Johannesburg - The human brain has evolved to believe in religion.
This is the view of professor Hansie Wolmarans from the department of Greek and Latin studies at the University of Johannesburg.
Wolmarans is part of a group of academics from around the world who are looking into a relatively new area of study that looks into the persistence of faith and asks why human beings believe in the existence of God.
Wolmarans said he came across research looking into the structure of the brain during evolution and how the brain’s development led to the belief in the supernatural.
He said evidence of belief surfaces around the same time that language developed, about 70 000 to 80 000 years ago.
At this point, humans began believing in the supernatural and asking questions about why we are here and where we are going.
Wolmarans said all religions have the same thing in common – they all believe that history is structured and predetermined, they all have the notion that we consist of a body and a soul and that something exists after our body dies, and they are all centred on morality and ritual.
“People say humanity is growing out of religion, that we are moving away from believing in God, but actually most people have some sort of supernatural beliefs,” he noted.
“This is something unique to human beings.”
Wolmarans said one hypothesis is that belief is the product of the human mind, and we all believe because we have similar brains.
He said most religions ask believers to act uniformly, and it is a symbol of tribal unity. It fosters co-operation among others and also allows people to believe that life has meaning.
“Prayer and ritual also help us to control ourselves and the environment around us,” he said.
The professor spoke about the recent rise in murders during which satanism is cited as the reason for the crime.
He said there were elements of religion in satanism. For instance, people perform a ritual thinking they can control their environment through the supernatural, but there is something dysfunctional either in the psyches of the individual or within their family.
“Satanism goes against morality, although within their own group they believe they are acting morally,” Wolmarans added.
One study which looked at the belief of body and soul showed that it is a belief built into us.
Researchers worked with small children and found that even at a young age we believe in the soul, and that a part of ourselves will live on when we die.
The professor said the research has found that religion is important for society; in it we find hope and morality. But he says it can be used for good or bad, just like language. - The Star