God gets you for dishonesty

[B. de Corbin]

How punitive, omniscient gods may have encouraged the expansion of human society

Surely, many factors played a role. Agriculture, for instance, provided resources that could sustain greater numbers of people. However, over the past few years, evidence has been accumulating that religious beliefs and practices may have stimulated our willingness and ability to engage in fair, cooperative behavior with many random, anonymous people. This level of cooperation can be used to create larger social networks and societies; but it can also bring people together to engage in collective violence and conflict.

Personally, I wonder if this is an example of cause being confused with effect - do people who value honesty and cooperation invent gods that like honesty and cooperation, or do people create gods that value honesty and cooperation, then become honest and cooperative as a result?

Looks like the former to me... But then, I am pretty sure that gods are invented.

[Fenrir]

Re: God gets you for dishonesty

I figured people gave god "better qualities" than themselves as would be useful for the time period f the religion's creation. Honesty being a useful thing for businessman so make it a godly attribute. Good and bad are lal really defined by cultural bias and then attributed ot their "creator."

[habbalah]

Re: God gets you for dishonesty

I think it's more sociological. If you were a lying, cheating dirtbag and you weren't in politics, you tended to be disappeared.

[Medusa]

Re: God gets you for dishonesty

Our findings also partially explain why some religions have dominated the globe; conquest, violence and conversion all require extreme levels of coordination and cooperation. Indeed, Christianity and Islam in particular often tout belief in a moralistic, punishing and omniscient deity, and these traditions have spread around the world.

So..in conclusion, if you want to spread your religion you can't do it haphazardly violent and torturous. You need to be a cooperative violent bunch. Gothcha. :=I:

[thalassa]

Re: God gets you for dishonesty

Personally, I wonder if this is an example of cause being confused with effect - do people who value honesty and cooperation invent gods that like honesty and cooperation, or do people create gods that value honesty and cooperation, then become honest and cooperative as a result?

Or a feedback loop.

I think "invented" is kind of not a right word. Inventions it has a certain connotation to it that doesn't quite work...no one person really invented music or democracy or kingship or art or language or painting, at least not in the same was that someone invented the telephone or the zipper.

We need a word for something that is a product of homologous and analogous cultural innovation and evolution.

[anunitu]

Re: God gets you for dishonesty

In my sad understanding,religion and other beliefs came from wishful thinking(hoping that there is more than just cruel blind fate that governs life)

[Hawkfeathers]

Re: God gets you for dishonesty

Or a feedback loop.

I think "invented" is kind of not a right word. Inventions it has a certain connotation to it that doesn't quite work...no one person really invented music or democracy or kingship or art or language or painting, at least not in the same was that someone invented the telephone or the zipper.

We need a word for something that is a product of homologous and analogous cultural innovation and evolution.

I see religion is a psychological form of convergent evolution.

[B. de Corbin]

Re: God gets you for dishonesty

Or a feedback loop.

I think "invented" is kind of not a right word. Inventions it has a certain connotation to it that doesn't quite work...no one person really invented music or democracy or kingship or art or language or painting, at least not in the same was that someone invented the telephone or the zipper.

We need a word for something that is a product of homologous and analogous cultural innovation and evolution.

This is probobly more accurate.

Maybe we can call these things "chicken or egg events."