Is Religion a basic human need ?

[Koldo]

The food component is to teach you how to have self control. The spiritual component if the experience of discerning truth from error. We exist within a rage of parameters.

The problem is that it works both ways.
Assuming you see an universal craving for God in our world, let's imagine there wasn't a universal craving for God in our world. You could say that it was done by design, just so only those who truly seek God would worship him, something akin to a test of some kind. If both the existence and the absence of something count as evidence in favor of the same thing, neither of them actually count as evidence.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

The food component is to teach you how to have self control.

Or... the alternative explanation: our food cravings evolved in a context where food scarcity was often common, and evolution takes time.

The spiritual component if the experience of discerning truth from error. We exist within a rage of parameters.

Or, the alternative explanation: for our ancestors, when trying to identify another thinking being, the cost of a false negative (i.e. a predator kills you) is a lot less than the cost of a false positive (i.e. you unnecessarily expend energy running away from a rustling in the bushes), so we've evolved to favour those false negatives over false positives. IOW, we're hard-wired for pareidolia.

 

[Colt]

The problem is that it works both ways.
Assuming you see an universal craving for God in our world, let's imagine there wasn't a universal craving for God in our world. You could say that it was done by design, just so only those who truly seek God would worship him, something akin to a test of some kind. If both the existence and the absence of something count as evidence in favor of the same thing, neither of them actually count as evidence.

The point is, it IS universal. Its not like God craving broke out among one culture for a time as a fad of some sort. This "craving" as you call it, can be seen as a spiritual gravity effect on mind and has had the effect of taming the instinctual animal within us, the "mark of the beast" from our animal evolutionary inheritance. Starting as fear and progressing to Love.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

The point is, it IS universal.

If it were universal, atheists wouldn't exist.

 

[Koldo]

The point is, it IS universal. Its not like God craving broke out among one culture for a time as a fad of some sort. This "craving" as you call it, can be seen as a spiritual gravity effect on mind and has had the effect of taming the instinctual animal within us, the "mark of the beast" from our animal evolutionary inheritance. Starting as fear and progressing to Love.

You haven't addressed my post... like at all...

 

[Colt]

If it were universal, atheists wouldn't exist.

Not every acorn becomes a tree.

 

[Colt]

You haven't addressed my post... like at all...

Because you said lets imagine there wasn't a universal craving, a hypothetical world designed by God without universal religious development. I have no rebuttal for the world that doesn't exist.

 

[Clara Tea]

Religion is the devils tool .

We have to be ever-vigilant to recognize the devil. Lets hope we aren't holding a mirror when we do.

 

[Clara Tea]

Not every acorn becomes a tree.

I used to think that was a querulous statement, then I confused that with squirrel-less (the two words sound alike). Then I thought that the acorn story was nutty, and worried that the squirrel would eat it.

Sons often take after their fathers. I worried that our leaders might not protect us, because the rotten apple doesn't fall far from the bush.

 

[Clara Tea]

Jesus words are a good reason to view this premise as valid:
"My food is for me to do the will of him that send me..." John 4:34

God had a baby with Mary. She certainly did God's bidding. She ate a lot.

 

[Clara Tea]

We evolved to be superstitious, it was good for our survival when we were still australopithecines in the African savannah. It isn't needed any more today but since it isn't high cost to keep, it didn't Mendel out - yet. There are mutants (like me) who are borne with less superstitious brains and we will eventually take over.

Beginning of Religion on JSTOR

Apparently, the ancient australopithecines had religion (according to the link above). I supposed that it wasn't as developed as it is today. When they passed the donation basket, they probably thought that it was free money (hence the church didn't do well).

 

[Koldo]

Because you said lets imagine there wasn't a universal craving, a hypothetical world designed by God without universal religious development. I have no rebuttal for the world that doesn't exist.

I don't want you to offer a rebuttal for a world that doesn't exist though.
I said that it doesn't matter if there is an universal craving for God, because even if there wasn't you could easily interpret it as being compatible with God. Therefore, the whole thing is redundant.

 

[Colt]

I don't want you to offer a rebuttal for a world that doesn't exist though.
I said that it doesn't matter if there is an universal craving for God, because even if there wasn't you could easily interpret it as being compatible with God. Therefore, the whole thing is redundant.

If only a small fraction of the people who evolved ever craved a God out of the unknown then I wouldn't have had a point to make nor a "religious forum" to make it on.

 

[Aupmanyav]

I have not needed religion since I became an atheist. (I follow a philosophy which does not believe in existence of God/Gods, prayers, or divine help or judgment.

 

[Koldo]

If only a small fraction of the people who evolved ever craved a God out of the unknown then I wouldn't have had a point to make nor a "religious forum" to make it on.

Not really.
Belief in God doesn't depend on craving for God.

 

[Shadow Wolf]

Hi,
Quite on the contrary the expectation according to the prophesy is that faith will be on the decline in the last days and that atheism will be on the rise.
eg. 2Pet 3:3,4

That doesn't address the point of it being necessary as in something we need.
And society throughout history has went through periods where people are more atheistic or more theistic. Like during the Enlightenment, when religion fell into decline and into a hard slump and things like deism, pantheism, and atheism became more common.
No prophecy. Just what society seems to go through.

Without religion, sure.

Without paying equal attention to the needs of mind, body and spirit?
I can only speak for myself; and it never worked for me.

And some have no real interest in this spirit thing. Why should it be assumed they need this when they themselves are doing just fine without and do not believe themselves to be missing out and in need?

 

[Valjean]

Yes, and by design. The fact is that, regardless of weather or not life evolved spontaneously (or had a God-cause) evolution itself has produced humans that have universally sought a God-cause explanation.

This is simply not true. Not all cultures believe in god/s; not all that do believe they're creators. The concept of a god is a new thing in human history.

 

[Colt]

This is simply not true. Not all cultures believe in god/s; not all that do believe they're creators. The concept of a god is a new thing in human history.

Which culture doesn't have religious worship?

 

[Neuropteron]

My question is, if "god" is innate, how do you define it that all cultures and religions would agree with?

What's the common thread?... and why call it god?

Hi,
All religions cannot agree, since they have different doctrines, if they did agree they would have the same religion.

God simply means " the most powerful, most important etc..." it's a title.

 

[Neuropteron]

No.

Someone who doesn't feel inclined to religion will suffer no ill effects if it's not a part of their lives at all.

Hi,
The ill effect of severing ties to our creator, who is the sustain-er of life is not felt immediately.
Life will continue unhindered but eventually death occurs.

This principle is mentioned in Ecc 8:11