Evolution vs Religion in modern behavior

[Confused]

Looking at our past in terms of scientific evolution and comparing it with the past in terms of religious evolution, I have to wonder:

1) How much of modern society (culture, politics,economics, etc) can be explained by our evolutionary past (evolutionary economics etc) as opposed to our religious past?

2) How much of modern behavior is explained by evolutionary history (nature vs nurture) as opposed to religious history?

[bernee51]

I'm surprised that there's been no mention so far here of Evolutionary Psychology. Nature and nurture would be inextricably linked in any phenotype expressing a nervous system primed from birth with a psychological inheritance.

From what I have read of the topic i would suggest that it is saying in summary what i have listed above.

Richard Dawkins (in The God Delusion - which I've somewhat grudgingly picked up as I don't particularly like his tone) and others (e.g Steven Pinker) have suggested that Religion is a by-product of some other evolved imperative.

Any honest appraisal of the history of religious belief will show that it has indeed envolved.

I think too that the generalist view of evolution tends to confuse the issue. It seems to me that many are of the opinion that the 'evolved' organism (or belief) replaces its predecessor. IMV it does not. The predecessor still exists as part of the evolved organism.

Evolution does not replace the predessor but instead includes and transcends. Thus, looking at many modern religions one can find elements of animism, magical beliefs and, of course, the mythic.

Why this evolution has taken place is another question.

It should be noted that the stages of evolution of homo sapiens culturally (as listed above) is mirrored in the evolution (as in - change over time)of consciousness within the individual.