Posted by Jerry on May 21, 1999 at 01:18:39:
In Reply to: question for those interested in evolution posted by Trixie on May 20, 1999 at 21:36:00:
Trixie, you may have seen me on the other board. I am an active LDS member. However, I had been through a long period of questioning, but eventually felt that I belonged in the Church. But that is not what I want to dwell on. In my searching, mostly through physics and philosophy books, and I have adopted some theories and ideas that are not typical LDS, but not really contradictory to LDS doctorine in the big picture. Reguardless, I am hoping that I can participate on this board strictly in a scientific/psuedo-scientific way and not have religion getting in the way. At least I don't wish to defend my religion here, so I hope that I can think and communicate hypothetically without having it mean I don't believe in the Church.
In responding to your question, I am not professing to have all the answers, but thought I would add my input and we can knock around ideas. Anyway, getting to your question, speaking strictly in evolutionary terms, we have had a big trick played on us. The survival tool that we have been given, a powerful brain, has caused us some problems. We have the unfortunate(?) fate of being wise enough to contemplate the nature of our existance. To wonder where we came from. Scientifically speaking, we are no better than the insects, who live long enough to reproduce and then die. Unfortunately, we are smart enough to want more than that.
Personally, I'm not sure that deep love is strictly a human thing. Based on some of what I have learned about some of the apes, and more intelligent animals, there is quite a bit of love and loyalty going on. Also, who would argue about a dog's love and devotion to it's owner? However, awe is something that I imagine is rather unique to humans. In my expereince, there is a feeling of love for a higher power. I'm sure I'm not alone. When falling in love, in the LDS culture, but not limited to that, I think it's quite common to have deep feelings of love, and awe, and it is quite common to want to look at the stars and ponder eternity while in this state of deep love.
Utlimately, deep love does have it's bonding purposes, and is probably not unique to humans, although probably more complex, and probably deeper in humans. Therefore, I think it could fit within evolution's practical purposes. For example, our young take a long time to be independent, so it is essential to get parents to bond deeply so they'll stick around and raise their young. To be at awe, to ponder the nature of our existance, and to feel or imagine a loving God or to simply feel amazed and spiritual in some way over seeing and contemplating the stars, or the beauty of nature or whatever, is, in my book, evidence of the fact that there is some higher power. If not, there is some wonderful, uplifting thing about simply being a part of the the big bang! That being said, I guess you can't rule out the idea that our minds simply have manufactured all the "spritual" stuff as a survival tactic, to help protect our sanity due to the trick evolution has played on us.
Anyway, there's some of my thoughts on the matter.