Friday, November 20, 2015

A Christian Perspective of Evolution, Human Survival, and the Bible


SocioBiologist E.O. Wilson

What is eusociality? Sociobiologist and biodiversity scientist E.O. Wilson's evolutionary epigenetic law is second only to Darwin's law of species adaptation to survive. It says that successful species will work together and even sacrifice itself to ensure the larger group's survival. This genetic trait is known as eusociality and was evidenced again in the terrorist attacks in Paris: "Chris Cocking says that most people are likely to try to help each other even in extreme situations. 'There's an assumption that it's everybody for themselves but that just doesn't happen,' he says."

Pointedly, the Christian faith is centered around one God-man who redeems, Jesus. That the Christian church as an institution in its best traditions sacrifices for the spiritual and physical survival of humanity. That the bible's best passages preach a narrative of like group cooperation to survive. And that even the Christian story of origins is built upon the eusocial narrative that humanity is part of something greater than itself. That the way to achieve our epic constitution unites human spirituality, instead of cleaving it, so that it is composed of the best of the human nature, filled with potentiality, finitude, and loss.

As a Christian, though these ideas are part of evolutionary observation and corroborated in the bible as epic narratives composed from an ancient mythological mindset using poetic language, I find comfort in knowing our God wisely placed these evolutionary instincts into the construct of life both by decree as well as by sovereign guidance. This observation then would describe the teleology of evolution - that at a deep level of procreation there are genetic principles of nurture driven to a concerted end of species survival against all environmental outcomes. At Relevancy22 this has been written and restated in dozens of articles for further evaluation.

So then, horrific events like the one witnessed earlier this week in Paris detail both the evil of a committed nihilistic society believing it must sacrifice itself by ridding the world of non-groups of unbelievers based on an errant religious myth of purity/divine acceptance. While at the same time other religious and non-religious groups work together against this threat to their own eusocial society's survival. Each evidencing epigenetic characteristics of survival. This is what is meant as studying humanity from an anthropologic social behaviorist or biodiversity mode of perspective both from a humanist and/or a religious viewpoint.

And, I might add, in an odd way, but completely understandable view, the reason non-group refugees are either rejected or accepted to be aided. I like to think its consciously based but it must allow for unconscious choices as well driven either by species survival or species expansion as a postmodern reaction against past urges. Which is a discussion best left for another time (ReneGirard, mimetic theory, scapegoating & victimization).

R.E. Slater
November 20, 2015


Related Topics

Wikipedia Bio - E.O. Wilson

WikipediaEpigenetics

Wikipedia - Eusociality - Eusocial animals express complex behaviors, like group decision-making. Evolutionary biologists have asked how and why eusociality has evolved, and what we can learn from eusocial organisms.

Knowledge ProjectAn Introduction to Eusociality

Wikipedia - Evolution


Figure 4: Diagram illustrating factors contributing to the evolution of primitive
eusociality and that advanced eusociality is a social state that is not reversible
(past the point of "no return," individual workers have lost the capacity
to reproduce independently)

© 2010 Nature Education All rights reserved.


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Attacks of the magnitude of those that took place in Paris, killing 129 people and injuring more
than 400, are extremely rare. The authorities do prepare for these emergencies but what advice
is there for ordinary people?



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