What is the evolutionary advantage to religion?

wnope,Welcome to EvC. I find this line of inquirey very interesting but very complex. With agriculture supplying a surplus of food an area could support a larger population and some members were freed from subsistence duties to provide a ruling class, a priest class, and soldiers, artists and etc. As you point out religion is an integral part of early civilization. Government, science, health, history, and art were all combined in religion.I think science and rationality are emerging as a new function for humans and this development is a new challenge just as at one time agricultural and a settled life in large populations was a challenge over the hunter gatherer bands of early man.I think one way of looking at this forum is the dialogue between traditionalists and "early adopters" of a scientific rational approach.I'm looking forward to reading more of your thoughts on this.lfen