The Other
Side of the
World
Eastern and Western Religious
Views on Evolution
Sindhu Raghunandan
Outlook
•
•
•
•
•
•
Questions
What shaped western religion
What shaped eastern religion
Western religious views on evolution
Eastern religious views on evolution
Summary
Questions
• Is there a difference between the Eastern
and Western Religious approach to
Evolution?
• If so how does it affect Eastern and
Western societies today?
What Shaped Western Culture
• Social:
• Political:
• Religions:
– Christianity
– Judaism
– Islam
What Shaped Eastern Religion
• Social:
• Political:
• Religious
– Hinduism
– Buddhism
– Daoism
– Shintoism
Western Religions on Evolution
• Christianity
– Against Evolution
– For Evolution
• Judaism
– Against Evolution
– For Evolution
• Islam
– Against Evolution
– For Evolution
Eastern Religions on Evolution
• Hinduism
– For Evolution
– Against Evolution
• Buddhism
– For Evolution
– Against Evolution
• Daoism
– For Evolution
– Against Evolution
Summary
• Eastern Religion is concerned with state of being and evolution of
the mind
• Western religion is concerned with origin of man as a platform to
decide the true authority (religion or evolution)
• Eastern religions sometimes isolate themselves from social
structures
• Eastern religions are much more accommodating of the idea of
progression and development
• Western cultures are affected today because: for example in fields
such as stem cell research, the issue of the origin of life brings up
the entire conflict between evolution and religion
• whereas in eastern cultures because evolution and religion are seen
as quite separate topics, there is no strain between the religious and
scientific communities.
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