^^

not even to make it worthwhile, but to see cause and effect in nature

the trees grow because the tree gods willed them to

or perhaps each tree is a lesser spirit under the guidance of a forest god

either way lol

i think very strong beliefs of u-understood knowledge is basically religion, which predates humans.......to answer your question....

*un-

misunderstood?

un-understood

not understood

gotcha

I don't think you can say religion exists if people can't communicate that religion to each other, and that would apply to animals

The bids know nothing of precipitation, evaporation, boiling tempature......

and religion does require worship

*birds

there's a difference between religion and superstition

only that rain = worms

but do the birds actively worship a rain god in hopes he will grant them a blessing?

do the birds not pray for rain?

yes but they don't "think" about that cause and effect, their instincts just bring them in the direction of the worms because they evolved to doso

i suspect they perfom 'rituals' so that they find the lands in which there is rain....

evidence?

i think our brains are too big. stuff starts to form on it's own. pattern recognition engine never stops to work. that's why so many people are susceptible to conspiracies and religion.

I think you could definitely say that there's an adaptive reason for that

but not a genetic one**

yeah beliefs and religion are not genetic

it would be a behavioral adaptation

fair enough eric.......but look at any animal........what they thrive for (an ideal) & the repeating (sorry should be better word).....actions they do....

I don't know if you could even say that animals "thrive"

a lot of what drives animals to do what they do is instinct

butterflies go to S. America........is it instinct, or religion?

just like we can't control vitamin D forming in our skin, we can't control patterns forming in our brains

instinct

why?

its like salmon spawning season

whats the difference?

I mean I love my dog, but my dog only loves me in so far as I can provide it food and shelter. That's instinct

religion requires the ability to abstract

There is a fat at the end of the river which the salmon cannot exlain, only that he knows he must go there

yeah thats instinct

you may not understand chuch but you know you should show up on sundays?