Kristof on "God and Evolution"

Nicholas Kristof's op-ed in today's New York Times, "God and Evolution," considers the possibility that "our DNA may predispose humans toward religious faith. "  "Granted," he continues, "that's not very encouraging news for the secular left. Imagine if many of us are hard-wired to be religious. Imagine if, as a cosmic joke, humans have gradually evolved to leave many of us doubting evolution."  After setting out the debate, he concludes:

Of course, none of that answers the question of whether God exists. The faithful can believe that God wired us to appreciate divinity. And atheists can argue that God may simply be a figment of our VMAT2 gene.

But what the research does suggest is that postindustrial society will not easily leave religion behind. Faith may be quiescent in many circles these days, or directed toward meditation or yoga, but it is not something that humans can easily cast off.

A propensity to faith in some form appears to be embedded within us as a profound part of human existence, as inextricable and perhaps inexplicable as the way we love and laugh.

Many times, on this blog, it has been suggested that one of the key components of a "Catholic Legal Theory" would be a "moral anthropology" that emphasized human dignity, dependence, and creature-hood more than autonomy.  It does not surprise me to learn that "a propensity to faith in some form appears to be embedded within us" -- as Augustine recognized, "You have made us for Yourself, and our hearts are restless until they rest in You."  And, even conceding Kristof's cautionary statements about drawing unwarranted conclucions from this "propensity," it does seem reasonable to say that laws and structures whose premises, aims, or effects are in fundamental conflict with what Kristof calls our "hard wiring" will be, for that reason, more difficult to justify and -- in any event -- are unlikely to succeed or flourish.

Rick