Belief in the supernatural started when things happened which could not be explained, such as volcanoes erupting, floods, droughts, the sun rising etc. Without the science to explain these things, everything was assigned as a personal deity, so you had animism, the deification and worship of living and non-living things. Volcano gods, river gods, tree gods harvest gods etc etc. Eruptions, floods and plagues, when they occurred, might then have been blamed on angry gods. It gives people explanations for things they do not understand, making them feel less ignorant.
It is only in the last few thousand years that science (or its equivalent) has been able to shed increasing light on planetary movement, disease etc. But by then the culture of religious belief had alredy been set in place.
Not all atheists turn to god in times of despair. My father sent a priest away who was trying to administer last rites. I admired his convictions, if not his decision. Most might turn to religion if they are not necessarily atheists, but just uncertain, such as agnosticism. Or they are just looking for comfort from other people in times of need. I have several friends who are not religious (they are, in fact, atheists) but go to church with their spouses for the social aspects. I imagine they might take last rites, not for themselves, but to give comfort to their wives, to show that they will not be dying godless, as it were.
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2007-12-28 11:14:07
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answer #1
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answered by Labsci 7
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Here is a slightly different take on this from some of the other answers. There is some evidence of neotany (retention of child or baby-like attributes into adulthood) in humans. For instance, human head and face shapes remain more baby-like than do chimpanzee of gorilla heads and faces. Human bodies do not grow strong in comparison with the other great apes as they grow up. This may carry over into thought processes in needing a parent figure for guidance and thus a belief in a god or gods.
A true atheist does not turn to a non-existent god in times of despair. I am one of them and that is simply not an option no matter what (except maybe with some waterboard torture to have to falsely say there is a god without believing it).
2007-12-28 13:57:19
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answer #2
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answered by Joan H 6
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No, I think the vast majority of people need good leaders. But good leaders are rare, and con-artists always know a market for a racket when they see one. When troubles abound, and a good leader isn't around to show people the way to surmount their problems, then come the hucksters, peddling their myths, their faiths, as the remedy, "if only you will believe!" And, if it doesn't work, then you must not have believed hard enough. After a while, a particular religion becomes customary, and then ingrained habit and mob psychology make it all the more difficult to show people that their beliefs are sometimes wrong, as Galileo and Darwin could have told you.
2007-12-28 11:15:12
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answer #3
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answered by elohimself 4
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My theory is that from primitive times, man has needed to believe that there is something controlling the elements and hope for something beyond our lives. An afterlife. The need for prayers to be answered. Food. Rain. Health.
Even now, when things are out of our control, people turn to hope in a supreme being. People also knock on wood, cross their fingers, wish on a star and blow out birthday candles to make a wish.
The problem is, although (insert deity of your choice here) answers prayers, the answer is many times "No!"
Still, hope clings to life as a last leaf to a dying tree.
2007-12-28 10:59:13
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answer #4
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answered by LaVere B 4
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I do believe there is some biological need for comfort and a feeling of safety. For instance we experience comfort and safety as babies when we are with our mother. maybe our brain is hardwired (through some biochemical mechanism) to seek out the same comfort and safety even when we grow up, especially in times of stress. Since most of the problems we have as adults are not the simple ones that mommy can solve, we turn to a higher and more powerful 'mommy'-namely God. Maybe turning to God in times of trouble and praying releases the same molecules/hormones that give a feeling of security and happiness in the brain.
2007-12-28 11:16:02
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answer #5
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answered by abcd 3
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There has been some research that has uncovered evidence for a god-worship centre in the brain. Presumably this can be stimulated by hormones or certain brain activity.
I think that it is likely that God belief was invented by humans in our hunter-gatherer days in order to explain and rationalise unknowns. This idea could have been succesful because it would have allowed groups to 'bond' better and then hunt more effectively as a team. This 'meme' would then spread to other groups, and then be spread round the globe when we migrated out of Africa.
2007-12-28 10:57:19
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answer #6
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answered by mountainpenguin 4
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Ive heard this question before and someone recommended the book "The God Gene". I haven't read it myself but I think i could answer your question.
2007-12-28 11:04:11
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answer #7
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answered by Anonymous
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i dont think there is a biological need to believe in anything; rather, a psychological need to ATTRIBUTE whatever it is that happens to us, be it good or bad, to something that is not within our control.
when something is within our control and those things don't go our way we have no one to blame but ourselves--hence it is easier to ATTRIBUTE happenings to something else other than ourselves: why did my house burn down? god willed it because he is testing my character. why did i get fired from my job? it's karma because i fired someone else who didn't deserve to be fired...et cetera. and so forth.
2007-12-28 11:17:25
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answer #8
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answered by Extra Ordinary 6
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I believe that He created us thousands of years ago and put that need there. It only makes sense that we would have a need for God, since He is our creator.
2007-12-28 11:11:41
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answer #9
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answered by Megan 2
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