Why did prehistoric man get gyped out of..........

[ecman51`]

...medical knowledge, cars, computers, cell phones, cameras, photography/movies, radios/albums, jets, rifles...an endless list?

Don't all these things also lend credence to an evolutionary theory about how everything grows in time, including things learned, things discovered, etc.?, rather than some all knowing/all powerful God treating man like man is the pinnacle of God's creation?

This really really bothers me, in trying to believe that there is a God that cares about each one of us - rather than some "force" that somehow got life going, so that it simply propagates itself.

The thought that God does not care about us as individuals is deep-seeded in my belief, based on: missioneries being killed, believers who pray for their child to live and the child dies, natural catastrophes that kill up to hundreds of thousands of people at once, babies dying, allowing animals to regrow limbs and teeth, but not us, etc.

I do not want to think that God is some myth. But it is tough, when you have all the questions I have, rattling around my 57 year old brain since I have been 14, after I was "confirmed". It all started when trying to figure out if all those Bible stories were really true.

 

[ChristineES]

Do you really think that having cell phones and such make us better people?

 

[outhouse]

Don't all these things also lend credence to an evolutionary theory about how everything grows in time

good question. We jumped more in the last 100 years technology wise then man ever has in its 200,000 years of existance. It doesnt make sense on a evolutionary scale, but fact is we evolved technology wise, dramatically fast.

belief or faith would have had little to do with this increase.

The thought that God does not care about us as individuals is deep-seeded in my belief,

was there ever a place in time that led you to think different?

 

[Sunstone]

Humans are a deeply conservative species. They tend to do the same things over and over again, with little change, for hundreds of years. For instance, they might make clay pots exactly the same way for 700 years. Or they might paint caves in exactly the same style for 25,000 years.

The history of the past 500 years has been unusual because some of us - a small number of us -- have been very innovative during the past 500 years and have invented all sorts of new things. But that is unusual. It is not normal for humans to be so innovative.

 

[ecman51`]

Do you really think that having cell phones and such make us better people?

Let me ask you this: Would you like to go back to living to only survive - foraging for food and building shelter all day, carvign spears and making arrfowheads tokeepwil animals at bay? -only to die at age 45 from the flu?

As oppposed to drivng in your nice SUV to a waterpark and going out to eat in a fancy restaurant and going out to the movies, and then if sticken with apendicitis, routine surgery will fix you so you live to see another day?

 

[Meow Mix]

I get this mental image of an atheist in the form of the Emperor from Star Wars coming in to goad you further into questioning the existence of gods...

"Goooood... goooooood *evil smile*"

 

[ecman51`]

was there ever a place in time that led you to think different?

Of course. When I was younger and went to church with my parents, and did not start thinking yet.

But that is not being really honest either. I had good fortune befall me on more than one occasion ,where I never was sure if it was luck, or God's intervention. I would say God's interventing if it weren't for the catastrophies befalling others, that I listed in my OP.

 

[ecman51`]

Humans are a deeply conservative species. They tend to do the same things over and over again, with little change, for hundreds of years. For instance, they might make clay pots exactly the same way for 700 years. Or they might paint caves in exactly the same style for 25,000 years.

The history of the past 500 years has been unusual because some of us - a small number of us -- have been very innovative during the past 500 years and have invented all sorts of new things. But that is unusual. It is not normal for humans to be so innovative.

Are you so sure about your last sentence? How can you know? Think of all the stuff they did have and were able to do, way back when. I am not so much talking about the time when we were maybe like apes. But fast forward to a time where there were more people on the Earth - and the exchange/communication of thought amongst people increased greatly. We know that two heads are better than one. 7 billion heads are better than two. The odds of a Newton, an Einstein, Edison, Tesla and Openheimer occuring ,increased in odds, probably.

It's possible that God is not who we think he (or it) is. And the idea it says in the Bible for us to multiply and fill the Earth was that God knew this is how new things would get done thrugh a collection and collaboration of brains. How we could usher in the new age. Maybe. If I want to be religious in my thinking.

 

[ecman51`]

I get this mental image of an atheist in the form of the Emperor from Star Wars coming in to goad you further into questioning the existence of gods...

"Goooood... goooooood *evil smile*"

I can't wait. I love both sides of any debate. I consider mysefl agnostic, and have waivered on both sides of the fence, for the last 43 years. That is why I welcome both fundies and atheists alike.

 

[Sunstone]

Are you so sure about your last sentence? How can you know? Think of all the stuff they did have and were able to do, way back when.

Anyone who has studied anthropology knows what I know about it -- and probably more than I know about it. But surely it's not news to anyone that humans are a profoundly conservative species. It's common knowledge that whole societies for most of the time our species has been on earth do the same things, the same ways, over and over, without meaningful change, for generations at a time. That's normal. The last 500 years have been abnormal. I'm surprised you seem not to have thought about it before now.

 

[outhouse]

only to die at age 45 from the flu?

Ive heard they have found bones to have all different ages.

certain civilazations the lifespan was in the early 20's while others in the 40's

 

[Penumbra]

...medical knowledge, cars, computers, cell phones, cameras, photography/movies, radios/albums, jets, rifles...an endless list?

Don't all these things also lend credence to an evolutionary theory about how everything grows in time, including things learned, things discovered, etc.?, rather than some all knowing/all powerful God treating man like man is the pinnacle of God's creation?

This really really bothers me, in trying to believe that there is a God that cares about each one of us - rather than some "force" that somehow got life going, so that it simply propagates itself.

The thought that God does not care about us as individuals is deep-seeded in my belief, based on: missioneries being killed, believers who pray for their child to live and the child dies, natural catastrophes that kill up to hundreds of thousands of people at once, babies dying, allowing animals to regrow limbs and teeth, but not us, etc.

