If you are an atheist, how do you think religions started?

[jb_mcbean]

You know I actually think it was because of survival. People survived to the end of their calendar year, then had a big party to celebrate the fact that they survived. Then the next year came and they had another party, then it became tradition. Then perhaps one day some kid asks his dad, "Why do we have a party every year?" and his dad says: "Well son, we've always had a party at the end of the year and we've always had enough food to see us through to the next one." Then it's easy to see how this idea becomes a religion. Perhaps the fact that they have this party every year is what guarantees the next year will be ok, and so a self-imposed confidence trick is born.

[Q]

I think it was the result of newly formed governments attempting to implement some control over society.



~Q~

[Jokke]

A way to explain things we didn't understand.

[tornwarriorx]

i think it's a way to fill in what we can't understand, an escape from the fear of not knowing.

[DrGay]

~*~4 the luv of god and all his croatians~*~

[jb_mcbean]

quote:Originally posted by DrGay:

~*~4 the luv of god and all his croatians~*~

Lol. Not a big believer of the plight of the Serbs then?

[Obbe]

quote:Originally posted by Q:

I think it was the result of newly formed governments attempting to implement some control over society.



~Q~

Me too. But im still a theist. And my beliefs tend to tanggle with Tsarions.

[Sanity0verRated]

There are probably more reasons for the rise of Religion than anyone will ever know. Religion is an important aspect in the lives of most people, even if they are not a very dogmatic follower, because it gives them a sense of security. 'Knowing' they will live forever in paradise, is a tempting idea. It is human nature to want assurance, and an answer to all your questions. When something gives you that, no matter how absurd it may seem, it can still overwhelm you. Need more?

[Aft3r ImaGe]

I actually read something about how it evolved as a defense mechanism. I think it also started as a way to explain things. If you look at all the ancient cultures of the world they all had their own religious customs. Today religion lacks that diversity that it once had, because of the religious zealots who willingly spread mono-theism.

[fullcircle]

Long ago when most of our species lived as nomads, there seems to have been just naturalistic spiritual beliefs without any logical structure.

The organised religions as we know them began after sea level fell globally due to some geographical phenomenon or other, and water was no longer found throughout land masses, but instead became concentrated in smaller areas. This occured something like 9 or 10 thousand years ago.

It was directly responsible for the birth of civilisation. Because for the first time, mankind started to live in large numbers together, and remain continuously in that location instead of wandering around the plains like their nomadic ancestors.

The religious belief systems which suddenly emerged didn't come as a coincidence, they were performing a function. Religious beliefs give men a reason to work with each other towards a common greater goal, if they believe it's what their god wants. And religious beliefs give men a reason not to behave badly, if they believe their god will be angry and punish them for it.

Essentially, religious beliefs made a population more likely to perform well as an economy.

Societies without this new mutation would function poorly, and either disband or be conquered by a better functioning society.

It's an example of how mutation in memetics parallels mutation in genetics. Once the mutation of religious belief emerged, due to reasons which are in fact unimportant, those religious beliefs gave it's believers a better chance at surviving. Good mutations remain, bad mutations are rooted out by the environment, and the organisms who possess these beliefs will either perish or prosper according to the harsh system of survival of the fittest.

Without religion, functioning economies wouldn't have emerged, at least not as suddenly as they did.

Without economic structure, social stability wouldn't have emerged like it did.

And it just so happened that for a few thousand years religion was the best belief system for individuals to generate a highly productive economy.

Until a new mutation replaced it, when science took it's place.

Nowadays everybody seems to be either atheist, or at least a quasi-atheist.

But we have just as much faith in science as our ancestors had in religion.

Just sayin.