re: #195 Aye Pod

I think (as do Dawkins, Dennet and others) that religious belief must have been adaptive during our evolution, so it doesn’t make much sense to me to attribute it to damaged brain function.

It can be both. Bear in mind that life expectancy was far shorter through most of human history. What was once an advantage for socio-survival reasons might come at an expense that’s only revealed as more and more people begin to live to advanced age.