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From: eklhad@ihnet.UUCP (K. A. Dahlke)
Newsgroups: net.origins,net.religion
Subject: Evolving Religions
Message-ID: <236@ihnet.UUCP>
Date: Sun, 2-Jun-85 10:09:08 EDT
Article-I.D.: ihnet.236
Posted: Sun Jun  2 10:09:08 1985
Date-Received: Tue, 4-Jun-85 05:25:41 EDT
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Xref: watmath net.origins:1638 net.religion:7016

<  science may triumph, but it will take a hell of a long time!!!  >

        As a former Christian, I always find religion fascinating.
Religions, like languages and species, are constantly evolving
entities, adapting to new social and technological environments.
As always, the origins (first language, life from non life,
first religion, etc) are largely unknown, but natural processes
adequately explain subsequent events.
Religions, the primary antithesis of naturalism and scientific thought,
are themselves subject to the very processes they reject.
Ironic, isn't it?

        Micro evolution can be seen in only a few generations.
Consider how easily the creationist re-interprets genesis, redefining 6 "days"
as 6 indefinite periods of time, permitting an old Earth.
Revelations now describes our technological implements of destruction,
and the impending battle of Armagedon.
Of course, verses describing the flat Earth
(and other blatantly wrong concepts) are simply metaphors.
A jewish state is formed, without waiting for the coming Messiah.
The Catholic church bends and squirms on womens' issues.

        Even more interesting, I believe, is religious macro evolution.
The earliest religions used idols and graven images,
but these (primarily) did not last.  Why not?
A neighboring tribe can always steal your idol, or distroy it.
The builder of the idol cannot believe in its deity for long.
As technology advances, idols, rocks, and trees, are no longer mysterious.
These environments enforced natural selection,
eliminating most "thing" worshiping religions.
The next class of religions involved "unexplainable" events.
A neighboring tribe cannot steal or distroy the sun.
The stars must surely form a perfect Ptolemaic universe, praise God.
The Greek Gods conveniently explained the weather, astronomical events, etc.
Unfortunately, science reared its ugly head again,
describing elliptical orbits and rainbows with remarkable precision.
The religions thriving today are the product of
thousands of years of natural selection.
They center around a hypothesized Deity, somewhere,
who cannot reveal himself, but demands your faith and devotion.
Science can never again distroy religion,
since today's religions center on faith, and produce no
physical affects that might be refuted.  Nobody can prove there is no God.
By sweeping things into the afterlife, these religions avoid many
important moral questions:  "All suffering will be rewarded later.
All suffering produces good things, as he wills."  Romans 8 28
Also, these religions require a Devil, or human evil itself,
to explain the origin of such suffering and anguish. Genesis 3

        Of course, there is more to evolution than survival.
The religion must reproduce.  In other words, you must convert
people, especially the next generation.
It is therefore not surprising to see extreme intolerance,
and strong missionary doctrines in the surviving religions.
Mark 16 15  Until recently, any conversion tactic was acceptable anywhere,
leading inevitably to the Spanish inquisition, the crusades,
the tribal wars described so vividly in the old testament, etc.
As social morality advanced (and it has progressed considerably;
please don't spread any more bull shit about the good old days),
new conversion schemes were required.
These, primarily psychological, always existed,
but selection has made them stronger.
Heaven (Revelations 21), hell (Luke 16), and love ( 1 Cor 13),
are all powerful tools that convert the uneducated masses.
This is not always bad, since most religions are preferable to
drug/alcohol addiction or a life of crime.
However, I would never prescribe religion for the masses.

        Clearly, micro evolution will continue to mold today's religions,
but can we expect any substantial changes in the next 2,000 years?
One possible selecting force is education.  As more people are
exposed to biology, biochemistry, astronomy, and especially history,
a loving, omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent God becomes harder to swallow.
Indeed, Godel may have dealt such a being a death blow already.
Yet, I believe, religions will always remain.
They may retreat, abandoning the flat Earth and creationism,
but the human mind seems to need them.  I have personally known people
who depend on this mythical abstract concept for daily strength.
I would guess, that the Christian-like religions will survive,
with some attenuation as (if) education becomes ubiquitous.

        Enough of *my* speculative ramblings.
Does anyone have any thoughts on the origin/evolution of religions?
I would like to hear them.
-- 

Karl Dahlke    ihnp4!ihnet!eklhad