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Yakk · 03-09-2005, 01:22 PM

Religions are an example of the class of self-perpetuating ideas. Yes, they are powerful. Powerful things sometimes kill many people.

Religions do useful things for their hosts, but you must remember ideas only do good things for people who host them if that suits their own (historical) survival ends. And ideas are no smarter than genes, they don't predict the future.

I view the most useful thing that religion does is effectively reduce mankinds 'discount factor' on the future. The discount factor is the amount less that things are worth in the future than the present. (ie, would you pay 50 cents today for 1$ tommorrow? How about 99 cents today for 1 dollar in 50 years?) Even ignoring inflation and uncertainty, people discount the future at an average of around 6%/year.

But most/many religions give people a belief structure that values the far future as much as today. From Christianties heaven to reincarnation to many others, your actions today have infinite consequences formatted in a way that they should matter to you.

The Bible even has rules against charging interest (a form of future-discount)!

In effect, the Religions are (trying?) to make people act with more care about the arbitrary future.

That is a good thing that I think Religions do.

What they also do is encourage people to expand themselves and destroy/damage people who aren't a member/follower.

Blather over. =)

03-09-2005, 01:22 PM	#11 (permalink)
Yakk Wehret Den Anfängen! Location: Ontario, Canada	Religions are an example of the class of self-perpetuating ideas. Yes, they are powerful. Powerful things sometimes kill many people. Religions do useful things for their hosts, but you must remember ideas only do good things for people who host them if that suits their own (historical) survival ends. And ideas are no smarter than genes, they don't predict the future. I view the most useful thing that religion does is effectively reduce mankinds 'discount factor' on the future. The discount factor is the amount less that things are worth in the future than the present. (ie, would you pay 50 cents today for 1$ tommorrow? How about 99 cents today for 1 dollar in 50 years?) Even ignoring inflation and uncertainty, people discount the future at an average of around 6%/year. But most/many religions give people a belief structure that values the far future as much as today. From Christianties heaven to reincarnation to many others, your actions today have infinite consequences formatted in a way that they should matter to you. The Bible even has rules against charging interest (a form of future-discount)! In effect, the Religions are (trying?) to make people act with more care about the arbitrary future. That is a good thing that I think Religions do. What they also do is encourage people to expand themselves and destroy/damage people who aren't a member/follower. Blather over. =) __________________ Last edited by JHVH : 10-29-4004 BC at 09:00 PM. Reason: Time for a rest.