DAY 360

CHALLENGE

“If religion has benefits for individuals and groups, why can’t we say that evolution has favored the development of religion, even though it has no bearing on reality.”

DEFENSE

Religion does have benefits (see Day 283), but this doesn’t lead to the conclusion that religious beliefs are false.

If it were possible to dismiss a belief as having no bearing on reality simply because adopting it has benefits from an evolutionary point of view (i.e., promoting the survival and reproduction of those who hold it), then we would have to dismiss a vast number of beliefs. ...