Created by z_free on Jan 10, 2011 in  Science ->  Biology

Is being religious evolutionarily selected for?

Yes
No
67.0% 33.0%

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@z_free
1

I think @mipmip got my point.
.
Religiousness is (not always, but quite often) inherited, esp. in more conservative societies. If an inheritable trait turns out to be a successful one, sooner or later a major part the population would exhibit it. Thus, since most of the world's population is now religious, and subscribing to a religion is an inheritable trait, I would assume it is a successful one, and religiousness is evolutionarily selected for. Whether or not god actually exists 'sgot nothing to do with it, I'm talking numbers here.

on Mar 27, 2011
@Steliyan_Petkov_Georgiev
0

@mipmip, Probably we interpret the question differently. I take it from the point of view of Darwin's evolution, where "good" mutations are transmitted from parents to children by genes. If you take the child of the two most religious persons in the world and give to an atheist family to raise, I must consider it will grow an atheist.
Of course you need to be religious in a Muslim country to marry (or at least pretend to be) and this is good adaptation to the situation but I don't consider this evolution in the sense of biological evolution. There is no such thing as the religious gene I believe.

on Jan 19, 2011
@mipmip
0

Well, I've never thought of it, but as I do now, it sounds quite plausible.
@Steliyan_Petkov_Georgiev: I can't agree with you. Nowadays when christianity is in decline in the western world it doesn't matter much but that was not the case less than a century ago. Also think of your chances marrying in a muslim country without submitting to islam and you'll see where this is going.

on Jan 14, 2011
@Zaro
0

Seems Petkov Georgiev got it all wrong. Or there's no wrong answer to a wrong question. Anyway, what a mess! Please modify!

on Jan 11, 2011
@Zaro
0

Excuse - what do you mean? Some correction to the question?

on Jan 11, 2011
@Steliyan_Petkov_Georgiev
0

I am not certain I fully understand the question but if I get it correct my answer is No. When religion first appeared in the early civilizations I doubt it that people who were religious had better chance for survival and reprodruction.
Probably the only period when religion was interfering with natural (or artificial) selection was during the Holy Inquisition - the burnt the non-believers and and the atheists.
But I don't believe that nowadays you have lesser chances for reproduction if you are atheist.

on Jan 10, 2011
@z_free
0

Certainly appears so. Most people on earth appear to have been raised in an environment where some sort of a deity was believed in.

on Jan 10, 2011
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