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Interestingly, and this is what I hope to be looking at more some time in the future is the roots of religious beliefs/spirtual practices which can be traced back all the way to the Upper Paleolithic period, around 50,000 to 10,000 years ago.
Yeah. The human brain needs answers, it seeks them out. We seem to be a species that has to compartmentalize what we observe in order to relax psychologically; when we do not have them. "God did it" appears to do the trick. It wouldn't surprise me at all if you found religious dogma from like 20,000 years ago. Though that would blow huge holes in the abrahamic religion of christianity. Considering there's only like 6000 years of lineage from adam and eve till now and all.
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I will also add that I am not "frustrated": I very rarely talk to anyone about religion outside of these boards, and religion does not impact my life. I was just sharing my observations, and if I feel any way about it, it is ugly because of all the compromises I have gone to when trying to respect those people views, when deep inside I cannot find any reasons to respect them.
Now, to the Santa question, I think you underestimate the extent to which people may go when trying to preserve their beliefs. There are many interpretations of Santa, and one that has been disproven can be switched to another. Here is an unfalsifiable one: Santa sometimes brings presents to good kids, but the kids have to be really-really good, and presents may not necessarily be physical presents. You met the love of your life in your adulthood? It is Santa's present: you were a good kid, and he cast a spell and made sure that your life will be out there waiting for you. You ate a great food at a restaurant? Santa gifted the chef with a great culinary talent because the chef was a good kid. Someone's life is falling apart? They did not receive any gifts from Santa because, even though everyone thought they were a good kid, behind everyone's backs they were doing something very naughty.
Lastly, I want to address this part that is very common (often implicitly stated) in these discussions:
I do not think that popularity of something supports its validity (and I am sure that you will agree with it). If your point is that, because religion is much more popular than serious belief in Santa, then people are much more likely to inherit it from their family/community/society, then I do not dispute that. That does not change the preposterousness of the beliefs in question. One can be led to believe in very wacky things by social conditioning, sure. But if one is to analyze the, let us call it, "quality" of such beliefs, they must approach it by looking at the intrinsic merit of these beliefs and not on how they are propagated. Of course no one should be surprised that a North Korean kid believes in magical powers of his Dear Leader - the belief is still ridiculous, however.
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