Life, evolution, and an overwhelming sense of awe

In his book The Proof of God [1], Harold Begbie devotes a chapter to evolution. These are some quotes from that chapter: 

So we find, first of all, that our protoplasm could not have existed in the nebula nor of the earth in its earliest ages; and now we find that the evolution of this protoplasm must have been caused by life, must have proceeded from life, must have been directed by life. Men can make something slightly like protoplasm in their laboratories; but protoplasm does not make itself; it had to be made before there was a man able to make something even remotely resembling it.

 

..if life could not have existed on this earth for many æons after its birth, but must have forced its way into this earth at a moment when the earth was ready to be fertilized – is it not possible that our term Evolution may only be a scientific synonym for that spiritual Life-Giver to whom the religious in all ages have given the auguster name of God? 

It is important to remember that these statements were written over a hundred years ago, and our views, and the accomplishments of science, have shown considerable development since. Having said that, there are many things that remain unknown, among which are the following major questions: firstly, how do we define life; secondly, when did life appear on Earth; thirdly, is evolution a synonym for God? 

Defining life

We are familiar with experts talking about the possibility of life elsewhere in the universe – some even extending it to intelligent life. But what do they mean by “life”? No-one defines what they are referring to and possibilities are single-celled organisms, multicellular organisms, self-replicating organic molecules, or even some kind of organic “soup”. One can also read about organic chemicals being detected in the universe that are only produced by living organisms on Earth, as if that is evidence of life elsewhere. Surely, there are many ways in which organic molecules can be generated? The most extraordinary reporting comes with the finding of water on other celestial bodies, as though living organisms should exist where there is water. It’s a step that requires a lot of imagination.

The origins of life on Earth

We have no idea how the first living organisms originated. The first cell was probably formed when a concentration of chemicals became surrounded by a membrane, but how could this have happened? As we are confident that the process happened in water, it is logical to suppose that the first cell was formed at an interface of air and water and the most likely interface is the surface of a bubble, perhaps from a hydrothermal vent, or from a shore close to volcanic activity.

Matter accumulates at the air-water interface and that is especially so of hydrophobic compounds [2]. We see this when looking at surf on the sea shore (see above), as waves produce an abundance of bubbles and they take time to burst because of their coatings, unlike those produced from tap water, for example. When bubbles burst, air returns to the atmosphere and the coatings to the water column where they can form into very small particles. Somehow, a primal cell was formed from the coatings of a bubble, or bubbles, and it is difficult to comprehend how it happened, or whether it happened on a single occasion. If we assume that chance allowed it to happen, and that bubbles were important in allowing the aggregation of material necessary for the first cell (and how many bubbles have been formed in billions of years – think about it!), it may well be happening today, with the creation of new cells in areas where certain chemicals are present. However, evidence from studies in genetics suggests that the first cell was formed in a short geological time period a very long time ago and the complex aggregation of organic matter was able to divide to produce two functioning cells and, from there, to many cells. When two of these living cells remained attached to each other, the first multicellular organism was formed.

Interestingly, the idea that life may have originated from sea foams ties in with Greek mythology, although not in the way we view this possibility today. Venus Anadyomene was born from foam resulting from the castration of Uranus, whose genitals were thrown into the sea. The birth of Venus Anadyomene is described by Hesiod [3]: 

“And so soon as he had cut off the members* with flint and cast them from the land into the surging sea, they were swept away over the main a long time: and a white foam spread around them from the immortal flesh, and in it there grew a maiden.” 

 

[* the male genitals of Uranus, severed by his son Cronus]

As Feuerbach wrote [4]: 

“The Greeks looked at Nature with the theoretic sense, they heard heavenly music in the harmonious course of the stars, they saw Nature rise from the foam of the all-producing ocean as Venus Anadyomene.” 

In contemporary times, we have gone beyond the need for mythology to provide explanations (or have we?), but we have no idea when the first cell became alive. Perhaps the first cell lay at the boundary between living and non-living matter, just like viruses? The origin of life is mysterious, and so is the origin of the universe, which, unlike life, may always have been in existence in some form. We can only speculate how the universe came to exist in its current form, using mathematics, the theories of astrophysics and quantum mechanics, and much speculation.

Is the term evolution a synonym for God?

Begbie was right in suggesting that we cannot comprehend the origin of life and the process of evolution that followed, and he, like many others, believes that the only explanation must be God. Part of our difficulty, perhaps all of it, is one of comprehension of the vastness of time and space. It is easy to refer to a billion years, or a light year, but we have no “feel” for such time periods or distances (see below for an image that shows part of space 340 light years across). Just as a theist is stunned by the power of God in creating life and the universe, an atheist has exactly the same sense of awe, but without any external creator. Certainly, there is no proof of the existence of a deity, as Begbie suggests, and neither is their proof that an external force is required.

Three questions arise: why, in the vast extent of the universe, was the Earth “chosen” to have life (there being no evidence of life elsewhere); why are we so keen to find living organisms elsewhere; and, if one believes in evolution, why did God take so long to create humans and, once created, to then express Himself through Moses and, later still, through his son Jesus Christ?

[1] Harold Begbie (1914) The Proof of God. New York, Fleming H Revell and Company.

[2] Roger S Wotton and Terence M Preston (2005) Surface Films: Areas of Water Bodies That Are Often Overlooked. BioScience 55: 137- 147.

[3] Hesiod (ca. 700 BCE) in the multi-authored Homeric Hymns, Epic Cycle, Homerica, translated by Evelyn-White. Published in 1914. London, Heinemann.

[4] Ludwig Feuerbach (1854) The Essence of Christianity, translated by George Eliot. This version published in 2025. Dunstable, Robinia Classics.

