Overall, Has Religion Done More Harm Or Good?
More Good
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More Harm
Side Score: 2
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There is no way to tell for sure because humanoids evolved over millions of years. Did Neanderthals have religion? How about Orrorin tugenensis' religion? Yet, overall religion does more harm than good in the last 6,000 year of recorded history. First, religion is a mind virus. Like protein coat based viruses there is virus competition. Meaning, when religion does good it is by ousting an even worse religion. For example, Christianity when first formed is like the radical Republican party. Christians did some good, kicked out the incredibly malevolent Zeus worshipers and then sold out and did a bunch of harm. Religion and health seem a particularly deadly combo. People have died delaying medical treatment in the name of faith. Side: More Harm
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There is no way to tell for sure because humanoids evolved over millions of years. Did Neanderthals have religion? How about Orrorin tugenensis' religion? I think you're getting ahead of yourself here. Orrorin Tugenensis was little more than a bipedal chimpanzee which lived millions of years ago, so no, they wouldn't have had religion. Neanderthals possibly might have had primitive forms of religion, but they only died out about 30,000 years ago, so you're jumping across a massive evolutionary gap. Humanoids are the result of an evolutionary process, yes, but that doesn't mean you can go back millions of years and assume human ancestors had the same cognitive capabilities. Religion requires the ability to visualise outside your immediate personal experience, and also the ability to communicate ideas, so while many modern humans consider it backwards, as far as evolution is concerned it implies a highly advanced species. I agree with much of what you've said, so I don't want to be too critical. There are similarities between religion and a common virus, but on the other hand if religion had no evolutionary benefit would it have survived? Side: More Good
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"but on the other hand if religion had no evolutionary benefit would it have survived?" Another-Alt Yes, religion could survive if it was neutral. There are plenty of genes in the human genome which are effectively useless. A good example is redundant genes. Another way is if religion was bad for humans overall, but self-perpetrating. For example if religious leaders were more likely to reproduce. Side: More Good
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