A Weird & Contradictory Species

At some point in one’s life, any thinking person must be struck by the strange predicament in which Man—the species called “Homo Sapiens”—finds himself. He lives on a planet with certain, definite laws, which he has only come to learn through diligent study over eons of time. Man is a living being who knows he must someday die. He needs food in order to survive, and he must kill other species to obtain it. He has a digestive system and expels waste the same as any other animal. He breathes air, he mates, he produces young, the same as any animal. If he violates the laws of gravity and motion, he can also bleed and die, just like any animal. A simple review of the anatomy, physiology, cell structure, and genetics of Man in comparison with other species of life leads to the obvious conclusion that Man belongs here. He is not an alien. In short, Homo Sapiens is a biological species fully and inescapably integrated with the environment in which he finds himself.

But that is just part of the story. Homo Sapiens is actually Latin for “wise man,” which clues us in to another facet of the enigma which is Man. For Man thinks. (In fact, Man actually gave himself the name “wise man,” though that seems to have been a bit of wishful thinking.) Man reasons, he talks, he writes in symbols, he communicates – and not just about compelling issues such as: Need wood for fire! He talks and writes and communicates about things that happened in the past, and things he knows will occur in the future. And much of what he talks and writes and reasons about are abstractions—not real events or objects in his immediate present-time surroundings—but ideas, many of which have no actual material substance at all.

There is no animal on planet Earth that has these abilities. Some primates can learn a small segment of them, such as communicating wants and needs through signals. But it is a simple fact that on this planet we are a weird and contradictory species. Compared to every other life form, we are different, unique, and strange. While we are clearly a set match to the DNA of our planet’s biological heritage, we are at the same time so odd in comparison to all other life forms in our behavior and capabilities. It is as if we were dropped here from another world.

The utter weirdness of this enigma has prompted a number of different explanations for it. Many naturalists, for instance, react to it by concluding that we are merely the products of millions of years of evolution. Traits such as symbolic language and abstract thinking are the result of billions of genetic mutations and variations over time. Given enough time, we were bound to arrive on the scene just as we are. Case closed.

In response, I would point to the Mona Lisa, Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Newton’s Principia, or the Apollo landings on the Moon. The required leap forward in adaptations from chimps using sticks to get termites, to calculating the necessary thrust of a Saturn 5 rocket, seems to be quite a reach for the “we are simply smart animals” point of view.

But there is also another aspect to this dilemma: many religious believers continually struggle with the hard reality that they live in physical bodies, subject to their needs, appetites, and limitations. They view the body as a trap for sin, and our inherent sexuality as temptation we should pray to be led away from. One wonders why we have these biological drives that run exactly counter to spiritual desires? Is life on Earth God’s idea of an endurance test? Is it punishment? Is it an invitation to a split mind, one part seeking physical pleasure of food, fun, and sex, the other devoted to service, compassion, and worship? Is there some sort of compromise acceptable to God, where you can retain your lust, but pray five times a day? And what would you pray? “Please take away my desires?” If you do attempt to drive away your bodily urges, are you being virtuous? Or have you simply succeeded at denying the biological reality of what you are?

It is hard to look at all this and not view the synthesis of body and spirit as inherently impossible. The dictates of the body and the urges of the soul seem absolutely contradictory. It is as if one part of you is continually at war with the other. I’m convinced, however, that there is another way—a different context—in which to look at this.

As a young man I was blessed to have been taught that life is not about either going one way or the other; either being caught up in the temptations of the body, or denying the body and rising above the flesh. Instead, it is about finding a balance, a rhythm, in which we can harmonize all of the inherent facets of Man: intellectual, emotional, physical, and spiritual. All of these facets were created by God, and they were intended to function in harmony, not battle one another to the death.

One look at the world we live in may convince you that such inner harmony is impossible. Thankfully, the God that made us has a very different opinion. Knowing His children preferred creating conflict to living in harmony, a plan was laid to correct the situation. A rescue operation was put into place, which took root immediately after His children went astray. One amazingly courageous soul was put in charge of the plan. His name was Adam, but after many incarnations on Earth, he ultimately completed the plan under the name of Jesus. *

Jesus’s life was an example for us, a pattern to follow. After his death, the four books of the Gospels were written, spelling out his teachings in great clarity. Yet almost immediately, the “Good News” became the subject of disagreement, of division, even of murderous hatred. Sadly, we who live in conflict are capable of turning even love into a weapon of destruction. But there is still hope.

Giving up the need for conflict is not easy, but it can be done. Jesus is the proof of that. We can do the hard work, study the Gospels, fearlessly look within to find our true selves, and strive for that inner harmony that is our birthright. Or we can remain at war with ourselves, and with our brothers. The choice—as always—is ours.

*You can find the plan for our salvation in the book, Edgar Cayce’s Story of Jesus, by Jeffrey Furst. https://a.co/d/1p22DIr