Religion Might Die Out As World Gets Richer: Study

Researchers studied the correlation between the rise of religion with "political complexities, population sizes and economic development." They probed into the question of whether the elite classes' uneasiness with exceeding population growth among lower classes led to the rise of religion.

Evolutionary psychologists who wrote "Increased Affluence Explains the Emergence of Ascetic Wisdoms and Moralizing Religions" about 2500 years ago said that the rich lived a slow pace of life. They also got limited children late in life. Their consumption of food was less, as they were not so aggressive about getting food. However, the lower classes "lived fast and died young."

To limit the growth of the non-elite, the rich began to promote the concept of moralizing gods, slow life strategies and championing the spiritual rather than the material world. It also advocated "selflessness and self-discipline" which translated into a check on sex and food.

The earlier religions before the class and wealth divide did not stress on morality and spiritual fulfillment, which are the backbone of major religions today. The higher classes promoted new religions supporting morality and punishment for people who stepped out of line.

Hence, the study indicates that with rising affluence, religion would die out.

"As more and more people become affluent and adopt a slow strategy, the requirement to morally condemn fast strategies decreases, and with it the advantage of holding religious beliefs that justify doing so," said Dr.Nicholas Baumard, one of the authors of the study.

"If this is true, and our environment continues to improve, then like the Greco-Roman religions before them, Christianity and other moralizing religions could eventually vanish. The same idea could also explain the gradual decline of moralizing religion in wealthier parts of the world such as Western Europe and the northern parts of North America."