What religion do you follow?

[Bree Fletcher]

While I'm not a fan of organized religion, I remember reading a rather interesting and well-done medical study that concluded that the human brain is hard-wired to believe in a higher power. I've had a lot of interesting discussions that stem from that. Are humans designed to believe in a god or gods? If so, by whom/what? Have we done this to ourselves with thousands of years of spirituality? Why did we become spiritual creatures in the first place? Was it the hardships and uncertainties of life and if so, are animals also spiritual?

Fascinating topic, I think.

here, I think I've said this once or twice, but this is why I think humans are "hard-wired to believe in a higher power." Darwinism!

Here we have man just barely becoming sentient. He now realizes that he will eventually die, no matter what he does to try to prevent it. He might as well not bother living. How is this problem solved? Interestingly enough, a little bit of insanity on someone's part becomes a survival trait: This person believes that there is a kind of immortality after death. Now, there is a reason to live, pass on genes, and do whatever it takes to ensure the survival of the species in a wholesome Darwinian manner. This predilection toward religion actually becomes encoded in our genes.

Anyway, by this logic, animals would not be likely to revere any kind of deity, though I can't prove this.