MOST of the people who have ever lived believed in a god – or more likely, gods. Cognitive science tells us that human minds are extremely receptive to supernatural explanations for the world around us, and that religiosity is our default setting.
But the gods that our ancestors believed in weren’t like the ones that most people believe in today. Moralising was conspicuously absent from their agenda. Only about 2500 years ago did religions begin to preach about poverty, chastity and obedience.
To secular scientists, this is an interesting empirical fact in…
Thou shalt not tell us how to behave any more
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