If religion is so bad for humanity, why has the religion meme survived so long?

Question

I actually wish Richard Dawkins would attempt to answer, I agree he should stick to his knitting.

Answer 1

The meme theory is pseudo science and the idea that religion is bad for humanity is also an unfounded generalisation . I haven't really got the time to list all the charitable organisations and religious people who have moved society forward but here's a few Dr Barnados , The Salvation Army, Mother Theresa,Dr Martin Luther King JR, Mahatma Gandhi, Dalai Lama, Desmond Tutu, and lets not forget William Wilberforce as its the 200th anniversary of the British Abolition of Slavery. I think you have been reading Richard Dawkins i wish he would stick to zoology he is making a fool of himself .

Answer 2

You're making the mistaken assumption that religion exists for the good of humanity. It doesn't - it exists for its own good. The religion meme adapts to fit the environment, which in this case is the "belief-space" of human beings.

In a way, it's similar to a parasite. Of course it does offer some benefits (notably community-building) for its hosts, but it does not persist out of providing good to humans.

A persistent religion arising today would probably feature a miracle-working young person, ala Star Wars, Harry Potter, and all of those other fantasy movies. The "we're fighting the evil empire" theme works well too, which makes me suspect that Apple computers may be a proto-religion.

Answer 3

Because religion attempts to answer the three big questions that some people seem to have problems acceting that there are not any answers to.

Where did I come from?

Why am I here?

Where am I going? (after death)

Because people get weak, can't deal with the fact that there are not any answers to these questions we have religion! Ta Da!

We are very highly evolved primates. But yet, with all this religion we continue to kill and hurt each other. Sometimes I wish we had never evolved.......

Some people NEED religion some don't.

That's my take on it.

Answer 4

Good question! If religion was truly harmful, then people would have quit using it long ago! Therefore there must be some benefit to being religious, or else the thousands of generations of people before us would not have been religious! I guess that Richard Dawkins was wrong about religion being bad for you after all.

Answer 5

Good question, but there's a very simple answer.

It's human nature to be scared of the unknown. We don't know why we are here, we don't know what happens when we leave here, we don't know how we got here.

Religion has "answered" all those questions. I'm not religious, but for those who are, I guess it is some form of "comfort" thinking they know all the answers to these questions.

They feel safe thinking they will be going to a better place.. they feel safe thinking someone will protect them in the dark world we live in, they feel safe knowing how and why we are here.

Doesn't make it true however, just what some chose to believe to be able to sleep better at night.

Answer 6

Being gullible has evolutionary value. Children who are skeptical when their parents tell them not to play with the pretty crocodile tend to get eaten.

Answer 7

Not all religions are bad for humanity. There are only a few that, while preaching love, seem determined to destroy the world. Unfortunately the 'major' two are among them.

Answer 8

Because it offers people the prospect of hope and comfort in this bleak world of uncertainty that we live in-it's still clinging to a delusion though.

Answer 9

Herpes isn't exactly good either, but it's been around longer than religion.

Answer 10

religion is complete code of life if u find the wright