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Based on evolutionary logic, if man has created religion and it has been adopted by the vast majority of the population of the world, it must be an evolutionary advantage to be religious. Religious people have reproduced more and have clearly beat out those ancient non-religious people.
Christianity is the worlds largest and for this reason, "fittest" religion. Therefore it is most evolutionarily advantageous to become a christian. Based on this atheists who read this should convert to Christianity. If you don't, your genetic characteristics will not continue and you will be beaten out by us crazy religious people!
One thing is certainly true, religions are tribal things, each tribe normally has it's own religion which bonds the tribe at times of war, they all sing from the same song sheet to fight against a Satan led religion, the first thing they are taught is that their religion is right and all others are wrong, hardly a good evolutionary thing to do I would think, killing others because they were taught a different religion to them, but that was all in the dark ages they've moved a long way forward since then, they know better now, don't they.
... killing others because they were taught a different religion to them, but that was all in the dark ages they've moved a long way forward since then, they know better now, don't they.
Not really. They just use different methods now. Such as homemade rockets (Gaza) or legal ordinances to force people to do what they want (America).
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Based on evolutionary logic, if man has created religion and it has been adopted by the vast majority of the population of the world, it must be an evolutionary advantage to be religious. Religious people have reproduced more and have clearly beat out those ancient non-religious people.
Ummm, which ancient non-religious people are you referring to? TTBOMK, all ancient people were religious people.
Christianity is the worlds largest and for this reason, "fittest" religion.
O RLY? Google "multiple adaptive peaks" and tell me what you learn.
Therefore it is most evolutionarily advantageous to become a christian. Based on this atheists who read this should convert to Christianity. If you don't, your genetic characteristics will not continue and you will be beaten out by us crazy religious people!
I think if you took a broader view of biological evolution, you wouldn't want it applied to your religion; species have a storied history of having a certain tenure, and then going extinct...
That said, fun thread, you crrrrrazy religious person, you...
Religious belief in and of itself does not confer any inherent benefits
Depends on what you mean by benefit. If by beneficial one means 'to increase the allelle frequencies' of the various traits that makes people prone to be religious, then that's pretty much what religion has resulted in throughout written history via invasion, war, genocide, murder, conversion. "Convert or die" basically ensures increased allele frequencies of all these traits that make up religious proneness.
Originally Posted by ragarth
, but such things as anthropomorphication, causal thinking, tribalism, and symbolic reasoning all have historical survival advantages, and they each contribute to religious thought.
I agree. But I think that religion is both a by-product of traits that themselves are beneficial, but the emergent trait that is religion is also in itself beneficial.
Haven't put that much thought into it though, so I'm curious what others think.
"Convert or die" basically ensures increased allele frequencies of all these traits that make up religious proneness.
You can convert for a number of other reasons besides sincere belief IMO the trait "convert or die" really selects against is stubborn pride, not lack of religious proneness.
ETA: especially if you consider that a major reason for not converting is sincere belief in another religion.
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Originally Posted by plindboe
Depends on what you mean by benefit. If by beneficial one means 'to increase the allelle frequencies' of the various traits that makes people prone to be religious, then that's pretty much what religion has resulted in throughout written history via invasion, war, genocide, murder, conversion. "Convert or die" basically ensures increased allele frequencies of all these traits that make up religious proneness.
I agree. But I think that religion is both a by-product of traits that themselves are beneficial, but the emergent trait that is religion is also in itself beneficial.
Haven't put that much thought into it though, so I'm curious what others think.
Peter
Aggression and Expansionism are not traits tied to religious belief since they can exist equally well without religious belief. Since the traits are not linked, the advantageous qualities of aggression and expansionism do not equate to an inherent advantage to religion. This would be like saying that because both apples and oranges are fruits, an apple must taste good because oranges taste good. Aggression/Expansionism and religion can appear linked since religion is a byproduct of other useful traits and is therefore carried on their backs to dominance and aggression/expansionism, being directly beneficial, acquires dominance as well.
Based on evolutionary logic, if man has created religion and it has been adopted by the vast majority of the population of the world, it must be an evolutionary advantage to be religious. Religious people have reproduced more and have clearly beat out those ancient non-religious people.
nah it has very little to do with reproduction and more to do with people finding christianity much easier to live by than the older religions.
women and slaves liked christianity because on some level they were equal to men and their own masters.
men liked it because the old religions were harsher in some ways than christianity, also people who joined after commiting a crime according to priests would be forgiven in the next life, if not the one now.
plus a lot of the time the leaders of a country found a great way to keep power, since they would learn that god put them in place(divine right)
so they would use the power they have in armies to force conversion on their people.
Christianity is the worlds largest and for this reason, "fittest" religion. Therefore it is most evolutionarily advantageous to become a christian. Based on this atheists who read this should convert to Christianity. If you don't, your genetic characteristics will not continue and you will be beaten out by us crazy religious people!
i know this is a joke post but...
does that mean islam is going to win? should i convert to islam now and beat the lines? islam is growing faster than christianity, in fact christianity is shrinking.
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IMO the trait "convert or die" really selects against is stubborn pride, not lack of religious proneness.
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