Supernaturalism is Innate
There are several ways in which supernatural beliefs are innate. Evolution
guided the development of a mind built to function in complex social groups. This
causes humans to view the world through a social lens, which leads us to
naturally presume that events which affect us emotionally are the result of
conscious agents. For example, even atheists feel the need to say “thank
goodness” when positive events occur. In addition, psychological studies on
infants and young children show that we innately believe our minds are distinct
from our body. This belief is then reinforced when we experience the
transformative and transcendent emotions and hallucinations that occur upon ingestion
of drugs and/or during moments of deep concentration.
Religion is the marriage between our innate group-oriented minds and
our tendency to believe in supernatural forces and agents. It encompasses
shared beliefs, histories, rituals, and rules of conduct that promote cultural
identity, unity of purpose, conformity, and in-group harmony. Given the natural
desire to feel accepted by our peers, as well as the strong emotions elicited
by religious rituals and beliefs, religion can inspire passionate devotion. This
may be manifested in the desire to help the less fortunate, or to simply be
kind to others. In some people, it inspires extreme self-sacrifices such as
body mutilation, starvation, social isolation, sexual abstinence, or even
death. For others, it engenders a sadistic desire to punish those who stray
from the group, who are different from the group, or who challenge the group. It
is because religion is such a strong motivating force that it has been one of the
primary sources of divisiveness, conflict, and atrocities throughout human
history. There are those who would argue that greed, not religion, is the cause
of these phenomena. However, religion is a tool used by those in power to
manipulate the masses. What better way to get people to join your cause than to
suggest divine sanction and rewards for those who buy into it?
Religion is a Source of Comfort
Organized religion as it is practiced today provides a haven for like
minded individuals to form communities founded on shared beliefs. These beliefs
often include a narrative regarding our place in the universe, how we relate to
the supernatural world, and steps required to achieve the highest level of
spirituality, purity, etc. Thus, religion provides people a sense of meaning
and importance. Given that religions encompass communities of individuals with
shared beliefs, they also provide their adherents with a strong social support
system made up of members who truly care for one another. Since quality
interpersonal relationships are associated with psychological health, so too is
participation in religious communities.
Faith is also a strong source of comfort for the religious. Many
believe that if they communicate in just the right way to gods, spirits, etc,
these invisible agents will help them out in some way. For those in the
Abrahamic faiths, their deity not only helps them out occasionally, but wants
to form a loving relationship as well. This relationship is an exceptional
source of comfort, as we are all prone to loneliness on occasion. It’s nice to
know someone who loves us is always listening, and has our back. A potentially
greater comfort is the knowledge of what happens when we die. Few people are
comfortable with the notion that someday their conscious minds will no longer
exist. Even fewer enjoy the idea of never seeing their dead loved ones again. Thus,
the notion of surviving one’s death and reuniting with loved ones is a strong
motivator to adhere to religious beliefs.
Religion is Wrong
Despite the fact that religious inclinations are natural and even
psychologically beneficial, they are simply wrong. To be fair, they are
only probably wrong, but let's not get caught up in technicalities. So
why is religion wrong? Well, as I've outlined in my blog so far, there
are evolutionary reasons why religious impulses are innate, there are
cultural and historical reasons why religions evolved the way they did,
and psychological as well as neurological explanations for sincerity of
belief and spiritual experiences. Let's also not forget that religious
texts tend to be historically, scientifically, logically, and ethically
flawed and unreliable. In other words, every historical, logical, and
experiential piece of "evidence" regarding gods and spirits can be
better explained by natural forces. There is simply no need to presume
even the possibility of the supernatural outside of emotional
preferences.
Author’s Note: Readers of my
prior posts may notice that this one lacks the usual citations and resources I
commonly provide. The reason is that this post is a summation of the topics
discussed earlier in my blog. There are some new themes in this post, however,
they are either commonly accepted or they derive from my own personal
experiences.
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