Could 'gods' evolve?

[sageowl]

It seems probable that human beings are not the only (or oldest, or smartest) form of life in the universe.

How powerful and intelligent does a non-human society need to be before we have to start thinking of them as god-like?

This line of thought obviously isn't enough to justify all the hyper-specific beliefs that we see in the various faith systems, but it does seem to me that this 'super-alien' type of god can't be ruled out easily.

Is it possible that such a super-alien would monitor and (very)subtly interfere in human life in some of the ways the religious attribute to their (capital G) God? I'd love to hear both whys and why nots.

Thanks-

 

[Nietzsche]

Evolution is a generational mechanism, which means that the 'Gods' in question would have to both reproduce & die.

 

[GoodbyeDave]

Karl Marx believed that increased complexity at one level could lead to the development of another. In other words, matter could develop life, and life could develop mind. In his metaphysics, mind develops society, but it would have made as much sense (more to those who cannot see "society" as some sort of entity) if he'd had mind developing God, which was the idea of Samuel Alexander.

Of course, many Pagans see humans as capable of becoming gods. Many Chinese and Japanese deities are of that sort and in Hellenism we call them heroes.

 

[Ouroboros]

Is it possible that such a super-alien would monitor and (very)subtly interfere in human life in some of the ways the religious attribute to their (capital G) God? I'd love to hear both whys and why nots.

I think you would appreciate to read a little about the Omega Point. If I understand that idea correctly, it's the idea that the universe is evolving, and eventually evolve to become God.

 

[outhouse]

All gods have evolved in mythology. Many literary changes are made.

 

[George-ananda]

It seems probable that human beings are not the only (or oldest, or smartest) form of life in the universe.

How powerful and intelligent does a non-human society need to be before we have to start thinking of them as god-like?

This line of thought obviously isn't enough to justify all the hyper-specific beliefs that we see in the various faith systems, but it does seem to me that this 'super-alien' type of god can't be ruled out easily.

Is it possible that such a super-alien would monitor and (very)subtly interfere in human life in some of the ways the religious attribute to their (capital G) God? I'd love to hear both whys and why nots.

Thanks-

This does raise interesting thought. I think there is place here for seriously considering some outside-the-box thinking. I don't think the evolution of life and humans on earth happened without intelligent guidance. I have called these Nature Spirits before but they can also be thought of as other dimensional beings. Could that be what some call Aliens and can they be involved? What are aliens? - I think we need to think beyond the standard thinking that they evolved just from the elements of their planet and that we just evolved from the elements of earth. I think there is an inter-connectedness to life throughout the universe and the extra-dimensional planes that we just don't understand yet.

 

[outhouse]

I don't think the evolution of life and humans on earth happened without intelligent guidance

Yet we factually see no interference from anything outside typical nature.

So is mythology your only source for this belief?

 

[EyeofOdin]

The Lore of the Heathen Gods says that the elements fire and Ice created wights or spirits. Some wights, spirits of the elements evolved into Giants, superwights of primordial elements. Some feel the gods are descended from Giants, so in a way elemental forces evolved into Giants, which begot the gods, a divine race of Giants.

It's similar to macro evolution. Life spung from elements, just as wights from the same. Some of life evolved into ancient animals, like Dinosaurs, like the wights to Giants. Some animals evolved into humans, some into animals we coexist with on earth and others died out. Just like the dinosaurs, Giants too hostile died out. Some coexist with the gods, like modern animals. Some Giants are still hostile but live far from us, often represented as wolves, Eagles or snakes which can be dangerous to humans but we don't have too much overlap in our habitats.


Sure, gods can evolve. Did they? We'll never know. We have no evidence either way. All we can do is speculate on metaphorical mythology.

 

[Sultan Of Swing]

Evolution is a generational mechanism, which means that the 'Gods' in question would have to both reproduce & die.

Well, it wouldn't have to be biological evolution as scientists understand it. For example, an AI could 'evolve' in such a way by having core programming that would allow it to constantly respond to inadequacies or mistakes and fix itself and improve itself, and if this continued ad infinitum perhaps you would end up with a 'god' of some sort. That was just a random example, but the word evolution is much broader than just the biological kind. The evolution of a society itself does not necessarily depend on new generations (if humans discovered a way to cheat death, society would continue to 'evolve').

 

[sageowl]

Well, it wouldn't have to be biological evolution as scientists understand it. For example, an AI could 'evolve' in such a way by having core programming that would allow it to constantly respond to inadequacies or mistakes and fix itself and improve itself, and if this continued ad infinitum perhaps you would end up with a 'god' of some sort. That was just a random example, but the word evolution is much broader than just the biological kind. The evolution of a society itself does not necessarily depend on new generations (if humans discovered a way to cheat death, society would continue to 'evolve').

Concur. Concur all over the place. As N pointed out death and reproduction are the staple mechanisms of biological evolution as we know it, but what we know is not a limit to what could be.

 

[sageowl]

I think you would appreciate to read a little about the Omega Point. If I understand that idea correctly, it's the idea that the universe is evolving, and eventually evolve to become God.

Thanks for the tip. Clearly Everything is 'evolving' -not necessarily in the biological sense, but in the sense that change happens and the changes that happen to be good at sticking around and propagating, proliferate. I guess one way to parse the question I am asking with this thread is to ask: Is there a natural upper limit to which a being or society could grow towards becoming 'god-like', and if so what is it?

 

[Ouroboros]

Is there a natural upper limit to which a being or society could grow towards becoming 'god-like', and if so what is it?

Good question. Honestly, I have no idea if there would be a limit or not. It's a good question though.