Is God In Anyway Necessary?

[Random]

I posted in the "Superheroes as Gods" thread that Gods and superheroes alike act as "buffers" against the harmful things of the "outside world." We view our existence as tumultuous, and we like knowing that there is a powerful being on our side. Some people may need that.

What he said. :yes: Frubals.

 

[sandy whitelinger]

On a grand scale God is necessary for everything since He created everything. On a personal scale He is necessary for eternal life. Among other things.

 

[UnTheist]

Is there any way or sense in which God is necessary?

In reality, no.

For instance, is God necessary to explain anything about the universe?

Saying "Goddidit" is the opposite of a rational explanation.

Is God necessary to make life meaningful?

The fact that there are many people that are very happy without God disproves God being necessary for that.

Is God necessary to underpin morality? Or, is God necessary for some other reason?

Morality comes from within.

 

[rojse]

Is there any way or sense in which God is necessary? For instance, is God necessary to explain anything about the universe? Is God necessary to make life meaningful? Is God necessary to underpin morality? Or, is God necessary for some other reason?

If God is in any way or sense necessary, in what way or sense is He necessary? And why is He necessary?

I do not think that God is necessary in any way, whether it be morally, scientifically, or for worth in life.

If it is necessary for God to exist so that people do good deeds, I would despair at the motives behind this - it should be enough to do it on the basis of helping your fellow man, not to save yourself from damnation or to curry favour with a god.

Nor do we need God to exist to give a deeper meaning to life. People's goals in life should only be based on their personal ideas and feelings, and what they wish to do. Whether that goal is be eradicating world hunger, curing cancer, spending a life in solemn worship, or being the best at latest computer games, good for them. My personal opinion on each should not matter, nor should anyone else's, nor should a big beard in the sky make individual judgements on who's goal is more worthy.

As for an explanation about the universe or any component that makes up the universe, I am quite happy to leave that in the realm of science. Science gives testable hypotheses about the universe. It gives concrete measurements and equations. Religion or God cannot do this for us. As it stands now, God is either an appendage to any scientific explanation, or a refutation of it without scientific merit. Adding God to any explanation adds nothing to our understanding of the world, and only serves to increase the complexity behind the explanation.

 

[Jeremiah]

Is God necessary to underpin morality?

I remember reading that some individuals whose morals that have been inculcated with these mythical religious stories. Psychologically do need God to give these stories meaning. That they turn to these mythical figures and images for moral guidance and without God the stories lose meaning. But this does not mean that everyone’s morals have to be based of these myths and that God is a necessity to have morality. But that just for those individuals God is a necessity for moral guidance. I don’t have the book with me so I am working off recollection but I believe that was the just of it.

 

[spiritually inclined]

God is necessary to explain some aspects of the universe.

I don't think we can come to this conclusion through scientific means at this time or any time. This statement is simply not falsifiable. We will never know every aspect of the universe or universes and have the opportunity to determine whether each and every one is explained through natural means. Personally, I seriously doubt that "God" will ever become necessary to explain anything about the universe. As we progress, we continue to find natural explanations even for those things that once seemed supernatural or unexplainable, such as a bee's ability to fly. If the past is an indicator, we will continue to discover natural explainations for aspects of the universe.

God is necessary to give life meaning.

Sometimes, when I'm thinking about subjective experience and meaning, I draw from myths, fiction, even "God" concepts, but I don't think they are necessary to provide life with meaning. They are merely a rich and beautiful way of describing the meaning that comes from within us. Humans are meaning-makers. Our stories can enrich that meaning. They are like a work of art, an expression of the human urge to find meaning and beauty in life.

God is necessary to underpin morality.

Morality results from a combination of biology and culture. Naturally, our morality is centered around human needs (though it does not have to be limited to merely human needs, although it can be argued that not limiting morality to human needs is a human need to live morally!) We don't need a god to tell us to live morally. We should live morally because it enriches our experience of life, and why wouldn't we want that?

God is necessary for some other reason.

I personally can't think of another reason.

Thus, I come to the conclusion:

God is not necessary.

But I add: God concepts, stories, and myths can be a beautiful and artistic way of describing and finding meaning in life. I find it sad that people so often take ancient myths as scientific fact or can't venture to think that perhaps we should create our own modern myths or modern twists on old stories.

