[ExI] Rick Warren on religion

[Keith Henson]

Spike wrote:

> If we view religion as a kind of technology, the history of Europe in
Medieval times interpreted as a struggle between Catholicism and
Protestantism, makes complete sense.

I don't think there was any difference in the rate of wars before or
after Martin Luther.  What was at work here was the requirement to
burn off part of the population due to fertility in excess of
replacement.

> Why the final shots in that war are recent (in Ireland) makes sense.

Well, yes.  Ireland was the last place in Europe where fertility fell
to replacement.

> That we no longer need religion as a unifying force explains why we have
political parties rising as new substitute religions.

I argued years ago that Communism also fell into the class of memes
that could fill the "religious meme receptor site" in human mental
space.

Keith