I will just state right now that I am a Christian, but I don't believe
the Christianity and Evolution are mutually exclusive, or that a
belief in Christianity is necessarily anti-evolutionary, or that a
belief in Evolution is anti-Christian.

Why do I make this statement?

Well, because there are some questions that are considered in the
Christian domain that could be addressed by the theory of Evolution.

For example...

Is it possible that compassion. or love, is something that has evolved
over time? If Darwin was correct, and if it is possible that
compassion/love were to have evolved, then why would it be in our best
interest to have compassion/love? What I mean is that evolution is
all about discarding those things that are not good for us, and
adopting those that are good. It seems to me that it is a burden to
love someone when that love might not be in my best interest from an
evolutionary standpoint.

On Tue, 28 Aug 2007 02:06:26 -0400 (EDT), Brian VanPelt
earthlink.net> wrote:

"Brian VanPelt" earthlink.net> wrote in message
news:fb0e12$1m6j$1@darwin.ediacara.org...

Hello Brian,

Brian VanPelt wrote:

Love is also involved in looking after kids - in pair bonding
in preparation to raise kids - and in procreation itself. Its
positive adaptive qualities seem rather obvious - and these
presumably outweighed the occasional suicidal heart-break etc.
which it may also have contributed to.

On Aug 28, 2:06 am, Brian VanPelt earthlink.net> wrote:

Darwin did address this issue, or issues related to it. He didn't
give a definitive answer, but he did show how altruistic and self
sacrificing behaviors could evolve. The issue is still controversial,
of course, and has levels of complexity that he didn't address.
I am in particular thinking of his book, "The Descent of Man." In
particular, he asked why people have these conflicting emotions some
of which are selfish and some of which are self sacrificing. He
pointed out that animals develop social instincts (programmed
responses) that use environmental cues. However, there isn't one
environmental cue and the responses aren't necessary consistent under
any and all conditions.
He used a really good observation from his own household. A mother
cat in his house died giving birth to kittens. There was no one to
nurse the kittens. By coincidence, he had a dog who had just given
birth to some puppies. So Charly slipped some kittens into the brood ...

On Tue, 28 Aug 2007 14:41:11 -0400 (EDT), "Entertained by my own EIMC"
ozemail.com.au> wrote: