That argument is even more convincing when you consider that large segments of populations were decimated by plague and pestilence over that very period. Natural selection would have strongly favored people who believed in God or who, at the very least, were conscientious in obeying religious doctrine that served to protect their health. Most important, it would have favored the survival of people with a punitive streak—that is, those prone to stiffly penalize anyone who broke society’s rules.
