Author Topic: Does religion confer a distinct survival advantage to humankind?  (Read 10225 times)

Joe Carillo

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Does religion confer a distinct survival advantage to humankind?
« on: February 27, 2010, 12:54:38 AM »
Critics of religion, particularly evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins and experimental psychologist and cognitive scientist Steven Pinker, contend in their best-selling books that religion is a useless human enterprise that’s simply a by-product of other human attributes, but there are those who think that humankind’s propensity for religion has some adaptive function. Among those who have strongly taken up this contrarian view is Nicolas Wade, a former science reporter and editor for The New York Times, Nature magazine, and the journal Science.
  

In a new book, The Faith Instinct: How Religion Evolved and Why it Endures, Wade vigorously draws on the findings of archeology, social science, and natural science to show that the religious instinct is an evolved part of human nature. He argues that like other human social traits that have evolved over many thousands of years, the practice of religion conferred a decisive survival advantage to those who practiced it. Indeed, he points out, groups that practiced religion effectively and enjoyed its benefits were likely to prevail over those that lacked these advantages.

According to Wade, many of the social aspects of religious behavior offer advantages that lead to a society’s members having more surviving children. He then asks this provocative question: Would it be possible for religions to be reworked so that as many people as possible can exercise their innate religious instincts to their own and society’s benefits?

Read a review of Nicolas Wade’s The Faith Instinct in The Economist now!


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Nicholas Wade is a British-born scientific reporter, editor, and author who currently writes for the Science Times section of The New York Times. His book Before the Dawn received a 2007 Science-in-Society Journalism Award.

Wade worked for Nature, a weekly scientific magazine based in London, from 1967 to 1971, becoming deputy editor and Washington correspondent. In 1971 he joined the news staff of Science, a weekly scientific journal published in Washington, and in 1982 became a member of the editorial board of The New York Times, writing editorials on science, health, the environment, and military technology.

He was science editor of The New York Times from 1990 to 1996, and has been a science reporter at the Times since 1997.

Wade is the author of several books, including The Ultimate Experiment, The Nobel Duel, Betrayers of the Truth (written with William J. Broad), A World Beyond Healing, Lifescript, and Before the Dawn.

He was born in 1942 in Aylesbury, England, and educated at Eton and King’s College, Cambridge. Wade received a BA degree in natural sciences in 1964.
« Last Edit: September 25, 2020, 05:53:18 PM by Joe Carillo »

hill roberts

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Re: Does religion confer a distinct survival advantage to humankind?
« Reply #1 on: March 11, 2010, 07:07:48 PM »
Religion has indeed become a very touchy subject matter. Over the weeks, we have been discussing with atheists and religious believers about God, Jesus Christ, the supernatural being and of course, many fb users/friends, especially those who fervently believe in the God Almighty seem to stand back and say nothing. Yet, many of my atheist friends have come forward and discussed in no uncertain terms that religion is total nonsense. I, too, have expressed my personal view that religion had come about, starting out as a pagan thing, then evolved into a cult, then, when membership grew, became what we now know to be proper religion. Can we still be religious without the pontification? There are many women who seem to treat Facebook like some kind of a pulpit. I myself, over a period, got tired of the same God-like message(s), and usually, it's the women doing the calling, since, no doubt, they'd shout, "It's my calling." I am for being good, kind, generous, understanding. But there are those who profess to be religious to the extreme, and spiteful within themselves. On big example is the former and first female President, Mrs Cory Aquino. I will not apologise nor will I even attempt to denigrate her memory. However, with all Philippine newspapers, somehow, I get the feeling that these so-called religious people are actually Christian Militants in my eyes, who, for want of a better word, are more inclined to lambaste, than to do the right thing. What is the right thing, in this case? Tell the world that Mrs Cory Aquino was indeed, godly? A saint in the making? A gospel according to her fans, co-believers of Jesus Christ? I mean, what is it about religion that ends up looking crass? Well, just because she prayed alll day, carried a rosary and went to church regulary made her a saint...poarat 2 follows.

