God and Evolution
Thursday, April 12, 2012
Darwinism "Has Pretty Much Reached the End of Its Rope"
Peer-Reviewed Paper Concludes that Darwinism "Has Pretty Much Reached the End of Its Rope"
Jonathan M. February 6, 2012 2:23 PM | Permalink
An interesting paper was recently published by David Depew and Bruce Weber in the journal Biological Theory. The paper bears the title "The Fate of Darwinism: Evolution After the Modern Synthesis." Its abstract summarizes the article's contents:
We trace the history of the Modern Evolutionary Synthesis, and of genetic Darwinism generally, with a view to showing why, even in its current versions, it can no longer serve as a general framework for evolutionary theory. The main reason is empirical. Genetical Darwinism cannot accommodate the role of development (and of genes in development) in many evolutionary processes. We go on to discuss two conceptual issues: whether natural selection can be the "creative factor" in a new, more general framework for evolutionary theorizing; and whether in such a framework organisms must be conceived as self-organizing systems embedded in self-organizing ecological systems.
This paper is interesting in at least two respects. First, there is the curious use of the word "Darwinism" to describe the modern evolutionary synthesis. It is frequently asserted by our critics that "Darwinism" is a pejorative term invented by creationists and proponents of ID as a form of derision. The term, however, is used widely in the mainstream scientific literature -- albeit not always in a consistent manner. The authors define "Darwinism" thus:
Darwinism refers to its author's proposed causal explanation of evolution -- natural selection -- and to theories in which this process plays the dominant role in evolution, including human evolution.
The second point of interest is the paper's claim that "Darwinism in its current scientific incarnation has pretty much reached the end of its rope." Furthermore, as the authors argue,
...it is largely because Lamarckism, saltationist (sudden) mutationism, and inner-driven orthogenesis, to name the most enduring alternative traditions in evolutionary biology, failed to become mathematized empirical sciences with at least a foothold on value-neutrality that Darwinism still rules the evolutionary roost.
The authors are careful to distinguish between "genetical Darwinism" and "Darwinism as such." Curiously, the primary point on which they criticize Jerry Fodor and Massimo Piattelli-Palmarini's What Darwin Got Wrong does not relate to an alleged flaw in their arguments, but rather has to do with their failure to distinguish between "genetical Darwinism" and "Darwinism as such." They remind and re-assure their readers that,
in the past, improved versions of Darwinism have taken the place of inadequate ones and that a new version -- a Darwinism of the future -- may well displace population genetical Darwinism without ending, but instead enriching, Darwinism as such.
The paper goes on to provide an historical overview of the developments of "genetical Darwinism," portraying it as a play in five acts. These are:
Act 1: Natural selection contra mutation.
"Validation of adaptive natural selection as an actual natural phenomenon beginning in the 1880s."
Act 2: Mutation plus natural selection.
"An intermediate position that can be justly called Darwinian became popular in the first three decades of the twentieth century. It assigned the creative role in evolution to sudden mutations. To natural selection, it assigned only the housekeeping work of filtering out unfit mutations."
Act 3: The Modern Synthesis.
"The population genetical theory of natural selection...became the foundation of the Modern Evolutionary Synthesis of the 1940s-1960s."
Act 4: Molecular Darwinism.
"The effect on population genetical Darwinism of molecular genetics beginning in the 1950s and 1960s."
Act 5: The End of Population Genetic Darwinism.
"So much for Darwinism as reductionist genetics."
Notably, the paper's authors seem to share the view of the genome that ID proponents have been advocating for years: "There is probably very little 'junk DNA.' The entire genome, including its frequent repeats, plays a role in regulating gene expression." In support of this, they cite a 2011 paper by Pink et al. ("Pseudogenes: Pseudo-functional or key regulators in health and disease?").
Contrary to the Darwin lobby's oft-repeated assertion that there are absolutely no weaknesses in Darwinian theory, the paper offers the concession that the modern synthesis has never provided an account of "how major forms of life evolved" -- an omission that is not unsubstantial, to put it mildly.
In spite of all this, the authors are nonetheless confident that a new general theory and conceptual framework of evolution will be forthcoming, and that this will make up for where current formulations of evolution fail. But this is mere speculation.
The Darwin lobby will doubtless continue to make their routine assertion that no credible scientist sees any substantial problems with modern evolutionary theory. Such a position is, however, becoming increasingly difficult to maintain.
Jonathan M. February 6, 2012 2:23 PM | Permalink
An interesting paper was recently published by David Depew and Bruce Weber in the journal Biological Theory. The paper bears the title "The Fate of Darwinism: Evolution After the Modern Synthesis." Its abstract summarizes the article's contents:
We trace the history of the Modern Evolutionary Synthesis, and of genetic Darwinism generally, with a view to showing why, even in its current versions, it can no longer serve as a general framework for evolutionary theory. The main reason is empirical. Genetical Darwinism cannot accommodate the role of development (and of genes in development) in many evolutionary processes. We go on to discuss two conceptual issues: whether natural selection can be the "creative factor" in a new, more general framework for evolutionary theorizing; and whether in such a framework organisms must be conceived as self-organizing systems embedded in self-organizing ecological systems.
This paper is interesting in at least two respects. First, there is the curious use of the word "Darwinism" to describe the modern evolutionary synthesis. It is frequently asserted by our critics that "Darwinism" is a pejorative term invented by creationists and proponents of ID as a form of derision. The term, however, is used widely in the mainstream scientific literature -- albeit not always in a consistent manner. The authors define "Darwinism" thus:
Darwinism refers to its author's proposed causal explanation of evolution -- natural selection -- and to theories in which this process plays the dominant role in evolution, including human evolution.
The second point of interest is the paper's claim that "Darwinism in its current scientific incarnation has pretty much reached the end of its rope." Furthermore, as the authors argue,
...it is largely because Lamarckism, saltationist (sudden) mutationism, and inner-driven orthogenesis, to name the most enduring alternative traditions in evolutionary biology, failed to become mathematized empirical sciences with at least a foothold on value-neutrality that Darwinism still rules the evolutionary roost.
