From Newsweek: Why Religious beliefs may not be innate. I often think that yes, the brain is somewhat hardwired for belief, however maybe not? Here is some evidence contrary to my predisposition: As we learn more about the brain we are discovering that the same circuitry to envision "what if" scenarios (about our pasts or futures) are what we use to imagine angels and demons - Gods. For example in addition to the habits of thought that lead us to see the supernatural in the natural - neuroimaging studies have suggested we come preloaded with the software for belief. For instance, the brain has a region, the parietal lobe, that detects where our body physically ends and the larger world begins. But this circuitry can be silenced by intense prayer or meditation, neuroscientist Andrew Newberg has found, producing a sense of oneness with the cosmos or God. Some people are more prone to feeling this sensation than others. However, a 2008 Pew survey found that the number of American non-believers has doubled since 1990! And increased even more in other advanced democracies. What's curious is not so much the overall decline of belief as the pattern. In a paper last month in the online journal Evolutionary Psychology, Gregory Paul finds that countries with the lowest rates of social dysfunction—based on 25 measures, including rates of homicide, abortion, teen pregnancy, sexually transmitted disease, unemployment, and poverty—have become the most secular. Those with the most dysfunction, such as Portugal and the U.S., are the most religious, as measured by self-professed belief, church attendance, habits of prayer, and the like. Here's the interesting part: More interesting is the fact that if social progress can snuff out religious belief in millions of people, as Paul notes, then one must question "the idea that religiosity and belief in the supernatural is the default mode of the brain," he told me. As he wrote in his new paper, "The ease with which large populations abandon serious theism when conditions are sufficiently benign . . . refute hypotheses that religious belief and practice are the normal, deeply set human mental state." He posits that, rather than being wired into the brain, religion is a way to cope with stress in a dysfunctional society—the opium-of-the-people argument. If you interested the link is at the top of the page. Cheers, Michael NOTE: It does make one wonder (as posited in the article): Does religiosity lead to social dysfunction? If YES then what? Is it possible that many of the problems in the poorest countries are a direct result of their being so religious? A vicious cycle?
That certainly explains why most people follow religion except for the few outliers who self select themselves against reproduction
Low rates of social dysfunction may indeed select against having 25 kids all praising god and living in a mud hut. Sure, that is true. There is evidence that in developed economies tax incentives can and do GREATLY increase birthrates.
Except for that little bump called history, which shows that such societies [areligious ones, not ones with economic tax incentives] nearly always implode and either revert or give way to religious ones.
Oh, well then, SAM, stop bitching about the US invasion of Iraq. It's history - accept it. That's the way it's always been so that's the way it will always be. At least till the oils been sucked out of the gount. Oh, and stop whining about Palestine, you don't live there (and so according to you have no say in the matter) and hey, it's history, get used to it. You've made a common logical fallacy SAM. Because things have happened a certain way in the past they will continue to happen in this same way in the future. That's just not true. But the sad thing is, you seem to WANT people to remain ignorant superstitious dolts? Why? Do you REALLY think worshipping Xenu or Allah is GOOD!?!? If so make the case. Sure, most of humanity for most of history have been poor backwards illiterate superstitious dolts. With no medicine, no electricity, no ability to communicate outside of their small little village of mud huts of course they believed in Gods! It seems that now, with a level of security and education they no longer need their security blanky. That's a good thing SAM. I have to say, I didn't think it was possible for the number of non-believers to DOUBLE in such a short period. But, this holds with my own experience. The 20-somethings just don't believe in the bs anymore. Interesting times.
So the evolutionary theory is not correct? Its baseless? Its not the least fit that become outliers? In the future they can be the majority?
Could it be that stability brings about security and security brings about secularism and secularism brings about tolerance - what does this say about dictators? Iraq under saddam was much more secular. Something to think about.
Yeah. it was, especially those who were gassed with chemical weapons. Which is not as bad as being almost caned, I admit, but its not nice either
What it suggests is that a security is paramount to achieving secularism. Ironic isn't it? Faith in Gods is sustained by social dysfunction and feeds on fear.
While secularism is feeding people into wood chip machines and throwing them into acid vats to enforce conformity. Hallelujah! And liberation is realising that those were really the good ole days.
Well... sustained by social dysfunction, sure... how many prisoners find God while incarcerated is an example maybe. Feeds on fear, yah, folks get upset by what they don't understand and tucking it into a box labeled "God did this" has proven effective as a coping mechanism. *personally hoping science and critical thinking replace need for religion* What I don't get is this: both science and religion are hard to understand; while studying and actually understanding the atom, for example, may be very difficult, religious dogma is equally hard to wrap your brain around. Are we in the (possibly, hopefully) transition stage between needing religion's simplistic set of assumptions and seeing scientific method as the better tool with greater explanatory power? (sorry for digressing, it's mid-coffee time and the OP catches my fancy)
I just feel that you are somehow confirming what i have been observing about people's need for a religion. I was commenting with my friends last night about your post, I wish I could have ever experienced that expansion the boundaries of my body into the cosmos as is described above. I just cannot sit still or meditate, I am too hyper for that, I doubt I will ever have that experience, but it would be interesting to have it.
Especially when they find out a letter from the prison chaplain helps with parole? Hmm how many do you think?
A tendency to bomb civilians is a sign of higher social functioning, especially if you don't care about the religion of the victims. Hence the most evolved societies today are the ones that were involved in such social functions as world war one and two, the holocaust, the cold war and are presently liberating people with advanced weapons technology like this girl in Afghanistan, burned with white phosphorus by the French http://inapcache.boston.com/universal/site_graphics/blogs/bigpicture/af1_07_17/a23_19453563.jpg Backward peoples with social dysfunction are those who defend themselves against these social occasions. e.g. these guys on horses http://inapcache.boston.com/universal/site_graphics/blogs/bigpicture/afghan_04_01/a33_18362993.jpg
I'm answering the OPs question: does religiosity lead to social dysfunction? Its pretty clear that the least religious societies today, e.g. France have the highest social functioning, e.g. that girl from a socially dysfunctional society whom they liberated. Clearly this shows the extremes of altruism in French society.
