<< Religion really isn't about God. It's about the fact that humanity has a disease, doesn't know it and doesn't want to know it. Once in a while somebody gets well, usually with the clues contained in religions started by previous exemplars of health. Religion is a science. What we see is the outward manifestation of an inner science of development layed down by people who understand disease because they are well. As a basic formulation you can think of it this way. The self that we know ourself to be is the false self, an ego construct, a buffer against tremendous inner pain. God, the example of God, religious rules and laws, and the sincere practice of trying to live by what that implies, brings us more in line with the true healthy self. Occassionally a practitioneer will become so successful at his religion that he transcends the false self. He undergoes crucifixion and rebirth. >>
Nice theory, but it's full of holes.
How about this theory:
When looking back at history, one can make an interesting observation, namely that every civilization has known some kind of religion. Since not all of these civilizations knew of each others existance, the logical conclusion is therefore that an ideology like a religion is a necessary part of a developing civilization.
Because of the fact that religions are in fact very intolerant ideologies (they're based on one or more 'sacred' texts, which are always assumed to contain the truth), they form rigid structures, providing a developing civilization with a set of ethics, laws to judge and punish people and other things which form an essential part of every society. Everyone knows what is acceptable and what is not, therefore people can concentrate on other things, like building houses, creating tools and hunting, farming and keeping cattle.
New ideas which do not comply with the text(s) on which the ideology is based are forcefully rejected. This mechanism maintains the order in a society, because if the ideology would be discredited and thefore prove to be false, the society would crumble. Anarchy would reign.
Of course, due to Human nature, curiosity always plays a role in Human behaviour, therefore people will still research phenomena and everything else which makes them curious.
The new discoveries will be kept secret by many underground groups, which form a minority. This minority is unable to form a threat to society, but their ideas will be slowly accepted by the majority. If possible they'll be integrated into the ideology.
After many centuries, people will start to realize that the ideology which has been followed blindly by almost everyone for so long is flawed. Some of these will refuse to have anything to do with such ideologies anymore and become a follower of another ideology, which systematically denies everything religions present as being the truth. Others will simply refuse to follow any of these intolerant ideologies, of these some will still keep researching the truth behind what these ideologies say is true, others will remain passive, yet still be open for new ideas, but they won't actively research any ideas presented by the ideologies.
Some centuries later, depending on the acquired knowledge (curiosity; science), those who still blindly follow any of the intolerant ideologies will become a minority. They won't disappear for a long time, but their influence on society has become almost non-existant.
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Sounds far more plausible to me.
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