Received: by alpheratz.cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk id OAA27243 (8.6.9/5.3[ref pg@gmsl.co.uk] for cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk from fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk); Sat, 17 Mar 2001 14:02:00 GMT X-Originating-IP: [209.240.220.215] From: "Scott Chase" <ecphoric@hotmail.com> To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk Subject: Re: (no subject) Date: Sat, 17 Mar 2001 08:58:21 -0500 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed Message-ID: <F24XDtMVK9vJdgko3Yq00003841@hotmail.com> X-OriginalArrivalTime: 17 Mar 2001 13:58:21.0626 (UTC) FILETIME=[53B401A0:01C0AEEA] Sender: fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk Precedence: bulk Reply-To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
>From: Chris Taylor <Christopher.Taylor@man.ac.uk>
>Reply-To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
>To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
>Subject: Re: (no subject)
>Date: Fri, 16 Mar 2001 15:46:52 +0000
>
>I think you'll find that many religions produce groups of people who do
>sensible things, but because God told them to rather than because
>they've found the behaviour to be useful (which is practically
>impossible in one lifetime) - don't kill or steal, don't eat pork in hot
>countries (it goes off quicker than other meats) and so on.
>
>The argument would be that groups who adopt a religion (or possess it
>already) will outcompete other equivalent groups, therefore the
>religious group's ideology survives, because it is the fittest, and
>spreads (often by active promotion). All these things (and some hitch
>hiking junk) travel together, cooperatively. Think about lichen - moss
>and fungus in commensalistic harmony.
>
>Sorry if that was a bit higgledy-piggledy, I'm sure someone else will
>give me a kicking now.
>
I can see that religion could be considered functional in a society. Some of
the rules were reasonable, such as not eating certain foods, not killing
others or valuing relationships or personal commitments.
I'd assume nowadays that people might go to church, temple, mosque, or
synagogue merely as a social gathering to meet and rub shoulders with
others. Back in junior high and high school I used to attend a Christian
youth group (as opposed to Sunday morning services which bored me more). It
was a great way to meet people in my age group. Those were my less agnostic
days.
Religions do have there down sides too. Some tend to factionalize people.
It's better to have an open mind. Things like the Crusades and Inquisition
come to mind as exemplifying the down side. Witch hunting would be another.
Weren't some church groups up in arms against the Harry Potter books because
of "pagan" undercurrents? Wiccans run into a lot of flack too, if I'm not
mistaken.
Maybe an up side is that religion is like a warm blanket in a cold world.
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