteenth century B.C., also known as Amenhotep IV [4th], is also cited as proof of the evolutionist concept of religion. At a time when the prevailing belief in Egypt was polytheism, he introduced the monotheistic worship of one God called Ra, which symbolized the disc of the sun. 2

Thus, according to social scientists and anthropologists, religion has no divine origin. It is merely a by product of the evolution of early man's superstitions’ based on his lack of scientific knowledge. They believe that science will eventually be able to unlock all of the secrets of nature, at which time, it assumes religion will disappear.


--------
1] David Hume (1711-76) followed Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679) in proposing this theory in the Natural History of Religion (1757) (Dictionary of Religions, p.258).

2] Dictionary of Philosophy and Religion, pp. 16. 193. __________________

The Degeneration Model of Religion

A Refutation to the Evolutionary Model of Religion


The Islamic concept of religion and its development is the opposite of the previous view. It is one of a process of degeneration and regeneration and not one of evolution.

Man began as a monotheist, but in time strayed into various forms of polytheism. Sometimes it was ditheism, sometimes it was tritheism and sometimes it was pantheism.

Prophets were sent by God to all the nations and tribes of the earth to guide them back to the straight path of monotheism. But, with the passage of time, they went astray and the teachings of the prophets were either changed or lost. The proof of this reality lies in the fact that all the so called primitive tribes which have been found have the belief in a Supreme Being. No matter what their stage of religious development may have been according to the evolutionary theory, most believe in a Supreme God over all other gods or spirits. From Itzamma, the creator-god of the Central-American Mayans to Ngewo, creator of the universe and spirits of the Sierra Leone Mende, and from Hinduism's Brahman, the impersonal Absolute to Marduk, the ancient city deity of Babylon and Supreme God of the pantheon, the Supreme Being can be clearly seen. Even in ditheism of the Zoroastrians, Ahura Mazda, the God of good is greater than Angra Manyu. And the day of judgement, according to the Zoroastrian beliefs, is the day when Ahura Mazda defeats Angra Manyu! So Angra Manyu is really their supreme God. According to the evolutionary model, this should not be the case, as the belief in One Supreme God supposedly grew out of limited polytheism and thus could not co-exist with animism. However, the concept of a single Supreme Being remains in most of the religions evidence that masses strayed away from the monotheistic religions of the messengers’ of Allah.


Teachings of the Prophets [were distorted by the people] by giving some of God's attributes to other aspects of creation, which came to be regarded as lesser gods in some cases and as intercessors in others.

Another proof of correctness of the degeneration model can be found in the historical transition of monotheistic Judaism into polytheistic Christianity. Monotheism taught by Prophet Jesus first degenerated into ditheism according to those who held that Jesus was not God the father, but a created divine soul. This was also the case among Greeks who identified Jesus as the Logos found in the philosophies of the Anaxagoras through to Aristotle. Later it further degenerated into tritheism among the Romans who officially sanctioned the Trinitarian concept. Finally degenerated into full-fledged polytheism in the Roman Catholic Church, wherein Mary and a series of so-called saints were given the powers of intercession and protection.

Similarly, look at the pure and final message of Islam, as brought by the last Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and compare it with the present day beliefs among many Muslims, we find that degeneration model of beliefs and practises has also occurred. The monotheism of early Islam has degenerated over the time among the various sects which have arisen, Allah's attributes have been given to the Prophet (peace be upon him), his descendants, and to pious and impious individuals designated as saints in later generations by certain sects [i.e. some Shi’a, Sufis’ etc.].

The very first Human being was a MUSLIM, and so was his MATE and so were their CHILDREN. Isn't that as simple as that according to the Islamic teachings?