Atheists are having it too easy.

[Didimus]

My auntie Molly did. But in the end more comfort came from the Brandy. Or so she imagined.

Maybe your Aunt Molly knew better than you think.
Why I no longer believe religion is a virus of the mind | Sue Blackmore | Comment is free | guardian.co.uk
"Apparently not, given data suggesting that religious people are happier and possibly even healthier than secularists. And at the conference, Ryan McKay presented experimental data showing that religious people can be more generous, cheat less and co-operate more in games such as the prisoner's dilemma, and that priming with religious concepts and belief in a "supernatural watcher" increase the effects."

[Cato]

Maybe your Aunt Molly knew better than you think.
Why I no longer believe religion is a virus of the mind | Sue Blackmore | Comment is free | guardian.co.uk
"Apparently not, given data suggesting that religious people are happier and possibly even healthier than secularists. And at the conference, Ryan McKay presented experimental data showing that religious people can be more generous, cheat less and co-operate more in games such as the prisoner's dilemma, and that priming with religious concepts and belief in a "supernatural watcher" increase the effects."

None of that goes to proving the truth about theism, just demonstrates that it has some utility.

[MauriceColgan]

Maybe your Aunt Molly knew better than you think.

I don't think so.

She lived a long life in the dark.

No Beethoven symphonies were heard in her home!!!

[nozzferrahhtoo]

Why I no longer believe religion is a virus of the mind | Sue Blackmore | Comment is free | guardian.co.uk

Nice to see the honesty of science once again admitting when new data shows it is wrong...

... however in this case I think Sue is a little too quick to throw up her hands. Her entire article is saying she was wrong simply because religion seems to give a reproductive advantage.

So what? Many viruses actually do. Some of them even cause females of the species to act sexier, and more promiscuous and thus also cause an increase in reproductive tendancies. The best known example of this would be Toxoplasmosis.

Her thesis is a good one, and it needs much refinement, but throwing up her hands and ditching it would be a step too far, too soon.

[stringjack]

Maybe your Aunt Molly knew better than you think.
Why I no longer believe religion is a virus of the mind | Sue Blackmore | Comment is free | guardian.co.uk
"Apparently not, given data suggesting that religious people are happier and possibly even healthier than secularists. And at the conference, Ryan McKay presented experimental data showing that religious people can be more generous, cheat less and co-operate more in games such as the prisoner's dilemma, and that priming with religious concepts and belief in a "supernatural watcher" increase the effects."

[Toland]

Sue Blackmore has missed the point olympically.

The alleged fact that Religion is evolutionarily adaptive is not to say that it's good for one.

[fluffykontbiscuits]

LOL I made that point a few weeks back....