Srila Prabhupada’s disciples Bhaktisvarupa Damodara Swami (Thoudam D. Singh, Ph.D., 1937–2006) and Sadaputa Dasa (Richard L. Thompson, Ph.D., 1947–2008) were pioneers in the field of science and Krishna consciousness. Here, from their writings, are some quotations relevant to the theme of this special issue of Back to Godhead.

Because of Darwin’s theory’s sole emphasis on material, or geologic life, modern man’s activities have been directed towards machines and automation. The end result is that in the attempt for scientific and technological excellence, fundamental issues of morality the rightness and wrongness of living seem to have been neglected. This has resulted in an almost total devaluation of ethics, which destroys the dignity of man and is the prime cause of conflict between science and religion. Bhaktisvarupa Damodara Swami, “Vedic Views on Evolution,” in Synthesis of Science and Religion, 1987

Just as Bach dexterously combines and modifies different themes in his fugues, so the Supreme Artist may orchestrate the world of life in a way that shows order, parsimony, and luxuriant novelty of form. The patterns of parsimonious change follow naturally from the procreation of species. The novelty flows from Krishna’s creative intelligence and cannot be accounted for by the neo-Darwinian theory. Sadaputa Dasa, “Was There an Eve?” (BTG, Sep/Oct 1992)

In the Darwinian definition of life, geologic life consists only of chemicals; God is not involved, and thus there is no question of any share being allotted by Him. With this understanding, man often misuses his intellect and disrupts the balance of nature by unnecessarily killing certain groups of trees, animals, birds, fish, and so on. Thus he causes ecological disasters and various problems for himself. Here we see another weakness of the Darwinian paradigm. Bhaktisvarupa Damodara Swami, “Vedic Views on Evolution,” in Synthesis of Science and Religion, 1987

Darwin’s theory of evolution can be seen as an attempt to give an alternative to the idea of whimsical, sudden creation by divine fiat. The theory attempted to explain the origin of species rationally in terms of a natural process of cause and effect. According to the Vedic literature there is indeed a rational process of creation. But it involves concepts and categories of being that go far beyond the limits of present-day science. Sadaputa Dasa, “The Seeds of Reason” (BTG, Sep/Oct 1993)