An Hour in Mind [View all]

“The human brain is an imperfect instrument built up through long geological periods. Some of its levels of operation are more primitive and archaic than others. Our heads, modern man has discovered, may contain weird and irrational shadows out of the subhuman past – shadows that under stress may elongate and fall darkly across the threshold of our rational lives. Man has lost the faith of the eighteenth century in the enlightening power of pure reason.”
Loren Eiseley, “Darwin's Century,” Doubleday, 1958, page 345.

I had intended to start with something from Carl Sagan's book “The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark,” but was unable to locate it before the dog insisted I take her for a walk. A pleasant hour-long talk to myself followed as we explored the scents of an brisk, early November day. This essay is about that conversation, of course ….. but since an hour's walk tired me out, I grabbed the nearest Sagan book to my rocking chair, hence the quote from “Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors.”

Ever since watching ABC's National Geographic specials on Mary and Louis Leakey in the 1960s, I have been fascinated by the evolution of the human family tree. I have the 40-piece collection from a late friend who worked at Olduvai Gorge with the Leakey family. The advances in science have allowed for a much greater understanding of human evolution that sixty years ago. So two of my favorite activities is reading new reports, and watching documentaries and pod casts on the internet.

A few months ago, I saw one of a series of “Gutsick Gibbon.” I was stunned, as being old I can't tell the age of the younger generation, and assumed that the host was an amazing high school student. As it turns out, she is actually a bit older, and getting her PhD in the spring. She is brilliant and has a wonderful sense of humor – which is important, since one of her hobbies is debating “creationists.

It should come as no surprise that many creationists – including those with a PhD – are focused on attacking evolution with a combination of pseudo-science and terribly weak arguments. This is obviously part of the white christian nationalists' attempt to control education in schools and universities. While their written reports are easy to destroy, I noticed that on their pod casts, they come across in a glib, authority-like way. Hence, they fool gullible christian nationalist.

Many of them exist in a “demon-haunted” world, in which they view “evil” as something that exists outside of humanity, especially when they “sin.” Rather than say, “Yeah, you caught me. I fucked up,” they claim that “Satan” tempted them. They will often blame a female for tempting them, as well. I find that more offensive than their superstitious beliefs about demons. Strange that. I assume they met a women who was experienced in bed. But I'm unaware of their saying a man or boy tempted them. That's the devil's work.

Now, I don't think there is a literal place known as “hell.” I do think it can be a psychological state that can involve a wide range of factors. However, if the Universe has prepared a hell for the leaders of megachurches, I'm okay with that. I respect that would be the Universe's will, not mine. I'd advocate for incarceration now, though.

I listened to myself saying, “Remember Jim and Tammy Baker.” Now, I thought of Jim as repulsive, and Tammy pathetic. I remember hearing that Tammy spoke in tongues in her youth, which at best would have been a superstitious practice of the pre- Homo erectus ritual, considering the history of human language. These days, it's a shared bullshit for those of little minds. Not the type I want determining what science books teach, but perhaps a chapter in an abnormal psychology text book.

Being a robber baron megachurch leader was a competitive and cut-throat gig. That provided some entertainment back in the day. Today, of course, the felon-in-chief was comfortable in having two sexual offending religious leaders advising him. Maybe he was swapping stories with them.

To be fair, as pathetic a human being as Tammy was, there was something redeeming about her advocating for treating those with AIDS with respect and human decency. This, of course, resulted in the true demons – the leaders of megachurches – attacking her for the “sinfulness” that the prophet Jesus advocated. It was recognized as a threat to their “prosperity theology.”

By this time, the dog and I were coming up the driveway.