Is the need for Religion an EVOLUTIONARY instinct?

Answer 1

Indirectly.

We have imagination, which is innate. We also hate not having an answer for something. We tend to accept made up answers over no answer. This probably had a survival benefit, in that it allowed us to carry on without worrying about things we couldn't figure out. We also tend to anthropomorphize things.

Also, we tend to be emotional animals and religion feeds off of being able to manipulate emotions. You'll notice that almost all of their arguments for religion are basically appeals to emotion. So, our emotional instincts make us vulnerable to religion and other superstitions.

We also have a group instinct that contributes to our tendency to form groups. We bond with those in the group, and have enmity towards those outside the group. This also helps religions build on themselves.

Lastly, even though are mind is not dualistic, the experience of it seems dualistic. The mind is a process that runs on the brain. However, in our experience of thinking, we tend to think of our thinking as something separate. You don't feel your brain thinking. So, this makes it easy for us to imagine it being separate, and even existing after we're dead.

There are also other human characteristics that tend to lead us to form religions and other superstitions.

Answer 2

"Nondescript" has it right, but some explanation can help.

Religion itself isn't an evolutionary instinct. But the means by which religion spreads certainly is.

Humans are successful because, in part, they can communicate verbally. This is amazingly useful at passing on warnings of danger. Think how many other species have to find out by trial-and-error, every single generation, that certain plants or animals are poisonous or dangerous and will kill you. Humans, on the other hand, just have to *tell* their children about the danger. Knowledge is passed down each generation.

So it is evolutionarily successful for children to believe everything their parents tell them, without question or test. After all, if you *tried* eating the berries to see if Dad was right, then you're still dead and therefore evolutionarily unsuccessful.

So, once a religion starts and parents pass it on to their children, the children are defenceless. They cannot identify the religious stories as fantasy or delusion. Instead, the automatically believe it and pass it on to *their* children. And so on.

Answer 3

I doubt it, as all our species would show the need to believe in a religion. Religion fills a void of knowledge. Religion came about as polytheistic to explain natural weather phenomena which stunned early man.

The two main ways religion spread are through violence and the indoctrination of children. Especially with the indoctrination of children, it is a highly psychological process, and most never grow out of it. It's hardly an evolutionary instinct though.

Answer 4

I'd call it natural curiosity rather than a need for religion.

Religion doesn't enter the picture until somebody, (like a dang fool,) begins spouting off explanations of the unknown that are clearly right out of the blue, and only after lie upon lie has been added as patches to prop up the first lie, will you finally have the basis for a religion.

Those who escape the nonsense but remain just a curious for truth as when they first encountered the unknown, will, of course, seek a different path and that path would be the rudiments of logic and reason and eventually science.

So whats naturally passed on through evolution...? I'd say curiosity before instinct has the game in the bag, hands down.

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Answer 5

I think so Pjerry. During millions of years survival was extremely hard. I think just about anything that could make someone of the human species survive was very much needed.

If already the peace of mind that thunder and rain and earthquakes had a MEANING.

I think the acceptance of existing not having any meaning, takes a too strong a character - many people would simply get depressed or loose a will to achieve anything.

Answer 6

Religion is intrinsically in all humans due to the highly-evolved higher brain functions that enable us to have imagination. It is the same higher brain functions that also give us the logic needed to break free from this mental "virus".

Answer 7

No I don't think so.
I believe that God created us with a desire for RELATIONSHIP with Him. This relationship was lost when Adam and Eve sinned and spiritually died. Through Jesus we can regain this relationship again, that's what He came to earth for. He came to remove the sin problem, which then allows us to enter God's presence again and become His children.

Answer 8

How do you mean exactly? Are you saying that believers have adopted religion because in some subconscious way they think it will prolong their genetic bloodlines?

Personally I don't think so, I think it's just an aberration.

Answer 9

yes it is.
humans have evolved to think of events as the result of someone elses intentions.
we live in bigger societies than any other primate. apparantely the most efficient is about 150 people. for this to work, we must have a very well developed sense of intentionality, of very high levels, god is just one level higher.

http://www.abc.net.au/rn/science/ss/stories/s975524.htm

Answer 10

No, when you learn to think, you start to ask how did i get here, and you start to invent explanations which you teach to your kids who believe what their parents tell them, and pretty soon the whole population believes the explanations invented by the first parents who asked how did i get here.