simple as we thought. It is probably true that religious concepts gain
their great salience and emotional load in the human psyche because
they are connected to thoughts about various life-threatening circum-
stances. So we will not understand religion if we do not understand
the various emotional programs in the mind, which are more complex
than a diffuse angst.
SOCIAL SCENARIOS:
RELIGION AS A GOOD THING FOR SOCIETY
[23]
Scenarios that focus on socialneeds all start from a commonsense (true)
observation. Religion is not just something that is added to social life, it
very often organizes social life. People's behavior toward each other, in
most places, is strongly influenced by their notions about the existence
and powers of ancestors, gods or spirits. So there must be some con-
nection between living in society and having religious concepts. Here
are some examples of the connections we may think of:
- Religion holds society together. In Voltaire's cynical formulation, "If
God did not exist, he would have to be invented." That is, society
would not hold together if people did not have some central set of
beliefs that bind them together and make social groups work as
organic wholes rather than aggregates of self-interested individuals. - Religion was invented to perpetuate a particular social order. Churches
and other such religious institutions are notorious for their active
participation in and support of political authority. This is
particularly the case in oppressive regimes, which often seek
support in religious justifications. Religious beliefs are there to
convince oppressed people that they can do nothing to better their
lot except wait for promised retribution in another world. - Religion supports morality. No society could work without moral
prescriptions that bind people together and thwart crime, theft,
treachery, etc. Now moral rules cannot be enforced merely by fear
of immediate punishment, which all know to be uncertain. The
fear of God is a better incentive to moral behavior since it assumes
that the monitoring is constant and the sanctions eternal. In most
societies some religious agency (spirits, ancestors) is there to
guarantee that people behave.
WHATISTHEORIGIN?