Survival of the fittest or the meekest?

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We have been taught about the survival of the fittest from biology classes. But Bible says differently. The meek shall inherit the earth (Mathew 5:5). Do the scientific and Biblical views are in conflict here?

Let’s look at some of the dominant animals from history. Dinosaurs were perhaps the most ferocious and the fearful. Why didn’t they survive and dominate (or inherit) the earth with all their strength? Where have they gone? 

The lions who impressed men for ages and whom they declared them as the king of the jungle is sadly on the list of endangered animals, struggling for survival.

The tiger which burns bright in the human mind ranks high in the hierarchy of the jungle. They are on their way to extinction unless protected. The kings of the jungle are unable to defend themselves.

So, who is the fittest in the jungle? Surprisingly the humble animals such as the rabbit, cat, dog, deer, sheep and the cows, seem to multiply easily enough though they are not dominant by nature.  To cite an example, the humble deer has been around for 4 million years. They have outlived the kings gracefully.

Elephant is a much calmer animal than the fiery lions and tigers. Being a herbivore, food is in abundance for this gentle giant. Did God make an elephant herbivore deliberately? Had an elephant been carnivorous, would they have survived having to run and fight for every meal like the lion and the tiger?  Would they have not perished faster? So, God has a bias for meekness, right?

Does this mean that the forest would eventually be inherited by the humble animals as against the popular notion that the fittest shall survive? Should we redefine the term “fittest” as “meekest”?

Among humans we see a similar trend. The dominance of Babylonians, Assyrians, Romans, Persians, and the Greeks was short lived. Today only archeology can confirm that they existed while the ordinary men have inherited the earth.

Blessed are the poor, for theirs is the Kingdom of God (Mathew 5:3). Does this not apply to the jungles as well? Yes it does.

 

Prakash T John


#themeedshallinherittheearth, #survivalofthefittest, 

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