More on Dennet & The Evolution of Religion
Published by Haseeb January 31st, 2006 in Science/MedicineSupernatural selection - The Boston Globe
I know alot of you dont care about this topic, and think it shouldnt be a concern or worry for Muslims, but I would argue otherwise. Materialism, scientism, however you want to put it, is very prominent in today’s pop-culture. And many of our Muslim brothers and sisters are losing their faith to these concepts. Without firm iman, its easily to lose faith and fall to these types of understandings. If you dont see it, you are living in a bubble and need to step outside and take a deeper look at reality and the world around you.
Here are some key excerpts form this article:
Daniel Dennett, however, is no great believer in respectful noninterference, and in his new book, ‘’Breaking the Spell: Religion as a Natural Phenomenon” (Viking), he argues vehemently against it. Religion, Dennett says, is human behavior, and there are branches of science to study human behavior…. “I’m not saying that science should do what religion does. I’m saying science should study what religion does.”
Dennett’s new book is concerned primarily with this more recent work, in which a new generation of researchers have begun to suggest that religion may be neither a matter of revealed truth nor willed ignorance, but something a bit more complicated.
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The Functionalist Explanation of Religion
His [David Sloan Wilson, a professor of anthropology and biology at Binghamton University] argument, which borrows … from Emile Durkheim, is simple: Religion evolved because it conferred benefits on believers. In terms of natural selection, human groups that formed religions tended to outcompete those that didn’t, surviving longer and propagating more. -
The Economic Explanation of Religion
Rodney Stark, [sociologist at Baylor University]: ‘’We’re thinking beings. People think about these things in the same way we think about getting married, or buying cars.” People join and remain in religious communities because for them the benefits-the sense of purpose, support and camaraderie-outweigh the costs. In his model, churches are like corporations, marketing a suite of services and competing for customers. An evolutionary explanation for religion, he says, ‘’isn’t any more necessary than finding a gene for algebra.” -
The Byproduct Explanation of Religion
Scott Atrain [cognitive anthropologist and psychologist with joint appointments at the University of Michigan and the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, in Paris]: (Religion is) ‘’an accidental byproduct of stuff that is part of human nature.” Religion, in this account, didn’t arise because it served any purpose, but because the human brain is amenable to certain supernatural ideas.
Ultimately, though, Dennett just wants people to question religion; he’s less concerned with how they do it.
If misguidance arises from ignorance, it is easy to dispel. But if it proceeds from science and learning, it is difficult to eliminate. [Badiuzzaman Said Nursi]
word.
the “quote” above was hot
The Functionalist Explanation of Religion
David Sloan Wilson
“…human groups that formed religions tended to out-compete those that didn’t, surviving longer and propagating more.”
Really means: “Religion meant more survival. Survival meant more sex. Sex meant more DNA propagation. More DNA propagation meant more DNA propagation. More DNA propagation meant more DNA propagation. More DNA propagation meant more DNA propagation. More DNA propagation meant more DNA propagation…”
• The Economic Explanation of Religion
Rodney Stark
“In his model, churches are like corporations, marketing a suite of services and competing for customers. An evolutionary explanation for religion, he says, ‘’isn’t any more necessary than finding a gene for algebra.”
Well, Muslims don’t have “corporate churches” buddy! Like Freud you make generalizations about religion by talking about Christianity and then referring it to every other religion (this happens in academia A LOT, because well, their whole culture is based on a considered rejection of Christianity).
The Byproduct Explanation of Religion
Scott Atrain ‘Religion is an accidental byproduct of stuff that is part of human nature.”
Mr. Atrain: “As you can see here, when we knock this enzyme in the pathway out it results in the build up of the previous substance, ‘religion’.”
Looks like the “A-train” takes you no where (hmm… a pattern in all of these theories?)
As usual no one comments on these types of posts which are arguably some of the most important issues affecting Muslims, especially Muslims in the West who are immersed in their higher education. It would be better if we were having constructive discussions with an aim to do something about these sort of issues rather than going on and on about Sufi Salafi like we did on that other post.
I agree. Such topics are of vital importance. However, not all “religious” Muslims have an understanding of issues of scientism, materialsm, evolution…
“Ultimately, though, Dennett just wants people to question religion; he’s less concerned with how they do it.”
What I am saying is that just as these persons of academia don’t have credible authority to knock down religion, it is not in the best interest of many lay religious persons to get involved.
Fair enough,
however, while that may hold true for many people, i dont think its true for the majority of people. Basically as soon as you step foot into higher academia (colleges and universities), or turn on the TV to “liberal pop-culture” these ideas are being propagated mainstream. You need not be working in a chemistry lab or in medical school to come across this type of thinking; its (at least subconsciously, if not at times, apparently) present in hollywood and the media, including, for example, The Simpsons, or South Park, which alot of people do watch.
