(NOTE: Refreshed English is used throughout this site. See Glossary for more on RE.)

OFFICIAL COMMUNIQUÉ FROM THE MINISTRY OF CULTURE
FREESTANDING EVOLUTIONIST HAVEN OF JUSTICEA

Greetings from Justicea!

Welcome to the second blog post from FEH Justicea! In our inaugural GFT post in January, I discussed how the Justicean values of honoring the dignity of all people and acting to implement change when needed are exemplified in our recently adopted custom of singing “Cheers to Us All” immediately following “Auld Lange Syne” upon the New Year. Its lyrics recognize the beneficial gifts that wenns, men, and rens are traditionally thought to bring to a household and, by extension, to society, when each is first to cross the threshold as a guest in the New Year. (Make sure to read the January, 2020 post if you missed it!)

Just as our twin values of “Honor and Action” can inspire us to create new works of art that affirm positive long-standing traditions, so can they also influence us to reject negative ancient fictions and replace them, instead, with favorable sound-science facts, as February’s post will demonstrate. But, first, as a prelude to this month’s topic, let’s look at the science-inspired celebrations that Justiceans participate in during the month of February.

(Please note that these activities are described below according to the manner in which they are normally conducted. Because Justicea is a science-forward nation and an island, we got a handle on COVID-19 early on. However, we still practice social distancing to ensure the safety of our inhabitants. Therefore, in 2021, the following events have been moved onto a virtal platform, cancelled, or conducted according to strick social distancing procedures.. Like people all around the world, we hope that our lives will be back to normal in 2022!)

February Is Evolution Awareness Month

National Evolution Awareness Tournament (NEAT)

February is truly Evolution Month in Justicea. Festivities kick off with the preliminary rounds of the National Evolution Awareness Tournament (or NEAT), starting on February 1. NEAT is a science-based fact and spelling bee that our schoolchildren participate in annually. While it focuses on concepts and terms used in the field of Evolutionary Biology, its purpose is not only to increase students’ understanding of Evolution, in particular, but also to peak their interest in Science, in general. The tourney runs throughout the month and ends with the final round and award presentations taking place in the nation’s capital on February 28.

Evolution Day

Evolution Day is a national special day, celebrated on February 12, the birthday of Charles Darwin, Father of Evolutionary Biology. Parents take their children on nature outings, including hiking, bird watching, and artifact-hunting in our mountains, or seashell-collecting and whale-watching along our coasts.¹ Families finish off the day at home or at a favorite restaurant with a big bowl of Galápagos Goulash!

Ana-Sophia Arts Festival

Artists are not left out of the activities either. After all, Justicea is a land where the Arts celebrate discovery, and scientific discovery—especially related to Evolution—is a major theme! The Ana-Sophia Arts Festival is a series of contests and exhibitions in which all island visual and literary artists may participate according to age group and artistic disciple. The annual festival begins with a reception on the first Friday in February and runs for ten days.

Cultural Note: Ana-Sophia, whose name means “Graceful Wisdom,” is a Justicean neo-icon. Her figure represents the Evolved Femele and the dignity of all wenns as evolved beings. She is often portrayed with the world as her womb. Inside her womb are three humin figures—one femele, one male, and one intersex—who are called the “Children of Ana-Sophia.” Together they represent the diversity of gexes that has evolved upon the Earth.

Blue Dot Wednesday

Finally, Blue Dot Day, our Evolutionist rebuttal to Ash Wednesday, is not only a national special day, but also one of our Evolution Affirmation Days. Its date moves in tandem with the religious observance it counters and took place this year on February 17.

In the morning, Justiceans can, themselves, or have a family member or friend affix a blue dot to their forehead while reciting the following words:

“Rejoice, Oh Humin, you have evolved, 
and to the Siblinghood of Species you do belong!”

The dot represents the Earth as referred to in Carl Sagan’s 1994 book, Pale Blue Dot.²

Then after breakfast, it’s off with a furry, feathery, or scaly friend to walk in or watch the local Siblinghood of Species Parade, in which Justiceans of several species take part. Great fun!

