Religion as an emergent property of Evolution

In a primitive society it is obvious to see that an absolute belief that X is right and Y is wrong is easier to control and maintain than any kind of philosophical or ethical system that requires complex thought to initiate and continuous explanation. Particularly when it comes to children, an absolute rule is easier to impress on the mind than a logical explanation of why something is not allowed. Thus an invocation of a spiritual authority is a shortcut to a societal framework of law.

So a predisposition towards acceptance of absolute beliefs and a predisposition towards acceptance of gods which enforces those beliefs can benefit an organism’s survival and that of its species.

Now take two societies one of which has the rule “Incest is bad” and the other has no such rule. Or the rules “Be helpful towards others” versus “Be selfish”. Clearly the rules that would benefit the individual and group the most are those that approach utlitarian humanitarianism. “Religions” who’s rulesets approximate this will result in a better survival rate and genetic propogation than those “religions” that are further from it. So in a very real sense the religions themselves evolve, branch, go extinct or survive.

So over the generations the religions that survive will be those that have such rules. Is it any wonder that the basic tenets of the surviving belief systems, from the main religions through all Pagan and Wiccan beliefs have at their core exactly those rules? The philosophy, the back story, everything they are framed within is completely inconsequential to the genetic survival needs and so we should not be surprised that such an array of seemingly disparate belief systems exist. They all serve the same basic purpose – survival of their ‘hosts’.

But the time is well past due for these trappings to be cast off and for humanity to simply be humanitarians. The need for absolute belief systems is long gone. By the time the Ancient Greeks started philosophising is was long overdue. We no longer need to fear the boogey-man to make us behave the way the spirits want us to. We are more than capable of being purely ethical as individuals and as societies.

One thing evolution can say about the future though… useless features tend to get erased. Parts of our makeup go from used to unused to fading to not-even-there. Think about the appendix and the tailbone. Religion will fade away… hopefully.