Both are important in evolutionary theory as it is not "survival of the fittest" but the ability to pass on one's genes that is important. And, care of infants, children, and even grandchildren is a critical part of that.
That is where altruism and compassion come in: a grandmother can help her genes to be passed for additional generations on by helping care for her grandchildren, while a grandfather in a primitive society was a valuable store of information aiding the entire tribe.
Too any anti-evolutionists see "survival of the fittest" and probably deliberately misinterpret that phrase (never a part of Darwin's writings in the first place) in an attempt to damage the theory they hate so much.
Chuck Colson seems to be among those.
Doesn't explain the billions of times one human has risked his life for another who is a stranger. Not even the instinct to help can be explained by evolution, because in the days of the caveman saving a stranger might help a tribe that was going to wipe you, your kids, your grandpa and your genetic material off the face of the Earth.
“That is where altruism and compassion come in: a grandmother can help her genes to be passed for additional generations on by helping care for her grandchildren, while a grandfather in a primitive society was a valuable store of information aiding the entire tribe”
That doesn’t explain the altruism shown towards Downs type afflicted genetically damaged children who obviously aren’t going to be passing their genes on. The evolutionary process you so worship should have built into our instinctual awareness to recognize such damaged children and put them to death the instant they are born. We should have no guilt in doing this as it is the evolutionary way.
Have a low income status and unable to feed all our young? Evolutionary honed instincts should just kick in and we should just kill the weakest and useless of our young ones in order that the greatest number should survive. Other species do this without guilt, why should we not do the same?
Yes lets just drink the Evolution Kool-aid so that we can suffer its spiritual numbing cyanide ....lets “Eat, Drink, and be Merry, for tomorrow we die”. Lets give in to social Darwinism and live as Rome once again, Death to Pity and Sentimental Altruism and throw your unwanted children into the Pontine Marshes or leave them exposed...and for our first Ceasar..Hail Coyoteman!