Are Humans Naturally Religious?

[Sunstone]

Is there anything in human nature that makes humans naturally religious? If so, what is it? If not, how do you account for the ubiquity of human religious expression? Is it mere accident that humans invented religion, or is there some innate, heriditary propensity in humans to invent religions? Reference: http://cafephilos.blogspot.com/2007/03/origin-of-gods.html

 

[eudaimonia]

My view is that human beings are not religious by nature. Rather, religion meets certain psychological needs that people do have by nature. Those needs can be met in other ways, however.


eudaimonia,

Mark

 

[michel]

Is there anything in human nature that makes humans naturally religious?

I think there probably is; we look for explanations and answers for things that happen. We need someone to blame things on; it's human nature.

 

[Willamena]

Is there anything in human nature that makes humans naturally religious? If so, what is it? If not, how do you account for the ubiquity of human religious expression? Is it mere accident that humans invented religion, or is there some innate, heriditary propensity in humans to invent religions?

I chose "no" because, although I don't know the answer, the options are so limited. "Human nature" need not be the thing to explain the "ubiquity of human religious expression." Equally, "accident" need not be the thing.

 

[Shadow Wolf]

I don't know. I did read an article in Reader's Digest years ago that said the brain is hardwired to believe in god. Thinking back on it though, I recall it being more of a coversion attempt rather than a scientifical article.

 

[Hema]

We are spiritual by nature but when we get too taken up with the material world, we tend to forget our true nature.

 

[Stairs In My House]

It's kind of a loaded question (though not intentionally I'm sure! ) because "religious" means so many different things to different people and in different contexts (thus my choice of "other"). I do think that humans are naturally spiritual, as an extension of our nature as reflective beings. Even the choice to be non-spiritual is a spiritual choice, and I suspect that if we truly weren't spiritual beings the question just wouldn't make any sense to us.

To clarify, by "spiritual beings" I do not necessarily mean that we have a "spirit" aspect (though I personally think we do, sort of), but that it is part of our nature to ponder our place in the grand scheme of things--or for that matter to even grasp that there is a grand scheme of things--rather than to just act to meet our needs and wants, with the scope of our reflection limited to our own actions and experiences.

I think this is a very different thing than an explanation for religion and/or spirituality that I have sometimes heard from non-religious or anti-religious people, that people need (or think they need) religion to explain the workings of the universe or its origins. While religion has often served that purpose, it is my opinion that that has never been its primary function in people's lives.

 

[Quiddity]

Yes....I've never met a human being who didn't attach meaning to something.

 

[Stairs In My House]

Yes....I've never a human being who didn't attach meaning to something.

That's a great way of putting it! I've been reading a lot of symbolic interactionist sociology lately (Herbert Blumer was a brilliant man), so I've been thinking a lot about "meaning-making" being simply what human beings do. If religion/spirituality is just one way of looking at meaning-making, then we just plain can't get around it, can we?

 

[Quiddity]

That's a great way of putting it! I've been reading a lot of symbolic interactionist sociology lately (Herbert Blumer was a brilliant man), so I've been thinking a lot about "meaning-making" being simply what human beings do. If religion/spirituality is just one way of looking at meaning-making, then we just plain can't get around it, can we?

I don't see how. I've put it to the test and tried being as cold as ice or robotic and I failed miserably. What can I say, cute little bunnies make me cry. :sad4:

Just look at them---->:bunny:

 

[pladecalvo]

I have read that there is what you might call a religious instinct of sorts among some people. People who have cytosine in a particular locale in the vmat2 gene tend to be more spiritually oriented than those who don't.

 

[gnomon]

I voted for the last option.

I can't find a reason stating why we wouldn't be naturally religious without fully understanding why we ascribe meaning to objects in this world in relation to ourselves.

I cannot come up with a reason to find humanity not being religious because what artificial means would have brought about this concept?

 

[Quiddity]

I have read that there is what you might call a religious instinct of sorts among some people. People who have cytosine in a particular locale in the vmat2 gene tend to be more spiritually oriented than those who don't.

So more cytosine, more religious?

Where do they sell this?

 

[evYugi]

Could the inclination toward religion be due to human instint to survive? What is it that make human strong? Could religion be one attempt to explain and understand the world around us? Could God or gods be the manifestation of humanity search for answers to the many unknown questions that we face?

 

[logician]

I believe we are what we are taught as children, then as we become more independant we make up our own minds about religion/god. I don't believe people are "naturally" religious, like everything else, it is taught.

 

[gnomon]

I believe we are what we are taught as children, then as we become more independant we make up our own minds about religion/god. I don't believe people are "naturally" religious, like everything else, it is taught.

If teaching religion qualifies it as unnatural then how did religion originate?

 

[sandy whitelinger]

Is there anything in human nature that makes humans naturally religious? If so, what is it? If not, how do you account for the ubiquity of human religious expression? Is it mere accident that humans invented religion, or is there some innate, heriditary propensity in humans to invent religions? Reference: http://cafephilos.blogspot.com/2007/03/origin-of-gods.html

The Book of Romans states that everything created know it's creator.

 

[logician]

If teaching religion qualifies it as unnatural then how did religion originate?

Where did I say teaching religion was "unnatural"? Not everyone teaches religion to their kids, (in fact, many don't), I am neutral to what is "natural" or "unnatural", it depends upn your cultural and social heritage.

 

[gnomon]

Where did I say teaching religion was "unnatural"? Not everyone teaches religion to their kids, (in fact, many don't), I am neutral to what is "natural" or "unnatural", it depends upn your cultural and social heritage.

My apologies. The term natural is a difficult one in this thread. I see now that you are stating that we are not born religious.

For the overall theme of the OP, however, natural does not mean born with. By extension are not all our social constructs "natural" or is every creation of humanity be it physical or conceptual just artificial? I guess I'm having such a hard time with this thread because I draw no distinction between human activity and the rest of the natural world.

 

[TurkeyOnRye]

I'm not sure I believe whether there is a religion gene or not but I will note that given the circumstances of man many ages ago, realigion (god, more specifically) was the only real explanation...that is until Darwinean Theory came along. How else must primitive humans explain the seemingly the cosmos or the inescapable beauty of a flower blossom?