Also another quick question: what will happen to those Muslims who base their faith on the “scientific miracles” in the Qur’an. They are ultimately basing their -what should be- permanent and absolute faith on something that is constantly changing. The “big bang” theory that is currently the fashionable theory for the beginning of the universe is something Muslims proudly say - that was in the Qur’an 1400 years ago! However, there are active efforts right now amongst the scientific community to change that theory to one where the universe is basically an eternal phenomenon that goes through cycles in which at a certain point at each cycle, new universes are created. The point is, if Muslims don’t start realizing how deeply their understanding of the essence of their faith has been infiltrated by foreign thought, it will be at best a hindrance, and at worst a means for shaking their faith (which is what happens a lot more than we in our isolated “religious” communities think it does).
Just something to think about.
Interesting point Mujahada. Never really thought about it that way. I remember at the RIS convention, everyone was amazed and moved when Dr. Zakir Naik highlighted all the scientific miracles of the Quran. Basing your faith the miracles is one thing, but using them to link with modern scientific knowledge seems fine to me. It can serve as a way to enhance the faith of many.
Haseeb, regarding your point about “these ideas are being propagated mainstream”… Some Muslims argue that because this is the case, TV should be done away with, children should be home-schooled, and Madrasa education before University education is a must. You might say this is isolating yourself from society, but the ends might include more believers, even if they are deemed “ignorant” by some. Hope you understand what I’m trying to say.
The question is, what can practically be done. Is the masjid a proper setting for the discussion of such issues? Oh yea, it falls on the parents to raise there kids with good understanding. This is true. However, when parents themselves are hanging on thin ice, it can’t be good news for kids.
Usman, I agree with you. Basing one’s faith on it is one thing but seeing it as a part of the miracle of the Qur’an is another, good way of looking at it that is beneficial for people.
I don’t think that doing those things are isolating one from society, because they can be done in ways that are beneficial for the children while keeping kids involved. For example, nowadays we have the choice in what channels we want to keep on TV (although I argue that it does more harm than good, and DVDs and such are easier to gain controlled exposure through), home-schooling can and is often done in groups with children from other faiths who are part of the culture but whose values are are higher than most - and yes, a madrassah may not be needed, but certain fundamentals in fiqh, aqeeda and Qur’an must be taught -at an early age- and be continued in some fundamental way throughout one’s years of learning - most Muslims lack the basics, and that doesn’t have to be solved by long-term madrassahs, but appropriate exposure at appropriate ages and times. Also, kids will be exposed to the society no matter what. You can’t hide anyone from it - in our modern world with the various means of communication and our dependence on having to travel to places for basic needs, people will always be exposed to the society well enough. What my complaint is that our minds and hearts are THE MOST precious and THE MOST private thing. If my worldview is going to have elements of a dead European’s secular philosophy due to my upbringing in Western Education (which is all over the world, not just in the West) then I want a genuine Islamic world view to filter through that, keep what is beneficial and chuck out what is contradictory and harmful. That is not going to come by attending Islamic schools on the weekend for 3 hours and then sitting in classes where values are supposedly never taught (they are secular values taught implicitly by the fact that no values are taught… sounds silly but it’s true). This is why my personal goal and dream is to be part of creating a school for kids that integrates hollistically based on the Islamic tradition the fard ayn and fard kifaya knowledges (the differentiation of dunya knowledge and akhira knowledge in my eyes is not part of our heritage)… a place where we can learn the sciences that have been advanced by the Western intellectual tradition but based on an Islamic world view, on our own terms. One of the mistakes people make is thinking that technology and the various sciences are value-neutral. They aren’t at all. They are borne out of human society and are furthered by humans who have values and thus there is really no real situation where they are value-less themselves. Muslims need to recognize that as a first step (there are those who are doing this by the way) and take the benefit, enhance it all on Islam’s terms - and then give it to the people, showing what we have to offer. I don’t know if I’m making any sense but… well, there you have it.
By the way which Usman are you?
Saleem
Usman Arshad Ghumman from Stony Brook. Insha’Allah
I’ll send my children to your school. Wait, that mean your school needs to be up and running like in 5-6 years. Wait, am I gonna even have kids? Oh shoot, I need to get married. On a serious note, your post made a lot of sense. Whoever is raised in the modern world, will indeed be bombarded my ungodly and anti-religious propaganda. Staying on the defensive is a lose-lose situation. I just find it frustrating when I see well-intentioned Muslims see Islam as nothing more than superficial and unpractical for everyday concerns. Man, that school idea is awsome. I pray that Allah 
blesses you with the Tawfeeq to open one up one day. PEACE
Assalamu Alaykum Usman,
I thought it was you, just wanted to make sure
Yeah I agree - Islam, subhanAllah is beautifully able to tackle societies problems effectively - Muslims on the other hand… that’s where we come in, we have to work!
Make du’a bro… it’s just an idea right now… who knows what will happen between now and then - may Allah
(swt) guide us all to use the blessings He’s given us in the way most pleasing to Him - ameen.
And yeah, get married insha Allah
, then the kids will come 
Salaam
Saleem