Why did we invent God?

[_salam_]

That's an interesting thesis, but I think that it doesn't necessarily hold up. Just because there might be something inherent in our psychology that produces concepts of deity does not necessarily imply that there is an actual deity.

I understand that it doesn't prove there is a God without a doubt. I just think it kinda starts to point more toward a God, rather than away from a God, when everybody inherentlly has the same feeling.

 

[Sunstone]

I understand that it doesn't prove there is a God without a doubt. I just think it kinda starts to point more toward a God, rather than away from a God, when everybody inherentlly has the same feeling.

I've had much the same thought at times.

 

[croak]

We didn't invent God. Adam and Eve had seen Him in heaven and knew that He existed, and taught that to the children, but after a while, the concept got mixed up and people forgot God and believed in many gods, idols, etc.

 

[The Voice of Reason]

I just think it kinda starts to point more toward a God, rather than away from a God, when everybody inherentlly has the same feeling.

Salam -

I find this line of reasoning rather odd - because it has been shown that the higher one's intellect is, the lower the percentage of people that believe in God. I'm not firing any shot's at anyones intelligence, I'm only trying to make the point that the idea of God is not as common in people that have a higher capacity in reasoning power and that rely on rational thought.

Thanks,
TVOR

 

[bholly72]

Indeed, the idea that there is something innate in our psychology, far from pointing to the existence of the invisible guy in the sky, can actually be put to good atheistic use. Here's an excellent article by Dawkins on this topic:

http://www.secularhumanism.org/library/fi/dawkins_24_5.htm

Dawkins point is that the innate tendency towards religious belief is a side-effect of a favorable evolutionary adaptation to obey and believe our parents.

 

[painted wolf]

I think that the invention of god/religion had something to do with our origens as a species. Here we are weak, naked and vulnerable in a world where death comes easily to our kind. (we have such a top position today that many of us can't comprehend of a time where we had to be afraid of everything just to survive) Death came to us as predators like the cave lion and the wolf, it came to us as prey animals like the Archuos and the Mammoth, it came as an accident or a cold at the wrong time.
I think then that it was a way for us to deal with our situation and hopefully have some control over the uncontrolable. If we could ask spirits for help in a hunt or to drive off illness we at least felt like we were doing something to help ourselves in an helpless situation.

I think that it is key to remember that we are not the only creatures to have come up with a spirituality. Neanderthals also had this concept. They buried thier dead, and eaven left grave goods with them. They set up shrines with carefully placed collections of bones, mostly of cave bear skulls. They developed music and art.
Something happined to us (the hominid line) that opened our minds not only to new ideas in toolmaking but to cultural ideas as well.

but hey thats just my opinion.

wa:do (cherokee for thank you )

 

[huajiro]

Salam -

I find this line of reasoning rather odd - because it has been shown that the higher one's intellect is, the lower the percentage of people that believe in God. I'm not firing any shot's at anyones intelligence, I'm only trying to make the point that the idea of God is not as common in people that have a higher capacity in reasoning power and that rely on rational thought.

Thanks,
TVOR

That is a very interesting comment. I never thought of that before, but it does make sense.

 

[huajiro]

Indeed, the idea that there is something innate in our psychology, far from pointing to the existence of the invisible guy in the sky,

Invisible guy in sky = "sky daddy" (sorry I have just been waiting forever to use the new word)

 

[The Voice of Reason]

That is a very interesting comment. I never thought of that before, but it does make sense.

Thank you Huajiro. I don't know why, but I can't frubal anyone right now. The only frubals that are showing on my puter are my own. This is very frustrating indeed.

TVOR

 

[_salam_]

Salam -

I find this line of reasoning rather odd - because it has been shown that the higher one's intellect is, the lower the percentage of people that believe in God. I'm not firing any shot's at anyones intelligence, I'm only trying to make the point that the idea of God is not as common in people that have a higher capacity in reasoning power and that rely on rational thought.

Thanks,
TVOR

I think the point you brought up is just more of a sign of the times, cause it's a lot more acceptable to be atheist now then it was back in the day. In fact there is a certain amount of pressure from the scientific community that almost says you have to be an atheist to be a good thinker or scientist. I remember reading this article that was written by this young scientist and he was saying how most people in the scientific community wouldn't take him or others seriously because of his religious back ground. Also another reason why I think it's more of a sign of the times is cause back in the day many of the great thinkers and scientist were very religious, some of them being Newton and Einstien.

 

[The Voice of Reason]

I think the point you brought up is just more of a sign of the times, cause it's a lot more acceptable to be atheist now then it was back in the day. In fact there is a certain amount of pressure from the scientific community that almost says you have to be an atheist to be a good thinker or scientist. I remember reading this article that was written by this young scientist and he was saying how most people in the scientific community wouldn't take him or others seriously because of his religious back ground. Also another reason why I think it's more of a sign of the times is cause back in the day many of the great thinkers and scientist were very religious, some of them being Newton and Einstien.

You may have a point Salam, I haven't thought about the possibility of scientists being shunned, or their work questioned, based solely on their belief system. Truth be told, I don't think I've ever heard of that, but perhaps it has some merit. Do you have any studies, or anything like that - something other than just antecdotal evidence?

Thanks,
TVOR

 

[_salam_]

No, unfortunatelly I don't know of anything like that.

 

[Watcher]

How funny, I just got back from the grocery store and was reading the Time Magazine while following my mother around the store. The main article (titled "The God Gene" I believe) was about how they think that there is some chemical released in the brain that inspires people spiritually. Wether god causes this to happen, or it is some funny thing in the brain that makes us do crazy things (lol, like hormones!), is up for debate. I didn't get to finish the article though! Didn't Carl Jung discuss something about the human psych and how it relates to religions? I haven't read any of his books yet but have been meaning to.

 

[Ernestine]

You have that backwards. We didn't create God, God created us. And now seeing the sad state of affairs that man has caused throughout the earth he's probably asking himself that same question.

 

[huajiro]

You have that backwards. We didn't create God, God created us. And now seeing the sad state of affairs that man has caused throughout the earth he's probably asking himself that same question.

The Bible was written by "Man", and judging from your posts, you believe in it. Because of this, you can technically say that "Man" created "God".

 

[Sunstone]

You have that backwards. We didn't create God, God created us.

Even if there is deity, all of our concepts of deity are manmade. The question, therefore, is why did we invent those concepts?

 

[SoulTYPE]

Seeing as how we all have different religions and beliefs on God, some may believe that God created us. Others may have just "latched on" and followed. Some may have invented God as a last resort or something to fall back on to. The possibilities are endless.

I don't think God created us, but I will not object to others that think he did.

 

[Trinity]

Even if there is deity, all of our concepts of deity are manmade. The question, therefore, is why did we invent those concepts?

Not quite. Our concepts of the deity are not man made, however our analogies of explaining Him are. Our concepts come from what God shows us of Himself.

 

[painted wolf]

personally I don't think that creator made us intentionally, I think we were a 'happy accident'. A possibility in creation that while not expected wasn't unpleasant.

I think that our views of Creator reflect our needs as cultures.

wa:do

 

[cardero]

If thought is the beginning of any creation than I think that GOD probably wondered what it would BE like to have other spirtual entities to keep company with after many long moments of existing alone. This "thought" is probably why GOD did not copyright (read:control) our existences. I think GOD was more curious to observe our awareness and let us "come into our own". I think this observance and awareness makes GOD UNDERSTAND how he/she came into BEing.