Contribution of religions

[Sriram]

Hi everyone,

Here is a Science Daily article about how religions could have contributed to cooperation among different people.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/02/160210135213.htm

***********
Beliefs about all-knowing, punishing gods -- a defining feature of religions ranging from Christianity to Hinduism -- may have played a key role in expanding co-operation among far-flung peoples and led to the development of modern-day states, according to a UBC-led study published in Nature.

Results show that believers in all-knowing gods who punish for wrongdoing are more likely to behave fairly towards anonymous, distant "co-religionists" -- those who share beliefs about gods and rituals, but may not belong to the same religious organization.

When people act this way, the study suggests, they are engaging in behaviour that can support key features of modern-day societies -- such as large, co-operative institutions, trade, markets and partnerships.

"Religious beliefs may have been one of the major contributing factors in the development and stability of highly complex social organizations, such as states," said Purzycki.

***********

This is common sense according to me (I have written about this quite a bit) but sometimes some sort of a scientific study helps I guess.

Cheers.

Sriram

[OH MY WORLD!]

I can go along with that for the most part. The problem arises when these "co-religionists" become not so anonymous, when they move in next door or right into your house.

And this is one example of a legit reason I have for wanting to raise war elephants in my backyard.

[bluehillside Retd.]

Sriram,

Here is a Science Daily article about how religions could have contributed to cooperation among different people.

That religions are tribal has long been known. What surprises me though is that this simple truth doesn't give more pause to those who think the claims made by religions are true; if they can survive just because they can help tribal cohesion, what need is there for their various gods to be real?

As a side issue by the way, an unfortunate effect beyond helping the separate tribes they help to cohere is that they also give good reason for tribes to go to war against each other. 

[OH MY WORLD!]

Well my pagan ancestors were constantly going to war against the Blackfoot Confederacy. Nothing to do with their foolish pagan religions but all about food and territory. And it only got worse the bison herds began to vanish.   

https://shrineodreams.wordpress.com/2011/09/24/the-battle-of-belly-river/

[Sriram]

Hi everyone,

1. Religions have  united people at various levels.....local, regional and across the world.

2. They have created a sense of universal brotherhood across racial, national, cultural and  geographical boundaries.

3. They have provided a moral base  that is today accepted common across the world. But for religions, morality would not have been defined as uniformly as it is today.

4. They are largely responsible for what we today call as civilized behaviour.

5. Today Humanism can exist without religions... but it is religions that have been responsible for its origin and propagation across all cultures.

6. Non violence against not just humans but also against animals and other life forms has originated in a religious setting (Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism) and propagated through religious teachings.

7. Religions have largely been responsible for teaching humility, selflessness, charity and so on.

8. Maybe some violence and discrimination has been generated by religions but it is minor compared to the positives.

9. Religions not only teach us how to behave but they also provide us with a goal and purpose beyond the mundane. They make life and death meaningful and even joyful. 

10. Religions bring philosophical and abstract concepts of life to lay people in simple language and in a manner they can understand and relate to.

Just some off the cuff comments. There are probably many more positives.

Cheers.

Sriram

[Red Giant]

Hi everyone,

1. Religions have  united people at various levels.....local, regional and across the world.

2. They have created a sense of universal brotherhood across racial, national, cultural and  geographical boundaries.

3. They have provided a moral base  that is today accepted common across the world. But for religions, morality would not have been defined as uniformly as it is today.

4. They are largely responsible for what we today call as civilized behaviour.

5. Today Humanism can exist without religions... but it is religions that have been responsible for its origin and propagation across all cultures.

6. Non violence against not just humans but also against animals and other life forms has originated in a religious setting (Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism) and propagated through religious teachings.

7. Religions have largely been responsible for teaching humility, selflessness, charity and so on.

8. Maybe some violence and discrimination has been generated by religions but it is minor compared to the positives.

9. Religions not only teach us how to behave but they also provide us with a goal and purpose beyond the mundane. They make life and death meaningful and even joyful. 

