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11
11
Sounds logical. No way!
Debate Score:22
Arguments:12
Total Votes:25
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 Sounds logical. (7)
 
 No way! (5)

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The evolution of religion

Archeological evidence combined with research on cultures from around the globe shows a general trend that can be traced by time, technology, and size of population. It is likely that the earliest human societies had no gods and were purely animist (believing everything had a persona or magical powers). With a few exceptions, animism today tends to be found primarily in small, isolated societies with very low technology. Polytheism seems to have been almost universal among growing civilizations around the world until the Abrahamic religions slowly began overtaking the old ways in popularity. Monotheism has been the leader for some time now, and monotheistic societies tended to be more technologically sophisticated than their polytheistic neighbors for centuries. Now atheism is gradually gaining in popularity globally, and we are now more populous and more technologically advanced than we have ever been.

Is all of this a coincidence, or has the human spiritual condition gradully evolved over time and in response to our knowledge of the world around us and increasing size of population? Do the number of supernatural entities we believe in (everything being supernatural, to everything being controlled by a finite pantheon, to everything being controlled by one god, to none) instinctively decrease as our understanding of science increases and our globalism increases? Will there come a time when the majority of the world is atheist? Or is there some better explanation for the spiritual trends seen in history?

Sounds logical.

Side Score: 11
VS.

No way!

Side Score: 11
1 point

I believe that many factors change the belief in god/s, in the beginning gods where a way to explain the unexplainable, later they where used to conquer fear i.e. medicine was severely lacking and people died at birth, young ages and of diseases that we can now cure with a pill, god was needed to give comfort that if you die you will go to a better place. These days, except for the few fundamentalists around, we can have a good and fulfilling life on earth and no reason to wish for an after life as this one is good enough and just getting better year by year.

The most religious people in the world are always the poorest, must subjugated, most prone to death because of a lack of medicine/technology or have an overbearing religious culture, that says if you don't believe we will shun/kill you (like Saudi Arabia, where i currently live).

In short: good, healthy life = less belief in god,

poor, diseased, suffering life = more belief in god, or at least the hope that there has to be something better than this crap!

Side: Sounds logical.
2 points

Thank you.

Although it is technically irrelevant to this conversation: A few years ago my closest friend was a girl from Saudi. Officially, she is an American citizen, but she was born there and lived there from ages 0-3 and 6-12, and has re-visited more than a dozen times since. The conversations I had with her about her experiences there actually played some role in fomenting this hypothesis.

So know that you aren't alone :)

Side: Sounds logical.
2 points

The way I see this evolution of religion through time is because of the human desire to have power. When we changed from animism to polytheism, some had to be the connections to "The higher powers", thus creating an upper class of those who were able to communicate or were servants of these powers.

Again, when we changed to monotheism, I believe it was because a smaller elite wanted to gain more power, allowing only one power to fewer servants, who then became an even higher class.

Now, when we turn to atheism, I have two theories:

One, we figured out we didn't want to be second to power, and pushed over the deity, or

Two, our technology became so advanced that we have begun to realize that there's no room for a deity in our universe.

Side: Another approach
3 points

What you describe is another factor of the theory that I didn't go into just because the whole thing was long enough already. Also, that is partially covered by the population increase. As populations get larger and interact more and more with other populations, the need/desire for power increases. So I actually agree with you, although I think knowledge of the world around us as at least a big a factor. Your second proposal actually goes along quite well with that hypothesis, at least in the end stage.

Side: Sounds logical.
TheDane(24) Disputed
3 points

I have a little trouble seeing how the invention of the wheel, agriculture and alike have affected our religious views.

Surely, when civilizations form, war of territories are bound to happen and such a community could have formed an "us vs. them" mentality, giving nourishment to monotheism, but please give me your explanation.

Side: Sounds logical.
1 point

I definitely think that the overall trend from belief in religion to non-belief in religion is the result of scientific advances - the god-of-the-gaps theory. The more science is able to explain, the less religion is needed to do the explaining.

What I'm not so sure of is whether or not it's accurate to rank religious sophistication by the number of gods worshipped, and how well this pattern corresponds to real-life religions and societies. I do see the logic behind your theory, and I believe you're thinking along similar lines to me. But this is how I'd describe it:

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In early times, people were looking for explanations to questions about the physical world: What is life, how did the world come to be, what determines what happens next? So they postulated the existence of gods. These were very practical gods, invented by practical people, designed to explain practical things, so they tended to be very physical, very active in intervening with the world and with human life, and rather anthropomorphic. This is true not only of polytheistic gods but also the monotheistic God. In the Bible he talks to people, walks with people, and sends angels (which I think is the monotheistic version of lesser gods) to run his errands. It even describes the physical appearance of Heaven, God, and the angels.

But people are drawn to the best and most logical explanations for things, so as science began offering competing explanations for physical phenomena, it usually won out. Eventually most religious people could predict that science will continue encroaching on religious territory until one day their religion dies out.

To save religion from extinction, they began to alter the basic concepts. They turned it into a more psychological matter, thinking that was safe because (back in those times) psychology was not explainable by science. You don't look to religion to tell you why the sun rises; you look to religion for happiness and moral support. The Devil is not so much a physical manifestation as it is an evil power and a voice in your head that constantly tempts you to sin.

But after some centuries, the academic study of psychology appeared, and again started providing more logical-sounding explanations and treatments than what religion offered. Crazy people weren't possessed and didn't need exorcism; they had mental illnesses and needed psychotherapy. Immorality is not spiritual wrongdoing but succumbing to animal instinct. And so forth.

In order to survive, religion adapted again. It is now a spiritual matter: about experiencing God and his love. Spiritual faith is something that transcends both science and psychology, hence it survives to the present day. This is why it's so difficult to convince a religious person that their religion is false by showing them that it runs counter to science - they will just tell you that religion is above the laws of science and the physical world.

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This is a very simplistic theory, and is very Judeo-Christian-centric. But similar cases can be found in many old religions that have survived to present times, e.g. I think it fits Buddhism quite well.

Side: Another approach
2 points

I do pretty much completely concur. The decrease in number of deities over time does fascinate me regardless. It does seem to correspond with an increase in power of the deity (until, of course, we reach atheism, which has interesting implications itself.)

Pretty much any answer to the question would be excessively simplistic, as there are many factors involved and exceptions to every rule. But I appreciate your thorough and thoughtful response.

And Buddhism is a rather unusual occurrence all around. I sometimes wonder if, in a world where religion had almost faded entirely away, if it would be the last one standing.

Side: Sounds logical.
0 points

You are A genius.Now explain Hypnosis and Ouija boards.In fact, Go BUY ONE.And (try to) give a Hypotheses.

Side: No way!
icwhyte(64) Disputed
1 point

you are just rude! This is a debate so try debating! Don't just hurl insults you ignoramus. Didn't your mother ever teach you "if you don't have something nice to say then say nothing at all"

Side: Sounds logical.