Hare Krishna creationism
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The only modern day supporters of Hindu creationism are with the [[International Society for Krishna Consciousness]] (ISKCON). The founder of ISKCON, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada rejected [[natural selection]] but accepted a form of evolution. According to Prabhupada humans have always existed in a spiritual form. In one publication he accepted that "species of life evolved from aquatics to plants, vegetables, trees; thereafter insects, reptiles, flies, birds, then beasts, and then human kind".<ref>[http://www.hknet.org.nz/DarwinTheoryGoneApe.html We Accept Evolution, but Not Darwin's Theory]</ref> However oddly Prabhupada contradicted this view by elsewhere denying common descent and claiming humans have not evolved.<ref>See Life Comes from Life - written by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada (founder of ISKCON)</ref> | The only modern day supporters of Hindu creationism are with the [[International Society for Krishna Consciousness]] (ISKCON). The founder of ISKCON, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada rejected [[natural selection]] but accepted a form of evolution. According to Prabhupada humans have always existed in a spiritual form. In one publication he accepted that "species of life evolved from aquatics to plants, vegetables, trees; thereafter insects, reptiles, flies, birds, then beasts, and then human kind".<ref>[http://www.hknet.org.nz/DarwinTheoryGoneApe.html We Accept Evolution, but Not Darwin's Theory]</ref> However oddly Prabhupada contradicted this view by elsewhere denying common descent and claiming humans have not evolved.<ref>See Life Comes from Life - written by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada (founder of ISKCON)</ref> | ||
| − | The theory of Hindu creationism has been explained in detail by [[Michael Cremo]] in his book ''Human Devolution: A Vedic alternative to Darwin's theory | + | The theory of Hindu creationism has been explained in detail by [[Michael Cremo]] in his book ''Human Devolution: A Vedic alternative to Darwin's theory'' (2003). The main belief of Hindu creationism is the concept of "[[devolution]]". |
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| + | ISKCON members such as Hindu creationist Michael Cremo take a literal reading of the Hindu sanskrit religious writings such as the Puranas which teach that time and space are cyclical. They also believe that the earth goes through a cyclic model of "yugas" which says that life on earth "devolves" through epochs, with each one becoming dark, alienated and degenerated than the previous.<ref>The Hare Krishna movement: the postcharismatic fate of a religious transplant, Maria Ekstrand, 2004, p. 12</ref><ref>Back to godhead: the magazine of the Hare Krishna Movement, Volume 23, Baktivendanta Book Trust, 1988, p. 71</ref> | ||
==Hindu creationism and Christianity== | ==Hindu creationism and Christianity== | ||
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Hindu creationism (also known as Vedic Creationism) is a religious belief that takes the Hindu Sanskrit writings such as the Vedic texts as a literal truth, it is a form of old earth creationism.
Contents |
Beliefs
The main belief of Hindu creationism is that all species on earth including humans have "devolved" (come down) from a high state of consciousness (spirit world). Hindu creationists believe that all organisms were originally immaterial and exist in a spirit world before they become covered in matter to enter the material universe. They believe that human beings are really spirits who have become covered and trapped in matter but by doing meditation, spirituality and reading the Vedic writings can cast off "materialism" raise their consciousness to a higher plane of existence and become "spiritual beings" that they really are.[1]
The only modern day supporters of Hindu creationism are with the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON). The founder of ISKCON, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada rejected natural selection but accepted a form of evolution. According to Prabhupada humans have always existed in a spiritual form. In one publication he accepted that "species of life evolved from aquatics to plants, vegetables, trees; thereafter insects, reptiles, flies, birds, then beasts, and then human kind".[2] However oddly Prabhupada contradicted this view by elsewhere denying common descent and claiming humans have not evolved.[3]
The theory of Hindu creationism has been explained in detail by Michael Cremo in his book Human Devolution: A Vedic alternative to Darwin's theory (2003). The main belief of Hindu creationism is the concept of "devolution".
ISKCON members such as Hindu creationist Michael Cremo take a literal reading of the Hindu sanskrit religious writings such as the Puranas which teach that time and space are cyclical. They also believe that the earth goes through a cyclic model of "yugas" which says that life on earth "devolves" through epochs, with each one becoming dark, alienated and degenerated than the previous.[4][5]
Hindu creationism and Christianity
Hindu creationists share an opposite view of life than Biblical creationists on many topics. For example they accept an old earth and even believe the universe is older than modern science claims it is, this is the opposite of young earth creationists. Hindu creationists also accept the Big Bang and merge it into a cyclical model, they also believe humanity is two billion years old, whilst Christian creationists only believe it is 5,000.
A similarity in Hindu creationism is that it teaches that "devolution" occurs biology due to a past "Vedic curse" of decay and degeneration on the world of nature which is mentioned in the Puranas.[6] This is very similar to the curse and belief in "sin" which is advocated by Christian creationists such as Ken Ham.
Hindu creationists similar to the Christian creationists also deny "macroevolution" and only support "microevolution". Yet they also embrace paranormal and occult topics such as out of body experiences, aliens and reincarnation which most Christians say is "heretical". However both Christian and Hindu creationists are religious fundamentalists who read their religious writings as literal.
Hindu creationists also accept that "ape men" have existed and that humans have coexisted with them, this view is opposed by Christian creationists.
Hindu creationism and science
Even though modern Hindu creationists accept evidence for an old earth and an old universe they deny any evidence for evolution which has been well documented becuase of this their views have been rejected by most scientists as nothing more than a religious bias that have nothing to do with science.
According to Hindu creationists modern day humans have existed in present form for 2 billion years. Michael Cremo has attempted to document old skeletons and artifacts which he thinks proves this idea however his books have been described as pseudoscience by the scientific community.[7]
Footnotes
- ↑ Michael Cremo (2003). Human Devolution: A Vedic alternative to Darwin's theory. Bhaktivedanta Book Publishing
- ↑ We Accept Evolution, but Not Darwin's Theory
- ↑ See Life Comes from Life - written by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada (founder of ISKCON)
- ↑ The Hare Krishna movement: the postcharismatic fate of a religious transplant, Maria Ekstrand, 2004, p. 12
- ↑ Back to godhead: the magazine of the Hare Krishna Movement, Volume 23, Baktivendanta Book Trust, 1988, p. 71
- ↑ Symptoms of Devolution
- ↑ Creationism: The Hindu View By Colin Groves