Religion: Genetic imperative or taught behavior?

I have noted all the religious comments on these groups by individuals who have no clue what science is and prefer to replace it in their own minds with superstition and 'pseudoscience.'

However, this confusion and ignorance on the parts of these posters does bring an interesting question forth.

It seems that humankind has pursued religious beliefs since its earliest Cro Magnon days. H. Neanderthalis also seems to have had some spiritual beliefs as reflected by their burials, mostly, but was that a result of that species' innate need for belief in life after death or was it essentially their effort to copy what they'd observed Cro Magnon doing in the hope of acquiring Cro Magnon's 'mana' or spiritual strength?

Cro Magnon's cave paintings, burials, carvings and even the decorations on their weapons reflect a sincere belief in some spiritual power.

So, asking wiser heads here than mine, do you think that religious or spiritual concepts and the need to express them are built into humans as a genetic priority? I have read that children of non-religious people who have never been introduced to the superstitions and prejudices of their parents often make up their own (that could be the result of peer envy, but it often happens in very young children who have not had a great deal of peer exposure.)

What causes superstition to form in the human mind? Is it fear of the unknown or the result of our natural curiousity about the world around us? Is it a genetic priority or an entirely taught behavior or a combination of both?

Some psychologists think that certain people are prone to magical thinking and superstitious belief. Are these people just a bit more primitive in their thinking patterns than those of us who do not entertain such beliefs?

I hope you find these questions interesting.

Interesting, but unrelated to paleontology.

SNIP!

You're in the wrong newsgroup. This is paleontology. Come back when you have some rocks or something.