Human individuality separates us from animals

To the editor:

After years of religious confusion, as well as a growing mistrust of organized religion and thoughts of atheism, I finally achieved some peace of mind in my mid-forties when I became an agnostic by simply accepting the fact that I really don’t know if there is or isn’t a God, and then I had to accept responsibility for my self and the results of my actions. Even though I’d always been aware of the good that churches do, the good seemed to be outweighed by the prejudice and discrimination that leads to social discord, political divisions, and holy wars. Some years after retiring, I came to understand the cause of my religious confusion after reading anthropologist Brian Fagan’s book, “Gro-Magnon,” which explains the life and times of our Neanderthal predecessors.

The Neanderthals lacked the curiosity and innovation needed to make changes to their weapons and survival methods, but they were smart enough to provide for the care and safety of every man, woman and child in their group —by practicing the spiritual principles of respect, cooperation, and civility in their daily life. The survival of the Neanderthals was achieved by the simplicity of their life-style and their adherence to the spiritual principles of their culture —for 400,000 years or so.

Some 40,000 years ago, we modern humans came along and inherited the Neanderthal’s cultural values and their immunity to disease, and after improving on their survival methods, our population increased, and the Neanderthals slowly became extinct.

Modern life is complicated, and it was difficult for me to recognize the difference between “spiritual principles” and “religious beliefs,” both of which are incorporated in human culture and are necessary for the well-being and survival of our species. After the 15^th century Enlightenment, man’s use of reason expanded to include personal freedom and justice for all, and thinking people came to realize that everyone has the right to live their own life, using their own intellect and will — providing they obey the laws of physics and nature, and the norms and mores of human culture.

The organized religions of the world are necessary to mankind because they introduce the spiritual principles of human culture to each new generation of children at an early age. However, after individuals come of age and attain maturity, they are obligated to practice the spiritual principles according to their own level of intelligence and emotional maturity, mostly by participating in the “blessings” of the local community’s cultural institutions of employment, education, politics, and social activities. Human individuality separates us from animals, as long as we maintain a proper balance between our personal wants and needs — and attend to our cultural responsibilities.

Art Carney

Wasilla