 

 

 

 

Wild Flowers, Weeds and Art

Most of us enjoy wildflowers, such an important part of spring and summer when we take walks in the countryside. Even when driving along motorways and major roads, we are struck by the patches, or blends, of colours that verges provide: in country lanes, wildflowers attract our attention even more. They may even become part of garden design [1], although most gardeners prefer to cultivate plants that have been bred by horticulturalists for appearance, scent, or value as food. These garden plants, and their many varieties, are, of course, descendants of wild ancestors.

Wildflower meadows have high diversity, and growing plants in monoculture provides an “invitation” to animal pests and the invasion by some unwanted plants. That is especially so in farming, although we find the appearance of poppies in wheat fields to be very attractive and something that we enjoy, as in the painting from 1890 by Van Gogh (above).

Poppies in fields of wheat remind us of a story in the Holy Bible, where invading plants are referred to as tares [2]:

“ Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares?  He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up?  But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.”

The above quote uses the metaphor of good (wheat) and evil (tares) and this attitude to tares and weeds has persisted for millennia. It is, however, accepted that they were not planted by an enemy, but arrived naturally and modern farming machinery allows easy separation of wheat and poppy seeds,

We appreciate beautiful gardens and lawns, and we also like fresh fruit and vegetables that we can collect from fruit/vegetable gardens or allotments. Weeds, while not being regarded as evil in the Biblical sense, are removed wherever they appear, as we want to have a feeling of control over Nature (as we do with pruning, transplanting, and other gardening practices). According to the Oxford English Dictionary, a weed is: “Any herbaceous plant not valued for its usefulness or beauty, or regarded as a nuisance in the place where it is growing, esp. when hindering the growth of crops or other cultivated plants.”

Many weeds are well-known to gardeners, as are wild flowers to most, but should we wish to identify a plant we don’t know, we can use a flora [3] or, more usually, an illustrated guide like Roger Phillips’ Wild Flowers of Britain [4] that contain photographs of each plant, making identification much easier (an example is shown above). Phillips also gives notes on the time of flowering, habitat preferences, etc of each plant. Before photography, we were dependent on herbaria, drawings and paintings. I made my own wild flower herbarium when I was 11 years’ old [5], although that was for a school project, and I could have taken photographs if I’d had a camera. Examples of paintings by Anne Pratt (1806-1893), Harriet Isabel Adams (1863-1952) and Lilian Snelling (1879-1972) are shown below and, in addition to their helpfulness as an aid to identification, they are beautiful works of art.

It’s an art from that is alive and well, as shown in the wonderful book 50 Weeds, that has text by Edwin Oxlade and illustrations by Diana Oxlade [6] (one of which is shown below). Edwin and Diana are enthusiastic gardeners and allotment holders, and encourage us to view weeds not only as a nuisance, but also as fascinating, and sometimes beautiful, wild plants that happen to be in the “wrong place”, as the OED would have it. There are two quotes at the beginning of the book that set the tone: 

Edwin: “I spend a lot of time at my allotment trying to get rid of weeds. If I ever won the battle I would not be happy. Weeds are some of the most beautiful plants I grow”

 

Diana: “I have always admired and loved weeds. I don’t know why!”

Weeds have been living on the planet way longer than humans and one cannot but admire the strategies that they use for continuing to be successful, annoying though they can be for gardeners. All plants are part of nature and it is us humans that have decided that some plants are worthwhile and others are not, despite our admiration of seeing the same plants in the countryside. In 50 Weeds, Edwin Oxlade writes descriptive accounts of each of the 50 weeds selected for the book, including something of their history, their uses, and their control. The text for each plant is complemented by copies of Diana Oxlade’s watercolours, that have the softness characteristic of the medium and are a reminder of how attractive these successful plants can be. 21 of Diana’s original paintings, that are copied in the book, are on display in the main concourse of Cork University Hospital [7], such is their soothing and decorative value.

50 Weeds is a lovely book and all gardeners should have a copy to help them celebrate weeds. Invasive plants can be a nuisance but, unlike tares, they are not symbols of evil, but plants that extend their successful strategies to both gardens and fields of crops. People who view humans as being part of nature understand this and find it something to be admired, but those with strongly anthropocentric views do not feel at all positive about weeds and their control is then paramount, with no admiration of them as plants that have evolved successful strategies to disperse, and which can be very attractive. As Wordsworth wrote in Lines Written a Few Miles above Tintern Abbey:  “..Nature never did betray the heart that loved her..”. A Romantic sentiment it may be, but it is a very important one.

The final word must go to Edwin Oxlade, who writes [6]: 

“..However much we gardeners might hate them at times, we would hate even more to be totally without them. When, as sometimes happens, the things we are trying to grow are beset with sickness, mould, drought or malnutrition, we can rely on the weeds to look healthy and bright. It is reassuring at these times to know that we have been capable of creating an environment where at least something can grow well and give us pleasure.”

[1] https://www.rhs.org.uk/lawns/creating-wildflower-meadows

[2] Matthew 13:24-30 in the Holy Bible (Authorised King James version)

[3] A.R Clapham, T.G.Tutin and E.F.Warburg (1964) Excursion Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge, Cambridge University Press

[4] Roger Phillips (1977) Wild Flowers of Britain. London, Pan Books

[5]  https://www.amazon.co.uk/Walking-Gosse-Roger-S-Wotton-ebook/dp/B08HMCJS9J

[6] Edwin Oxlade and Diana Oxlade (2017) 50 Weeds. Belfast, GPS Colour Graphics

[7] https://www.cuharts.com/weeds (showing several of Diana Oxlade’s watercolours from 50 Weeds)