INTELLIGENT EVOLUTION: Zen’s Middle Way Between Science & Religion INTELLIGENT EVOLUTION By Zenkai Taiun Michael J. Elliston Abbot of the Silent Thunder Order and the Atlanta Soto Zen Center Copyright 2010 Taiun M. J. Elliston. All rights reserved. Page 1 of 270 INTELLIGENT EVOLUTION: Zen’s Middle Way Between Science & Religion Table of Contents INTELLIGENT EVOLUTION.................................................................................... 1 Introduction......................................................................................................................... 7 Past Imperfect.................................................................................................................7 Present Perfect ...............................................................................................................8 Future Pluperfect............................................................................................................8 I. PAST...............................................................................................................................10 A. Debate? What Debate?............................................................................................ 10 It’s Debatable...........................................................................................................10 It’s Not Debatable....................................................................................................11 Couching Terms....................................................................................................... 12 Subjective Objectivity...............................................................................................13 Objective Subjectivity...............................................................................................14 Formal Debate......................................................................................................... 15 Verbal Abuse............................................................................................................ 15 Undefined Evidence................................................................................................. 16 Evidentiary Confusion .............................................................................................16 Theory in Fact..........................................................................................................17 I Believe....................................................................................................................17 Mediate the Debate.................................................................................................. 17 Media Madness ...................................................................................................... 18 Fact or Fiction......................................................................................................... 19 Ideas at War............................................................................................................. 19 Why Debate?............................................................................................................ 21 Precepts of Science.................................................................................................. 22 Oxymoronic Arrogance............................................................................................23 Scientific Intelligence...............................................................................................25 Public Polarization.................................................................................................. 26 Middle Ground.........................................................................................................28 B. Church versus State ................................................................................................32 An Ugly Baby.......................................................................................................... 33 Big Brother, Big Father.......................................................................................... 35 Literalist Lemmings.................................................................................................36 Virtual Vatican........................................................................................................37 Outside Intelligence................................................................................................ 38 Ideological Evidence...............................................................................................39 Cause-Effect Complex.............................................................................................41 Abandonment Angst................................................................................................ 43 Highest Intelligence ............................................................................................... 44 Designer Government............................................................................................. 46 You Are What You Believe...................................................................................... 47 Republic of Religion................................................................................................48 Divine Democracy...................................................................................................49 Dissension Amongst the Pews.................................................................................50 Copyright 2010 Taiun M. J. Elliston. All rights reserved. Page 2 of 270 INTELLIGENT EVOLUTION: Zen’s Middle Way Between Science & Religion Absolute Relative Uncertainty................................................................................ 52 God in Court........................................................................................................... 53 Pan-Religious Precepts...........................................................................................54 Taking It to the Schools...........................................................................................56 Imaginary Persecution............................................................................................57 God In and On School.............................................................................................58 Fertile Ground........................................................................................................ 62 Johnny Can’t Read..................................................................................................63 C. Buddhism and Christianity......................................................................................66 Uncommon Commonality........................................................................................66 Christ versus Buddha.............................................................................................. 67 Buddhism versus Christianity................................................................................. 67 Buddha was not Buddhist; Christ was not Christian..............................................68 Buddha was not Christian; Christ was not Buddhist..............................................69 Reconcilable Commonalities ..................................................................................70 Irreconcilable Differences...................................................................................... 71 Self versus Soul....................................................................................................... 71 Good versus Evil..................................................................................................... 71 Natural Evil.............................................................................................................72 Crime and Consequence......................................................................................... 73 God versus No God................................................................................................. 73 God’s Will............................................................................................................... 74 God and Buddhism..................................................................................................75 Buddhism With or Without God.............................................................................. 75 Infallibly Inerrant ...................................................................................................77 Prayer of Efficacy................................................................................................... 78 Miraculously Ordinary........................................................................................... 78 Divinity of Christ.....................................................................................................79 Salvation via Savior................................................................................................ 80 Absolution by Proxy................................................................................................ 81 Conversion by Coercion..........................................................................................82 Christians are not Christians; Buddhists are not Buddhists...................................82 Toward a Science of Religion................................................................................. 83 D. Basics of Buddhism.................................................................................................84