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"Religion is a social institution that evolved as an integral mechanism of human culture to create and promote myths, to encourage altruism and reciprocal altruism, and to reveal the level of commitment to cooperate and reciprocate among members of a community. That is to say, religion evolved as the social structure that enforced the rules of human interactions before there were such institutions as the state or such concepts as laws and rights.

"We would do well to remember that the history of the modern nation-state with constitutional rights and protection of basic human freedoms can be measured in mere centuries, whereas human evolved as social primates over the course of millions of years, and human culture itself dates back at least 35,000 years, if not more.

"The principal social institution available to facilitate cooperation and goodwill was probably religion. An organized establishment with rules and morals, with a hierarchical structure so necessary for social primates, and with a higher power to enforce the rules and punish their transgressors, religion evolved as the penultimate effort of these pattern-seeking, storytelling, myth-making animals."

(Michael Shermer in "How we believe". page 162)

Matias 8 June 5
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8 comments

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5

But now that we have governments and access to the science of ethics, we need to ditch the mythologies. Fiction is fine, but it must be conveyed as fiction, not as reality.

Also, people (priests & pastors, for example) should be prosecuted for using myths to scare people into giving them money.

4

You seem determined to push the greatness of religion. maybe you should read the old testament.

I am well aware that there are other religions than Christianity. Did I say otherwise ?and if you read the first five books of the old testament, or Torah or Pentateuch you will be aware that they are Jewish , not Christian. The god they adopted was certainly munificent but only if you were Jewish'

Of course religion has been beneficial to mankind but that is probably far outweighed by the harm done.

Christianity had it's inquisitions and crusades and it held Europe back for hundreds of years in the dark ages. Islam conquered much of North Africa and Europe (was that a good thing?) and now produces some nasty terrorists.

I had some hope for Buddhism, if it is really a religion, but the treatment of the Rohingya people in Myanmar has been particularly brutal.

Matias seems to have an agenda promoting religion. I wonder if he is on the right site ?
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@TheMiddleWay You said it " the education establishments were to better understand gods work" not scientific advancement'

Of course the churches, Roman Catholic and Eastern orthodox played a large part in history. They were all powerful and had no opposition until Henry started the church of England which was just a watered down RC church anyway.
It was only after the reformation and the enlightenment that scientific advancement really began. "The enlightenment" ?. get it. the end of the dark ages.

After the reformation the Church of Scotland opened "Grammar schools" throughout Scotland to further the populations understanding of the scriptures. OF course this had the effect of educating ordinary folk and Scotland was at the forefront of advancement for generations. At one time Sctland had four universities when England only had two,

Christians have been holding back advancement from the very early days of Christianity. I recommend you read " The darkening age-- the Christian destruction of the classical world" by academic Catherine Nixey. A fascinating read and definitely not mythology.

@TheMiddleWay Oh Dear she is a mere Journalist. She has a degree in classics from Cambridge and taught classics for a time before becoming a journalists. Possibly one reason why her book is the best referenced of the type I have read. I haven't read either of the authors you mention but if you haven't read Catherine Nixey's work how can you compare them ?

One small point I was unaware off before reading her book. I always thought that the fact that the beautiful marble statues from ancient Greece had bits missing. Noses, arms feet etc, was just wear and tear from years of handling. No it was deliberate damage by the early Christians who considered them Idolatrous.

Also I don't think Hypatia, the philosopher, astromoner and mathemetician would agree with you, well she couldn't as she was stripped naked,hauled through the streets and killed by a Christian mob.

Fast forward to just over 300 years ago to Edinburgh when Archie Aikenhead was hanged for blasphemy.
Yes charmers those early Christians

Of course there was some limited advancement through the Christian era, I remember learning about Mendels peas in science class at school but as the RC church deliberatly kept the masses ignorant to better supress them the priests had a monopoly on education.

I did try to read a book by one author Matias mentions, Pascale Boyer, but virtually lost the will to live after a few chapters. A load of impenatrable gobbldegook, No references, just opinions.

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2

You are correct, religion was the binding force in society. The problem in the 21st century is that we need to prevent the population from believing in myths as in inhibits the success of modern society. We do need to replace religion with something similar that allows for the teaching of ethics and how things really work in the world and provides a social network. The local atheist and humanist groups are a good start!

@TheMiddleWay You actually think it is OK for modern humans to believe that made-up nonsense is real? Therein lies the problem with our society! Morality comes from the fact that we evolved as social animals and need to be accepted by our peers. Morality based on made up carrot and stick is false morality and is used simply to control others.

2

The primary myths were ethnic or tribal. Religion was only a part of those ethnic or tribal myths.

1

Religion is your rich uncle giving you $50 for graduation while molesting your step brother. Some people would rather celebrate his giving you $50.

1

"Altruism"? Read Any portion of the Old Testament, ever?

0

"to encourage altruism and reciprocal altruism" Obviously he never read the bible....

@Matias Not very well.... Seems like he skipped most of it because it has very little of what he claims. Most of the bible is written to enforce an insular culture that submits without question to authority.... So either he didn't read it like I did as a child or he simply cherry picked it like Christians always do...

0

What if the religion doesn't in this time ...??

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