Take a child to a lonely island, bring him up without any human contact and never ever tell him about religion and God. Then see what happens.
There is a research work that contradicts this… (1) and says
Research finds that humans have natural tendencies to believe in gods and an afterlife. Research suggests that people across many different cultures instinctively believe that some part of their mind, soul or spirit lives on after-death. The studies demonstrate that people are natural 'dualists' finding it easy to conceive of the separation of the mind and the body.
Shall I tell you why the research led to this conclusion? This is because these people have done their work on normal people live in our societies in 20 countries representing a diverse range of cultures. These research subjects were all religiously conditioned since their childhoods. What else do you expect from such people and shoddy research methods?
Humans have naturally gravitated towards religious belief in a supernatural being. Even across cultures, the tenets of various religious beliefs reveal similarities and recurrent patterns, because most human beings were conditioned to do so.
Religious symbols (source: Adobe stock)
Animals, from rats and mice to parrots and humpback whales, have complex mental capacities. intelligent animals can solve problems, recognize themselves in a mirror, display adaptive behaviors or manipulate their environment. Studies have shown that there are animals who can rival humans in certain measures of intelligence.
A study in PNAS may have determined that great apes possess a 'Theory of mind' (2), a capacity once thought to be unique to humans. Those with a theory of mind have the cognitive ability to understand that others have mental states, beliefs, and desires that are different to their own.
Why didn’t these intelligent animals never think of God or religion, then? Why don’t they tell stories of creationism?
There’s no evidence to suggest that non-human animals have religion. They don’t worship, pray or believe in gods of any kind, although some of them do practice some rituals like mourning the dead.
Okay, we can’t read their minds but still no such thing as ‘worshipping’ has been observed in animals till now.
Developed human minds ask questions. In the initial stages of this development and in the absence of dependable evidence, the minds wove stories to fill the gaps.
During the earlier times people saw lives with pains, tragedies, sorrows and several things around them. They wanted some kind of theory which could explain all this. Therefore, they thought about explanations and theories which gradually led into beliefs. These beliefs, which were influenced by the times they lived in i.e., non-scientific reasoning, were products of constant fear of the unknown. Instead of taking on the fear head on and finding permanent solutions, they just escaped into the world of false beliefs that gave them temporary relief. In a world where people clutch at all kinds of straws to make some sense of the madness around them, truth can never be found. Instead of analyzing, examining and understanding why something happens and how it should be handled realistically, they tried shortcuts by bringing unknown and untested factors to interpret things! These beliefs divided people because each person had a different set of experiences and those in turn influenced their explanations and the resultant beliefs based on their mental makeup and situations and not on one truth. That's how different beliefs - both religious and non-religious - originated (3).
“God of gaps”? Yes! People brought the GOD factor to fill the gaps in their understanding. People whose experiences ‘re similar and those who believed and followed them formed groups, the religious ones.
However, fear is a natural emotion. The fear of the unknown makes some people follow religion and God.
The fear of pain , death, uncertainty, failure, loneliness, make some human beings seek religious groups and the protection and comfort they give. Being with your fellow human beings that follow the same religious rituals and have the same beliefs makes a weak mind secure. Enhanced brain chemicals serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine in the presence of these people make them stick with their groups.
However, then more rational minds started asking the relevant questions on religion and God. Atheism originated.
(Image source: Shutterstock)
More advanced scientific thinking ( Source: istock )
As human intelligence advanced more, people started asking more questions. They also are trying to answer these questions posed by human minds in a more methodical and reliable way and that is how science as a field sprang into existence.
Even in the modern scientific era, some people need some sort of external emotional support as their minds are not strong enough to stand on their own. These people need religion and God to get that support.
Those who are strong mentally don’t look up at the sky and supernaturals that they were told reside there and help them if they pray for support. They can depend on their own mental capabilities and help themselves.
These people came out of their conditioned minds after a critical thought process that still helps them all the time.
So the answer to your Q is minds are not naturally religious, there are no genes for religion. Specific religious beliefs (such as belief in a particular deity) were found to have no genetic basis and are instead cultural units or memes (4). Religion is not encoded in our DNA. Children must be taught by their parents religion. If they are not taught that religion, they have no religion.
Some parents are trying to bring up their children without a religion now. Even courts are supporting them!
Provide Option For Declaring 'No Religion', 'No Caste' In Application For Birth Certificate: Telangana ( my own state in India) High Court To State (5). Observing that the system has to evolve along with the times and the changing requirements of the citizens, the Telangana High Court has ordered the state government to provide a ‘no religion’ and ‘no caste’ column in the application for Birth Certificate the decision on a couple's plea seeking a "non religious and no caste” identity for their child.
So?!
The environments people are brought up make them religious if these human beings are not capable of coming out of this conditioning of minds. That’s all.
Footnotes:
- Humans 'predisposed' to believe in gods and the afterlife
2. ‘Theory of mind’ demonstrated in great apes
3. Science and Spirituality
4. God gene - Wikipedia
5. Provide Option For Declaring 'No Religion', 'No Caste' In Applicati...
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Related question:
True scientists cannot tolerate cognitive dissonance ( science doesn't allow for the holding of two contradictory positions). They must choose the facts and stick to them.
Moreover, you don’t ‘believe’ in science. You ‘trust’ science because it establishes facts using genuine evidence.
Religion is based on ‘blind belief’.
Now consider the following picture:
( Image source: Quora)
If you are a scientist, you automatically get this answer in your mind. Then you don’t think about God’s miracles.
That is what my mind is made of. Complete and genuine science. There is no room for supernaturals there, because ‘there is no gap’ to fill it with GOD. Most of the gaps are filled by science. Some gaps are in the process of getting filled.
But some people need some sort of external emotional support even when they are in the field of science because they are not mentally strong to deal with their problems and lives. Such people derive that strength using the God concept and religion.
Some scientists are unable to come out of their conditioned minds. They too are afraid of going against their religious beliefs and the comfort it gives.
Those who are strong mentally don’t look up at the sky and supernaturals that they were told reside there and help them if they pray for support. They can depend on their own mental capabilities and help themselves. These people don’t need religion.
But I think if you really understand science to its core, it makes you mentally strong too.
So for a true and genuine scientist, there is no need for religion.
When two things work in opposite directions, if you try to follow both at the same time, you lose your balance and give all sorts of silly excuses to support your ambiguous position.
We can empathize with these people, but don’t support such positions. NO!
