Belief necessary?

[Timo]

Is the need of a faith, belief system (call it what you will), necessary for human beings. Is it hard-wired into us, into our genetic code?

I can remember a time I believed everything that my parents taught me about the bible, and about Jesus Christ. I knew we Lutherans were right and everyone else had it wrong. It was plain and simple, and made life easier to go through, having a faith. Then later in life, I drifted to atheism and disbelieving all that was drilled into my head as a child, the fairy-tales and stories of superstition. In this stage of my development, I felt empty, without purpose or anything at all really. Was deluding myself into believing really something I needed to help me feel "fullfilled"? I think so now. Since then I've taken up the beliefs and gods of my ancestors, and I feel fullfilled, and no longer empty. I think that these beliefs, whatever they maybe for someone else, are essential to human developement and psychology of the human mind. Perhaps this "need" helped out humans along our evolutionary path - I am not sure. I just know that I like myself as a 'Heathen' and I feel better with myself now. Even if I am deluding myself with false superstitions, it doesn't matter. What matters to me is how I feel spiritually and personally as I go through this mess called life.

So is belief in something, anything more than us, necessary?
I think it is.

[Graeme]

I don't accept that 'belief' as in religious is hardwired into our brains. It is just the result of having a big brain. I doubt cats have beliefs. Knowing as Rene said, cogito, ergo sum and having a mortality does seem to favour a belief system in the religious sense. Even the most cold blooded, unemotional and logical person has beliefs that have no basis in fact and reality. Ah, death, does that to people.

I was brainwashed as a child to believe in Christianity, two forms, Presbyterianism and Catholism. It did not work on me. Saying that and studying history, the past, religious beliefs in Gods, afterlife, pa, Elysian fields and so on, the need to believe in something outside of ourselves into a metaphysical world is very strong. I am like Don Juan in Moliere's play, I will hold the statue's hand and be dragged into hell rather than give in to Christian concepts.

[Timo]

Even the most cold blooded, unemotional and logical person has beliefs that have no basis in fact and reality.

Then I say to you that those people all have a belief system.

Ah, death, does that to people.

I never understood the fear of death. Even when through all the stages of my life, I never feared death (i feared pain). I think especially when I was atheist. What could be better than to not exist after death? It is like being alseep forever, but not dreaming or anything. I like to think though that I will see my ancestors after death. But then I believe that eventually we will all die agian when the 9 worlds are destroyed in Ragnarök.