Religious Belief

I've often wondered what it was about people that requires a belief in some higher power. Back in the day when cave dude peaked from behind the rocks and saw the strange glowing yellow orb looming over head bringing warmth and light I can see where there was some confusion. Guessing warmth and light were most likely a welcomed thing coming out of an ice-age worshiping the sun was understandable.

By the same token, eating was probably pretty high on everyones activity lists. Keeping whatever mystical power that provided the crops happy by any means necessary was definitely a good idea. And of course procreation is always en vogue so you'd want to ensure that god's needs were taken care of as well. But as Man (as a species) slowly figured out what actually caused certain events the need for divine intervention diminished. Basically the smarter we got the fewer gods we needed until we were left with a single sort of catch all deity.

Now which particular flavor of religious Kool-Aide you ingest is completely subjective and coincidentally, protected by the 1st amendment of the constitution. Religious freedom is pretty much the reason for starting the "colonies" in the first place. Which is ironic because the Church of England pretty much exists because Henry VIII couldn't hang with what his religious leaders were trying to tell him at the time - but I digress.

The big question here is, although I understand the need for a belief in something intangible no matter what it's based on I don't get why it's necessary to believe in the same thing(s)? That is to say I get why you believe in what you do but why is it necessary for everyone else to believe in it as well? How did something that is by its very nature benevolent become the source of most of the intolerance and upheaval in the world?