Reddit reviews In Gods We Trust: The Evolutionary Landscape of Religion (Evolution and Cognition Series)

It's amazing how many atheists are willing to rattle off reasons for "why people believe in religion."

Of course, having personal experience with religion, and engaging with religious believers offers some insight, but it's not like there isn't any scholarship on the issue and people should inform themselves of such before claiming to "have the answer," especially when they are incredibly facile, i.e. "they are narcissistic, religion is a virus, it's merely a fear of death."

Here's comprehensive examination of religion by Scott Atran:
http://www.amazon.com/Gods-Trust-Evolutionary-Landscape-Evolution/dp/0195149300

It's nice to know that all these things on my 'SRS blown'-mind have a place to be heard. :)

Pretty much see the point of what you're saying about evolution, but I don't exactly see the evidence. Surely the Mbuti are more "evolved" than us in that sense? And it seems to me that the progress for women has been acquired characteristics, which fall on the "nurture" side of the "nature vs. nurture" debate. Although, because progress has been so thoroughly embedded in the social fabric, something inherited from our parents, it might be argued that nothing short of apocalypse would lead to significant regression of people's ideas. If Romney 2012 doesn't count.

I think human nature is definitely in need of qualification. Although, well, 'post-warp human society' probably doesn't have a place for "100% organic human-humans" at all, so the issue would be moot. Right now, I fall on the side that believes that our brain structures are profoundly genetically determined and usually develop along predictable lines due to, uh, living on Earth. (there's a website for people with Asperger's syndrome actually called "wrong planet," for evidence of that). This includes a desire for social identity/acceptance, desire for something greater than ourselves, and desire for patterns or sense in a sometimes senseless world.

The support for 1) (sorry, but I don't have studies) is basically, we like to simplify our world in order to understand it and communicate it and this leads to categorizing, creating an identity for oneself and for "others." Organized religion builds a sense of community and identity that, for many, is inherently valuable. I know that I suddenly became more interested in my racial and religious identity group-although sometimes it felt a bit restricting-once I entered college.

2) The desire for something omnipresent, something mysterious, does seem to have a basis in neurology. Undoubtedly though, it can't be that widespread or Norway would never be an atheist haven (heaven?).

And lastly, for 3), it was shown that superstition, in at least the case of baseball players and students has a function in reducing anxiety over uncertainty. I'm not sure where to go with this since the student study claimed that thinking about death reduces superstitious thoughts, but that's not really my experience. In fact, I believe that without death, the largest incentive for believing in God would be lost not entirely because of desire for eternal life, but because eternal life ties up everything that happens with everyone you know on Earth in a way that isn't senseless.

Re-reading this, I'm almost positive this all falls into the same trap I accuse those other Redditors of. Sorry I can't be more insightful :$

EDIT: I'm thinking about checking this book out: http://www.amazon.com/Gods-Trust-Evolutionary-Landscape-Evolution/dp/0195149300