Another reason why supernatural beliefs would benefit the species: the terror of death could be debilitating without them.
Something like this is often mentionned, but I don't think it has much basis, except in the case of old people that are approaching death.
Etienne, I know you can think a little further ahead than that. Remember that for 99.9% of human history, it was normal to die somewhere between the ages of 20 and 40. What's more, those who were dying were not sequestered off to a non-public place like they are today, where no one can see them. Death was a constant companion for all.
All it takes is a little logic to see that once others are dying around you, your day will come next. Religion is one of the greatest inventions when viewed as a remedy for fear of death. No other animal lives with the consciousness of death as an ever present reality. No animal can live with it... so the argument goes, religion increased the chances of the species' survival by ameliorating the drawbacks of intelligence.
Etienne, I know you can think a little further ahead than that. Remember that for 99.9% of human history, it was normal to die somewhere between the ages of 20 and 40. What's more, those who were dying were not sequestered off to a non-public place like they are today, where no one can see them. Death was a constant companion for all.
All it takes is a little logic to see that once others are dying around you, your day will come next. Religion is one of the greatest inventions when viewed as a remedy for fear of death. No other animal lives with the consciousness of death as an ever present reality. No animal can live with it... so the argument goes, religion increased the chances of the species' survival by ameliorating the drawbacks of intelligence.
I agree, but there is nothing really that shows that death WOULD have been debilitating then. And practice (oh!) shows that you can get "used" to death, the more you see it, the less you get delibitated by it.
That it did help the work of mourning is msot probably true, and in that sense, would already be a good plus to any society where the death rate is quite high. But I think it is most likely that it only helped shorten the work of mourning among some people (which makes individuals less productive) than bring a universal psychological relief towards death.
So I really can doubt the validity of this argument. However there has been studies that concluded that religious people are in general happier 
EDIT: To old I should have added sick and wounded, which basically comes down to the same. Basically people who have no more hope to live much further.
Voltaire made some great observations about the inverse relationship between intelligence and happiness!
It is the most unreasonable thing to prefere reason to felicity!
Voltaire made some great observations about the inverse relationship between intelligence and happiness!
It is the most unreasonable thing to prefere reason to felicity!
Plato found philosophy the best way to happiness... of course, one could argue that his philosophy of "ideas" wasn't that far of religious beliefs in some aspects (and in the basis especially).
Erik, please close this thread. Philosophy is a WOMC; Weapon Of Mass Confusion. hehe.
Put that in your pipe and smoke it Etienne et al
Or; "I think therfore I am... a bit confused" - another Anon
this is going to sound funny but it is not:
"the everything is and it won be so i can be again, so, is the everything or it isn't? the everything is when it is and it is when it is also because it is and it isn't and that is how the everything is and nothing that it isn't and it is not so it can be can be, because the everything is and it is not so it can be and not be, and we live when the everything it is and not when it is not so it can be again, because the everything is always there by being and not being and being again and again and anything that it is not so it can be and not be can be, so i conclude that the everything is that it is that is not that it is that it is not that it is...........................
"God is dead." - Nietzsche
"Nietzche is dead." - God
Hmm
If A=X and B=X then it follows that A=B.
Therefore, God is Nietzche....? 
"The fool says in his heart 'There is no God.'" - Psalm 14:1
It's much easier to say there is no God than to admit that we are not "enough", that we are not "good", that we "need" Jesus. Belief in God points to His son, Jesus, since they are the same. Seeing God for what He is shows us what we are: we are sinful and selfish as humans. We choose to do wrong. We choose to hurt each other. God's will is that we not sin, not do wrong, but that we love him and keep his commandments: all of which are for our own good. God sent his Son to pay for our sins, and accepting his Son as your Savior means that you have to rely on Jesus and humble yourself before him. Humbling ourselves is something we don't want to do, but we need to do in order to acknowledge Jesus is God and our Lord.
It's easier to not believe.
"God is dead." - Nietzsche
"Nietzche is dead." - God
Hmm
If A=X and B=X then it follows that A=B.
Therefore, God is Nietzche....?
Forks have teeth. I have teeth, therefore I am a fork.
"God is dead." - Nietzsche
"Nietzche is dead." - God
Hmm
If A=X and B=X then it follows that A=B.
Therefore, God is Nietzche....?
Forks have teeth. I have teeth, therefore I am a fork.
You use forks on food. You use forks in chess. Food is necessary to sustain life. Therefore, chess is necessary to sustain life.
Life is like chess. Some moves you see, some moves you don't.
Q.E.D