Human Conditions and GODISM

[Storm]

I am an agnostic. I have recently become to believe that God, or belief in deity is based on the human condition.

My question or debate would be, what is the most prevalent factor that causes people to believe in a form of God or deity? (GODISM) as I like to say.

It is obviously a combination of things, but I believe that most people choose a religion as a way to rationalize the infinite without fear.

I would say the most prevalent is childhood indoctrination. Hardly the best, but definitely the most common.

 

[CircularLogic]

I think that indoctrination is a common cause of belief. However, at what point does that translate into a spiritual desire for peace or wholeness? I feel as if indoctrination often does the opposite, but it can provide a set of rules to obtain peace, many of which are often misleading.

I tend to agree that people are searching to feel a wholeness or "completeness" in their life and that many people feel a figurative hole in themselves. I Still believe that this "hole" revolves around the unknown aspects of life , and the desire to accept an answer without question. People find all different ways to do this, but I believe the desire for it is a result of most of the human races biological need to have an answer, be it true or untrue. For an atheist the answer is that we are just organic matter, it is a very definite answer to many elements of the unknown.

I take the stance that there may, or may not be a God. What is more important and provable to me is that there is organized energy in the universe. I certainly don't believe that ANY of organized religion has hit the nail on the head. Spirituality is a part of humanity. Organized religion is made mainly to give others authority "above all" and develop an infrastructure within a group of people. It sickens me to look at the length it has been defended by different groups over time.

 

[Thesavorofpan]

Wouldn't you get the same things with religion?

An emotionally satisfying relationship build up with this community around this god concept can leave a devastating hole in ones life when left. Stress levels can be reduced by repetitive calming behaviour, this behaviour can be anything from tapping your fingers to going to church every week, whatever it is you would create an addiction to it, especially if you have been doing it all your life (although this would be more of a psychological addiction).

There is a big difference between habits and drug addiction don't mix the two together. Your way of thinking in this statement says that every normal thing we do daily is an addiction. That kind of logic doesn't make sense.

 

[Orbital]

addiction: " strong need or wish to spend as much time as possible doing a particular activity"

In a sense it does mean we are 'addicted' to our normal daily activity, seems perfectly logical.

Habits tend to be things we do without actually thinking about them, I'm sure you weren't trying to remember breathing at the moment, but I am also sure that going to church every Sunday or reading/holding a conversation about God are actions most people are aware of. So no, I am not mixing habits and addictions.

 

[CircularLogic]

We are addicted to a lot of things.

It's the unhealthy ones people tend to focus on.

Addictive behavior is on a sliding scale, and can be adjusted or replaced with other things.

Biologically speaking, it's the reward center in our brain that causes addiction, there are natural rewards and unnatural. Religion can cause triggers in this area, much like sex,drugs, food, etc.

You can become addicted to anything. A behavior for someone "high on god" parallels someone high on something else in many,many cases.