A comment that just has to be shared

[hifiguy]

from beeryblog: http://beeryblog.wordpress.com/2011/06/27/jesus-based-policymaking-georgias-crop-crisis-and-the-anointing-of-michele-bachmann/

On Bachmann and the other jebus-rooted reality deniers:

Religion is most like a computer virus for brains. It comes complete with instructions for development and propagation of the virus, and code that prevents the person from deleting it or noticing that it doesn’t conform to reality. It is orchestrated, organized, and officially sanctioned psychosis, made easily digestible and palatable to the masses.

[Glassunion]

1. Works for bigotry and intolerance as well.. nt

[RZM]

2. Or you could take the opposite view, as Nicholas Wade does

He argues (in an actual book, not a blog) that religion is central to our species because tens of thousands of years ago it gave groups that had it an edge over their rivals.

http://www.amazon.com/Faith-Instinct-Religion-Evolved-Endures/dp/B003B3NVZY/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1310152972&sr=8-3

[RevStPatrick]

3. Tens of thousands of years ago...

..."religion" was nothing like the brain viruses we have now.
It was naturalistic and didn't involve turning mythology into "fact."

I think both sentiments are correct.

[RZM]

4. I'm not so sure about that

I think it did probably involve turning mythology into fact . . . the idea that the sky gods or waters god or ancestor gods/whatever controlled/monitored/influenced things and that you were expected to observe certain rituals in order to reap the benefits of community membership (protection and food probably being the most important). After all, such rituals wouldn't exist unless there were some sort of reason for them to exist (meaning a translation of the mythology into actual real life actions)

The argument is that religious rituals and shared beliefs promoted closer bonds/trust/cohesion within groups and enabled them to kick the asses of other groups without such cohesive bonds.

We can't know for sure what those religions were like (they probably took many forms). Contemporary animist and hunter gatherer groups are the best proxies, but those comparisons might not be entirely apt.