The authors are careful to distinguish between "genetical Darwinism" and "Darwinism as such." Curiously, the primary point on which they criticize Jerry Fodor and Massimo Piattelli-Palmarini's What Darwin Got Wrong does not relate to an alleged flaw in their arguments, but rather has to do with their failure to distinguish between "genetical Darwinism" and "Darwinism as such." They remind and re-assure their readers that,
in the past, improved versions of Darwinism have taken the place of inadequate ones and that a new version -- a Darwinism of the future -- may well displace population genetical Darwinism without ending, but instead enriching, Darwinism as such.
The paper goes on to provide an historical overview of the developments of "genetical Darwinism," portraying it as a play in five acts. These are:
Act 1: Natural selection contra mutation.
"Validation of adaptive natural selection as an actual natural phenomenon beginning in the 1880s."
Act 2: Mutation plus natural selection.
"An intermediate position that can be justly called Darwinian became popular in the first three decades of the twentieth century. It assigned the creative role in evolution to sudden mutations. To natural selection, it assigned only the housekeeping work of filtering out unfit mutations."
Act 3: The Modern Synthesis.
"The population genetical theory of natural selection...became the foundation of the Modern Evolutionary Synthesis of the 1940s-1960s."
Act 4: Molecular Darwinism.
"The effect on population genetical Darwinism of molecular genetics beginning in the 1950s and 1960s."
Act 5: The End of Population Genetic Darwinism.
"So much for Darwinism as reductionist genetics."
Notably, the paper's authors seem to share the view of the genome that ID proponents have been advocating for years: "There is probably very little 'junk DNA.' The entire genome, including its frequent repeats, plays a role in regulating gene expression." In support of this, they cite a 2011 paper by Pink et al. ("Pseudogenes: Pseudo-functional or key regulators in health and disease?").
Contrary to the Darwin lobby's oft-repeated assertion that there are absolutely no weaknesses in Darwinian theory, the paper offers the concession that the modern synthesis has never provided an account of "how major forms of life evolved" -- an omission that is not unsubstantial, to put it mildly.
In spite of all this, the authors are nonetheless confident that a new general theory and conceptual framework of evolution will be forthcoming, and that this will make up for where current formulations of evolution fail. But this is mere speculation.
The Darwin lobby will doubtless continue to make their routine assertion that no credible scientist sees any substantial problems with modern evolutionary theory. Such a position is, however, becoming increasingly difficult to maintain.
Tennessee Enacts Academic Freedom Law!
Tennessee Enacts Academic Freedom Law Protecting Teachers Who Present Both Sides of Evolution Debate
Evolution News & Views April 10, 2012 3:55 PM | Permalink
Nashville - Today Tennessee became the latest state to enact an academic freedom bill that protects teachers when they promote critical thinking and objective discussion about controversial science issues such as biological evolution, climate change and human cloning. At least ten states now have statewide science standards or laws that protect or encourage teachers to discuss the scientific evidence for and against Darwinian evolution.
Teachers in Tennessee are still required to teach according to state and local science standards. But under the law, teachers are allowed to objectively present additional scientific evidence, analysis, and critiques regarding topics already in the approved curriculum.
"More than 85 years ago, Tennessee teacher John Scopes appealed for the right to teach students all of the scientific evidence," said Dr. John West, Associate Director of Discovery Institute's Center for Science and Culture. "This historic bill now secures that right. It's ironic that many of today's defenders of evolution have abandoned Scopes' plea for free discussion and are pushing for censorship and intolerance in the classroom instead."
"This law is needed for two reasons," explained Casey Luskin an attorney with Discovery Institute's Center for Science & Culture. "First, unfortunately many science teachers around the country are harassed, intimidated, and sometimes fired for simply presenting scientific evidence critical of Darwinian theory along with the evidence that supports it."
"Second, many school administrators and teachers are fearful or confused about what is legally allowed when teaching about controversial scientific issues like evolution," Luskin added. "This legislation makes it clear what Tennessee teachers may be allowed to do."
Darwin-only lobbyists launched a misinformation and scare campaign in an effort to encourage Governor Bill Haslam to veto the bill. Haslam ultimately allowed the bill to become law without his signature. Critics falsely claimed that the bill promotes religion instead of science, and asserted that jobs would be lost due to the law's passage, and threatened costly lawsuits.
"First, the bill expressly states that it 'shall not be construed to promote any religious or non-religious doctrine,'" explained Luskin. "Second, in places like Texas and Louisiana that have similar legislation or science standards there has been no negative economic impact at all. Contrary to critics, no lawsuits have materialized in other states or districts with such policies in place."
The Tennessee House and Senate passed the bill with overwhelming support. Tennessee's law is similar to an academic freedom policy adopted in 2008 by Louisiana, known as the Louisiana Science Education Act.
This year, four states have considered academic freedom legislation designed to protect teachers who teach both the scientific strengths and weaknesses of evolutionary theory. Many of the bills have been adapted from sample legislation developed by Discovery Institute, including a model statute posted online at www.academicfreedompetition.com.
Evolution News & Views April 10, 2012 3:55 PM | Permalink
Nashville - Today Tennessee became the latest state to enact an academic freedom bill that protects teachers when they promote critical thinking and objective discussion about controversial science issues such as biological evolution, climate change and human cloning. At least ten states now have statewide science standards or laws that protect or encourage teachers to discuss the scientific evidence for and against Darwinian evolution.
Teachers in Tennessee are still required to teach according to state and local science standards. But under the law, teachers are allowed to objectively present additional scientific evidence, analysis, and critiques regarding topics already in the approved curriculum.
"More than 85 years ago, Tennessee teacher John Scopes appealed for the right to teach students all of the scientific evidence," said Dr. John West, Associate Director of Discovery Institute's Center for Science and Culture. "This historic bill now secures that right. It's ironic that many of today's defenders of evolution have abandoned Scopes' plea for free discussion and are pushing for censorship and intolerance in the classroom instead."
