Posted by Bob on November 7, 1999, at 14:40:06
In reply to God & depression etc...(Fascinating discussion!), posted by Carol on November 7, 1999, at 12:40:56
Hmmm ... if I said explicitly that our disorders were gifts, then yeah, diagree with that (I wrote that a little late at night for me). What I meant was something along the "two sides of the same coin" argument. A shifting of mental resources out of pot A and into pot B. Of course, there are exceptions -- extrememly low IQ folk who survive only through assisted living or high IQ folk who don't have some Achillies Heel.
As for evolution, it doesn't seem to have a plan for anything. Arguments for things like punctuated equilibrium aside, variation at the individual level is random enough to be purposeless. It's the law of the jungle that settles what is "purposeful" or not. Since our intelligence has lead us to a state where our society interupts the natural process and saves those who would be lost early on from the gene pool, it stands to reason that those individuals with maladaptive mutations who are fostered and protected by society may also have a range of other "mutations" that range from highly maladaptive to highly adaptive and ecologically advantageous. Perhaps some of those second mutations are possible only because of the first, maladaptive mutation.
Of course, this all brings up the shade of a rather ugly word (eugenics) and the consideration that if being made in the image of the Creator means our primary gift from God is the ability to create, what limits (if any) should be placed on our ability to create?
Hmmm...
Bob
poster:Bob
thread:14368
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/19991108/msgs/14745.html