BIOLOGICAL INFLUENCE OF RELIGION 51 



of each of them. Later on, we shall point out that 

 the intermingling of races is often a dangerous experi- 

 ment involving biological effects which may ultimately 

 destroy the community. The solvent effect on morals 

 and religion of the contact of Western and Eastern 

 civilizations in Egypt, India and Japan forms an 

 interesting study in connection with this part of our 

 subject. 



Perhaps it would not be out of place to recall that 

 many of the holy places of the Hellenic and Latin 

 peoples, such as Delphi, Olympia, Nemi and countless 

 others, long remained dissociated from the great centres 

 of population. As a consequence we may surmise that 

 pilgrimages for religious purposes to places associated 

 with scenes of great natural beauty and wonder (as, 

 for instance, nowadays to Lourdes, to Braga, or to 

 St Winifred Holywell) have a psychological effect not 

 unlike that which we try to obtain by our system 

 of country holidays. Unfortunately the opportunity 

 of developing the educational aspect for purposes of 

 natural religion, is not consciously borne in mind and 

 made use of either by the promoters or by the 

 recipients. 



We cannot yet make any just estimate of the 

 influence of Christianity from the biological point of 

 view. It is scarcely possible to separate the essential 

 features of the religion from the excrescences with which 

 the various nations and sects have associated it, in 

 deference to their own needs and in conformity with 

 their previous traditions. Owing to the spread of 

 Christianity throughout neighbouring and antagonistic 



