Social Evolution Is Happening, Like it Or Not

Let me start this by admitting that I had a rather religious upbringing. I dived into it really young and by the age of 3 had the desire to become a Christian minister. I maintained that goal until my late teens. Even if I considered other careers, I intended to be a minister as well. I did not see the ministry as being exclusive.

Religion was my own security blanket, I could say. Yet it did not provide answers that I sought, so I left Christianity behind. I did still study philosophy and other religions extensively for years.

I will also admit that my religion held me back in some ways. Not nearly as many as some people because I could never accept the concept of not asking questions, as Christianity mandates.

In addition, I grew up in Texas and come from a family of veterans running in an unbroken line for centuries. So I had no shortage of Conservative views in my repertoire. Never a right-winger, though.

So, when I speak of personal evolution and the challenges involved, I do not come from a perspective of someone has never personally experienced those challenges in a direct manner. I have known the ethical and social dissonance, fear of rejection, and general doubt that comes from radical change to your entire world view.

People have strange views of evolution. Even Christians have to realize that we have evolved as a society over centuries and millennia. We find it unacceptable to nail people to crosses, burn them at stakes…