I have a theory that religions survived because they were better then not having one at all. It is a better way to live for humans, and leads to long term survival. Ancient societies such as Egypt, Rome, Greece, along with the American Indians all had some form of religion and/or spiritualism, and I’m sure other successful societies had some form as well.
Has there been any ancient atheistic society that had long term success? Was there any ancient atheistic society at all? Yes I realize that to ancient people it is much easier to explain thing in ways that ‘god(s)’ did it, then to develop scientific reasons, and a atheistic society may not have developed due to that.
Buddhism is singularly instructive in analyzing your theory (which BTW seems to me to fit GD better than GQ, though I realize the second paragraph is asking factual questions).
As a discipline and metaphysic, it was in fact very much unrelated to religion in the customary sense of worship, instead focusing on the subjection of the ego. It was the ultimate in “self-help religion” – you achieved salvation (nirvana) by your own bootstraps. However, it fairly quickly evolved a series of pseudo-deities who would apply their own merit in your behalf. If we can accept that one common misuse of religion by a large number of people is what the Evangelical Sophomore Atheists of America terms “belief in a wish-granting magic sky pixie,” much of Mahayana Buddhism took Gautama’s “Eight Practical Ways for You to Come to Terms with the Universe” and transmogrified it into “Magic Bodhisattvas Will Save You.”
As for your general principle, let me offer that humans are social animals, which require to evolve means of living in community. Codes of ethics and moral behavior are, at rock bottom, means of doing so. And they become much more authoritative when handed down by The Mighty Grandfather Figure Who Lives Atop that Unscalable Mountain."
I think these characteristics of human nature are valid irrespective of the truth value of any religion’s claims.
At the dawn of civilization in China there were many mythologies drifting around. Yet as civilization grew, there was never (to my knowledge) any attempt to gather a true religion with authority figures and standardized texts and doctrines. Instead new philosophies were devised to deal with the issues that arose as civlization progressed. We often call these religions, particularly the teachings of Confucius, but his philosophy really isn’t any closer to a religion than Aristotle’s. It’s a complete philosophy embracing all aspects of society in his time, but without any supernatural elements.
Some of the ancient mythology persisted into modern times, obviously stronger in some areas of China than others. Throughout history new beliefs systems arose within China, and others (secular and religious) arrived from outside. Some of the beliefs at each stage were incorporated into the Chinese way of life, Buddhism in particular, but the Chinese never whole-heartedly accepted a religion.
I do not think it’s fair to consider ANY society to have any sort of long term success to begin with. How do you define success that it could apply to a society as a whole?
But to go with your premise - religious societies tend to band up to exterminate the infidels a lot more than agnostics or atheists band up to exterminate religious types (20th century not-withstanding).
The Soviets had official state athiesm. Their society per se was successful for decades - enough to put the first satellite and the first man into space. It was also a large one, spanning 11 time zones.