(May 12, 2023 at 3:41 pm)The End of Atheism Wrote:(May 12, 2023 at 3:30 pm)emjay Wrote: I think there can be a natural tendency to believe in superstition for instance, since we're so adept at perceiving coincidences and seeking meaning in them, as well as a natural tendency to see agency in things. Put the two together and it's not surprising to me, that and how, religion/spiritualism develops over time in our history, from primitive times to the present, but where some see that as a feature, others, like me, see it as a bug.
Given our predicament (the human condition), it's not entirely stupid to give in to this tendency. One can make a solid case that a religious belief is beneficial, even when "beneficial" is understood in materalistic terms.
That wouldn't make it necessarily true though. That some people find value in religious belief and community doesn't mean all do. So I think you could argue that it's beneficial for some, at most. Each to their own. Coming here I learnt that some people seek religion primarily for community etc, a whole new perspective to me, but again, each to their own.
