sympathy
Explanation
This comic features a conversation between God and Evolution (depicted as a green, amorphous figure) about why Evolution created sympathy in humans. God points out that sympathy doesn't seem useful in a "tooth and claw" world. Evolution explains that humans aren't really "tooth and claw" creatures — they rely on cooperation — and that sympathy serves as a mental tool for modeling the behavior of others by vicariously experiencing their outlook. Evolution further explains that humans tell each other portions of their feelings, and sympathy is actually useful for lying, because if you can model someone's emotions, you can effectively deceive them and use that deception for personal gain.
The punchline is God asking "Why did you create Evolutionists?" — implying that people who study and understand evolution's ruthlessly pragmatic logic (like using sympathy as a tool for manipulation) are themselves unsettling. The joke plays on the irony that understanding the evolutionary basis of empathy reveals a darker, more cynical purpose behind what we consider a noble human trait.
The comic is a characteristic Weinersmith exploration of how evolutionary psychology can reframe seemingly positive human qualities in uncomfortably utilitarian terms.