MORE CHILDISH

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 245, 7 June 1932, Page 8

MORE CHILDISH

MAN'S ONLY HOPE LIES IN PROGRESS OF EVOLUTION. AN AGNOSTIC'S VIEWS. LONDON, Saturday. Man is becoming more childish — and more perfect. An agnostic, who refuses to admit Divi'ne influence in the creation and evolution of the World. Mr. J. B. S. Haldane yet provides in his latest hook, "Causes of Evolution,*' just published, a parallel to the text. "Except ye become as little children, ye cannot enter the Kingdom of Heaven." ' ! A tendency to prolongatlon of childhood and diminution of adult characteristics is bringing human perfection nearer, he says. Nevertheless, his main johjection to the hypothesis that Divine power has guided evolution is that most lines of descent become extinct, which does not suggest intelligent or omnipotent designers being at work. Moreover, he says there is the moral objection that many species become parasites, inflicting pain upon others. Worse Than Monkcy. If God made such things, it is questionable, in his opinion, whether it postulates evolution or God's moral perfection. Modern man, he says, is an extremely primitive, imperfect type of rational being. He is a worse animal than the -i? monkey. » His erect posture leads to a varif ety of mechanical troubles, including ! hernia, and in the woman the narrow pelvis makes childbirth painful and dangerous. If evolution only got as far as man, the future would not be bright, but now that the mind is taking charge there is hope that evolution may be expedited and made less brutal in the next few milleniums. But unless man consciously controls evolution, he will probably degenerate. ' \