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Understanding the past enables you to celebrate the present and thrive in the future.
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About the Web Weaver
I am Cathy Russell, the web producer for the Epic of Evolution web pages. I am also a mom, wife, scientist, teacher and web site producer.
I am passionate about promoting the Epic of Evolution because I believe that understanding this story leads to personal and planetary well being. Paul Hawken, author of Blessed Unrest, states one of my sentiments so succinctly: "We cannot save our planet unless humankind undergoes a widespread spiritual and religious awakening." At the heart of this awakening is the realization of a meaningful evolutionary worldview and that each of us is co-creator with the evolutionary impulse.
I love to share the science of evolution to adults and children in schools, after-school programs (including University of Colorado's Science Discovery), in churches and via this web site, www.EpicOfEvolution.com. I am also thrilled to help Connie Barlow and Michael Dowd build enthusiastic communities around The Great Story and Michael's book entitled "Thank God for Evolution! How the Marriage of Science and Religion Will Transform Your Life and Our World." I find it deeply gratifying to work with these visionaries who are teaching the science of evolution to millions of people from all walks of life. We share the vision that spirituality, religion, and a person's purpose become more meaningful, more relevant and more empowering in the light of evolution.
My passion for the Epic of Evolution began in high school and continued as I earned my Ph.D. in microbiology from Michigan State University with a dissertation on gene transfer in the evolution of bacteria. While pursuing my doctorate in microbiology, I also earned a minor in educational technology. I used these skills to collaborate with other scientists, programmers and artists to produce several science education web sites, including the National Science Foundation-sponsored Microbe Zoo and several environmental science web sites.
My husband, Fly, and I are the delighted parents of our son, Sean. My role as mother has clarified my commitment to work toward creating an environmentally sustainable and joy-filled future.
When not contemplating evolution , I enjoy playing music with friends, exploring grace, hiking, conversing, landscaping, making web sites, and helping others create "Story Beads" (also known as "Evolution Rosaries.") I occasionally lead classes in HeartDance, which is a fusion of dance, martial arts, and yoga meant to align body, mind and spirit with a sense of joy.
For more details of my work, including portfolio and cv, please see my web site at www.spicypeach.com. If you have comments or questions, please email me at cathus@comcast.net |
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My Philosophy
As the producer of this site, I wish to state my philosophy of religion and science, which influences the content of this inevitably controversial web site. My goal is to promote an understanding of the Epic of Evolution. Because the Epic of Evolution is about our creation story, it deals with matters of religion and faith. To not mention religion and faith while discussing evolution is to neglect the concerns of people who might otherwise object to the Epic of Evolution.
My philosophy about religion is this: Just as all living things have evolved, so too have religions evolved. The purpose of religion is for survival. Specifically, religion evolved as a way for people to relate to each other and to the cosmos so as to find a sense of connection and belonging. In trying to understand and describe Ultimate Reality (God), people use metaphors based on what they know and experience. Different life experiences create different metaphors and so, different religions. In the west, many people call Ultimate Reality God. Others call it Nature, the Tao, Source, Spirit, or many other names.
For me, the question "Is there a God?" is boring and unfruitful. A much more interesting question, that leads to a meaningful answer is, "What is your concept of God?"
Science evolved from religious questioning. In seeking to better understand God (Ultimate Reality) people invented the scientific method, which has lead to spectacular advances in our understanding of the natural world.
In addition to investigating the world with the tools of science, many, including me, seek to know the world through contemplative means. This path has led me on a pilgrimage to Asia, visiting religious sites in Thailand, India, Burma, Thailand, Pakistan, Nepal, Tibet, Hong Kong and Japan. Now, I have returned to study and celebrate my culture's Christian roots while still gathering insights from other faith traditions. Many people might find it ironic that studying the Epic of Evolution has given me faith in God, the power that creates the universe (known to some as Nature). This faith has in turn has blessed me with increased joy, more loving relationships and occasional moments of grace. The intense gratitude I feel fuels my passion to teach the Epic of Evolution so that other people might experience more understanding, love and joy in their lives. This sense of grace has also led me to create a web site entitled the Art of Grace, which explores this idea in more depth.
I freely acknowledge that I am on a spiritual path and my goal is to find joy in life and help sustain this grace-filled existence for my descendants. People who first meet me find a puzzling blend of science enthusiast and spiritual seeker. For me, both interests stem from the same impulse: "to love God with all my heart, soul, mind and strength." As people get to know me, they are surprised how paradoxical my views seem to be. I love the Bible but don't take it literally; I am happy with my path, yet do not believe it is the only path to grace; doubt is my doorway to faith; and, I don't believe that God ever acts in ways contrary to laws of nature. For me, faith is not believing that God will do impossible things. Instead, faith is certainty of grace despite uncertainty of circumstance.
One of the great joys I have found in the Epic of Evolution is that it expands my concept of God (Ultimate Reality.) And the surprise is, the more I understand the Epic of Evolution, the more personally empowering my relationship with God becomes.
Although it is not my intent to promote any particular religious view, I do encourage people to find the support of any community that helps them experience more understanding, compassion, and joy in their lives. This group may be their church, synagogue, mosque or atheist support group. For others, this group may be family, a nurturing workplace or their school. For others it may be a ski club, a knitting group, a pen pal or a dance club. If it promotes your joy and helps us thrive sustainably in the future, it's good.
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