Much better post than your last one, Dogwater.

Remember that evolution does not have a purpose other than "reproduce me."  Having said that, I think religion was probably an inevitable development as our curiosity grew much faster than our knowledge.  One of the theories that is most attractive to me is that religion started as a result of what must certainly have seemed like a supernatural experience -- a natural drug, or perhaps an epileptic seizure that triggered an NDE type experience  (See this essay for a brief summary of NDEs).  The tribal role of medicine man would have naturally arisen from such an experience.  Both the medicine man and the tribe would believe that something magical was happening.

I also feel that it is possible for humanity to outgrow religion.  Whether they will or not is another matter entirely.  I am something of a pessimist when it comes to humanity's long term survival.  I think we'll probably destroy our habitat before we have a chance to ditch religion.

Add to this the fact that we're not really that smart.  We think we're very smart, but the average person truly doesn't know very much, and critical thinking skills are not common, at least with regard to philosophy, metaphysics, and religion.

I also think you're correct about pastors having a vested interest in religion continuing.  Can you imagine the legal and social ramifications if the Catholic Church had to face the reality that there is no god?  Two thousand years of acquired property and wealth would have to be addressed!

Thanks again for posting something without quite so much piss and vinegar.  (Although, I admit, it was damn fun running with it.  I won't lie to you.)

~sigh~

So many books.  I need to read that one, too, but there's only so much I can read in one day.

I have a bunch of books on my lsit too. But I read very slow, and classes start up again next week.  

You pose a good question.  One can interrpret psychotherapy through a modern lense and apply it to ritual magic and shamanistic traditions.  Although more removed, even clergy and priests of the judeo-christian persuasion invoke Jungian archetypes in those who have been socially calibrated to be aware of what their culture's clergy represent.  Americans are even more removed from this having pop culture and political and historical myths to compare ourselves to and also try to embody.  Simply put, we want to become what it is that our culture dictates we should become (morally, socially, PHYSICALLY!).  Shamans and medicine men achieve a niche in their societies because of their (implicit) knowledge of meta-physics and archetypes.  Imagine trying to understand your emotions without any external data to help you make sense of it.  A shaman can intentionally bring you into an emotional state, observe you, and make powerful suggestions as to how you can change these things about yourself.  This is often done under the influence of psycho-active substances, which aid in this therapeutic imprinting (indoctrinization?) process.  I suggest the book "Fools Crow" which gives a semi-modern account of native american shamanism, which behaves much like psychotherapy.  Quite a post, sorry, FIGHT THE POWER!!

I must really be a freak then. I hold this culture in a great deal of contempt. 

But what about organized . . . !?  Yes, Grasshopper, even that is about power and resources. 

I harped about organized religion because it is used so effectively and to such destructive ends.