I picture the first religious beliefs emerging when our distant ancestors experienced the fierce power of nature – a huge earthquake or an exploding volcano. They certainly wanted to know what caused that. Their best guess: The wrath of gods.

The humans might have tried to prevent future disasters by pleading with the gods, worshiping them, or making sacrifices to them. If the disaster ended, the humans might have concluded that their god-related efforts had worked. The humans then could feel some sense of control over their future.

That sense of control is important to us all. Not knowing whether the next day will bring ruin makes a person anxious.

Nowadays, new religions start every now and then and attract members, but mostly we adopt the religion of our parents. I grew up a Catholic because my parents were Catholic. They took me to church and sent me for religious education as a child. I became a happy altar boy. If my parents had been Muslim, I would have gone to a mosque instead.

Religious beliefs sometimes change when children gain independence from their parents, get exposure to individuals outside their religion, and advance with their education. As young people learn about sources of knowledge other than belief, they may stray from the family religion. Or they may not.

Religion has many positive effects on individuals. It can reduce fear of death and feelings of uncertainty and misery. It can add joy and pride. Being a member of a major religion, with its incredible architectural, musical, artistic, and written works, can be rewarding. Religions also provide social benefits, including a sense of belonging, a shared way of life, and comradery. In addition, there are practical benefits of belonging to a religion. In times of need, fellow members may come to the rescue with food, shelter, and other types of help.

Of course, religion can have negative effects as well. These effects include religious war and persecuting nonbelievers. On the bright side, the days of sacrificing individuals to appease the gods seem to have passed.  

Religious beliefs have to compete with other ideas, such as the scientific method and humanism. Religious beliefs win sometimes and lose sometimes.  

About half the people in the world think that religion does more harm than good. In the 2016 Australian census, an all-time high of 30% of respondents chose “no religion” to describe themselves. Australia had a no-religion prime minister, Julia Gillard. More recently, New Zealand elected a no-religion prime minister, Jacinda Ardern. 

In that same 2016Australian census, 70% of Aussies said they were members of a religion. Around the world, 38% of people say that their religion “defines” them as a person.

​For the most part, religious beliefs continue. Habit plays a role in that continuation. Also, the major social forces in highly developed societies — governments, huge businesses, and labour unions — follow a policy of live and let live with religion.  Technological advances have never​ produced an electronic substitute for religion.

Do not sing a death dirge for religion. It is still going strong in Australia and elsewhere.