The good god guide
Tentatively, scientists are asking: exactly what is religion, and what is it for?
RELIGION is ubiquitous but it is not universal. That is a conundrum for people trying to explain it. Religious types, noting the ubiquity (though not everyone is religious, all human societies have religions), argue that this proves religion is a real reflection of the underlying nature of things. Sceptics wonder why, if that is the case, it comes in such a variety of flavours, from the Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church to the cargo cults of Papua New Guinea—each of which seems to find the explanations offered by the others anathema.
This article appeared in the Science & technology section of the print edition under the headline "The good god guide"
From the April 23rd 2011 edition
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