Thoughts on "The Adaptive Value of Religious Ritual"

Do people really believe that religions from all over the world have formed because "primitives" couldn't tell the difference between dreams and reality? I have to say that I know a lot of people who would be deeply offended by Edward B. Tylor's statement when he, "maintained that religions arose out of a misunderstanding among "primitives" that dreams are real." That is really quite a statement. I have to give him points for creativity but I think he's stretching it quite a bit.

I really hope his theory isn't believed by too many because as an anthropologist you are supposed to look at a culture or custom through that culture's eyes. I don't think Tylor is doing that. Also I think most religious people would be insulted that some anthropologists are likening their beliefs to that of what animals do.

I was raised Catholic so I thought it was interesting to read that the attendance for Catholics have gone down 30% since Vatican II. In my house Vatican II was always thought of as a good thing. It was thought of as bringing the church up-to-date but at least according to this article those changes have had some consequences. It did end a lot of the "rituals" that were performed during the mass and I know a lot of the older members did not like this. So it is probably a good example of what the authors were trying to say.