Comments on: The Micro-Evolutionary Force of Contraception http://www.tomsbigpicture.com/2006/11/14/the-micro-evolutionary-force-of-contraception/ A Discussion of Politics, Religion, Business, Science, Technology and Life - Comments Encouraged! Sat, 22 Nov 2008 12:09:47 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Tom’s Big Picture » Blog Archive » Atheists Look Into the Abyss http://www.tomsbigpicture.com/2006/11/14/the-micro-evolutionary-force-of-contraception/#comment-105 Tom’s Big Picture » Blog Archive » Atheists Look Into the Abyss Fri, 01 Dec 2006 23:26:47 +0000 http://www.tomsbigpicture.com/2006/11/14/the-micro-evolutionary-force-of-contraception/#comment-105 [...] Delicious irony: it seems that belief in the worldview dictated by macroevolution is itself evolutionarily disadvantageous, as only deeply religious people (and really stupid people) reproduce themselves at an above-replacement pace. [...] [...] Delicious irony: it seems that belief in the worldview dictated by macroevolution is itself evolutionarily disadvantageous, as only deeply religious people (and really stupid people) reproduce themselves at an above-replacement pace. [...]

]]> By: Tom http://www.tomsbigpicture.com/2006/11/14/the-micro-evolutionary-force-of-contraception/#comment-88 Tom Thu, 16 Nov 2006 20:44:46 +0000 http://www.tomsbigpicture.com/2006/11/14/the-micro-evolutionary-force-of-contraception/#comment-88 Lindsay, It won't take as long as you think. Family A consists of two materialistic individuals who don't like kids, yet they have one child in their 30's because it seemed like a good idea at the time. Let's say the child of Family A is also a materialistic child-disliker, and has one child as well. The parents of Family A have one descendent. Family B has four kids, and their four kids have four kids. Family B, starting from the same base, will have sixteen descendents in the third generation.  16:1 ratios change things very quickly on a historical scale.  This is basically what's happening in Israel and the Southwest.  Palestinian and Mexican women have high fertility rates, while Israeli women and Americans have low fertility rates.  Just as Texas was 95% Anglo at its founding and Israel was majority-Jewish at its founding, both founding peoples are being displaced by those with higher fertility rates.  Israel will soon be majority-Muslim and the founding people of Texas are a mere plurality now.  Obviously, there are more factors than these, but I think contraception is a pretty powerful (arguably revolutionary) micro-evolutionary event in the history of mankind. Abortion and contraception are probably self-limiting processes, as the individuals who practice them are self-selecting for partial extinction of potential descendents: http://home.nyc.rr.com/taranto/roeeffect.htm I am not making an argument against contraception, just stating what I believe to be unavoidable consequences. Our stake in the future is directly proportional to the number of descendents we leave behind. Just like investing, those who make short term investments in materialism are always outperformed by those who delay gratification to plan for the long haul. Lindsay,

It won’t take as long as you think. Family A consists of two materialistic individuals who don’t like kids, yet they have one child in their 30’s because it seemed like a good idea at the time. Let’s say the child of Family A is also a materialistic child-disliker, and has one child as well.

The parents of Family A have one descendent. Family B has four kids, and their four kids have four kids. Family B, starting from the same base, will have sixteen descendents in the third generation.  16:1 ratios change things very quickly on a historical scale.  This is basically what’s happening in Israel and the Southwest.  Palestinian and Mexican women have high fertility rates, while Israeli women and Americans have low fertility rates.  Just as Texas was 95% Anglo at its founding and Israel was majority-Jewish at its founding, both founding peoples are being displaced by those with higher fertility rates.  Israel will soon be majority-Muslim and the founding people of Texas are a mere plurality now. 

Obviously, there are more factors than these, but I think contraception is a pretty powerful (arguably revolutionary) micro-evolutionary event in the history of mankind.

Abortion and contraception are probably self-limiting processes, as the individuals who practice them are self-selecting for partial extinction of potential descendents:

http://home.nyc.rr.com/taranto/roeeffect.htm

I am not making an argument against contraception, just stating what I believe to be unavoidable consequences. Our stake in the future is directly proportional to the number of descendents we leave behind.

Just like investing, those who make short term investments in materialism are always outperformed by those who delay gratification to plan for the long haul.

]]> By: Lindsay http://www.tomsbigpicture.com/2006/11/14/the-micro-evolutionary-force-of-contraception/#comment-87 Lindsay Thu, 16 Nov 2006 17:52:46 +0000 http://www.tomsbigpicture.com/2006/11/14/the-micro-evolutionary-force-of-contraception/#comment-87 What an interesting hypothesis. Too bad we won't be around to "see" it proven or disproven, since it will take hundreds of years for this to play out. It does give an interesting viewpoint to the discussions about contraception. The only other factor I can see in the mix are people who don't dislike children but are persuaded by society, family, etc., that it is irresponsible to have a lot of children. They're having kids - one or two, tops - but not six, seven...Does this factor in at all? What an interesting hypothesis. Too bad we won’t be around to “see” it proven or disproven, since it will take hundreds of years for this to play out.

It does give an interesting viewpoint to the discussions about contraception. The only other factor I can see in the mix are people who don’t dislike children but are persuaded by society, family, etc., that it is irresponsible to have a lot of children. They’re having kids - one or two, tops - but not six, seven…Does this factor in at all?

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