Religion
Related: About this forumThe complicated role religion plays, even for atheists: Marmur
Is the need for religion innate human behaviour?
By DOW MARMUR
Dow Marmur is rabbi emeritus of Torontos Holy Blossom Temple.
Columnist
Mon., Aug. 15, 2016
Youve got to be a fundamentalist or a fanatic to aspire to be religiously consistent and suppress the ambiguities of life that beset us all. And even then you may not manage to do it all the time. Thats why, according to the Pew Research Centers 2014 Religious Landscape Study, eight per cent of those who describe themselves as atheists say that they believe in God or a universal spirit. Two per cent insist that theyre absolutely certain about it.
At the same time, according to this study, some people who describe themselves as religious say that they dont believe in God yet want to be part of a religious community.
In my four decades as a congregational rabbi Ive come across many religious atheists and nonbelieving religionists. Michael Lipka of the Pew Research Center presents some of the evidence showing that peoples formal affiliations or personal declarations dont necessarily reflect their real views and feelings. The religious instinct is often stronger than the atheist argument while doubt conquers at times even deep and seemingly sincere religious convictions.
The British evolutionary biologist Dominic Johnson argues that religion has become part of us as a result of natural selection. This would mean that to reject all forms of religion is to go against human nature, which may explain the paradox that even some of those who say theyre atheists are in fact believers.
https://www.thestar.com/opinion/commentary/2016/08/15/the-complicated-role-religion-plays-even-for-atheists-marmur.html
Jim__
(14,083 posts)Here's the description of one of his books God Is Watching You: How the Fear of God Makes Us Human:
God Is Watching You is an exploration of this belief as it has developed over time and how it has shaped the course of human evolution. Dominic Johnson explores such questions as: Was a belief in supernatural consequences instrumental in the origins of human societies? How has it affected the way human society has changed, how we live today, and how we will live in the future? Does it expand or limit the potential for local, regional and global cooperation? How will the current decline in religious belief (at least in many western countries) affect our ability to live together? And what, if anything, will temper self-interest and promote cooperation if religion declines? In short, do we still need God?
Drawing on new research from anthropology, evolutionary biology, experimental psychology, and neuroscience, Johnson presents a new theory of supernatural punishment that offers fresh insight into the origins and evolution of not only religion, but also human cooperation and society. He shows that belief in supernatural reward and punishment is no quirk of western or Christian culture, but a ubiquitous part of human nature that spans geographical regions, cultures, and human history.