10. Religions bring philosophical and abstract concepts of life to lay people in simple language and in a manner they can understand and relate to.

Just some off the cuff comments. There are probably many more positives.

You forgot to mention human sacrifice.

[Leonard James]

We don't need religion to tell us that we are all members of the same social species and therefore need to protect one another. That is simply a matter of common sense, something sadly less common than its name implies.

[Sriram]

We don't need religion to tell us that we are all members of the same social species and therefore need to protect one another. That is simply a matter of common sense, something sadly less common than its name implies.

Len,

Do you realize what the situation was 5000...4000...3000...2000...1000 years ago?!

Humanism and a sense of universality has become 'common' today only because of the influence of religions over the centuries.

[Leonard James]

Len,

Do you realize what the situation was 5000...4000...3000...2000...1000 years ago?!

Humanism and a sense of universality has become 'common' today only because of the influence of religions over the centuries.

Quite the opposite! It's only since Darwin that we have come to the knowledge that we all belong to the same apelike species. Religions, over the centuries, have sought to divide us.

[Bubbles]

Well in the uk they brought education to the poor because most schools for the poor were church schools.

They use to act as a welfare fallback for the desperately poor, and tickled the conscience of the rich who wanted to be seen to help. Years ago there was no benefits.

They gave people a sense of community ( the church was central in each village) and a sense of place ( even if we don't now agree with how they saw it)

They gave importance to key stages in life, such as birth, becoming an adult, marriage and death. Also the seasons such as harvest.

They struggle now to maintain a part of our history in old churches, which are often beautiful and well worth keeping.

I wouldn't say they have always been tolerant of different beliefs, because they haven't.

But when life got really hard the church was someone people in the community could take their problems too.

Nowadays it's different.

Welfare has become secular, so have things like school ...... Relatively speaking.

The church enabled people to do things for the poor without having to do so personally or being in the position of dealing with beggars directly.

http://www.chester.anglican.org/page_schools.asp?Page=60#.VsGeIK_fWrU

[jeremyp]

They gave importance to key stages in life, such as birth, becoming an adult, marriage and death. Also the seasons such as harvest.

I think you have that one backwards.

[Leonard James]

Yes, Rose, but it seems their aim was to promote religious education to the poor, to feather their nest and increase their following.

As you say, "nowadays it's different" ... fortunately!

[Bubbles]

I think you have that one backwards.

People are normally born first, go through the rest and then die.

What alternative did you have in mind?

The time travellers wife?

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Time_Traveler%27s_Wife_(film)

[Bubbles]

Yes, Rose, but it seems their aim was to promote religious education to the poor, to feather their nest and increase their following.

As you say, "nowadays it's different" ... fortunately!

But they are the reason most of us were offered the opportunity to read at the beginning ( historically speaking) ,  regardless of the original motives.

Reading was something only the wealthy people did.

In a way it was the catalyst for having an opinion on the bible.

Unwittingly they gave away power when they taught the poor man to read the bible, because he became more critical.

So they gave us that.

It must have been difficult to criticise the bible when you couldn't read it.

Some people were persecuted to bring us printed copies of the bible, it gave people the chance to make up their own minds.

Whatever their original motives, they gave us the key to freedom, which was knowledge ( ability to read)

[Leonard James]

But they are the reason most of us were offered the opportunity to read at the beginning,  regardless of the original motives.

Reading was something only the wealthy people did.

In a way it was the catalyst for having an opinion on the bible.

Unwittingly they gave away power when they taught the poor man to read the bible, because he became more critical.

So they gave us that.

I bet they're sorry now! 

[Bubbles]

I bet they're sorry now! 

Too late 😉

Genie is out of the bottle!

 

[jeremyp]

People are normally born first, go through the rest and then die.

What alternative did you have in mind?

That the importance of those events assigns religious significance to them rather than the way around you put it.

It seems you deliberately "misunderstood" the point. Why?