The same way naturalism builds rubble. From Kathleen McAuliffe at Aeon:
Our ancestors reacted to parasites with overwhelming revulsion, wiring the brain for morals, manners, politics and laws
There’s a clear pattern to these findings, as an investigation by Mark Schaller and Damian Murray, psychologists at the University of British Columbia, reveals. People who are reminded of the threat of infectious disease are more inclined to espouse conventional values and express greater disdain for anyone who violates societal norms. Disease cues might even make us more favourably disposed toward religion. In one study, participants exposed to a noxious odour were subsequently more likely to endorse biblical truth than those not subjected to the polluted air.
When we’re worried about disease, it appears, we’re drawn not just to Mama’s cooking but also to her beliefs about the proper way to conduct ourselves – especially in the social arena. We place our faith in time-honoured practices probably because they seem like a safer bet when our survival is in jeopardy. Now’s not the time to be embracing a new, untested philosophy of life, whispers a voice in the back of your mind. More.
There seems to be an endless appetite for this kind of pseudo-explanation. Readers?
See also: Treating religious beliefs as a form of mental illness T While we all sleep, our betters have plans for us.
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