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Are humans hardwired to believe in something greater?

LuisDantas

Aura of atheification
Premium Member
I haveread a suggestion that religion comes from humanity's lack of the alpha member found in other primates' groups. The missing boss becomes the imagined god.

There is no denying that we very much crave to believe in the existence of alphas among us. Evidence abounds - in fact, it just keeps pouring - in popular fiction, sports fandom and in politics, among other places.
 

Shad

Veteran Member
Actually, the only thing you've shown is that you have no idea what I'm talking about and see no need to ask.

Next time you want to expose the errors in a concept, take the time to figure out what the concept is instead of just assuming.

I do not believe in a theistic God, let alone an omnimax Creator. I was not promoting any such God. I was not promoting any God at all. I was trying to discuss the evolutionary origins of human religiosity, which exist independent of any divine entity's existence or lack thereof.

But I give up, since that conversation obviously not the one the rest of you want to have. Y'all have fun with the fool's game of trying to dis/prove God.

You responded to me remember not I to you. I first addressed the OP which did include a Creator God, perhaps you should read it. The OP brought it up so it is not out of line to talk about God in relation of this so-called religious instinct. This is what I was addressing. I was not arguing against the idea that religiosity is a byproduct of evolution but that of a designed one versus one which is useful. The point about instincts was to link such ideas with evolution. My emphasis on dead or false beliefs was to show the unreliability of instinct and that of linking the instinct with a design orientated view. Not that of there is no link what so ever.
 

joshua3886

Great Purple Hippo
If God created Adam and Eve
If you want to assume the Adam and Eve story is literal then you have to ignore all scientific research.
Not ALL humans are hardwired to believe in something greater, which is obviously why we have atheists and skeptics. Most of psychology I've read on people's natural tendency to be religious comes from SIgmund Freud. He pointed to a specific part of the brain which becomes active when people hear or interact with religious ceremonies. Later in modern neurology scientists have shown that he was far ahead of his time, because the part of the brain he pointed to actually does become active when certain religious phrases are used on people. And this part of the brain becomes more sensitive to people who have had seizures or epilepsy. So maybe I might conclude that fundamentally religious people are simply epileptic or maybe they just prefer to listen to their emotions rather than common sense. It might also be possible that religious tendencies are genetic.
 

jeager106

Learning more about Jehovah.
Premium Member
"So maybe I might conclude that fundamentally religious people are simply epileptic or maybe they just prefer to listen to their emotions rather than common sense. It might also be possible that religious tendencies are genetic."

I feel that statement was rather rude at the very least.
About the creation story.
I don't believe that literally. It's a nice creation poem.
It was writen for the people of the time that had no notion of science.
I'm a creationist, if that's even a word, as I believe in a Higher Power; call that god if you like, that created everything in order and balance.
It's imperfect humans that screw things up and make war, pollute our world, govern with corruption and more.
It's pretty well established in the psychological world tjhat humans have a need to believe in something greater than humankind.
I won't cite anything as I'm sure you are capable of reseraching whatever you want to.
I have no idea why you feel religious people have a brain disorder or are overly emotional.
There are many scientists that are religious.
There is research being done looking for the "god gene", the "god particle" and much more.
Science has shown thru the discipline of archeology that many things claimed in the Bible have a basis in scientific fact.
I doubt God picked up a handful of soil and said "poof! You're a man", etc.
 

Sunstone

De Diablo Del Fora
Premium Member
Like so many things, that would be consistent with there being a creator, and humans being the primary purpose of his creation.

As it happens, the notion that we are hardwired to believe in something greater than us is not only consistent with some notions of deity, but it is also consistent with there being no deity at all.
 

Guy Threepwood

Mighty Pirate
As it happens, the notion that we are hardwired to believe in something greater than us is not only consistent with some notions of deity, but it is also consistent with there being no deity at all.


just as a dice that keeps rolling a six is consistent with both chance and being a loaded dice. It's not that fluke is impossible, but that design has the superior power of explanation
 
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