Sure, their power relies on us not understanding, what else are they supposed to tell us? Why does religion still hold humanity in its grasp and why is it so hard for most people to see through obvious truths? — enqramot
Your post isn't based upon empirical fact, but it is a speculative etiological myth, written to provide you a better understanding of your world. You just did what you objected to the religious as having done, only the stories of the religious are better thought out, more interesting, and filled with more wisdom. — Hanover
:100:God causing the universe explains nothing. — Jackson
We're natural beings. Paths of least resistance constitute the regularities – processes – of nature. Making shit up (versus figuring shit out) is a path of least cognitive resistance. (Human) brains are survival, not "truth", engines; we natural beings are born magical / wishful / group / non thinkers, which for (too) many people, no amount of numeracy, literacy or lived experience can exorcize this fetish for fantasy (worship) in denial of facts aka "religion".Why does religion still hold humanity in its grasp and why is it so hard for most people to see through obvious truths? — enqramot
You have just built a self interpreting system. As such, it cannot fail, because it is closed. It is a frequent mistake in philosophy. This way you can explain everything with everything: it will just work, always. You can say that the roots of religions are, let’s say, dogs, or tomatoes, or maths. Once the starting idea is made, it will be a matter of moments to build a whole working system. — Angelo Cannata
Your post isn't based upon empirical fact, but it is a speculative etiological myth, written to provide you a better understanding of your world. You just did what you objected to the religious as having done, only the stories of the religious are better thought out, more interesting, and filled with more wisdom. — Hanover
We're natural beings. Paths of least resistance constitute the regularities – processes – of nature. Making shit up (versus figuring shit out) is a path of least cognitive resistance. (Human) brains are first and foremost survival, not "truth", engines; we natural beings are born magical / wishful / group / non thinkers, which for (too) many people, no amount of numeracy, literacy or lived experience can exorcize this fetish for fantasy (worship) in denial of facts aka "religion". — 180 Proof
Poor and symplistic analysis based on biases you carry. — I like sushi
Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it. — George Santayana
I'm just proposing an explanation in the spirit of Ockham' Razor. — enqramot
↪enqramot
You presented a one-dimensional position with no attempt to offer up any other explanations for the existence of ‘religions’.
Your entire argument starts on the assumption that people started religions for purely selffish/nefarious means. That could be true of course, but I see no attempt made to consider any other possibility. Hence, you are arguing/asking from a position of clear bias. — I like sushi
The world's religions have very deep roots, going back to very ancient times. Any contemporary religious operation may seem (and actually be) corrupt, but I think it is safe to say that religions didn't begin as a scam.
Humans need some kind of explanation for the world they live in. They need some way to give meaning to their existence, replete with joys and sorrows. If rationality is plentiful, we use rationality, If poetry, myth making, story telling, and ritual are plentiful, that's what we use. — Bitter Crank
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