The Adaptive Value of Religious Ritual (Research Paper Sample)

THE ADAPTIVE VALUE OF RELIGIOUS RITUAL
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The Adaptive Value of Religious Ritual
History shows that religion and religious practices have ruled countries and states over the years. It was until the 20th Century that science has tried to take minds of people but even then, religion still dominates. There are many practices and religions in the world today, some are extreme, painful, and demoralizing yet evolved human beings still participate in them. Many religious practices are strange to an outsider and many people who adhere to these religious rules differentiate themselves physically from the rest of the population. Whereas some practices people wear apparels, other practices allow for surgical incisions on the bodies of its adherents (Steve 2006:21).
Some allow shaving of heads such as the moonies, Muslim women wear clothes that cover them, Native American such as the Apache boys bathe in ice cold water, girls in the Tukuna tribe pluck their hairs out, the Sudanese surgically cut their foreheads, and other native tribes from the continent circumcise their girls. There are diverse practices in the world and some that scientists have not explored and all of them are some form of religious practice. Behavioral sociologist assert that the time people spend using primitive methods for survival, occupy their time and prevent them from pursuing other activities. As a result, these people run to religion for consolation. However, despite scientific rationalism, the theory does not hold ground.
This paper will explore the rationale behind these practices despite science and the move for civilization. It also explores reasons that religious practices, beliefs, and institutions are important to human social life. These practices tend to survive despite efforts from governments to ban them and hence, they remain substantially constant over the years.
Human beings depend on cooperation for survival and hence religion provides a certain bias to promote feelings of fear and guilt, social cohesion, and a sign of loyalty. Behavioral ecologists suggest that dilemma leads to promotion of cooperation in a society and hence, the success of religion despite the inherent cost to its adherents. Ritual behavior solves the adaptive problem. The primary adaptive benefit of such practices is that it enhances cooperation within a community or group. Activities such as defense against attacks and wars, sharing food, hunting are the basic activities in evolution (Vieth 2009:22).
Cooperation requires social mechanisms such as religion to prevent other people from free riding on the efforts of others. Therefore, only members can enjoy the benefits of these practices. When an individual participates in the activity of a certain religion, he or she is identifying herself or himself to the culture. This includes wearing of certain apparels, shaving heads, circumcision, or scalding of some kind. It is vital to show commitment through these practices hence, overcoming the problem of free riders and promoting cooperation.
However, most religious rituals require those signals of assurance that are very costly for anyone to fake. These practices help these religions to stand the test of time. Religious communes that impose behavioral constraints tend to be long lived. Data on a study of 3 19th Century communes of United States shows that as the number of costly requirements increase, longevity also increases. In the study, the religious activities banned behavior such as communication with outsiders, monogamous marriage, living as a nuclear family, and gambling. Religious practices hence, promote group cohesion where the cooperating group provides members with cumulative wealth and safety.
In addition, religious practices are a form of communication. Human beings as any other species have used communication for many years. A chameleon changes its color for protection when it detects an enemy in its space, in the same way some cultures people make a sound when they need to attract a mate or when signaling for war. Therefore, the reward of adherent followers of religious rituals is increased trust because they are ardent followers and believers of the religious doctrines. There are certain psychological and physical benefits also for association with some ritual practices. Time, financial costs, and energy are deterrents to outsiders who would not participate because there is no incentive for joining and participation.
Moreover, where there are severer the practices, there are more the ardent believers. Most demanding religious groups such as Jehovah Witnesses who refrain from blood transfusion have grown exceptionally through the years. In contrast, liberal denominations such as Methodists and Presbyterians are steadily losing followers. Researchers assert that the more distinct a group is in terms of lifestyle from mainstream groups, the higher the commitment levels, and attendees. The theory of costly signaling predicts that the greater the commitment, the greater the cooperation within groups. The research data on the 3 19th Century communes also shows that communes that demanded more of their members survived longer because they overcame the basic problem of free riders (Sosis 2004:March-April).
Other species like baboons also engage in ritual behaviors but human beings are different from them. All ritual behavior enhances trust and cooperation but human beings cloak their rituals in the supernatural and mystery. The nature of supernatural concepts (the counterintuitive nature) make it easily rememberable than other mundane ideas hence contribute to the effectiveness of transmission. Belief in supernatural beings such as spirits, gods, and ghosts are essential in the effectiveness of the ability to promote cooperati...