"This law is needed for two reasons," explained Casey Luskin an attorney with Discovery Institute's Center for Science & Culture. "First, unfortunately many science teachers around the country are harassed, intimidated, and sometimes fired for simply presenting scientific evidence critical of Darwinian theory along with the evidence that supports it."
"Second, many school administrators and teachers are fearful or confused about what is legally allowed when teaching about controversial scientific issues like evolution," Luskin added. "This legislation makes it clear what Tennessee teachers may be allowed to do."
Darwin-only lobbyists launched a misinformation and scare campaign in an effort to encourage Governor Bill Haslam to veto the bill. Haslam ultimately allowed the bill to become law without his signature. Critics falsely claimed that the bill promotes religion instead of science, and asserted that jobs would be lost due to the law's passage, and threatened costly lawsuits.
"First, the bill expressly states that it 'shall not be construed to promote any religious or non-religious doctrine,'" explained Luskin. "Second, in places like Texas and Louisiana that have similar legislation or science standards there has been no negative economic impact at all. Contrary to critics, no lawsuits have materialized in other states or districts with such policies in place."
The Tennessee House and Senate passed the bill with overwhelming support. Tennessee's law is similar to an academic freedom policy adopted in 2008 by Louisiana, known as the Louisiana Science Education Act.
This year, four states have considered academic freedom legislation designed to protect teachers who teach both the scientific strengths and weaknesses of evolutionary theory. Many of the bills have been adapted from sample legislation developed by Discovery Institute, including a model statute posted online at www.academicfreedompetition.com.
You Can Not Disappoint Jesus!
A compilation from TFI
Just ask Peter.
On the surface, it looks like Jesus’ prayer failed. After all, last time I checked, this is the same Peter who would go on to deny Jesus three times. It seems that Jesus would have every reason to be disappointed. But that is only if we assume that Jesus means He is praying that Peter’s faith would not fail at all.
Peter’s faith did fail.
But it did not fail completely.
Jesus knew Peter was going to deny Him. Jesus was not praying against that. He was praying that it would not be the final word for Peter. And, of course, His prayer was answered. Peter faltered in his faith. But he returned and became one of the leaders of the early church.
Peter could not disappoint Jesus. And neither can you. Do you know what “to disappoint” means? It means give somebody an outcome other than what they expected. That is less than their hope.
How can you give God an outcome that He did not expect?
God knows you are going to fail. That thing you did yesterday: Jesus already knew you were going to do it before you did it. The same with the thing you did today, and the thing you will do tomorrow.
That might sound scary at first, but it should actually encourage you. God knows about it already, has known about it from eternity, but He has not given up on you. So why have you given up on yourself?
And even more than that, it should encourage you, because even if your faith does fail for a moment, you will ultimately succeed. The same God who knows you are going to fail is the same God who already has a plan in place to restore you when you do.—Steven Furtick
+
When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,
When the road you are trudging seems all uphill,
When the funds are low and the debts are high,
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit,
Rest, if you must—but do not quit.
Life is queer with its twists and turns,
As every one of us sometimes learns,
And many a failure turns about
When he might have won had he stuck it out;
Do not give up, though the pace seems slow—
You might succeed with another blow.
Often the goal is nearer than
It seems to a faint and faltering man,
Often the struggler has given up
When he might have captured the victor's cup.
And he learned too late, when the night slipped down,
How close he was to the golden crown.
Success is failure turned inside out—
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt—
And you never can tell how close you are,
It may be near when it seems afar;
So stick to the fight when you are hardest hit—
It´s when things seem worst that you must not quit.—Frank Stanton
+
To suggest that God is ever disappointed in us is one of the guilt and shame techniques that the enemy uses against us to keep us wallowing in self-condemnation. … But the truth of the Scripture is this—it is impossible for you to disappoint God. You can not disappoint Him.
Why? The answer rests in the meaning of disappointment. Think about it for a moment. Disappointment is the result of an unfulfilled expectation. To be disappointed means that a person expects that an outcome will be one thing, when in fact it turns out in a different way. So the idea, then, that God would be disappointed means that God does not know everything. He thought we would do one thing and then we went and did another!
No, that will never happen. God does not expect anything. He knows everything in advance with 100% certainty. What could possibly disappoint God? Nothing you have ever done or will do catches Him by surprise.
To suggest that sins disappoint God is to fail to appreciate His full work at the cross. I remind you that when Jesus absorbed your sins into Himself on the cross, He saw clearly every sin you would ever commit … He knew exactly what you would do. He saw them and dealt with them—all of them. God knows everything you are going to do in your lifetime and He has taken care of it at the cross. We might be disappointed in ourselves, but God can never be disappointed in us.
God … realizes that you are incapable of doing anything on your own. It is pure, undiluted legalism to think that you can overcome temptation to sin by your own resolve. In fact, Jesus said, 'apart from Me you can do nothing.'
Just because I say God is not disappointed in you when you do wrong, does not mean that He is okay with it when we sin. Your Father loves you and hates to see you hurt yourself, which is what sin always does. The reality is, though, that it is not God that punishes us for our sins, it is our sins that punish us for our sins. … There are still consequences, after all.
It is the consequence of our own choices, but we certainly do not disappoint God. He loves you and He adores you and expects nothing of you. That is why He wants you to depend on Him as your strength in the face of temptation. If you think this reality will cause people to want to go out and sin, you are missing the core meaning of grace. The grace of God teaches us who we are and then motivates and enables us to live like righteous children of God. But, when we do otherwise, it never catches Him off guard. He is already there to pick us up when we fall.—Steve Mc Vey
+
In times of darkness I will be your light. In times of sadness I will be your joy. In times of struggle I will be your deliverance. In times of weakness I will be your strength. In times of question I will be your answer. And more important than any of this, I am love to you. You can never be lost to My love.
So do not be discouraged or disheartened, and do not look back. Do not be remorseful about the mistakes and sins of the past, for the past is the past. In the very moment that you sought My forgiveness and called out to Me, I granted forgiveness, so there is no need to worry or fear or carry the burden yourself.