James

 

[rojse]

God concepts, stories, and myths can be a beautiful and artistic way of describing and finding meaning in life. I find it sad that people so often take ancient myths as scientific fact or can't venture to think that perhaps we should create our own modern myths or modern twists on old stories.

James

That's an excellent idea.

I suppose people place more value on older myths, though, because there is a larger element of unreality and epic scope about them. Today's myths are much more mundane and silly.

 

[spiritually inclined]

I suppose people place more value on older myths, though, because there is a larger element of unreality and epic scope about them. Today's myths are much more mundane and silly.

True, though I love Alice Walker's fiction. Putting new twists on old myths is more appealing to me, such as artwork of a female Christ to illustrate the oppression of women.

James

 

[lilithu]

I think for some people, they are at a place where they need something outside themselves to feel loved or important or can't find meaning in themselves to deal with some of life's hardships. "God" can help provide a great deal of comforting certainty about death and family and purpose for those at times in their lives need that, or for acceptance for those who feel isolated or burdened by guilt or painful memories that they cannot embrace.

"God" seems to me to be first and foremost a psychological coping mechanism to deal with the hysteria and anxiety that comes of being able to contemplate and anticipate death.

Mmmm.... nope.

I believe God is necessary to sustain the cosmos. Were God to die, our reality would die with it.

What she said.

 

[.lava]

Is there any way or sense in which God is necessary? For instance, is God necessary to explain anything about the universe? Is God necessary to make life meaningful? Is God necessary to underpin morality? Or, is God necessary for some other reason?

If God is in any way or sense necessary, in what way or sense is He necessary? And why is He necessary?

imo,

free will is given to each of us. just for a life time. we die and our free wills die with our bodies. everything you know, other than your free will, belongs to the Creator, however it is given by God it is given as "free".
your family, your food, your success...etc everything including your own body. it is not personally you who gives commands to your organs. you can never make your liver clean your blood, your stomach doesnot expect you to order to digest. thanks to your freewill you can eat whatever you want to eat. when free will was taken away, we can't do that. that's the reason why people couldnot walk out of hell.

 

[TashaN]

I think for some people, they are at a place where they need something outside themselves to feel loved or important or can't find meaning in themselves to deal with some of life's hardships. "God" can help provide a great deal of comforting certainty about death and family and purpose for those at times in their lives need that, or for acceptance for those who feel isolated or burdened by guilt or painful memories that they cannot embrace.

"God" seems to me to be first and foremost a psychological coping mechanism to deal with the hysteria and anxiety that comes of being able to contemplate and anticipate death.

Just an assumption full of generalization.

 

[TashaN]

Regarding the OP and the poll, i voted for "others or depends" because i think the question should be the other way around which is, does God need us? or are we in anyway necessary to God?

If there was no GOD, there would be no US.

Nevertheless, If you were asking if we need God as a belief to sustain us in this life, so that's something else, and need an entire thread on it's own.

 

[rojse]

If we were not necessary for God, why would he go to the effort to create us, and then to watch us and assist us in times of need?

 

[blackout]

I agree with Storm.
God is the animating Life Force in which all "things" exist.

I think she said it better.
I like that, "GodVerse".

"UNIverse". The ONE great "story" of Life.
I do believe that God is the Source
of the "collective conciousness",
but ALSO that (he) allows us,
as individuals
in the collective conciousness,
to LITERALLY form our own "realities" in (Him).

For me ,
God is not a "being" "out there".... somewhere...
I literally LIVE IN the sea of Life,
that IS God "himself".
He is the Life source that animates me,
and I create and see my own realities IN Him.

So yes,
from that perspective God is necessary to life.
(unless you find life to be..... unnecessary?)

 

[TashaN]

If we were not necessary for God, why would he go to the effort to create us, and then to watch us and assist us in times of need?

Have you ever heard of something called "love"?

 

[Jeremiah]

Have you ever heard of something called "love"?

or sorrow....for all we know God could be a weeping God. :sad4:

 

[Jeremiah]

(unless you find life to be..... unnecessary?)

Our innate desire to live makes it a necessity.

 

[TashaN]

or sorrow....for all we know God could be a weeping God. :sad4:

Not at all. Where did you get that from?

 

[.lava]

If we were not necessary for God, why would he go to the effort to create us, and then to watch us and assist us in times of need?

it was said "I was an unknown treasure, i wanted to be known."

 

[Jeremiah]

Not at all. Where did you get that from?

People are more moved by sorrow if we were created in God's image than he must weep allot.