Oct 31, 2019 07:12 PM
https://www.livescience.com/disease-root...liefs.html
EXCERPT: Where did the spiritual concept of evil originate? ... the researchers ... found that, in geographic regions with high incidences of disease, people also demonstrated stronger convictions about agents of evil, such as demons and witches. [...] Historically, many cultures in Africa, Asia, Europe and North America have used supernatural forces to explain and guide their responses to disease. One notable example was the surge in witch hunts in medieval Europe when the continent was ravaged by the Black Death, the researchers reported.
This approach had a practical side: Sick people — those showing signs of a so-called evil influence — would be isolated, shunned or even killed, thereby protecting others from the spread of pathogens, according to the study. In turn, environments where infectious diseases were common would reinforce conservative ideologies that followed a strict practice of shared rituals and avoidance of strangers.
If spiritual beliefs in evil were more common in regions that carried a higher load of pathogens, "it suggests that historically these beliefs may have evolved to explain the effects of pathogens," lead study author Brock Bastian [...said..,] "It opens up new insights into the emergence of religion as a belief system that developed to explain natural threats or events," Bastian said. To test that hypothesis, the researchers conducted surveys and consulted archival data to assess levels of belief in evil ... the study ... was published online Oct. 30 in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B. (MORE - details)
EXCERPT: Where did the spiritual concept of evil originate? ... the researchers ... found that, in geographic regions with high incidences of disease, people also demonstrated stronger convictions about agents of evil, such as demons and witches. [...] Historically, many cultures in Africa, Asia, Europe and North America have used supernatural forces to explain and guide their responses to disease. One notable example was the surge in witch hunts in medieval Europe when the continent was ravaged by the Black Death, the researchers reported.
This approach had a practical side: Sick people — those showing signs of a so-called evil influence — would be isolated, shunned or even killed, thereby protecting others from the spread of pathogens, according to the study. In turn, environments where infectious diseases were common would reinforce conservative ideologies that followed a strict practice of shared rituals and avoidance of strangers.
If spiritual beliefs in evil were more common in regions that carried a higher load of pathogens, "it suggests that historically these beliefs may have evolved to explain the effects of pathogens," lead study author Brock Bastian [...said..,] "It opens up new insights into the emergence of religion as a belief system that developed to explain natural threats or events," Bastian said. To test that hypothesis, the researchers conducted surveys and consulted archival data to assess levels of belief in evil ... the study ... was published online Oct. 30 in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B. (MORE - details)