Answerer:
Of course, you are right, hannah, except you are describing history—humans used to anthropomorphize nature (literally, not figuratively). You mentioned cultural evolution. Where I think a big part of the problem lies is in religious adaptation. Evolution would entail putting the book up on the shelf and referring to it only as a matter of historical academic interest (Atheism), not carrying it around trying to figure out what and how it applies to everyday modern living. There are aspects of all human history and all cultures that serve as remnants of humanity’s past. As long as we cling to those ancient religious traditions and practices in whatever form, we are adapting, not evolving. I might want to keep the original paella recipe on the shelf and pull it out every now and then to keep Spanish culture alive, but it doesn’t help me with my lasagna, nor do I eat it everyday, and it doesn’t keep me from eating canned soup.
Well, instead of giving up the anthropomorphism, it has become more nuanced. So we understand the geology and know that volcanoes erupt due to plate techtonics, but many still say that God set up the whole system and can tweak it at will to get our attention.
It’s such a powerful meme. It has hung on since as far back as we can trace human history. This is perhaps because it helps to organize human cultures, and well-organized human cultures are those that succeed. Probably the genes giving people a disposition to believe in religion have been selected.
So atheists will have a hard time disabusing the human race of its belief in god or gods. What do they offer for the alternative, WBCC? Not quite something you can write a hallelujah chorus about. Though, personally, I agree “there is a grandeur in this view of life.” But that view is not stirring or comforting or motivating to most people; whereas the almighty love and punishment model is.
Not sure what the solution is.