Introduction to Freestanding Evolution

It is hardly surprising that a people who are devoted to scientific inquiry and discovery and who include the term “Evolution” in the very name of their country would revere the process that brought about life on Earth. However, our nation’s name is not merely the “Evolutionist Haven of Justicea,” but the “Freestanding Evolutionist Haven of Justicea.” “Freestanding” here does not refer to our independence. Rather, its inclusion is a direct result of our twin values of “Honor and Action.” Justiceans have linked these values to any consideration of Evolution, thereby giving that topic both a scientific and an ethical component. This linkage of the epic biological process that produced life on Earth with our cherished values of “Honor and Action” has resulted in the Principle of Freestanding Evolution, which, itself, is the most defining and indispensible precept of the Justicean people. Let’s look at this principle more closely.

Freestanding Evolution: A Definition

Freestanding Evolution is a scientific and ethical life stance that accepts the following two tenants:

The Process of Evolution, as revealed over time through a preponderance of empirical evidence collected and analyzed by researchers dedicated to sound science, and refined over time by such scientists through use of advancing tools and techniques, as well as by findings of additional supporting evidence, was the real and true origin of every species of life on Earth, including the humin species.
The Process of Evolution and the Genesis Creation Myths, along with other Creation Myths that contain similar characters, situations, and messages, are mutual exclusive of each other. The characters, situations, and messages presented in these myths cannot represent real evolved humin beings nor the Process of Evolution in any way—not literally, symbolically, allegorically, figuratively, metaphorically, or metaphysically.

While the first of these tenets is well-known to sound-science accepters worldwide, the second is probably not as familiar to those outside of Justicea. However, the populace of our island nation summarizes its meaning most succinctly: Creation Myths are lies, Evolution is the truth, and never the twain shall meet!

Creation Myths and the Fallacy of “Symbolic Truths”

Outside of Justicea, the Roman Catholic Church is one example of a religious institution that acknowledges the truth of Evolution so long as their deity is credited for initiating the process.³This position has been called “Mitigated Evolution.” However, its clergy continues to teach the Genesis Creation Myths in schools and to include them in the cycle of liturgical readings at Masses, claiming that it acceptable to do so because of the “truths” they “symbolically” contain. The Justicean stance is in total opposition to this “business as usual” policy. Below is the most recent version of the official FEH Justicea position on Creation Myths, released in February, 2020.

The FEH Justicea Official Position on Creation Myths

“The government and citizens of the Freestanding Evolutionist Haven of Justicea hold and assert the position that the factual Process of Evolution and the fictional Genesis Creation Myths, in particular, along with other Creation Myths that contain similar characters, situations, and messages, are mutually exclusive of each other.

We hold that these Creation Myths contain no “truths,” symbolic or scientific, regarding either the factual origin of the humin race as a species or the development of the sexes. Furthermore, we assert that these myths present a false and perverse view of the relationship of the sexes to each other, which we find insulting to the honor and dignity of evolved wenns, and which has provided an unjust excuse for the promotion and perpetuation of misogyny against the femele sex for millennia and for their continued exclusion from participation in certain institutions and roles up to the present day.⁴

We hold that these Creation Myths have also been used to promote and perpetuate prejudice against members of the LGBT community throughout the centuries, and as late as June 2019, have influenced the Roman Catholic Church to deny the reality of transgender identity. ⁵

Finally, we note that the continued narrative of the Genesis Creation Myths introduces a character that has been used by certain religious sects to promote and perpetuate prejudice and injustice—including slavery—against people of color, and, in particular, against black Africans and their descendents.⁶

It is clear, then, to the government and citizens of FEH Justicea that the perpetuation of the Genesis Creation Myths, in particular, along with similarly themed Creation Myths—whether believed literally or taken symbolically—have dissuaded societies, over time and up until our own time, from acknowledging the equality and honoring the dignity of all their people and from taking right action to establish and implement equitable laws for the protection of all.