hill roberts

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Re: Does religion confer a distinct survival advantage to humankind?
« Reply #2 on: March 11, 2010, 07:18:13 PM »
Part 2.
Yes, Mrs Cory Aquino, according to some priests---these Men of the Cloth and Gentlemen of the Pope (?) are truly baffling in their insipid approach as well as their self-belief that this "gentle" woman should now be catapulted to sainthood (and I almost, just now, typed this word incorrectly, reading it as "sanityhood"--hmm, another new word from me? When, Mr Ferdinand Marcos, in his dying moments, summoned---or perhaps, requested for Mrs Aquino's presence to negotiate his return to the Philippines for a proper burial in his hometown up north in the Ilocos Region (not just once or twice but five times) what did she do? She ignored his pleas and sent only a relative or two to speak to him that "No, you aren't allowed to be buried there." Her words, I can imagine and no doubt, she said those words with conviction. Not for any damn reason, only to please her adoring fans and constituents who at that time, were full of hatred, yeah, fierce loathing...these are the true believers of God. They pray for the souls of others. Yet, their true colours shown through: evil, from the word go. I know some reading this now would damn me, condemn me and even search to play hell with me, but, heck, do I care? Cory was the epitome of false kindness. She did the most unChristian thing by not allowing a former Head of State to be buried in his beloved hometown. What is Christianity but to compromise? If one believes (in) religion, then this should have been applicable under those unique circumstances that she and Mr Marcos were both in. Yet, the baffling behaviour of this woman leaves much to be desired. :'( :-\ ::)

hill roberts

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Re: Does religion confer a distinct survival advantage to humankind?
« Reply #3 on: March 11, 2010, 07:29:31 PM »
Part 3...Indeed, she and her flock clamoured for change. What a laugh. Change? What's there to change when their own unkind attitude refused to even consider Mr Marcos's request? Was he really all that bad, ugly, nasty and unpleasant as a person? Why the lack of magnanimity when her speech at the US Congress, she even mentioned "magnanimous in victory"--are these just boastful words? Something for the historians to lap up, without the feelings? Wasn't she numb in that personal request that she never even bothered to take the time to visit him, as a Head of State? This is what gets me about Philippine politicians: they are so mindful of religion, preaching their own constituents about God, God bless, and going to mass with their backers, hookers, fans, henchmen, all in the name of God. Was Cory Aquino any different? I can put my hand on my heart and say that, despite the thieving of Imelda Marcos, at least she had not been amiss with good manners and right conduct. So she stole endlessly---so said the local, national, foreign media. But who isn't a thief in Philippine Politics? Were the previous tenants at Malacanang keeping their hands OFF the coffers of the Treasury? I am totally disdainful of these politicians, but of course, let's not forget that unelected politicians are crooks too, many of them just as bad. As we go down the ladder of government agencies,one can find a good number who are honest, and a large number who'd try to con and trick their way to steal, too...Part 4 continues ::) ;D

hill roberts

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Re: Does religion confer a distinct survival advantage to humankind?
« Reply #4 on: March 11, 2010, 07:39:10 PM »
Part 4..To put Mrs Aquino on a pedestal, recommend her for sainthood isn't just stupid, but really crass, demeaning to our intelligence and idiotic to the point of insult, perjury and willful imbecility.Mrs Aquino doesn't deserve all that attention, let alone having her colossal monument flaunt the streets of the capital. When she was president, she put the country in suspended animation. She was xenophobic--never allowed foreign investment in; she simply paralysed, destroyed all the development projects of the Marcos Admnistration. Why? She was full of hatred and nothing would change her mind about the Marcoses. But this is the woman whom many see as a saint. Indeed, a saint who loathed, a saint who allowed her own relatives to take over the assets of the friends of the Marcoses and found wanting, put them in their interests, as part of their self-imposed banner of being related to her. And, before I forget, these are God-fearing, regular church goers, who carry in their designers bags, gold rosaries, perhaps, emblazoned with the words, "I am kind, I am good and I am religious." Beware, when people flaunt their religious fervour, emphasising it to you and me, start walking away from them. They are one of the most devious, pretentious, evil people one can ever meet. Religion: what the hell is this?  ::)

Silver Cross

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Re: Does religion confer a distinct survival advantage to humankind?
« Reply #5 on: March 13, 2010, 02:06:20 AM »
Well said!

I can't help but repost this elsewhere. You mind if I do?

maxsims

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Re: Does religion confer a distinct survival advantage to humankind?
« Reply #6 on: March 13, 2010, 07:52:00 AM »
Well done, Silver Cross.   Asking permission is the polite thing to do.    It's a pity that some other people don't do likewise.

hill roberts

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Re: Does religion confer a distinct survival advantage to humankind?
« Reply #7 on: March 14, 2010, 04:02:28 PM »
Good morning, Silver Cross, yes, please repost. Thank you! :-*