Do not agonize over the past or fear for the future. Look up into My loving face. Come to Me, and you will find perfect forgiveness, perfect comfort, perfect strength, perfect love, from now until the day that I return for you.—Jesus, speaking in prophecy
+
Let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.—Hebrews 12:1–24
Just ask Peter.
On the surface, it looks like Jesus’ prayer failed. After all, last time I checked, this is the same Peter who would go on to deny Jesus three times. It seems that Jesus would have every reason to be disappointed. But that is only if we assume that Jesus means He is praying that Peter’s faith would not fail at all.
Peter’s faith did fail.
But it did not fail completely.
Jesus knew Peter was going to deny Him. Jesus was not praying against that. He was praying that it would not be the final word for Peter. And, of course, His prayer was answered. Peter faltered in his faith. But he returned and became one of the leaders of the early church.
Peter could not disappoint Jesus. And neither can you. Do you know what “to disappoint” means? It means give somebody an outcome other than what they expected. That is less than their hope.
How can you give God an outcome that He did not expect?
God knows you are going to fail. That thing you did yesterday: Jesus already knew you were going to do it before you did it. The same with the thing you did today, and the thing you will do tomorrow.
That might sound scary at first, but it should actually encourage you. God knows about it already, has known about it from eternity, but He has not given up on you. So why have you given up on yourself?
And even more than that, it should encourage you, because even if your faith does fail for a moment, you will ultimately succeed. The same God who knows you are going to fail is the same God who already has a plan in place to restore you when you do.—Steven Furtick
+
When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,
When the road you are trudging seems all uphill,
When the funds are low and the debts are high,
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit,
Rest, if you must—but do not quit.
Life is queer with its twists and turns,
As every one of us sometimes learns,
And many a failure turns about
When he might have won had he stuck it out;
Do not give up, though the pace seems slow—
You might succeed with another blow.
Often the goal is nearer than
It seems to a faint and faltering man,
Often the struggler has given up
When he might have captured the victor's cup.
And he learned too late, when the night slipped down,
How close he was to the golden crown.
Success is failure turned inside out—
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt—
And you never can tell how close you are,
It may be near when it seems afar;
So stick to the fight when you are hardest hit—
It´s when things seem worst that you must not quit.—Frank Stanton
+
To suggest that God is ever disappointed in us is one of the guilt and shame techniques that the enemy uses against us to keep us wallowing in self-condemnation. … But the truth of the Scripture is this—it is impossible for you to disappoint God. You can not disappoint Him.
Why? The answer rests in the meaning of disappointment. Think about it for a moment. Disappointment is the result of an unfulfilled expectation. To be disappointed means that a person expects that an outcome will be one thing, when in fact it turns out in a different way. So the idea, then, that God would be disappointed means that God does not know everything. He thought we would do one thing and then we went and did another!
No, that will never happen. God does not expect anything. He knows everything in advance with 100% certainty. What could possibly disappoint God? Nothing you have ever done or will do catches Him by surprise.
To suggest that sins disappoint God is to fail to appreciate His full work at the cross. I remind you that when Jesus absorbed your sins into Himself on the cross, He saw clearly every sin you would ever commit … He knew exactly what you would do. He saw them and dealt with them—all of them. God knows everything you are going to do in your lifetime and He has taken care of it at the cross. We might be disappointed in ourselves, but God can never be disappointed in us.
God … realizes that you are incapable of doing anything on your own. It is pure, undiluted legalism to think that you can overcome temptation to sin by your own resolve. In fact, Jesus said, 'apart from Me you can do nothing.'
Just because I say God is not disappointed in you when you do wrong, does not mean that He is okay with it when we sin. Your Father loves you and hates to see you hurt yourself, which is what sin always does. The reality is, though, that it is not God that punishes us for our sins, it is our sins that punish us for our sins. … There are still consequences, after all.
It is the consequence of our own choices, but we certainly do not disappoint God. He loves you and He adores you and expects nothing of you. That is why He wants you to depend on Him as your strength in the face of temptation. If you think this reality will cause people to want to go out and sin, you are missing the core meaning of grace. The grace of God teaches us who we are and then motivates and enables us to live like righteous children of God. But, when we do otherwise, it never catches Him off guard. He is already there to pick us up when we fall.—Steve Mc Vey
+
In times of darkness I will be your light. In times of sadness I will be your joy. In times of struggle I will be your deliverance. In times of weakness I will be your strength. In times of question I will be your answer. And more important than any of this, I am love to you. You can never be lost to My love.
So do not be discouraged or disheartened, and do not look back. Do not be remorseful about the mistakes and sins of the past, for the past is the past. In the very moment that you sought My forgiveness and called out to Me, I granted forgiveness, so there is no need to worry or fear or carry the burden yourself.
Do not agonize over the past or fear for the future. Look up into My loving face. Come to Me, and you will find perfect forgiveness, perfect comfort, perfect strength, perfect love, from now until the day that I return for you.—Jesus, speaking in prophecy
+
Let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.—Hebrews 12:1–24
Are You Planting Trees?
Indian man single-handedly plants forest
By Nadine Bells | Good News, 4 Apr, 2012
Jadav Payeng, known as “Mulai” to his friends and neighbours, has spent the last 30 years single-handedly planting and caring for a huge 550-hectare forest on a sandbar in the middle of the Brahmaputra River in Assam, India.
In 1980, Assam’s Jorhat district’s social forestry division launched a tree-planting initiative on 200 hectares of the land. After five years, the project was completed and the labourers left—except for Payeng. He stayed behind, living alone on the sandbar.
Payeng chose a life of isolation on the sandbar where he cared for the trees and continued to plant thousands more of them.
First, he transformed the sandbar into a bamboo thicket.
“I then decided to grow proper trees. I collected and planted them. I also transported red ants from my village, and was stung many times. Red ants change the soil’s properties. That was an experience,” Payeng tells the Times of India.