Therefore, we condemn as false and abhorrent not only these Creation Myths, in and of themselves, but also the practice engaged in by any individual, organization, or institution—whether sectarian or secular—of continuing to teach, preach, propagate, promulgate, promote, use, or endeavor, in any way, to make any correlation between these myths and the factual Process of Evolution or between any characters in these myths and real evolved humin beings.”

The Deity Question Not at Issue Here

Notice that while the Justicean declaration above is a scathing denunciation of the Genesis and similar Creation Myths, it makes no mention of a deity. That is because the question at hand for us is not whether there was an Evolver behind Evolution. Rather, our concern is whether the acceptance of Evolution brings with it ethical obligations for the way we humin beings view and interact with one another?—and our answer is a resounding “Yes!”

A False Link & a Missing Link

Too many off-island Evolutionists are guilty of forwarding a position that we Justiceans call “Entwined Evolution.” It is an attempt to construct a false symbolic link between Creationism and Evolution.—and not only sectarian clerics, but, sadly, evolutionary scientists, themselves, share the blame in this! When referring to humin beings’ earliest evolved femele and male common ancestors, some of these scientists refer to them using the names of Genesis Creation Myth characters.⁷One must suppose that they do so in an endeavor to render Evolution more palatable to theists. However, Justiceans consider this practice a faux pas, and an untenable one, at that! The duty of scientists is to make a clear distinction between fact and fiction when discussing a discovery, not to join the clerics in muddying the waters between the two!

While these outland Evolutionists counterproductively perpetuate a false symbolic link between fictional characters and factual evolved beings, we Justiceans concentrate our efforts on articulating the true ethical link that does exist between Evolution and our obligation to honor the dignity of all evolved beings as the evolved beings they really are, and to take action to ensure that each person is accorded the equitable treatment and respect that she, he, or ke deserves as a product of the Evolutionary Process millions of years long.

Those Who Fail to Break Free of the False Link’s Fetters

Our ethical obligations, prompted by the twin values of “Honor and Action,” in this instance start with adopting the Principle of Freestanding Evolution—coming to a clear vision of the reality of Evolution free of the symbolic fetters that religions and other misguided parties attempt to fasten to it. Justiceans take the position that those who fail to adopt this principle will never be able to see themselves, other humin beings, or the relationships that exist between and among humin beings as they truly are, nor will they be able to honor themselves, other people, or their relationships with others properly. Hence, they will forever lack the moral and ethical authority to make pronouncements and judgments relating to such matters.

Freestanding Evolutionists vs. Entangled Evolutionists

We Justiceans are proud to conduct our lives in accordance with the Principle of Freestanding Evolution, as we believe doing so makes us a more ethical people and our society more just. We also believe that Christians who persist in their endeavors to entangle Creation Myths with Evolution do so in hypocrisy and disobedience to the following dictates of their own religions:

“You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.”
(Exodus 20:16)

AND

“Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”
(Matthew 7:12)

So What’s the Problem With Letting Go?

Justiceans also consider the following quote—

“You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
(John 8:32)

—and wonder if leaders of world religions, many of whom are male, refuse to abandon Creation Myths totally because they resent the truth of Evolution? After all, embracing Evolution fully would oblige them to change course and steer their religious institutions in the same direction that many secular governments have gone since Charles Darwin first published his Origins of Species by Means of Natural Selection in 1859.

Could it be that these “holy” men resist the idea of seeing their religious institutions become more inclusive? Dislike the idea of acknowledging that they have no right to stand in the way of a wenn pursuing her vocation to the priesthood if they would not want anyone to stand in the way of their pursing their vocation? Resent accepting that lesbians and gays have the right to express their love, or that transgender people really do exist?—or that some people have dark skin simply because their ancestors lived for millennia in regions of strong sunlight, thus causing more melanin to be produced in their skin as protection against developing deadly skin cancer?! Perhaps, it bothers them that Evolution shows us that the femele and the male coevolved over time, meaning that “Man” was not the first humin being to have appeared upon the Earth.—an Earth, by the way, that was already inhabited by many other species of animal! So much for Man being God’s favorite! So much for Earth’s being a “Man’s world”!

