Our server costs ~$56 per month to run. Please consider donating or becoming a Patron to help keep the site running. Help us gain new members by following us on Twitter and liking our page on Facebook!
Current time: December 19, 2024, 3:29 am

Thread Rating:
  • 0 Vote(s) - 0 Average
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
Evolutionary Theories of Religion
#37
RE: Evolutionary Theories of Religion
(August 4, 2015 at 1:41 am)rainmac Wrote: The most popular theories for why humans have religion are:
1. To answer the existential mysteries--Why do we die? What is our purpose in life? How did the zebra get its stripes, etc...
2. To increase social cohesion in tribes/groups

My question is, at least for #2, there are 1,000s of animals species that live in social groups and have perfectly adequate social cohesion mechanisms such as territoriality, dominance hierarchy, grooming, etc. Why would humans need religion to improve their social relationships when there are already abundant mechanisms and successful social species? For those of you who might be familiar with some of the theory of religion writers--Scott Atran, Pascal Boyer, Dennett, Matt Rossano, and others--I haven't seen anybody ask this question. Is this a valid question? Is this a valid question for #1? 

Number two is only a popular theory in modern society because religious people think meeting in church is the way to socialize.  They are stupid retarded.

The origin of religion is simple enough; man had no idea from whence he had come and he looked toward simplistic answers due to his limited resources.  It was natural to look at the stars and imagine that gods lived up there who created them.
"Never trust a fox. Looks like a dog, behaves like a cat."
~ Erin Hunter
Reply



Messages In This Thread
Evolutionary Theories of Religion - by rainmac - August 4, 2015 at 1:41 am
RE: Evolutionary Theories of Religion - by robvalue - August 4, 2015 at 1:45 am
RE: Evolutionary Theories of Religion - by rainmac - August 4, 2015 at 2:11 am
RE: Evolutionary Theories of Religion - by robvalue - August 4, 2015 at 2:40 am
RE: Evolutionary Theories of Religion - by Dystopia - August 4, 2015 at 5:51 am
RE: Evolutionary Theories of Religion - by Alex K - August 4, 2015 at 7:30 am
RE: Evolutionary Theories of Religion - by robvalue - August 4, 2015 at 7:44 am
RE: Evolutionary Theories of Religion - by vorlon13 - August 4, 2015 at 8:40 am
RE: Evolutionary Theories of Religion - by Clueless Morgan - August 4, 2015 at 10:20 am
RE: Evolutionary Theories of Religion - by rainmac - August 5, 2015 at 11:50 am
RE: Evolutionary Theories of Religion - by drfuzzy - August 5, 2015 at 2:23 pm
RE: Evolutionary Theories of Religion - by rainmac - August 5, 2015 at 5:37 pm
RE: Evolutionary Theories of Religion - by rainmac - August 5, 2015 at 6:38 pm
RE: Evolutionary Theories of Religion - by Iroscato - August 4, 2015 at 10:57 am
RE: Evolutionary Theories of Religion - by Aoi Magi - August 4, 2015 at 11:11 am
RE: Evolutionary Theories of Religion - by Clueless Morgan - August 4, 2015 at 12:17 pm
RE: Evolutionary Theories of Religion - by Aoi Magi - August 4, 2015 at 12:21 pm
RE: Evolutionary Theories of Religion - by Clueless Morgan - August 4, 2015 at 12:35 pm
RE: Evolutionary Theories of Religion - by robvalue - August 4, 2015 at 12:11 pm
RE: Evolutionary Theories of Religion - by Aoi Magi - August 4, 2015 at 12:17 pm
RE: Evolutionary Theories of Religion - by Whateverist - August 4, 2015 at 12:32 pm
RE: Evolutionary Theories of Religion - by rainmac - August 4, 2015 at 2:42 pm
RE: Evolutionary Theories of Religion - by Whateverist - August 4, 2015 at 3:49 pm
RE: Evolutionary Theories of Religion - by rainmac - August 4, 2015 at 7:44 pm
RE: Evolutionary Theories of Religion - by downbeatplumb - August 4, 2015 at 1:19 pm
RE: Evolutionary Theories of Religion - by drfuzzy - August 4, 2015 at 1:46 pm
RE: Evolutionary Theories of Religion - by Pyrrho - August 4, 2015 at 3:22 pm
RE: Evolutionary Theories of Religion - by Whateverist - August 4, 2015 at 5:09 pm
RE: Evolutionary Theories of Religion - by Kingpin - August 4, 2015 at 10:41 pm
RE: Evolutionary Theories of Religion - by Whateverist - August 4, 2015 at 10:55 pm
Evolutionary Theories of Religion - by EmmaMye - August 4, 2015 at 6:46 pm
RE: Evolutionary Theories of Religion - by Whateverist - August 4, 2015 at 10:30 pm
RE: Evolutionary Theories of Religion - by Whateverist - August 5, 2015 at 12:31 am
RE: Evolutionary Theories of Religion - by Whateverist - August 5, 2015 at 12:44 am
RE: Evolutionary Theories of Religion - by rainmac - August 5, 2015 at 2:39 am
RE: Evolutionary Theories of Religion - by Whateverist - August 5, 2015 at 1:36 am
RE: Evolutionary Theories of Religion - by Silver - August 5, 2015 at 1:42 am
RE: Evolutionary Theories of Religion - by Whateverist - August 5, 2015 at 7:29 pm

Possibly Related Threads...
Thread Author Replies Views Last Post
  Flat Earther, and other conspiracy theories. Are they mostly atheists? Ferrocyanide 95 10954 April 26, 2021 at 3:56 am
Last Post: Tomatoshadow2
  Evolutionary explanation of religion cyber_freddy 33 3849 December 25, 2020 at 6:52 am
Last Post: The Grand Nudger
  Religion hurts homosexuality but homosexuality kills religion? RozKek 43 12278 March 30, 2016 at 2:46 am
Last Post: robvalue
  Terrorism has no religion but religion brings terrorism. Islam is NOT peaceful. bussta33 13 5542 January 16, 2016 at 8:25 pm
Last Post: The Grand Nudger
  Religion's affect outside of religion Heat 67 21472 September 28, 2015 at 9:45 pm
Last Post: TheRocketSurgeon
Rainbow Gay rights within the template of religion proves flaws in "religion" CristW 288 59334 November 21, 2014 at 4:09 pm
Last Post: DramaQueen
  Christianity, Divisions, Fear Manipulation, and Post Modernist Theories Michael Schubert 46 20195 July 17, 2013 at 5:02 pm
Last Post: Minimalist
  Thoughts on the "eternal consciousness" / "everything is energy" theories... hoppimike 8 5256 June 11, 2012 at 4:50 pm
Last Post: Adjusted Sanity
  Religion Vs Religion. Bull Poopie 14 5668 September 8, 2010 at 9:02 pm
Last Post: Oldandeasilyconfused
  Evolutionary Timeline Retorth 24 7725 September 29, 2009 at 4:03 am
Last Post: solarwave



Users browsing this thread: 1 Guest(s)