ABSTRACT
In the environment in which mankind evolved and in which the blueprint of our psychology was established, threats to life, death, and bereavement occurred frequently, and we evolved an entire nervous system, the autonomic system, to enable us to cope with them. If the spirit or essence of God is to be found in the meanings that we find in life, it is inextricably bound up with issues of life and death. Science may not tell us much about what lies beyond this life, but it can tell us something if we are prepared to go back to first principles. Evolution is a process of differentiation. A group of molecules aggregate together in the primordial sea; The outside is different from the inside and has to be kept out. The preservation of all that is sacred, just, beautiful, and/or worthy of respect is a reasonable aim and likely to reflect the spirit of God.
