[mikemadman]

I posted this same message on the Science and Technology forum, was not sure wich one it would belong to. So, sorry for posting it twice.

For the last month or so I have been pushing around this idea that religion is hard-wired in all of us. I think people are born with a instinctual tendency to believe in religion. I also think these tendencies vary widely from person to person.

Here is my theory, now I have not done much research yet, so forgive me if I come across as uneducated. I am just trying to get feedback from the community.

Religion is a emotion. The strongest emotion a human can experience. I think that what happens is, as a child is developing and learning it makes connections with everything, well what is a child to do with information that it cannot make a connection with? Well it becomes "Magical" to the child, as we grow older we learn that there is no magic and science can explain a lot of the unexplained, but what about the unexplainable? Its need to fit in somewhere in your logical brain, and "Magic" is no longer a viable answer. So religion enters. Religion throughout history has been there to explain the unexplainable, as science has progressed religion has been modified to fit the modern times.

Then there is "nothingness". This is a very hard concept to grasp. What is "nothing"? You cannot visual "nothing", you cannot imagine "nothing". So what happens when you die? Nothing! Your dead! Well what does that mean, where do you go? I dont think anyone can actually grasp "nothingness" in their mind, its impossible. Plus this is a very bleak thing to think about. I would love to think there was a heaven wiating for me, that would give me such a great sense of life and meaning and drive. Most people just refuse to believe in anything else.

I also believe society has a huge role on religion and religion has a huge role in society. They work hand-in-hand. Religion gives society a basis for right and wrong.

I am extremely interested in the devotely religious people. The people that would die for thier religion (Islamic fundamentalist among a few), or that get into almost a trance.

Religion has to be hard-wired otherwise how would it of always been here since the begining of modern man? Also, although there have been hundreds if not thousands of religions throughout history they have always been basically the same belief (a presence of higher beings, moral right and wrong and punishment/reward for how you live your life).

My only obstacle with this theory of mine is: What is the advantage of religion from a evolutionary point of view? I can see that the idea of religion is a good idea, but it seems like religion has been the main cause of homocide throughout world history. What I mean by this is, more people throughout history have died in the name of religion (religious wars, fundelmentalist, etc..) then for anything else. So how has religion helped man, why are we prone to beleive in it?

These questions I still have no answers for, but I am searching.

Just as a side-note, can you imagine the implications on society if religion is ever proven to just be a instinctual reaction to the unexplained.