There is a study which showed birds that would get food pellets via a tapping a level. However whether or not moving the lever actually dropped a pellet was controlled by a random number generator and had nothing to do with what the birds did. The birds devloped sometimes very elaborate rituals of turning several times, bobbing its head and spreading its wings and/or tail feathers, trying to get the lever to work. When it did work, soem birds would repeat the rituals before pressing the lever.

I think we are programmed to associate certain actions with rewards. If there is an actaul association between the actions and rewards, then it insures our survival. However, we oftne associate some rewards to actions which have no relationship to the reward. Thus, the roots of religion were born. Add in a few con men and the picture is almost completed in its entirety.

Only in the sense that they are obstacles to natural evolution. That is religions prevent us from acting in truly natural and adaptive manners in dealing with our environment.

I understand your question, but I wouldn't use the word "evolution." I assume you mean something more like "human progress." And when you say "crucial," are you saying that without religion, early civilizations may have failed? That's a good question.

I don't think that religion is something that came along and "happened" to people, I think it was born from every person's wonder, awe, and fear of the world, and morphed into large belief structures. I don't think it was as much "crucial" as it was inevitable.

I do think we're better with humanism as a belief structure, but I don't really consider that a religion. So, I think I'm agreeing with you

Evolution is a biological function. Religion has no impact on that.

I would say that religion/s were and are part of mankind lack of advance.

Yes I think human evolution could well have had the religious element present. After all Here was a scary literally dog eat dog nascent society that was petrified of the dark the wild beasts and some mad God (S) ! Band-wagoners scammers and outright money-grabbers of cose have now taken over! Now religion is organised just like crime which is its faithful brother!

at this point in my life i am still confused

I think so

Religion was never needed! It just slowed the natural evolution process by throwing doubt and disorganisation into the mix. Pretty much like governments carry on doing!

The presence of a tail bone and appendix generally implies that there was an evolutionary purpose. Religion probably had an evolutionary purpose.

I've studied human anthropology a bit, and some experts in the field think that religion and language evolved together, which makes sense to me... As our brains started to form complex thoughts, so did abstract questions about cause and effect. So they created gods of rain and sun to explain their experiences. The rest is history.

Religions misguided the evolution.. Numerous wars are fought on this grounds..

I think people grouped together into societies because agricultural became a way of life. But with human nature as it is (i.e. someone always feels the need to dominate or have something over others) It seems like there's no way we could have avoided religion because is the perfect way to subjugate a massive amount of people.