Religions Teach Very Smart Form of Selfishness
Richard Dawkins, an atheist, in http://www.secularhumanism.org wonder why people are religious.
He made many arguments. To explain why people are religious, we would expect that religions would serve ones’ gene pool survival.
It doesn’t seem to be that way. Religions, for example, teach us how to
“…devours huge resources. A medieval cathedral consumed hundreds of man-centuries in its building. Sacred music and devotional paintings largely monopolized medieval and Renaissance talent. Thousands, perhaps millions, of people have died, often accepting torture first, for loyalty to one religion against a scarcely distinguishable alternative. Devout people have died for their gods, killed for them, fasted for them, endured whipping, undertaken a lifetime of celibacy, and sworn themselves to asocial silence for the sake of religion….”
Dawkins argues that religions may work as placebo (meagerly). Perhaps, religions promote group selection theory (which is partially true).
Perhaps, religions are just stupid remnants that we still have that used to work. That is true, but only in countries in England, where Dawkins live, as I shall show.
But all his arguments only meagerly touch the surface why people are religious.