Yes, it must be annoying for these men of religion—and for many an insecure man—to have to give up their beloved myths that so bolstered their male egos even as they decimated the egos of the femele sex.—the sex in whose womb every man who has ever lived was formed! But, as the Justicean populace of all gexes say succinctly to such men, “Get over it!”

Scope of a Freestanding Evolutionist’s Ethical Obligations

Justiceans believe that the ethical obligations of being a Freestanding Evolutionist encompass all facets of our personal and communal life. They affect how we perceive ourselves and how we perceive and behave towards others. They affect what we consider acceptable and unacceptable in all aspects of our arts and of our culture—in our language, literature, and laws, as well as in our symbols, metaphors, and the neo-icons we invent (such as Ana-Sophia). And they affect how we relate to other animals with which we share this planet in the Siblinghood of Species!

While the scope of these obligations may sound overwhelming at first, they can be summed up in ten guidelines that are actually rather easy to apply in daily life for those who accept the Principle of Freestanding Evolution. As a matter of fact, many immigrants to our island nation have already implemented most of them on their own long before arriving on Justicea’s shores! They are listed below.

Ten Ethical Guidelines for Freestanding Evolutionists

Cease and desist from reading or making allusions to the Genesis Creation Myths or any other Creation Myths that attempt to cast the femele humin being as the “second sex” or try to present her in a negative light in any way.
Resolve not to give your children names of any character that appear in the aforementioned Creation Myths or any name derived from those names. Also, refrain from giving such names to your pets and possessions. If you are an artist in any discipline, avoid giving such names to characters in your works or to the works, themselves. Reject using these Creation Myths as the theme of any of your work.
Both scientists and laypeople are urged to discontinue any attempt to use the names of Creation Myth characters when referring to factual evolved beings. Instead, use the terms “Mother” and “Father” (for example, the “Mitochondrial Mother”) in reference to the earliest evolved femele and male common ancestors of the humin race.
Avoid using or inventing names that are male-based when they are meant to take all people into account. When it comes to speaking about the epoch we currently live in, for example, use the term “Holocene” rather than “Anthropocene” (which is based on “anthro,” the Greek word for “man”). Justiceans also consider “Huminicene” another acceptable option to use for the current epoch.
Participate in Justicean customs that affirm and promote the Principle of Freestanding Evolution as they denounce the Creationist Myths, whether you live on the island of Justicea or abroad. An example of such an Evolution Affirmation custom, as mentioned in the beginning of this post, is wearing a blue dot on your forehead on Blue Dot Wednesday.
Use Refreshed English instead of Masculinized English to avoid sexist words and spelling.
- Eliminate the spellings “m-a-n” and “m-a-l-e” when referring to a person who is not male or to mixed groups of people. Replace “m-a-n” with “m-i-n” in such words as “humin,” “humins,” “huminkind,” “huminity,” and “humine.” Replace “m-a-l-e” with “m-e-l-e” in “femele.”
- Use the inclusive nouns “humin,” “humins,” “huminkind,” and “siblinghood” when speaking about groups comprised of different gexes. Use “man, “men,” “mankind,” and “brotherhood” only when referring to males exclusively.
- Use inclusive pronouns. Avoid using the singular third-person pronoun ‘he” when referring generally about a person. The Justiceans use “ge” for this purpose. The singular “they” is often used outside of Justicea, and is even now included in the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary as acceptable for this purpose.⁸
- If speaking about a deity, use the pronoun “de” (with a lower- or upper-case letter, as you prefer). Note: Both the noun “god” and the pronoun “de” are viewed by the Justiceans as GN/GI (gender-neutral/gender-(all) inclusive) words.
Check the etymology of the words in your native language for “femele,” “wenn,” and “spousewenn.” If you find that any of those words are in any way related to the Creation Myths, cease using them and adopt other words to replace them. The Refreshed English words that Justiceans use are recommended for this purpose.
When communicating about the two polar sexes, say or write “wenn” or “wenns” first and “man” or “men” second as a way of showing that you are an Evolutionist and that the femele was not the “second sex” to appear upon the Earth. Also, place “femele” before “male” and “she” before “he.”
In a marriage ceremony, have the bride and groom walk up the aisle together. Have the bride always stand on the right of the groom, and the groom stand on the left of the bride. To Justiceans, this positioning shows that the couple realizes that each is an evolved being and an equal. And, of course, during the marriage vows, no one promises to “obey.”
Show respect for all species that live upon that Earth, as we are all members of the Siblinghood of Species.

