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Originally Posted by CSflim
You're missing my point: Why have we evolved this "divine impulse"?
If you claim that we create/follow religions in order to find meaning in life, then religion is socially rather than biologically driven, and hence we could not have a "divine impulse", further-more it fails to adress the even deeper question: why do humans have a need to find "meaning" in their lives AND why is it that specifically religion is able to address this need....and so on.
I am neither agreeing nor disagreeing with the thread starter.
What I am saying is that simply plucking two seemingly arbitrary concepts out of thin air and declaring "THIS is the reason" is of no use to anybody and does not suffice as an explaination.
To illustrate my point:
"The reason that humans are so fundamentally different to animals is because humans make and wear clothes where as animals do not"
This is a worthless argument, because:
a)It assumes that humans are not animals
b)It assumes that humans and animals are fundamentally different
c)It assumes that "wearing clothes" is a sufficient explaination of the apparent 'fundamental differences' mentioned in b.
d)It fails to explain why humans wear clothes and animals do not.
a. Can be ignored on the account it it being mere pedantry b,c and d however are more serious objections.
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First off, let me just say that I do believe that humans are just another animal, we are not anything special, nor are we more "evolved".
Second, I have to disagree with your statement that religion is JUST socially driven, it is driven by both society and biology. Without a meaning or a reason to live, or the idea that we are part of something "larger", depression and other issues begin to set in. People stop doing what needs to be done for survival and growth because all they can think is "What is the point? I'm just gonna die anyways, and none of this is going to matter me." So the "divine impulse" becomes a helping factor of survival.
With humans being the only species on the planet(as far as I know) that is actually aware that at some point it is going to die, the matter of finding a purpose to life became a biological and social need. Religion came about as a direct result of this need, suddenly instead of us just existing with no purpose or reason to survive in a harsh and painful world, there came the idea that there is a reason for us to be here, we do have a purpose and it is worth the effort to survive.
Of course that is all assuming that we did evolve the "divine impulse" and weren't created by god(s) and/or goddess(es).