As an atheist, I’ve always found religion fascinating. I don’t believe in it, but I see it as a powerful and lasting part of human culture. Almost every society, no matter how isolated, has created some form of religion. Many of these societies share similar moral beliefs: don’t murder, don’t steal, help your neighbor, protect the innocent. This almost universal nature prompts an interesting question: did religion create morality, or did it build on ethical instincts that already existed?
After years of studying cognitive science, anthropology, and evolutionary psychology from a secular viewpoint, I view religion not as a divine truth but as a natural and often unintended result of how human brains function.
The Cognitive Byproduct Theory
The main secular explanation today is that religion isn’t something humans consciously invented. Instead, it’s an unintended outcome of mental tools developed for survival.
This idea is often referred to as the “Standard Model” in the cognitive science of religion. It suggests that many fundamental religious beliefs arise from common psychological processes that helped our ancestors survive, especially:
– Agency detection: When you hear a rustle in the bushes, it’s safer to assume it’s a predator rather than the wind. False positives (thinking something is alive when it isn’t) are low-cost; false negatives (missing a real threat) can
be deadly. This heightened agency detection makes it easy to perceive invisible agents—spirits, ancestors, gods—acting in the world.
– Theory of mind: We naturally assign intentions, emotions, and beliefs to others. It’s a small leap to extend that to storms, rivers, or the universe itself.
– Pattern-seeking and meaning-making: Humans dislike randomness. We are wired to seek purpose and explanations everywhere, even in coincidences.
These cognitive shortcuts lead to what researchers call “minimally counterintuitive” beliefs—ideas that stick in our minds because they break certain expectations (a person dies) while meeting others (but keeps watching us). Beliefs like “there’s a spirit in the tree” or “thunder is divine anger” emerge spontaneously among children and adults in different cultures.
Over time, cultures take these basic, intuitive beliefs and shape them into comprehensive theologies with gods who have preferences, moral codes, and origin stories.
From Raw Belief to Organized Religion
Ideas that begin as vague spiritual intuitions get influenced by social forces: – Shared stories and rituals build strong group identity.
– Beliefs in supernatural watchers (gods who see everything) promote cooperation even among strangers.
– Rituals, such as prayer, dance, and sacrifice, foster emotional connections and release oxytocin, similar to grooming among primates.
Interestingly, even chimpanzees engage in repetitive, rhythmic actions in front of waterfalls or fires that can resemble early forms of rituals or “rain dances.” Some primatologists carefully refer to these as “proto-religious.” The desire to ritualize awe-inspiring experiences may be ancient.
The Dark Side of a Useful Illusion
This is where things get complicated.
Religion has clearly helped human groups bond, cooperate, and thrive. However, it also brings a cost that we still face today.
Many societies now link morality with religious belief. Being “good” is often unconsciously associated with being “godly.” This creates a harsh double standard: religious individuals are seen as trustworthy and altruistic, while atheists are treated with suspicion.
Real experiments support this notion. In one study with hundreds of participants, people were about 20 times more likely to think a stranger would help a lost child if they were told that the person was religious rather than an atheist—even when no other information was provided.
This bias isn’t harmless. It encourages discrimination, justifies violence, and isolates non-believers in many areas of the world. Worse, religious identity has been used to oppress minorities, ignite wars, and hinder social progress—all in the name of ideas that likely started as cognitive quirks.
Final Thought
Religion began as a way to bond, an accidental strength for group survival. But like fire, it can warm and burn.
We shouldn’t demonize religious individuals—most are kind, genuine, and trying to do good. However, we must stop pretending that morality is exclusive to religion or that atheism equates to immorality.
The same species that created gods also developed human rights, science, and secular ethics. Maybe it’s time we trusted ourselves—without divine oversight—to continue being good.
