Introducing the brain: religions' effects (Introduction)

by dhw, Tuesday, May 11, 2021, 14:17 (1290 days ago) @ David Turell

QUOTE: “The more people that we have in our social support network, the better we are at coping with various life stressors including problems with jobs, relationships, or health.”

Very true. But the church/synagogue/mosque is only one form of social network, and they have all been sources of conflict and stress as well as aid and comfort.

QUOTE: "Most religions also teach people to avoid a lot of high-risk behaviors that can be very detrimental to our mental health and well-being.”

You don’t have to believe in or worship a God to realize this!

QUOTE: "Another interesting indirect mechanism of action related to religion has to do with diet and nutrition. Diet and nutrition are frequently overlooked when it comes to good mental health, even though research increasingly indicates they are essential.”

Do we really have to believe in and worship God to learn about diet and nutrition?

QUOTE: “Even for those who are not religious, pursuing practices such as meditation and prayer — even when secularized — can be beneficial for reducing stress and anxiety."

Ah, at last a glimmer of light! Even for those who are not religious, a good diet, not breaking the law or indulging in “high risk behaviors”, and having a good social network can be beneficial, and religion is not the only way, and frequently not even the best way, to achieve these benefits. The author seems blissfully unaware of the enormous damage that can be and often is inflicted on people by religion. Throughout history, and right through to the present day, one religion has fought against others, and has been used as justification for the most barbaric practices. My own circle of friends encompasses many good, kind, healthy-living people, some of whom are religious and some of whom are not. We don’t need religion to know what is good or bad for us and for others!

DAVID: It seems our brain is built for religious practices and to benefit from them.

It seems to me that our brain evolved for social practices as well as for our own individual survival. It also evolved for us to ask questions, and since some of these are unanswerable, it may be that religions all grew from the same desire to find answers. However, I suspect that social practices evolved long before religions, and these practices were meant to be beneficial for all concerned. I fully accept that some people derive great comfort from belief in a loving superpower, and I also accept that some religions encourage and perform wonderful acts of humanitarian good. But I object very strongly to the implication that religion lies at the heart of all that is beneficial to humans. It also lies at the heart of much that is bad for humans. In fact it is only as “humanitarian” as the individuals who practise it. Thank you for the article, though. It makes a change from the other subjects we’ve been discussing!