As usual, I am a little late to the party, but I just got some time to sit down and read a few threads.

I find LarryLaffer's suggestion interesting -but it is hard to see how child molesters, terrorists, criminals AND politicians provide usefulness to society.

I actually think that not all serve a useful purpose beyond, perhaps, forcing us to continue to evolve as humans.

I don't actually see us a components of a cell but as a group of cells trying to evolve into a higher organism. We are basically evolved primate groups. In nature primates, like baboons, live in complex hierarchies with a dominant individual and a social pecking order that frequently includes force, violence and abuse towards those lower down.

While this may work as a mechanism of social control when you have a troop composed of 10, 20 or even 50 individuals, humans now gather in the tens of thousands and millions. We have grown past our individual family and tribal roots. Not only do we now recognize the unfairness of abusing those with less status but we simply cannot maintain our societies on a pecking order system because we can't keep track of that many relationships in our brain.

So, we create laws, and explore philosophy and religion, seeking greater truth in an effort to know our place in the universe. The friction forces us to evolve and find new ways of living with each other.

I think that those individuals who abuse others, who commit violence against children, who attempt to oppress or put down those who are different -in faith, opinion, social status or whatever- are simply throwbacks, or unintegrated primates if you will. Our baser human instincts are probably part of that old troop pecking order.

We need to find a better way. For me, the way is Truth. Whether that truth comes from science, religion, philosophy or taco wrappers - it doesn't really matter. Truth is Truth.