In appreciation of @zhukeepa's willingness to discuss spirituality on LessWrong, I will share some stories of my own.

I grew up as a Christian in the USA and took it seriously.

Upon taking a World History class in my freshman year at a secular high school (quite liberal, quite prestigious), I learned that there were a number of major religions, and many of them seemed to contain a lot of overlap. It became clear to me, suddenly, that religions were man-made. None of them seemed to have a real claim to a universal truth.

I started unraveling my religious orientation and would become an atheist, by the end of high school. I would later go to Caltech to study neuroscience.

I converted to the religion of science and secular humanism, over the old traditions.

I was not able to clearly see that "secular scientific humanism" was in itself a religion. I thought it was more like the lack of a religion, and I felt safe in that. I felt like I'd found a truer place to live from, based in investigation and truth-seeking. Especially in the science / math realm, which seemed based in something reliable, sane, "cool-headed," and sensible. There was even a method for how to investigate. It seemed trustworthy and principled.

What I am beginning to see now is this:

Just because it's good at coordinating people, doesn't mean it's more true. It might even be a sign that it's less true. Although it's not impossible for something to coordinate people AND be true; it's just not common.

Why?

This is game theoretic.

Within a system with competition, why would the most TRUE thing win? No, the most effective thing wins. The thing best at consolidating power and resources and making individuals cooperate and work together would win. The truth is not a constraint.

Religion gives us many examples.

Most of the stuff Christians cooperate around are doctrinal points that are based in interpretations of the Bible. What is the Trinity? Is the Bible to be taken literally? When is the Second Coming and what will that entail? Is faith sufficient or do you also need good works?

If enough people AGREE on one or more of these points, then they can come together and declare themselves a unit. Through having a coherent unit, they then collect resources, send missionaries, and build infrastructure.

But the doctrines do not contain the Trut...

Ákos Kőrösi

Ákos Kőrösi