Yes I
Just a brief response real quick... first, the theory that holds that present-day human populations around the world are descended from a small group of people who left Africa approx. 80,000 years ago (see www.howcomyoucom.com for further explication of it) is not the same as the Welsing theory of albino exiles. There is nothing in this theory that posits that whites or white-looking people were driven out of Africa, or persecuted in Africa, or that any of the original people who left Africa were white (I would think it highly unlikely that any of them were.) The 'mainstream' theory of 'out of africa' holds that it was later, after people dispersed into different areas, after many generations of living in different environments people began to adapt to said environments by evolving the differing physical characteristics that presently define "races".
So, according to the "mainstream" "out of africa" theory, there is no supposition that white people were driven out of Africa, or persecuted in Africa, in fact the supposition is more that there was no such thing as white people at the time and that the racial type called "white" came about later due to adaptations to environment, as did other racial types.
So within this theory there is nothing that white people could really use to say that they have been persecuted by black people in the past and hence are due recompense (which I think would be a ridiculous argument anyway, since the supposed event in question [persecution/exile of whites/albinos] supposedly happened many many thousands of years ago, and is not reflected by social conditions today, whereas persecution of black people at the hands of white supremacy has been happening in recent history, and continues to the present day.
Second, I never said I found the theory that whites are descended (or, presumably, partially descended) from neanderthals to be "unacceptable." As far as I know, it's quite possible. Certainly there is at least one concrete piece of evidence (albeit controversial) that points towards the possibility. (Alleged hybrid sapiens/neander bones found in Germany). Also I believe the gene for red hair has been proposed to be a neanderthal gene that got up in the mix. I don't have any problem with the idea. If Europeans are partly descended from neanderthals, then they are partly descended from neanderthals. If that means that I (50% celtic DNA, with a little splash of Chinese on that side too) am partly descended from neanderthals, then I'm partly descended from neanderthals. I can live with it.
I just don't particularly "believe" that to be the case until I see more evidence for it. I don't disbelieve it or find it unacceptable.
As to your question of the practical benefits and deficits to me of belief or disbelief: I suppose you could say that, being as I am so called "bi-racial" Black African/white Celtic, the idea that everyone is descended from Black Africans could be seen as (a) re-inforcing an illusion of oneness with whites, making me susceptible to joining hands with them and proclaiming 'One Love' to the rainbow nation as we sit in our yurts and fiberglass tipis reading Robert Roskind's latest opus and preparing for the upcoming Matisyahu/Phish reunion concert; and/or (b) re-inforcing the primacy of Black Africa in my identity. Or (c) neither of the above, but simply be a provisional belief that I hold about an interesting subject, until such time as I examine more evidence that leads me to think that something else is the MOST LIKELY (not 'true') explanation BASED ON THE EVIDENCE THAT I'VE SEEN AND UNDERSTAND. [Of course, the standards by which I evaluate evidence is another story again.]
The idea that Blacks and whites are fundamentally genetically different (more than blacks and blacks and whites and whites are genetically different within these diverse groups), and that whites are neanderthal descendants could be seen as (a) threatening my comfortable ideas that there is nothing fundamentally wrong with my parents' getting together and having me, since presumably sapiens and neanders shouldn't ever mix; and/or (b) making me tend to be contemptuous of the white side of my family tree, as they are nothing but a bunch of grunting ape-men; and/or (c) making me tend to kow-tow to whiteness more and perhaps even start boasting about my neanderthal heritage, since neanderthals' brains were apparently bigger than modern humans'. [Not necessarily indicating more intelligent - which brings up another mix of conflicting theories, in the relation-of-brain-size-to-intelligence debate.] Or (d) none of the above.
So there could be a variety of "benefits" and "deficits" to me (depending on your perspective) in "believing" in either one of those two scenarios.
I'm not consciously aware of choosing to "believe" the "out-of-africa" theory for any particular practical reason. Glancing at the evidence, it seemed like the theory that I'd heard about, that was best supported by the evidence I'd heard about (not physically examined, it is true- and I'm not trained to know what I'd be looking for if I was physically examining ancient bones.)
When I became aware of it (out of africa theory) though, and the evidence for it, it did seem to re-inforce certain ideas that I had already accepted or begun to accept - many ideas propagated through the Rastafari movemant, such as the primacy of Ethiopia-Africa, Black African people being the "head cornerstone", and so on.
So you could say that I might have had a tendency to embrace the theory based on the fact that it re-inforced certain of my beliefs, whilst also soothing any confusion about racial identity that may have been swimming around my head.
However, I don't think people "embracing" either of the theories under discussion, necessarily reflects any common thread in their characters or worldviews.
People could have a variety of different reasons for embracing either theory, including the reason that they simply think that the evidence that they have seen, supports their chosen theory more than it does the other.
Well that was not so brief I suppose - anyway I gots to run now but leh we continue to reason pon this if you want, I will be back to check the thread at least every other day or something... Blessed