The nature of religion

        In my opinion, religion appeals to the very core that is mans nature. It has been around since man first developed rational thought. It was the first guesses as to how the universe worked, and as Ayn Rand states "Religion is a primitive form of philosophy." So in this sense, religion fueled mankinds quest for knowledge about our world and satiated our inborn curiosity. However, if this was the only true part about religion, religion would be much less prevalent nowadays. 

       The reason it is still around and still going strong is that religion appeals to another part of the human mind: Our egocentrism. Everyone wants a security blanket in every sense of the word. They want to know that there is someone who is looking out for them, and they want to believe that they are so important that a divine being would create an entire universe just for them. Another thing on that note is that their fear of death, their fear of impermanence, makes them want to believe that their soul will live on after death. These are the reasons why I think religion has stayed for so long.

Is egocentrism a bad belief to hold?