Why things like religion are so catchy

Best as I can see, there is one difference between Christianity and the other memes given as examples. Simply put, people were persecuted and put to death by the Romans for their belief in Christianity. Now, if I were threatened with death if I did not stop humming a catchy tune, I think I would quit humming the tune. End of the meme.

Christianity offered benefits but also pretty severe consequences for followers, thus I think if it were a meme it would have died out quickly. But instead it flourished in spite of the persecution.

You can't really compare religion to something like humming a catchy tune. They are both memes, of that I am quite certain, but different types (or degrees rather). The definition of a meme is things that spread, generation after generation. Persecution is/was not the only thing people get/got from religion. They also get acceptance, a feeling of empowerment knowing that "only they are right", knowing that they are "going somewhere" after life ends, unconditional love, and answers to some of their deep burning questions about existence and personal conduct. So, why wouldn't an idea like religion survive despite all it's drawbacks? The benefits people get from believing in a god are enough of an incentive to keep them believing, despite the risks involved. They appeal to everything in us that makes us human. That is why religion is so hard to resist. And, let's face it, not everyone that ever believed in a god suffered at the hands of sadistic Romans wanting entertainment (or others like them). Many of them had others around them reinforcing the "bug," and plenty of regular disappointments in life to keep them running back to religion. "Give me love. Give me answers." If you're an atheist (or just the "I'll believe it when I see it" type like I am), you look for answers through solid evidence, not the ones pulled out of a hat. And solid evidence has thus far shown religion to be nothing more than deep-rooted human yearnings. Personally, I'd rather know the truth than believe a sketchy "maybe."

Humans will always create crutches and diversions for themselves, to avoid the constant thought that life is essentially meaningless. Now, accepting that is not neccessarily a bad thing. In fact, I think it frees you to actually sit back and simply enjoy the beauty of what surrounds you. Now, I have known some religious types who were indeed all about "me me".

Good post, cavfancier. True true.

It's inherent in the human brain to believe there is something more powerful than us puny humans. We're at the top of the mountain on the animal kingdom heap, and many can't accept it, so they create gods. It provides them with comfort and security - and a chance at life after death.

Religion is catchy ONLY because people are weak. It is the one and ONLY reason that people buy into such crap.

"Why things like religion are so catchy"

Why is immortality attractive?

And the answer to all mysteries..?

And..?

I think the appeal to religion is that it attempts to answer questions that are beyond our comprehension as humans. "Why are we here?" is the classic example. You could ask 100 people that question and receive 100 different answers. That probably explains why there are so many different religions around the world, one for each answer to the age old ontological question

niquefan, Welcome to A2K. However, I must challenge your post that makes the claim that 100 people will have 100 different answers on "why we are here." In the US, about 90 percent will say god created us. The remaining 10 percent are a mixture of the non-religious and atheists - except on A2K where a high percentage of contributors are agnostic or atheist.

cicerone imposter, I'm afraid I may have been misinterpreted. According to your response, the 90% of people who say that God created us are answering the question HOW are we here, not WHY are we here. To take the question one step further, why did God create us? What purpose do we serve? Was he lonely? Was he bored? I am of the opinion we will never know because it's a question that is beyond our means of comprehension. At any rate, I'm happy to be here, thank you for welcoming me

The "how" is easy for us atheists; our parents had sex. The religious folks will say god was responsible for our birth - or god created us. As to the "why," religious folks says it's god's plan for us. Atheists say, we live according to the laws of nature and in the society in which we live.

People are scared of what they don't understand. We don't understand death, or what the afterlife may be like.

People have trouble realizing that life is unfair, many times the "bad guys" win, while the innocent suffer and die.

The concept that our lives and this world we live in might be "all there is" is too painful for most.


So, what do you do? You pray to God. Whether he's invented or real, he's there to give people hope and comfort. Whatever floats your boat, I say. I just wish they wouldn't use him as an excuse to kill and steal from other people.

Re: Why things like religion are so catchy


I'm going to follow the "meme" theme and answer this way...

The meme for religion is insidious. It nestles in the thoughs of its host, offering rewards for belief and punishment for doubt. For some it truely rewards, and they spread it with all good intention. For others it offers a means of control (over others), and they spread it for without even knowing why, compelled by their own capture. Some people build their whole world view around the meme and cannot relate to anything without it. They become the meme, and spread it with every fiber of their being.

Some of the religious memes are gentle, and others are severe, but they are all compelling because they are entwined with our deepest needs and hidden within the cracks of our philosophy for understanding the world.

I find it hard to imagine a form of mind control more insidious than taking a small child and telling them that they must believe something on pure faith, that they will be judged by an omniscient being who can read their deepest thoughts, and that they will be punished for eternity for any shred of doubt. The cycle of infection which follows each generation begins with the corruption of free thought, and the forced indoctrination into "pure faith". This meme has lived in the human psyche for several thousand years now, flowing from generation to generation, with little sign of dimishing potency. Very impressive.