A researcher has a theory as to why Western Civilization advanced so quickly since the time of Christ. He claims the Church Fathers came out with a rule forbidding marriage between first cousins. Now up to that time this had been common in families, but that rule changed the course of Western evolution. There was now more random blood in family bloodlines.
He says Western people became what is described by the acronym WEIRD:
W estern
E ducated
I ndustrial
R ich
D emocratic
Well, that supports my contention that Christianity made the difference. Or better said, the Holy Spirit. By the way, the proponent of this new theory is Joseph Henrich, and his book, the Weirdest People in the World.
Civilization 