Reply #21: I think a lot of people need religion. [View All]

I think that if there's anything unique about humans its our ability to predict the future so well, and one of the first things we're able to predict is that sooner or later, we're gonna die. That's a big deal, because like most other critters we really only have two missions in life: survive, and reproduce. Suddenly, our so-damned-smart brains are telling us that we're going to fail at least one of those missions, big time (and in my case, total failure stares me in the face every single day).

So, we invent survival, in as many ways as there are religions--reincarnation, recycling, avoiding futile resistance and being assimilated, you name it. If you sell the idea convincingly enough, it seems like anything works.

Religion often carries with it other survival-like traits which our big brains may have partially forgotten: obey the a-hole in charge; feel free to screw over those who aren't in the club; spread the faith by reproduction and otherwise; bust your ass, and give me my cut of the rewards--pretty much everything that elephant seal is preaching to his flock, with subtle variations in tone and a bit more comity toward his neighbors, I'll admit--I'm talking about the seal, here.

As for those of us who think we're above all that, well, do we really want to see what happens if we teach everyone to be atheists? Think about how bummed out and psychotic some dude with a strong survival instinct would be if he was told day after day, "you're gonna fucking die, and when you do, it's game over, fo-evah!" Who knows what he might do--no, I think I do know what he might do.

And doesn't wishing all those religious types away sound just a little bit like all those religions that are wishing everyone else away (or worse)? It's just more of the "not my tribe, so fuck 'em" mentality.

But now that I think about it, they're not my tribe. So fuck 'em.