Confused yet? :-p

As I see it, the only inevitable aspect of natural evolution is a move toward balance, and since human culture exists in reality, it is part of the process of natural evolution. There is a truism in science--nature seeks stasis. In other words, it moves toward balance. A ball will not rest on an incline (say, a hill)--it will roll until it reaches a place where it can no longer roll, a level field, if you will.

Not, confused, but i disagree! In a fun way though, as i am enjoying the discussion.

Nature left to itself (without man's interference) might look in balance, but it's natural progression is to chaos and disorder. To quote from the reviews of a favourite nature management book of mine (given to me by a teacher when i finished highschool): "For over a hundred years nature-lovers held fast to the belief that preserving the wild means keeping people out. But as Stephen Budiansky dramatically demonstrates in Nature's Keeper's, nature is much more chaotic and chancier than those who believe in the 'balance of nature' would have us think.

Furthermore: "Rather than instrusion that upsets nature's timeless balance and equilibrium, disturbance is a necessity for much of life on the planet.... Disturbance occurs across all scales of time and space."

It may take hundreds, or even millions, of years, but it is inevitable . . . unless there is interference from without. I suppose you could argue that while natural disasters upset the balance of things temporarily, they don't affect the outcome of some final predestined final state. But there are too many factors and possibilites to consider. Who/what could be directing them to an end state? Will all the people on the planet, suddenly adopt one way of living? And they will suddenly learn how to live without destroying the world they need to survive on? Do you think that we haven't yet learnt how to do that? That men do not yet know the 'right way to live' that works for everybody, but oneday we will? Human beings have all that knowledge within them right now, why do we have to wait for more knowledge, and go on thinking we are just inherently wrong...

there is also a near infinite number of cultural paradigms that are being created and destroyed in the different realities in which we exist, meaning it is not unreasonable to assume that there is at least one (but probably many) realities wherein youths have obtained their rights and adult-child sex is not only legal but a cultural norm.
You are talking about the present, and cultures that come and go. What about cultures that exist, right now, and these are the norms? What about cultures in the past? Is the culture of western society so overpowering, we don't even notice the others.. History is always viewed from our current point of view. I don't think that we have always put so many limitations on the children until now. (in the current 'civilized world').

Let's imagine you have this perfect image of how you want your dream house to be. Does the natural balance of things mean it's going to materialise because it was predestined to happen, just because you wanted it to? Assuming you do get it, will it stay in perfect balance? ie neat and tidy, or will it approach some predestined state of disorder, where the place falls in to disrepair, because nature's tendency is to chaos..

But, the culture seeks balance, meaning peace, a lack of conflict. Yes, hate can be deep-rooted, and it's very painful to uproot long-held convictions, so you have backlashes against it. But make no mistake--we are undergoing a paradigm shift as we speak, and that's what I mean by the inevitable evolution of the culture.

Well i keep comparing things to nature, afterall we are a natural creation.. People/nature aren't naturally kind, or evil, or anything in between. The natural state of things is indifference. Do you think that storm that just flattened your dream house had an evil intent? It was indifferent to your feelings... I don't see how a culture can be based on values that assume that if you let people love eachother how they want, they will naturally be kind and the society will be successful. It has to be more complicated that. It's more likely to be a combination of removing prohibitions on how people can love eachother. When did making rules guarantee behaviours were controlled anyway? There must be a better way of reinforcing behaviour in people that is for the good of all.

Run out of ideas for the present..
:-)
^m^