Survival of the fittest God?

DannyBloem

Just want to share some thoughts.....

As I read in another thread, there are only a few factors needed to have an evolutionary process.
copying, survival mechanism and some kind of random or prseudom random changes (mutations).

If we think of the image that people had of God or gods, this is applicable. Copying by stories, writing and traditions. Changes are obvious and the survival mechanism is also present as the way in which the view of god was most powerfull, believable etc.

Anyway how did it evolve?

the 'lowest or earliest' form will probably be, the god-spirits. The dead people that are not believed to be dead, but keep on living as spitits.
A short step to this is the gods that are the cause of certain things. Like nature gods. A god for rain, for war, for the sun etc.
A next, bigger step is the almight god, a single god (montheism)
Is from this the next step, the good god, with a bad counterpart, the devil?

Then how come the trinity, imortal soul, angels etc in this picture. Are they remnants of a older step in this evolution?

Just some thoughs, feel free to comment or throw stones at this theory...

Danny

Satanus

People who study shamanism say that it appears spontaneously. If you have a group/tribe of whatever type of uneducated people, a shaman (male or female) will appear in that group. So, shamanism is probably the primordial religion, if it can be called a religion. Shamanism does include what you listed below:

the god-spirits. The dead people that are not believed to be dead, but keep on living as spitits.

A short step to this is the gods that are the cause of certain things. Like nature gods. A god for rain, for war, for the sun etc.

Shamanism, considering it's background could be considered a natural religion. Monotheism is a human construct, manufactured, and is imposed onto people. Examples: egypt, israel, europe.

S

DannyBloem

Shamanism, considering it's background could be considered a natural religion. Monotheism is a human construct, manufactured, and is imposed onto people. Examples: egypt, israel, europe.

I agree that shamanism is a nature religion and it will occure in a group of people. But is it not natural to evolve? Is monotheism not just a step futher in the evolution?

tetrapod.sapien

hey danny,

the study of memetics (memes) was kind of popularized by richard dawkins. it is essentially the treatment of cultural ideas as genetic units that are copied and transported culturally, instead of biologically.

here is the wikipedia article on it. i hope you like it. it's had a big influence on the way i view religion now:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memes

TS

doogie

the study of memetics (memes) was kind of popularized by richard dawkins.

hey tetra,

how's it hangin?

"kind of popularized"? he invented the term! i read an interview with him not too long ago and he actually seemed kind of embarrased about it. he said that when he brought up the concept (in Selfish Gene) he was just trying make a metaphor, not invent a new field of study. so it goes, i guess.

tetrapod.sapien

hey doogs,

it hangs nicely, thank you!

ya, i know he invented the term. but i did not want to say that he had invented that type of thinking, as i think that evolutionary psychologists and other earlier philosophers had been aware of the phenomenon since around the time of mendel , although admittedly, not many really took the time to outline it the way dawkins did. but certainly, he is credited with Memetics itself.

it's really quite bashful of him to be embarrassed about the concept receiving so much favor. he is a genius, and genius revels in the mistake. anyways, it is an excellent way to look at the evolution of god and religion from a reductionists point of view.

hope all is well down south,

TS

Satanus

Danny

Is monotheism not just a step futher in the evolution?

It was invented as a control mechanism for larger societies, often leading to empires. It does force cohesion in it's area of occupation, thus making larger societies possible. I suppose that would make it a societal evolution. It is also possible that it is an evolutionary step towards the individuals in society coming towards the realisation of the eastern type all-is-one kind of concept. It's an interesting field of inquiry.

S

Terry

Humans observe other humans as they die.

The last thing to happen is the EXHALATION of breath. (Respiration=Expiration) both contain the root :spire ; to breathe.

That "something" in the breath that went out, what was it?

Speculation.....

The living then dream about the dead and confuse the dream with an actual personage visiting in a different form. Hence, life AFTER death as a kind of invisible breath.

The person, the death, the breath and the dream weld into a singular concept.

Seeing somebody struck by lighting, seeing a tornado, witnessing a volcano explode all have a vivid impact on the imagination of primitive people with no data to fall back on.

Speculation leads to stories that compete.

The best story wins.

Religion was the best guess by primitive minds.

Now, it is the worst.

T.

DannyBloem

Tetra:

I read some about it. An interesting concept.

Terry:

I agree with you, you state it better then i could.

Danny

Golf

I came across this article, "Evolution vs. Intelligent Design."

http//www.newswithviews.com/Blumenfeld/Samuel32.htm

Survival of the fittest God?

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