He still lives in the forest’s vicinity, in a hut with his wife and three children. He earns money by selling cow and buffalo milk.
The forest, home to thousands of varieties of trees, is now known as “Mulai Kathoni,” or “Mulai’s forest.” Payeng’s dedication to the land didn’t just cultivate thriving plants, it provided a home for wildlife, including endangered animals.
“There are about four tigers, three rhinos and more than a hundred deer, rabbits and apes. There are innumerable varieties of birds who call this place home, as well. A herd of about 100 elephants is known to visit the place every year for six months,” Oddity Central reports.
Forestry officials were only made aware of the huge forest in 2008.
“We were surprised to find such a dense forest on the sandbar,” Assistant Conservator of Forests, Gunin Saikia tells the Times of India. “We’re amazed at Payeng. He has been at it for 30 years. Had he been in any other country, he would have been made a hero.”
There is now talk of Mulai’s forest being declared a wildlife sanctuary. If the government proves itself capable of caring for the land, Payeng will start planting elsewhere.
By Nadine Bells | Good News, 4 Apr, 2012
Jadav Payeng, known as “Mulai” to his friends and neighbours, has spent the last 30 years single-handedly planting and caring for a huge 550-hectare forest on a sandbar in the middle of the Brahmaputra River in Assam, India.
In 1980, Assam’s Jorhat district’s social forestry division launched a tree-planting initiative on 200 hectares of the land. After five years, the project was completed and the labourers left—except for Payeng. He stayed behind, living alone on the sandbar.
Payeng chose a life of isolation on the sandbar where he cared for the trees and continued to plant thousands more of them.
First, he transformed the sandbar into a bamboo thicket.
“I then decided to grow proper trees. I collected and planted them. I also transported red ants from my village, and was stung many times. Red ants change the soil’s properties. That was an experience,” Payeng tells the Times of India.
He still lives in the forest’s vicinity, in a hut with his wife and three children. He earns money by selling cow and buffalo milk.
The forest, home to thousands of varieties of trees, is now known as “Mulai Kathoni,” or “Mulai’s forest.” Payeng’s dedication to the land didn’t just cultivate thriving plants, it provided a home for wildlife, including endangered animals.
“There are about four tigers, three rhinos and more than a hundred deer, rabbits and apes. There are innumerable varieties of birds who call this place home, as well. A herd of about 100 elephants is known to visit the place every year for six months,” Oddity Central reports.
Forestry officials were only made aware of the huge forest in 2008.
“We were surprised to find such a dense forest on the sandbar,” Assistant Conservator of Forests, Gunin Saikia tells the Times of India. “We’re amazed at Payeng. He has been at it for 30 years. Had he been in any other country, he would have been made a hero.”
There is now talk of Mulai’s forest being declared a wildlife sanctuary. If the government proves itself capable of caring for the land, Payeng will start planting elsewhere.
Why Every Monday Matters
By Shawn Parr, Fast Company, April 9, 2012
If I’ve learned anything over the past ten years, it’s that the old saying, “It’s far more rewarding to give than it is to receive” is very powerful.
I was recently invited to mentor a group of emerging social entrepreneurs, all whom are focused on business models geared towards improving the lives of others, at an intimate conference called Praxis. While I was going there to help and guide others, I left with the gift of being inspired, challenged and full of hope.
Everyone I met had a compelling purpose for their business and a number of them really stood apart from the crowd. But Matt Emerzian’s brilliant story and the business he’s starting to build caught my attention.
After completing grad school with an MBA from UCLA, Matt Emerzian was in the music business. He started in artist management working with local artists, but was later hired by Robert Kardashian. While most people know Kardashian as an attorney in the OJ Simpson case, he was actually in the music business for 35 years and owned a music marketing and promotion company. Matt was hired as his senior vice president.
Now Matt worked with nearly every major and indie label, more specifically on projects for artists such as U2, Coldplay, Snow Patrol, Keane, Avril Lavigne, Black Eyed Peas, Tim McGraw and more. Matt worked in the office during the day and often found himself out at night drinking, smoking weed, objectifying women and trying to be cool in the “City of Angels.” It was a slow process, but a slippery slope, and soon the narcissism and egos of the music industry had rubbed off on him and he thought he was the center of the universe.
When he would go home to Modesto, where he grew up, everyone wanted to hear Matt’s stories because they were always the best. Imagine being from a small town and the next thing you know you’re drinking champagne and smoking a joint while driving to a U2 concert in a celebrity’s limo. Then you’re greeted at the arena by Paul McGinnis, U2’s manager, and you watch the concert with Bono’s wife and 3-year-old son. Or you find yourself in the middle of Times Square with Avril Lavigne and her team, an event you are in charge of that created such a scene that it shut down all road traffic, much to the massive displeasure of the NYPD. How does that happen? How does one process that? I guess, you don’t. You just live it up and think that’s what life is all about.
Matt thought he was doing pretty well until he went to bed on a Sunday night and woke up the next morning thinking he was having a heart attack. His heart was racing, he was sweating like he was in a Monty Python movie and he was freaking out. He jumped in his car and drove himself to the doctor’s office. Not the best idea to drive a car when you think you are having a heart attack, of course, but he needed help.
After examining him, the doctor concluded that he wasn’t having a heart attack, rather he was having a severe panic attack. The doc told him to just go home and rest, and he should feel better in the morning. Well, that didn’t work, and it didn’t work the next day, week or month. His life began to shut down. His parents had to move in with him. He couldn’t function, drive a car, eat, or sleep. At night, he couldn’t look out the windows because he thought the sky was falling. His “dream” life was literally crashing down. And, he had no idea what happened or how to fix it.
Fortunately, he was introduced to a therapist who changed his life. During one of his first visits she handed him Rick Warren’s book, Purpose Driven Life, and told him to read the first sentence, which says, “It’s not about you.” The sentence didn’t make any sense to Matt. Again, narcissism won the day. Then she told him that he would never feel better until he understood that concept. That got his attention because it was like a final life raft, something to grab onto, something to help. Just four simple words were all he needed to read. They echoed in his head every minute of the day, partially from a place of gratitude and partially because he was unsure and confused. But, he was determined to put in the work and find the meaning.
