18. Byproduct of it's Benefits

Think about it—humanity didn’t sit around one day and say:

“You know what this hunter-gatherer setup needs? A priest.”

Instead, religious behavior seems to have emerged. Like acne in adolescence or unsolicited advice from aunties. It just showed up. And it stuck. Why?

Because it worked. Functionally. Socially. Biologically.

We’re not saying it was divinely programmed. We’re saying it was adaptive.

Let’s break it down.

1. Religion Is the Original Social Glue

Before Instagram communities and WhatsApp prayer groups, how did early humans maintain social order?

Rituals. Shared myths. Communal beliefs. Translation: religion.

1. You need people to work together in big groups?
2. Want to prevent folks from murdering each other over firewood?
3. Need loyalty beyond family ties?

Boom: invent an invisible supervisor in the sky who’s watching your every move and has very specific opinions about shellfish.

Studies show that large-scale cooperation becomes more sustainable when people believe in a moralizing, punishing deity. It’s like putting CCTV cameras in the cosmos.

2. Religion: Fertility’s Wingman Since 10,000 BCE

Let’s talk babies. The more tightly-knit a community, the more secure people feel. The more secure they feel, the more likely they are to do… repopulating activities.

Religious communities often emphasize:

1. Family
2. Marriage
3. Having kids
4. Not pulling out (don’t fight me, just read the doctrines)

This might explain why, across the globe, more religious populations tend to grow faster. And why secular societies, though often wealthier and healthier, face what we call “fertility slumps.”

Turns out, belief in God might be better for population growth than Tinder.

3. Group Identity: God’s Favorite Jersey

Religion gives you more than just moral rules and weekly potlucks—it gives you identity.

Us vs. Them.

Believer vs. Heathen.

People of the Book vs. People of the TikTok.

This isn’t just about theology. It’s about survival.

Groups with strong internal bonds and a shared worldview were more likely to defend each other, share resources, and outlast the guys chanting solo in the desert.

4. Existential Crisis Hotline

Imagine you’re a Paleolithic human. Your cousin just got stomped by a mammoth. You don’t have grief counselors or philosophical podcasts. You’ve just got fire, berries, and a deep fear of the night sky.

Religion gives you:

1. Explanations
2. Comfort
3. Meaning
4. The hope that your cousin is now chilling in Mammoth Heaven

Sure, none of it is provable, but certainty isn’t the point. Comfort is. And when people feel secure in their worldview, they can focus on not dying from diarrhea. Evolution loves that.

So… Is Religion Just a Useful Illusion?

Kind of like your grandma’s remedies that probably don’t work, but somehow always make you feel better?

Maybe.

Maybe belief systems evolved not because they’re true, but because they helped us:

1. Bond
2. Reproduce
3. Cope
4. Stay alive

And look—we’re not saying this proves religion isn’t true. We’re just saying its usefulness in evolutionary terms might explain why it stuck around so stubbornly, even when other beliefs (like that the earth is carried by a turtle) didn’t.

But Wait… Is That All?

Nah. Not quite.

Religion didn’t just piggyback on our psychology. It also shaped it. Our empathy, our moral instincts, our sense of purpose—these may have been reinforced by thousands of years of shared belief systems. It’s not a one-way street.

Religion may have started as an accidental evolutionary side effect, but over time, it carved out entire civilizations, inspired art and genocide (awkward combo), and gave us both Gregorian chants and televangelists.

Final Thought:

Religion might not have been built by evolution on purpose… but it sure got good PR.

And like that friend who started as a “temporary roommate,” it never left.

Because sometimes, the things that aren’t necessarily true… still manage to keep us alive.