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Entry: What's So Scary About Evolution?--For Both Left and Right, a Lot Link: http://www.takimag.com/site/article/whats_so_scarry_about_evolution#27013 Post contents: Your "Abrahamic" classification does not agree with late medieval and early modern Christianity. The common view then was that humans were created good, but the fall drastically changed human nature. The essense of this change (original sin) was that the "beast in man", i.e., animal-like part of human nature, broke out from under reason and took control of behavior. Christianity's task was to repair the damage of original sin by returning the rational, virtuous part of the mind back to its original, "created" dominant position. When successful, this repair ("touch of grace") manifested itself as an easily observable, thorough change in personality. Using your scale, the Christian position can be seen as a combination of Darwinian and Boasian views: there was an animal-like part to fallen human nature, but with sufficiently effective methods that animal could be overcome. I.e., human nature was thought to be totally malleable. Indeed, changing human nature used to be Christianity's central task. Sent at: 2008 12 01