Uncle Ken seems to be saying that our evolution from scum sucking protozoans to efficient predators who feel a little sorry for our prey was a bad thing, a sin even. I don't think so. I think that each step in the process was an advancement for our species. Of course that's a value judgement, but so is the idea that the world would be a better place if our scum sucking ancestors had remained in their original condition, as if that were even possible.
Even if we accept, for the purposes of this discussion, that Man created God in his image instead of the other way around, is that a bad thing? That God Himself could evolve from being capricious to being vengeful to being merciful says something about the people who have believed in Him over the course of human history.
Again I ask, what about the bad guys? Are they throwbacks to the bad old days, or are they the precursors of the post enlightenment that is yet to come?
The way it was explained to me is that the Native American tobacco ritual is more for our benefit than it is for the spirits'. Tobacco was a valuable commodity to the Indians, but the spirits had no need of it. By giving back a small token of appreciation, it reminds us to be grateful and respectful of the resources that are available for our use. Whether or not you believe they are gifts from the spirits, you have to admit that, without them, we would still be sucking scum with the other protozoans.
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