RE: What is the function of religion?
May 14, 2014 at 9:35 am
(This post was last modified: May 14, 2014 at 9:39 am by Confused Ape.)
In the documentary God On The Brain, Richard Dawkins said this -
The documentary ends with -
Shamanism is an interesting belief system in this respect.
Shamanism - Hypotheses on origins
The kind of brain which manifested a belief in shamanism under the right circumstances might have been very been very useful back in the dim and distant past. Organised religion, today, however, doesn't appear to be very useful.
People are leaving organised religion in droves but this doesn't mean all of these people have become atheists. Many have adopted a Neo-Pagan belief system or opted for Quantum Mysticism.
Quote:DAWKINS: If you ask the question 'what's the survival value of religious belief?' it could be that you're asking the wrong question. What you should be doing is asking what's the survival value of the kind of brain which manifests itself as religious belief under the right circumstances.
The documentary ends with -
Quote:NARRATOR: What is beyond doubt is that the origins of religion are even more complex than had been thought. The science of neurotheology has revealed that it is too simplistic to see religion as either spiritually inspired or the result of social conditioning. What it shows is that for some reason our brains have developed specific structures that help us believe in god. Remarkably it seems whether god exists or not, the way our brains have developed, we will go on believing.
DAWKINS: The human religious impulse does seem very difficult to wipe out, which causes me a certain amount of grief. Clearly religion has extreme tenacity.
NEWBERG: Because the brain seems to be designed the way it is, and because religion and spirituality seem to be built so well into that kind of function, the concepts of god and religion are going to be around for a very, very long time.
Shamanism is an interesting belief system in this respect.
Shamanism - Hypotheses on origins
Quote:Shamanic practices may originate as early as the Paleolithic, predating all organized religions,[84][85] and certainly as early as the Neolithic period.[85] Early anthropologist studies theorise that shamanism developed as a magic practice to ensure a successful hunt or gathering of food. Evidence in caves and drawings on walls support indications that shamanism started during the Paleolithic era. One such picture featured a half-animal, with the face and legs of a man, with antlers and a tail of a stag.[86]
Archaeological evidence exists for Mesolithic shamanism. The oldest known Shaman grave in the world is located in the Czech Republic at Dolni Vestonice (National Geographic No 174 October 1988). This grave site was evidence of a female shaman.
In November 2008, researchers from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem announced the discovery of a 12,000-year-old site in Israel that is perceived as one of the earliest known shaman burials.
The kind of brain which manifested a belief in shamanism under the right circumstances might have been very been very useful back in the dim and distant past. Organised religion, today, however, doesn't appear to be very useful.
People are leaving organised religion in droves but this doesn't mean all of these people have become atheists. Many have adopted a Neo-Pagan belief system or opted for Quantum Mysticism.
Where are the snake and mushroom smilies?