The Take Away:
The Principle of Freestanding Evolution, a Justicean Value

In this blog post, I have discussed how the twin values of “Honor and Action” have inspired Justiceans to reject ancient fictions contrary to sound science fact and conducive to continued unjustified discrimination, and, instead, replace them with the Principle of Freestanding Evolution, which requires us to take action every day of our lives in order to honor one another as the evolved beings we all truly are. Indeed, the Principle of Freestanding Evolution is the most defining and indispensible precept of the Justicean people, and has, itself, become our most precious value.

As we Justiceans continue to commemorate February as Evolution Month, I encourage Freestanding Evolutionists worldwide to adopt as many of the Ten Ethical Guidelines for Freestanding Evolutionists as you feel comfortable with in your environment. Take whatever peaceful action you can in your own communities to work towards the goal of bringing about a more ethical global society in which Creation Myths no longer have any power to corrupt what individuals and institutions believe, literally or symbolically, about any member of our evolved humin species or the way in which we should interact with one another.

Are you a Freestanding Evolutionist? We’d like to hear your comments! Please “Like” this post and share it with your friends!

I leave you with two last quotes:

“If you want peace, work for justice.”
Pope Paul VI⁹

To which, Justiceans add:

“If you want justice, tell the truth!”
Justicean Proverb

Peace and Siblinghood,

Justion Fairfield,
Minister of Cultural Affairs, FEH Justicea

CITATIONS:

Schiffman, Richard. “Why Are Gray Whales Moving to the Ocean Next Door?” Discover, February 24, 2016. https://www.discovermagazine.com/planet-earth/why-are-gray-whales-moving-to-the-ocean-next-door (Accessed 02/17/2021)
For an excerpt from Carl Sagan’s 1994 book, Pale Blue Dot, see The Planetary Society’s website, https://www.planetary.org/worlds/pale-blue-dot (Accessed 02/18/2021)
Tagliabue, John. “Pope Bolsters Church’s Support for Scientific View of Evolution.” New York Times.Oct. 25, 1996. https://www.nytimes.com/1996/10/25/world/pope-bolsters-church-s-support-for-scientific-view-of-evolution.html (Accessed 02/18/2021)
Allen, Bob. “Mohler says women should not occupy the Lord’s Day pulpit.” Baptist News Global. May 15, 2019. https://baptistnews.com/article/mohler-says-women-should-not-occupy-the-lords-day-pulpit/#.YDGJWdhKiM9 (Assessed 02/20/2021)
Horgos, Bonnie. Religion & Politics. “The Vatican Draws a Line on Gender, and Transgender Catholics Push Back.” July 30, 2019. https://religionandpolitics.org/2019/07/30/the-vatican-draws-a-line-on-gender-and-transgender-catholics-push-back/ (Accessed 02/16/2021)
“Curse and Mark of Cain.” Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curse_and_mark_of_Cain . (Assessed 02/16/2021)
Pincock, Stephen. “Men and women evolved at the same time.” ABC Science. News in Science, August 2, 2013. https://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2013/08/02/3816309.htm (Accessed 02/18/2021)
Definition of “they.” Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/they . (Accessed 02/17/2021)
Pope Paul VI. “If you want peace, work for justice.” For Celebration of the Day of Peace, January 1, 1972. Libreria Editrice Vaticana. http://www.vatican.va/content/paul-vi/en/messages/peace/documents/hf_p-vi_mes_19711208_v-world-day-for-peace.html (Accessed 02/18/2021)

The Principle of Freestanding Evolution

February Is Evolution Awareness Month