I do not want to think that God is some myth. But it is tough, when you have all the questions I have, rattling around my 57 year old brain since I have been 14, after I was "confirmed". It all started when trying to figure out if all those Bible stories were really true.

Nature tends to operate in such a way that it doesn't concern itself with the individual creatures and beings.

The concept that evil came about due to humans was never justified. Death and strife existed before humans ever evolved. That's just how nature is.

Besides, which god is it that you're really talking about? You mentioned Bible stories, but the sort of god in there is one that is violent rather than one that has great concern for all individuals. There are far more benign and compassionate gods or religious concepts than that one.

Do you really think that having cell phones and such make us better people?

Seems a pretty convenient thing to isolate. He listed a whole host of things, and you picked cell phones?

The first thing he listed was medical knowledge. I would never have been born alive if I was born in any other time period. And even if I was, I would have died as a child due to another issue. Life expectancy was very low during most of human civilization because there were no good ways to fix most of the flaws of the body.

Not to mention that without effective types of communication between cultures, people had a higher chance of being born in a really crappy culture back then. Like one that believes females are second class people.

 

[ninerbuff]

Do you really think that having cell phones and such make us better people?

Do you think having cell phones may have saved more lives for people in car accidents rather then trying to locate a roadside phone or gas station? Or the medical technology that is actually saving lives?

 

[dmgdnooc]

...medical knowledge, cars, computers, cell phones, cameras, photography/movies, radios/albums, jets, rifles...an endless list?

Don't all these things also lend credence to an evolutionary theory about how everything grows in time, including things learned, things discovered, etc.?, rather than some all knowing/all powerful God treating man like man is the pinnacle of God's creation?

This really really bothers me, in trying to believe that there is a God that cares about each one of us - rather than some "force" that somehow got life going, so that it simply propagates itself.

The thought that God does not care about us as individuals is deep-seeded in my belief, based on: missioneries being killed, believers who pray for their child to live and the child dies, natural catastrophes that kill up to hundreds of thousands of people at once, babies dying, allowing animals to regrow limbs and teeth, but not us, etc.

I do not want to think that God is some myth. But it is tough, when you have all the questions I have, rattling around my 57 year old brain since I have been 14, after I was "confirmed". It all started when trying to figure out if all those Bible stories were really true.

The word 'gypped' is racist terminology, look it up.
　
I do not understand how it is possible to deprive, cheat or swindle someone of something that does not exist (in their time).
　
The blossoming of technology in recent times does not mirror evolution.
With the fall of the Roman Empire civilisation in the west, the arts, crafts, science, mathematics, ethics, et al that form the base of the modern technological blossoming.took huge backward steps and many things had to be rediscovered in the renaissance.
That state of affairs is not analagous to evolution (if my understanding of evolution is correct).
　
It appears to me that God (the God of the Bible) is more concerned with how a life is lived than the length of time that it takes to be lived or the manner of its end.
　
The problem that your post raises, in my mind, is why are some 80 or so percent of the Earth's current population not benefiting from the technological advances that you mention.
Why is the 3rd world denied the comforts of modern technology?

 

[Quagmire]

Do you think having cell phones may have saved more lives for people in car accidents rather then trying to locate a roadside phone or gas station? Or the medical technology that is actually saving lives?

Without cars, no roadside disasters.

 

[ChristineES]

Do you think having cell phones may have saved more lives for people in car accidents rather then trying to locate a roadside phone or gas station? Or the medical technology that is actually saving lives?

Do you really think that having any of these things made life better? Sure, we live longer, but we have to smell pollution from cars (just one example). I have read books written in the past and the people writing them didn't seem any more or less happy than they are now. How can you miss what you never had? There were no cell phones when I was a child, and I never thought I was missing out on anything.
We know that they are more convenient, convenience is why people invented these things to begin with.
But your question about car accidents and cell phones is kind of ridiculous. If no one ever invented the car, there would be no car accidents, either. But that wouldn't have stopped anyone from inventing it. There were cars for decades without cell phones.
And lastly, why would you want God to do those things for you, anyway? Wouldn't you like to have any accomplishments? Do you want God to hand you everything on a silver platter and never have to earn it? Working for things that we have makes them worth more.

 

[ChristineES]

Seems a pretty convenient thing to isolate. He listed a whole host of things, and you picked cell phones?

I picked cell phones because that was the first thing I thought of, my post would have been too long if I commented on everything listed. Besides, I don't have a cell phone and I don't want one. As handy as they are, I just don't have that much to talk about. If I ever get stranded, maybe I'll change my mind (MAYBE).

 

[Shadow Wolf]

But that is unusual. It is not normal for humans to be so innovative.

It was because of the industrial revolution, and with that brought better methods of travel, transportation, and communication. And considering that Rome had technologies that would not be seen again for over a thousand years, and Japan's relatively overnight modernization, I would say it may not have been so much that we are that conservative, but rather we just didn't have the means to achieve such things until long distance trade and communication became more and more efficient.
And for those reasons I don't think the development of technology really has anything to do with evolution. It's more of a case of learning to walk before you can learn to run.

I also personally believe that it isn't so much that god, or I believe that there is probably some higher being/power that did create the universe, doesn't care but just doesn't get involved. In the since though of an ant farm. We provide for the basics of it (container, sand, ants), and just watch from there as the ants shape and form their own world.

 

[Midnight Pete]

Do you really think that having cell phones and such make us better people?

Frubals for that!

 

[Midnight Pete]

I get this mental image of an atheist in the form of the Emperor from Star Wars coming in to goad you further into questioning the existence of gods...

"Goooood... goooooood *evil smile*"

I bet you dollars to donuts the Emperor from Stars Wars was an atheist.