Whether one believes in evolution, intelligent design, or Divine

“Whether one believes in evolution, intelligent design, or Divine Creation, one thing is certain. Since the beginning of history, human beings have been at war with each other, under the pretext of religion, ideology, ethnicity and other reasons. And no civilization has ever willingly given up its most powerful weapons.” Thus spoke Mohamed ElBaradei, a voice of reason in the age of thunder, a man who stood amid the ruins of modern diplomacy and sought peace in a world intoxicated by power. His words are not born of theory but of witness—of one who has seen the tremors of humanity’s ambition shaking the fragile earth of conscience. In this saying, he reveals the twin truths of our species: our divine potential to create and our tragic compulsion to destroy.

ElBaradei begins his reflection by invoking the origins of humanity—whether from evolution, intelligent design, or Divine Creation. He unites all faiths and philosophies under one truth: regardless of how we began, we have all carried within us the same restlessness, the same fire that both builds and burns. From the caves of the first hunter to the laboratories of the atomic age, man has been both creator and warrior, poet and conqueror. It is this paradox—our capacity for beauty entwined with our addiction to violence—that haunts the history of the world.

Through the ages, the reasons for conflict have changed their masks, but never their face. Religion, which should unite souls in reverence, has often been twisted into a weapon of division. Ideology, born from dreams of justice, has turned to dogma and tyranny. Ethnicity, the song of identity, has been used to build walls where bridges might have stood. ElBaradei, who spent decades striving for nuclear disarmament, knew well that behind every pretext, the same dark hunger lurked—the desire for power, the fear of weakness, the illusion that domination brings safety. Thus, though our banners change, our wars remain the same.

History bears countless scars that prove his words. Consider the Cold War, when two great powers, born of different ideologies, stood ready to destroy not only each other but the world itself. Each side proclaimed its virtue and demonized the other; each amassed arsenals capable of annihilation. And yet neither would disarm. Even when the specter of mutual destruction loomed over all humanity, no civilization has ever willingly given up its most powerful weapons. Fear ruled over wisdom, and pride silenced compassion. Such is the tragic rhythm of mankind: the mind that can imagine eternity also forges its own extinction.

But ElBaradei’s words are not without hope. Beneath the sorrow of his tone lies a challenge—a call to consciousness. He reminds us that what separates man from beast is not his capacity for war, but his capacity for reflection. We are not bound by instinct alone; we are creatures of choice. The same hands that build bombs can also build peace, if the heart behind them dares to change. To recognize our shared origin, whatever its form, is to recognize that we are bound by one destiny. The earth that bore us will not survive another age of arrogance. It asks not for our conquest, but for our humility.

In this, ElBaradei stands among the prophets of reason—those who warned that power without wisdom is the seed of ruin. He echoes the spirit of Oppenheimer, who, after giving mankind the power of the atom, stood before the ashes of his creation and whispered, “Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds.” Oppenheimer’s despair was the same that ElBaradei seeks to transform into resolve—the understanding that to wield power responsibly, one must first master the self. For the true weapon that endangers mankind is not the sword, the bomb, or the machine—it is the ungoverned heart.

And so, my listener, take this teaching into your life: guard your power with humility. Whether your strength is in word, wealth, intellect, or authority, remember that no civilization, no person, remains noble when power becomes their idol. To change the world, begin with your own domain—disarm the weapons within yourself: pride, anger, and indifference. Replace them with understanding, courage, and compassion.

For if humanity is to survive, it must learn what no civilization has yet dared—to willingly give up its most destructive powers, to exchange dominance for wisdom, and fear for faith in one another. Then, and only then, will our creation match the greatness of our design, whether born of evolution or divine will. Until that day, we must remember ElBaradei’s warning as a mirror and a vow: that the true measure of a civilization is not in its might, but in its mercy.