the evolving mind

The kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. (Matthew 25:1)

Sex is more than “the act.” Intercourse precedes and will lead to sexual reproduction. When examining human sexual behavior and religious morality, it is the reproductive ramifications that count.

For example, why are virgin’s desirable? Well, because they are “untouched” by other men. Is this considered good because other men will make them dirty? Is it all about germs? No. Maybe slightly. But the primary issue that virgins are desirable is procreative reasons. A male who marries a virgin will not raise some other male’s child.

Though some claim that all children are equal in the eyes of a god, genetic ties are important. Studies have shown that individuals will behave much more altruistically, for example, when the subject needing assistance is a close blood relative. Is it the blood that counts? It’s the DNA, silly.

As mentioned in previous “alpha” posts, step-fathers are much, much more likely to kill “their” children than are biological fathers. Chimps are no different. In fact, in the wild and in captivity the leading cause of death is infanticide. (32)

In a 1998 issue of Journal of Family Violence you will find an article by this title: “Infant Homicide: Victim/Offender Relationship and Causes of Death.” And what relationship stands out? It is not social distance that makes infanticide more likely, but genetic distance. A woman’s second husband or boyfriend is much more likely to kill a child by a first husband (33), even if the first husband has been rejected and spurned.

Traditionally, “uppity women” have been a threat to men. My guess is this is due not just to a threatened power structure, but to something . . . deeper. In a study on mate-selection in our kind, researchers found that males tend to prefer subordinate partners for long-term (potentially high investment) relationships. For sexual flings, there was no such tendency. The authors of the study explain: “…pressures associated with the threat of paternal uncertainty shaped a male mate preference.” (34)

Put in relatively vulgar terms, a male’s genetic mandate is this: For short term flings and a shot at planting your seed without commitment, anything goes. For a long-term relationship, choose a well-behave woman, for you do not want to nurture the fruit of another man.

So base. And yet we find these same genetic mandates in “sacred” texts such as the Bible.

The girl was very beautiful, a virgin; no man had ever lain with her. (Genesis 24:16)

I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, and marries another woman commits adultery.” (Matthew 19:9)

As a lad “brought up” Catholic I attended services that regularly included a prayer to “mother Mary.” On cue, the congregation said these important words: “blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.” Wombs are valued, are bless-worthy and, in a sense, sacred, because of what they can do. They produce the fruit of the next generation. Our fruit.

In a gorilla colony, when the reigning silverback dies the stress levels of mothers with young infants rises. Without a silverback to protect his very own fruit, many if not most are killed. (35) Among human animals, un-attached mothers are looked upon with scorn. Why? The sentiment seems innate. Even Bible writers knew the theme would pull on the strings of readers.

This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. (Matthew 1:18-19)

A public disgrace for single motherhood? Why? And is it just to the male mind?

I think a lot of this boils down to how our kind has developed social instincts that include “cheater detection.” And there are many ways to cheat. How can you have a stable society without trust? And so we value true relationships, true behavior, and true words. The unattached are viewed as dangerous; it is the consequences to relationships that keep us in line. Or at least did.

Not just sexual cheating, but cheating in general is considered to be sinful. So do not steal. Do not covet a wife or possession, which could lead to stealing. And do not lie.

You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor. (Exodus 20:16)

A false witness who pours out lies and a man who stirs up dissension among brothers. (Proverbs 6:19)

A false witness will perish, and whoever listens to him will be destroyed forever. (Proverbs 21:28)

For societies sake, don’t cheat. Or else.

Recently a notable amount of research in the fields of psychology, sociology and economy (game theory in particular) has been conducted and published on “cheating” and “cheat detection” in humans. The following passage from a study published in Evolution and Human Behavior illustrates the importance of cheat-detection and its possible ties to hierarchy and status.

“Cheater detection plays a crucial role in biological and psychological theories of the evolution of cooperation and reciprocity. Here it is argued that cheater detection plays a broader role in social coordination as a fundamental, primitive cognitive adaptation to dominance hierarchies. . . . An implication of this analysis is that higher-ranking individuals should be more likely to detect cheating in lower-ranking individuals than vice versa. Two experiments are described that support this prediction. In the first experiment, people were far more likely to look for cheaters when monitoring compliance of lower-ranking individuals on a social norm reasoning task….More cheater detection was observed when reasoners adopted a high-ranking than a low-ranking perspective.” (36)

Relationships are important, so don’t deceive others. Perhaps the sexual relationship is the most important to any animal. And thus the focus on sex and offspring in the Bible and other so-called sacred texts. And who better to monitor the sexual lives of people than an all-knowing, all-might, invisible alpha?

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(32) de Waal, F. Our Inner Ape: A Leading Primatologist Explains Why We Are Who We Are, New York, Riverhead Books, 2005, 27
(33) Smithey, M., “Infant Homicide: Victim/Offender Relationship and Causes of Death,” Journal of Family Violence, Volume 13, Number 3 / September, 1998
(34) Brown, S. L. & Lewis, B.P. “Relational Dominance and Mate-Selection Criteria: Evidence that Males Attend to Female Dominance,” Evolution and Human Behavior, Volume 25, Issue 6, November 2004, 406-415.
(35) Wrangham, R. & Peterson, D. Demonic Males: Apes and the Origins of Human Violence, Houghton Mifflin, NY, 1996, p. 148
(36) Cummins, D. D. “Cheater Detection is Modified by Social Rank: The Impact of Dominance of the Evolution of Cognitive Functions,” Evolution and Human Behavior, Volume 20, Issue 4, July 1999, 220-248.

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