She then prescribed a heavy dose of volunteering. Every Saturday morning at 9 a.m., Matt would go out and pick up litter, paint over graffiti, feed the homeless, etc. At first, he didn’t understand it, but one day it clicked. Saturday mornings were his favorite time of the week. They provided an opportunity to go out and serve others and it was “not about him.” It was the best he felt every week.
Matt was still working in the music industry and wasn’t sure how this new concept was going to work in his life. Then one day he was walking back to his office with a co-worker when he bent down to pick up a piece of litter on the sidewalk. Suddenly it all made sense. His co-worker asked Matt why he would pick up someone else’s trash and the conversation ended in an argument.
Pissed off, Matt went up to his office and called his friend Kelly Bozza, and told her that he wanted to write a book. She responded, “Matt, you don’t even read books. How are you going to write one?” Matt explained to her that he wanted to write a book that could explain that every single one of us matters and together, we can change the world. They wrote the book together.
His thought was if it took him one second to pick up one piece of litter, what if all 300+ million people in our country picked up just one? It would still be a collective one second, but 300+ million pieces of litter would be gone. What if we each picked up five or ten? Or, what if we got our schools, companies, churches, friends, and family involved? It is just a numbers game.
What if we all smiled more, planted a tree, donated blood, wrote a note of gratitude, or took better care of our health? It just became a “what if” game. They picked 52 of these scenarios and wrote the book, Every Monday Matters—52 Ways to Make a Difference.
The book came out four years ago and has sold very well. What was more important to Matt was that it started an organization and the beginning of a movement. A month after the book came out, he received an email from a woman who saved someone from committing suicide, all because of the book. He never imagined his book would literally save somebody’s life. That was the sign Matt needed to walk away from the music industry and try to make Every Monday Matters (EMM) a household name.
From the start, thousands of people wanted to be a part of what Matt was doing. Letter writing campaigns, a weekly newspaper column syndicated in over 400 newspapers nationwide, and a K-12 school curriculum that teaches youth that they matter through self- and social responsibility projects followed.
Today, EMM is in over 1,200 schools in 43 states, impacting the lives of hundreds of thousands of youths. An Employee Engagement/Corporate Social Responsibility program in major corporations across the country works to create a work culture where all employees feel as though they matter within their company and their community. Oprah.com hosted EMM every Monday for a year. PBS just shot a documentary on EMM that will air in May 2012.
The organization is committed to getting as many people as possible to make their Mondays matter and to understand how much they do. Every Monday Matters is about being able to imagine a day when millions of people all over the country or world are doing the same thing on the same day to make a difference in their life and the lives of others. Matt believes that together, we can officially change Mondays—and the world.
If I’ve learned anything over the past ten years, it’s that the old saying, “It’s far more rewarding to give than it is to receive” is very powerful.
I was recently invited to mentor a group of emerging social entrepreneurs, all whom are focused on business models geared towards improving the lives of others, at an intimate conference called Praxis. While I was going there to help and guide others, I left with the gift of being inspired, challenged and full of hope.
Everyone I met had a compelling purpose for their business and a number of them really stood apart from the crowd. But Matt Emerzian’s brilliant story and the business he’s starting to build caught my attention.
After completing grad school with an MBA from UCLA, Matt Emerzian was in the music business. He started in artist management working with local artists, but was later hired by Robert Kardashian. While most people know Kardashian as an attorney in the OJ Simpson case, he was actually in the music business for 35 years and owned a music marketing and promotion company. Matt was hired as his senior vice president.
Now Matt worked with nearly every major and indie label, more specifically on projects for artists such as U2, Coldplay, Snow Patrol, Keane, Avril Lavigne, Black Eyed Peas, Tim McGraw and more. Matt worked in the office during the day and often found himself out at night drinking, smoking weed, objectifying women and trying to be cool in the “City of Angels.” It was a slow process, but a slippery slope, and soon the narcissism and egos of the music industry had rubbed off on him and he thought he was the center of the universe.
When he would go home to Modesto, where he grew up, everyone wanted to hear Matt’s stories because they were always the best. Imagine being from a small town and the next thing you know you’re drinking champagne and smoking a joint while driving to a U2 concert in a celebrity’s limo. Then you’re greeted at the arena by Paul McGinnis, U2’s manager, and you watch the concert with Bono’s wife and 3-year-old son. Or you find yourself in the middle of Times Square with Avril Lavigne and her team, an event you are in charge of that created such a scene that it shut down all road traffic, much to the massive displeasure of the NYPD. How does that happen? How does one process that? I guess, you don’t. You just live it up and think that’s what life is all about.
Matt thought he was doing pretty well until he went to bed on a Sunday night and woke up the next morning thinking he was having a heart attack. His heart was racing, he was sweating like he was in a Monty Python movie and he was freaking out. He jumped in his car and drove himself to the doctor’s office. Not the best idea to drive a car when you think you are having a heart attack, of course, but he needed help.
After examining him, the doctor concluded that he wasn’t having a heart attack, rather he was having a severe panic attack. The doc told him to just go home and rest, and he should feel better in the morning. Well, that didn’t work, and it didn’t work the next day, week or month. His life began to shut down. His parents had to move in with him. He couldn’t function, drive a car, eat, or sleep. At night, he couldn’t look out the windows because he thought the sky was falling. His “dream” life was literally crashing down. And, he had no idea what happened or how to fix it.
Fortunately, he was introduced to a therapist who changed his life. During one of his first visits she handed him Rick Warren’s book, Purpose Driven Life, and told him to read the first sentence, which says, “It’s not about you.” The sentence didn’t make any sense to Matt. Again, narcissism won the day. Then she told him that he would never feel better until he understood that concept. That got his attention because it was like a final life raft, something to grab onto, something to help. Just four simple words were all he needed to read. They echoed in his head every minute of the day, partially from a place of gratitude and partially because he was unsure and confused. But, he was determined to put in the work and find the meaning.
