An Evolutionist Looks at the Origin of Religion by Chester R. Crisler To paraphrase the remark of the French astronomer LaLande, the origin of religion is lost in the obscurity of the ages. The anthropologist Sir James G. Frazer wrote that religion began with belief in magic by primitive tribes. Neither of these statements gives a satisfactory explanation. Written language has only been here for some 10,000 years and men have been here 1-1/2 million years, with no written record of their activities, customs or possible religion for most of that time. Therefore, the only way we can speculate on how long they were receptive to religious beliefs and practices is by reason and logic. To begin with, we have to state our axioms or self-evident facts on which we base our conclusions. 1. All things are natural; there is no supernatural. 2. All traits are the result of long ages of evolutionary development. 3. All present traits are the result of being favorable to survival. 4. All traits unfavorable to survival were eliminated by the process of natural selection. 5. It is possible to alter behavior by education and training, but acquired characteristics cannot be inherited. All mankind has a common origin, as primates for many ages and as Homo Sapiens perhaps for a million years, They spread out, occupied different territories and continents and further changed in appearance and behavior. At some time in their long journey they became receptive to religion. There are two ways to account for this: supernatural indoctrination or naturally by mutation. The first we will have to discard because of our axiom that everything is natural. The mutation must have occurred before the line split into the several races as all races have a religion of a sort, or there was a similar mutation in each race, which is improbable. Religion persisted because it was favorable to survival. It held the family, the tribe and eventually the nation together and enabled them to defend themselves against animal and human predators. Time passed, and a few men were born without the religious gene. They made discoveries, the age of enlightenment began and with it the rise of science, and religion was no longer favorable to survival. It persisted as a vestige, 1ike the muscles in the cheek that were there to flap the ears, or the wisdom teeth that have no utility, cause a deal of misery and eventually have to be pulled. Religion will continue until all who have that trait are eliminated by natural selection, and a new race of men is raised up with a genetic makeup fit to survive in the environment of that future age. Chester R. Crisler 323 N. 5th Street Lander, WY 82520