Simple question for Christians.

[robvalue]

King: I think you are over-complicating the issue.

Step back and look at our species objectively. Within the environments we found ourselves in, cooperation led to better survival than ignoring the needs of others. So any slight mutations which made people inherently value others, for whatever reason, were promoted. As time went on, this process continues. Eventually nature "perfects" us, as much as it can, for our environment. We have people who, for whatever reason, care about each other. As the potential for more conscious and rational thought increased, personal justifications would appear. But really, these are secondary rationalisations. We just are that way. It feels good to be that way, it feels bad not to be, because that's how we've evolved.

Now we can control our environment much more and make more far reaching choices, and survival isn't an obstacle. We can stop and debate morality at a much finer level. But we're still a product of those more primitive creatures, who cooperated. It's part of our programming. On the whole, of course. There will still be much variation.

To try and examine it on a personal level is problematic, and yes, it can be seen as ultimately selfish simply because it feels good to help and feels bad to hurt. But that's how we are. It's a different kind of "selfish" that helps everyone. We can now move beyond this and discuss things that never would have occurred to our previous selves. Society is so very different to then.

I'm no expert on evolution so if anyone wants to explain it better than me, feel free