She then prescribed a heavy dose of volunteering. Every Saturday morning at 9 a.m., Matt would go out and pick up litter, paint over graffiti, feed the homeless, etc. At first, he didn’t understand it, but one day it clicked. Saturday mornings were his favorite time of the week. They provided an opportunity to go out and serve others and it was “not about him.” It was the best he felt every week.
Matt was still working in the music industry and wasn’t sure how this new concept was going to work in his life. Then one day he was walking back to his office with a co-worker when he bent down to pick up a piece of litter on the sidewalk. Suddenly it all made sense. His co-worker asked Matt why he would pick up someone else’s trash and the conversation ended in an argument.
Pissed off, Matt went up to his office and called his friend Kelly Bozza, and told her that he wanted to write a book. She responded, “Matt, you don’t even read books. How are you going to write one?” Matt explained to her that he wanted to write a book that could explain that every single one of us matters and together, we can change the world. They wrote the book together.
His thought was if it took him one second to pick up one piece of litter, what if all 300+ million people in our country picked up just one? It would still be a collective one second, but 300+ million pieces of litter would be gone. What if we each picked up five or ten? Or, what if we got our schools, companies, churches, friends, and family involved? It is just a numbers game.
What if we all smiled more, planted a tree, donated blood, wrote a note of gratitude, or took better care of our health? It just became a “what if” game. They picked 52 of these scenarios and wrote the book, Every Monday Matters—52 Ways to Make a Difference.
The book came out four years ago and has sold very well. What was more important to Matt was that it started an organization and the beginning of a movement. A month after the book came out, he received an email from a woman who saved someone from committing suicide, all because of the book. He never imagined his book would literally save somebody’s life. That was the sign Matt needed to walk away from the music industry and try to make Every Monday Matters (EMM) a household name.
From the start, thousands of people wanted to be a part of what Matt was doing. Letter writing campaigns, a weekly newspaper column syndicated in over 400 newspapers nationwide, and a K-12 school curriculum that teaches youth that they matter through self- and social responsibility projects followed.
Today, EMM is in over 1,200 schools in 43 states, impacting the lives of hundreds of thousands of youths. An Employee Engagement/Corporate Social Responsibility program in major corporations across the country works to create a work culture where all employees feel as though they matter within their company and their community. Oprah.com hosted EMM every Monday for a year. PBS just shot a documentary on EMM that will air in May 2012.
The organization is committed to getting as many people as possible to make their Mondays matter and to understand how much they do. Every Monday Matters is about being able to imagine a day when millions of people all over the country or world are doing the same thing on the same day to make a difference in their life and the lives of others. Matt believes that together, we can officially change Mondays—and the world.
Recognizing the Love of God!
By Jesus, speaking in prophecy
I am the good and faithful gardener, and I have planted a beautiful, wide, glorious garden of special flowers. This garden is not like a garden that would be grown by an earthly gardener, in which the gardener plants seeds and up come many flowers of the same color and of the same style. He plants roses and up come pink roses and red roses and yellow roses. And he plants poppies and up come many poppies, all of similar color and size and style. It is the same with pansies and with all the many flowers in an earthly garden.
But in My garden, each flower is different and unique, beautiful in My eyes and special. Each flower is a unique color and a unique size, and serves its own purpose and has its own place in the garden, and its own place in the heart of the Gardener. And I take each flower in My hand and I look upon it with great love and mercy. I water these flowers with the tears of My sympathy. I shine upon each flower the warmth of My love. I protect each flower with My own hands. I look upon it with great tenderness and I know each flower personally.
So do I know you—each of you is unique to Me. Each of you is a special flower in My eyes. Each has its own place, and its own purpose and calling. And I know all about your gifts, your talents, your battles, your personal issues, and all the things that bother you about yourself. The nagging problems that you can’t seem to overcome, and your spiritual strengths, and your spiritual weaknesses, and your idiosyncrasies, and all the funny things about you that make you an individual—I know these things.
I know all about your heart’s desires and your secret longings. Whatever your particular desires are, I know them.
I know about the times that you compare. I know about the times that you think negatively about yourself and you feel bad that you’re not good enough, when your weaknesses bother you and embarrass you and get you down and discourage you. You feel that there is no hope. I know about all these things and I love you anyway.
There is nothing hid from Me; I know every thought, every desire, and every secret prayer. Every time you look up to Me and you cry out to Me, I am near, and I hear your prayers and My heart is moved with compassion. I never harden My heart. I never get tired of listening to you. I never turn away. I never sleep. I never have a “Do Not Disturb” sign on the door. I am never distant. I am never too tired or too busy for you. I always hear and answer your prayers—sometimes in the way that you would desire and sometimes in ways that you know not, or in ways that you cannot yet see, but I do hear and I do answer.
My love is manifested to you in many different ways. You feel that I don’t love you and you can’t recognize My love, you can’t find My love. But My love is manifested to you in every joy and pleasure that you feel in life, in every supply of your need—this is a part of My love for you. Every time one of your brothers or sisters or loved one or friend or family gives you love and encouragement and affection, this is part of My love for you.
And every time you go to My Word and you find strength and inspiration to go on, this is part of My love for you. And when you lie down at night and you are so tired and weary from your many labors and you find sweet sleep and refreshment for your body and your spirit, this is part of My love to you. And in your times of relaxation, when you find recreation and enjoyment and laughter, this is part of My love for you. And the times when you talk with a spiritually hungry soul and you are able to give them answers that they are looking for and lead them to Me, and you experience that thrill of sharing the truth with someone who is searching, this is part of My love for you.
In every new thing that you learn, and every new experience that you have, in every way that you find satisfaction and joy and challenge and contentment of heart and rest of spirit and comfort to your body—all these things are part of My love to you. Even the littlest things can be expressions of My personal love for you.
