I often here evolutionists say that morals come from our need to get along and to be good to one another. Like there is this powerful motivating factor that makes us naturally good that we have learnt over a long time. This helps them explain morality and that its a matter of thought only. That we logically have come to this conclusion because of an evolutionary process through chemical reactions in our brains. But I believe it is more than that.
It isn't necessarily a conscious conclusion that was deliberately adopted, but it does come from the mind which is a product of the brain which is biochemical, so that's all broadly true, yes.
I never hear them speak to much about our evil side
How often does anyone think to bring it up, I wonder.
which is really destructive for evolution. It goes against what evolution is about because it suggest that there is something else going on besides just chemicals and equations driving us.
No, it does not. Nor is it 'destructive for' evolution. Evolution doesn't only produce things that are 'nice.'
Its like we have this dimension to us that is beyond just being an animal.
'Being an animal' covers an extremely board range of behaviors. Slugs and chimpanzees are both animals. They have wildly, wildly different behaviors. I would say the difference in behavior is far greater than the one between chimpanzess and humans. When you get right down to it.
I call this our spiritual side and there is a battle between our fleshly sinful natures and our spiritual nature. This is when we see the evil side to us that can do all sorts of depraved and horrible things that go beyond a mere animal with instincts. We are drawn into the temptation of sin which can take over and control us. We are driven by things like greed, power, lust, envy and pride.
None of that is inconsistent with evolution. Evolutionary drives can produce co-operative behaviors, but evolution is also ultimately a competition. The monkey has to get along with the other monkeys to survive, but the monkey also has to be better than the other monkeys to ensure his genetic future. Individual against individual, and further out tribe against tribe, because there's only so many resources. Come together to keep the kids safe from tigers. Fight like hell for the best mates. Cooperation and competition. These impulses are not in contradiction, they are in conflict.
Humans, being mentally complex, can take behaviors to a great extreme. We have both good and evil impulses. These natural impulses, taken to the extreme, can produce both wondrous or horrible results.
We can only tame our sinful nature through God when we accept Jesus and are transformed.
The bible describes this as our flesh which is carnal and seeks the sinful things and our spirit which is Godly and will seek God.
Humans observed something about human nature and tried to explain it. No one knew any better, so it probably seemed very impressive at the time.
We can all do good as its in our natures. Thats because we were made in Gods image. But we allowed sin to enter our world. So now we have this battle.
Natural impulses to co-operate with others. Nature impulses to be selfish and compete to get ahead of others. Its sunk deep into our collective unconscious, where the monkey lives. We need the other monkeys around but there can only be so many winners. But humans can recognize this, and rise above it.
The context I'm using it in is where we stand by and allow millions to die of starvation while we throw awy tons of excess food and waste. We could allow everyone to eat and be fairly comfortable. But it means we would have to give up much of how we live in comfort. It would mean sacrificing our lives for others. So because people dont then its almost as though they are knowingly allowing millions to suffer and die.
It is hard to get the monkeys to care for much beyond their own tribe (family, neighborhood, city, country, class, race, etc.) More waste is caused by ignorance and apathy in general than outright directed malice.
You start saying 'we,' but claim that allowing God 'into your life' will solve these problems. You don't consider Christians to be contributors to some of this exploitation and suffering? Speaking for myself, I do not throw away food, and am not a theist. Will this only work if absolutely everyone allows God into their lives in a certain way? But it is not hard to imagine a way of life that solves all ills. If absolutely everyone had the exact morals that I do, there would be no war, domestic violence, murder, or racism either. This is true of a great many individuals.
I know that there will never be a time when all humans believe in the same religious idea, like God. All humans do, generally, prefer health over illness, well-being over ruin, happiness over misery. Knowledge and understanding of what we collectively desire can still bring people together to strive for good, regardless of their religious beliefs, which are often divisive. No doubt there are some muslims and other groups claim everything would be wine and roses if only they could get everyone to be a muslim, or whatever.
Anyway, we've gotten a bit off track, but my point has been made and still stands - people do strive for good without God, and don't need God to strive for good, even if there are those who do not, for whatever reason.
