Interesting read, nothing really to discuss here, but since its about religion thought the D&D would be the right place for this. Religious belief is human nature, huge new study claims By Richard Allen Greene, CNN London (CNN) – Religion comes naturally, even instinctively, to human beings, a massive new study of cultures all around the world suggests. "We tend to see purpose in the world," Oxford University professor Roger Trigg said Thursday. "We see agency. We think that something is there even if you can't see it. ... All this tends to build up to a religious way of thinking." Trigg is co-director of the three-year Oxford-based project, which incorporated more than 40 different studies by dozens of researchers looking at countries from China to Poland and the United States to Micronesia. Studies around the world came up with similar findings, including widespread belief in some kind of afterlife and an instinctive tendency to suggest that natural phenomena happen for a purpose. "Children in particular found it very easy to think in religious ways," such as believing in God's omniscience, said Trigg. But adults also jumped first for explanations that implied an unseen agent at work in the world, the study found. The study doesn't say anything about whether God, gods or an afterlife exist, said Justin Barrett, the project's other co-director. "This project does not set out to prove God or gods exist. Just because we find it easier to think in a particular way does not mean that it is true in fact," he said. Both atheists and religious people could use the study to argue their sides, Trigg told CNN. Famed secularist Richard "Dawkins would accept our findings and say we've got to grow out of it," Trigg argued. But people of faith could argue that the universality of religious sentiment serves God's purpose, the philosophy professor said. "Religious people would say, 'If there is a God, then ... he would have given us inclinations to look for him,'" Trigg said. The blockbuster study may not take a stance on the existence of God, but it has profound implications for religious freedom, Trigg contends. "If you've got something so deep-rooted in human nature, thwarting it is in some sense not enabling humans to fulfill their basic interests," Trigg said. "There is quite a drive to think that religion is private," he said, arguing that such a belief is wrong. "It isn't just a quirky interest of a few, it's basic human nature." "This shows that it's much more universal, prevalent, and deep-rooted. It's got to be reckoned with. You can't just pretend it isn't there," he said. And the Oxford study, known as the Cognition, Religion and Theology Project, strongly implies that religion will not wither away, he said. "The secularization thesis of the 1960s - I think that was hopeless," Trigg concluded. http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2011/...is-human-nature-huge-new-study-claims/?hpt=C1
People are so quick to believe in a higher power, but they don't believe in extraterrestrials. Talk about hypocrisy.
Humans love to have answers. God is a magnificently easy go-to answer that can be used to fill in every single gap in knowledge that we have. It is also easily removed once we fill the gap with actual facts and science, as well. That's what really makes it so very appealing to people. Relevant.
umm duh... just look at history. every single civilization has believed in some sort of higher power.
This finding seems kind of obvious to me. The question is whether this aspect our nature is a product of evolution or a God/"intelligent designer"?
Confucianism and Buddhism count as philosophies. The greater part of China and some parts of East Asia were more attuned to philosophies than actual religions and worshiping deities.
this ties right in to the topic. if you have time, you won't regret watching this. <iframe width="560" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/1iMmvu9eMrg" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> andy thomson has also released a book titled: Why We Believe in God(s): A Concise Guide to the Science of Faith.
Religion - mankind's (or most of mankind's) justification excuse in one easy formula aka "God made me do it".
I think religion is a band aid on a gun-shot wound. It doesn't get to the real issue, it simply poses a weak solution to our most pressing matters. Religion would be much more tolerable if it only served as an optional moral guidebook and didn't try to explain things like the origins of existence. I'm a rationalist, if you can present me some evidence... then I will examine it... but if you ask me to accept anything on faith then you're taking me for a fool.
This is probably about the most worthless piece of evidence ever. We're talking about people who readily accept that a fat, old man can fly a sleigh around the world and deliver Christmas presents to upwards of 800 million homes in a single night. Chances are they would just as easily accept the Flying Spaghetti Monster as their savior or the notion that humans evolved from monkeys.
no wonder you're down on religion. worshiping at the foot of pitchfork is no way to live your life, son.
Pitchfork is just an arbitrary measurement system for indie cred masquerading as some sort of Williamsburg answer to Rolling Stone. I adhere to the music that speaks into my subconscious.