And the more you recognize Me in the everyday affairs of your life, the more you learn to appreciate these little things that I give you and these little ways that I manifest Myself to you, so will you grow to know My love and appreciate My love and feel it.
You're each unique and special. I do not look upon you as “the masses.” I look upon you as a special, unique individual, as a unique flower in My beautiful, glorious garden. And I long to take this flower up into My hands and to kiss it and water it with My tears of compassion. I long to hold it close to My heart and warm it and shoo away any predators or evil things that may try to hurt or harm it in any way. This is My desire, this is how I care for My flowers, and this is how I care for you.
Every moment of the day and night I take you in My arms and I shield you with My love and protection. Nothing will ever separate us; nothing will ever divide us or cut the cord of love that is between us. Even when you don’t feel it, it is there. If you will just reach out and look to Me and open your eyes to the many ways that I show My love to you, it will become clearer to you. As you grow in your knowledge of Me and as you grow in your closeness to Me, as you get to know Me better, then you will feel My love more clearly.
Originally published January 1995. Updated and republished April 2012. TFI
I am the good and faithful gardener, and I have planted a beautiful, wide, glorious garden of special flowers. This garden is not like a garden that would be grown by an earthly gardener, in which the gardener plants seeds and up come many flowers of the same color and of the same style. He plants roses and up come pink roses and red roses and yellow roses. And he plants poppies and up come many poppies, all of similar color and size and style. It is the same with pansies and with all the many flowers in an earthly garden.
But in My garden, each flower is different and unique, beautiful in My eyes and special. Each flower is a unique color and a unique size, and serves its own purpose and has its own place in the garden, and its own place in the heart of the Gardener. And I take each flower in My hand and I look upon it with great love and mercy. I water these flowers with the tears of My sympathy. I shine upon each flower the warmth of My love. I protect each flower with My own hands. I look upon it with great tenderness and I know each flower personally.
So do I know you—each of you is unique to Me. Each of you is a special flower in My eyes. Each has its own place, and its own purpose and calling. And I know all about your gifts, your talents, your battles, your personal issues, and all the things that bother you about yourself. The nagging problems that you can’t seem to overcome, and your spiritual strengths, and your spiritual weaknesses, and your idiosyncrasies, and all the funny things about you that make you an individual—I know these things.
I know all about your heart’s desires and your secret longings. Whatever your particular desires are, I know them.
I know about the times that you compare. I know about the times that you think negatively about yourself and you feel bad that you’re not good enough, when your weaknesses bother you and embarrass you and get you down and discourage you. You feel that there is no hope. I know about all these things and I love you anyway.
There is nothing hid from Me; I know every thought, every desire, and every secret prayer. Every time you look up to Me and you cry out to Me, I am near, and I hear your prayers and My heart is moved with compassion. I never harden My heart. I never get tired of listening to you. I never turn away. I never sleep. I never have a “Do Not Disturb” sign on the door. I am never distant. I am never too tired or too busy for you. I always hear and answer your prayers—sometimes in the way that you would desire and sometimes in ways that you know not, or in ways that you cannot yet see, but I do hear and I do answer.
My love is manifested to you in many different ways. You feel that I don’t love you and you can’t recognize My love, you can’t find My love. But My love is manifested to you in every joy and pleasure that you feel in life, in every supply of your need—this is a part of My love for you. Every time one of your brothers or sisters or loved one or friend or family gives you love and encouragement and affection, this is part of My love for you.
And every time you go to My Word and you find strength and inspiration to go on, this is part of My love for you. And when you lie down at night and you are so tired and weary from your many labors and you find sweet sleep and refreshment for your body and your spirit, this is part of My love to you. And in your times of relaxation, when you find recreation and enjoyment and laughter, this is part of My love for you. And the times when you talk with a spiritually hungry soul and you are able to give them answers that they are looking for and lead them to Me, and you experience that thrill of sharing the truth with someone who is searching, this is part of My love for you.
In every new thing that you learn, and every new experience that you have, in every way that you find satisfaction and joy and challenge and contentment of heart and rest of spirit and comfort to your body—all these things are part of My love to you. Even the littlest things can be expressions of My personal love for you.
And the more you recognize Me in the everyday affairs of your life, the more you learn to appreciate these little things that I give you and these little ways that I manifest Myself to you, so will you grow to know My love and appreciate My love and feel it.
You're each unique and special. I do not look upon you as “the masses.” I look upon you as a special, unique individual, as a unique flower in My beautiful, glorious garden. And I long to take this flower up into My hands and to kiss it and water it with My tears of compassion. I long to hold it close to My heart and warm it and shoo away any predators or evil things that may try to hurt or harm it in any way. This is My desire, this is how I care for My flowers, and this is how I care for you.
Every moment of the day and night I take you in My arms and I shield you with My love and protection. Nothing will ever separate us; nothing will ever divide us or cut the cord of love that is between us. Even when you don’t feel it, it is there. If you will just reach out and look to Me and open your eyes to the many ways that I show My love to you, it will become clearer to you. As you grow in your knowledge of Me and as you grow in your closeness to Me, as you get to know Me better, then you will feel My love more clearly.
Originally published January 1995. Updated and republished April 2012. TFI
Former Secretary General of NATO Speaks Out!
"We do not want another committee; we have too many already. What we want is a man of sufficient stature to hold the allegiance of all people and to lift us out of the morass into which we are sinking. Send us such a man, be he God or the Devil, and we will receive him."
"Well, we will not have to wait much longer, because the Bible predicts that there is going to be such a man in the last days of the rule of man on earth. He will temporarily save the world from destruction. From all that the Bible indicates, it looks like this coming one-world leader will rise to power by peace and by flattery and by clever deceit.--The Anti-Christ!" D.B.Berg
"Well, we will not have to wait much longer, because the Bible predicts that there is going to be such a man in the last days of the rule of man on earth. He will temporarily save the world from destruction. From all that the Bible indicates, it looks like this coming one-world leader will rise to power by peace and by flattery and by clever deceit.--The Anti-Christ!" D.B.Berg
