The Meme Machine

RELIGIONS AS MEMEPLEXES 189
The religious answers may be false but at least they are answers. Religious
commitment may give people a sense of belonging, and has been shown to
improve social integration in the elderly (Johnson 1995). Religions may also
incorporate useful rules for living, such as the dietary laws of Judaism or rules
about cleanliness and hygiene which may once have protected people from
disease. These useful functions help carry other memes along.
The truth trick is liberally used. In many religions, God and Truth are
virtually synonymous. Rejecting the faith means turning away from Truth;
converting others means giving them the gift of the true faith. This may seem
odd when so many religious claims are clearly false, but there are many reasons
why it works. For example, people who have a profound experience in a
religious context are inclined to take on the memes of that religion; people who
like or admire someone may believe their truth claims without question. At the
extreme, people will even tell lies for God and manage to convince themselves
and others that they do so in the name of truth – as when ‘Creation Scientists’
proclaim ‘The Truth’ that the earth is only six thousand years old, and back it up
with denials of the fossil record, or claims that the speed of light has slowed
since the creation so as to give the illusion of a vast universe and an ancient
planet (Plimer 1994).
Beauty inspires the faithful and brings them closer to God. Some of the most
beautiful buildings in the world have been constructed in the name of Buddha,
Jesus Christ, or Mohammed. Then there are the beautiful statues and alluring
stories in Hinduism; stained glass, inspiring paintings, and illustrated
manuscripts; uplifting music sung by tremulous choir boys and vast choirs, or
played on great organs. Deep emotions are inspired to the point of religious
ecstasy or rapture which then cries out for – and receives – an explanation. The
ecstasy is real enough, but from the memes’ point of view, beauty is another
trick to help them reproduce.
The altruism trick permeates religious teachings. Many believers are truly
good people. In the name of their faith they help their neighbours, give money
to the poor, and try to live honest and moral lives. If they are successful then
generally people come to like and admire them and so are more inclined to
imitate them. In this way not only does good and honest behaviour spread, but
the religious memes that were linked to that behaviour spread too. Alongside
this comes merely the semblance of good behaviour. Hypocrisy can flourish
when goodness is defined not only as kind and altruistic behaviour, but as
sticking to the rules and obligations of the faith. Much of the money donated to
churches, temples, or synagogues is not used for the poor or needy, but to