First class stuff, thanks for the links screwtape - makes a lot of sense to me
I've got one tiny bit of puzzlement about it ... if women don't naturally make the Beavis & Butthead mistake, how come so many of them make such good theists?
Perhaps there's a bit of
faking things to please their men
Another thought - while it's a potential explanation of why people are predisposed to believe in gods, it's not a satisfactory explanation for the power of religion to distort peoples lives in such a variety of bizarre ways. For that we need to factor in some additional devious creative force or incentive i.e. the real benefits for clergy who shape and exploit a 'tribal' loyalty around their particular brand of the meme. The immoral manipulation of the gullible into obsequious dependency and misplaced generosity. It's the power of the payoff for clergy - influence, admiration, sex, wealth, and all the perks and benefits of sheltered employment.
