Many “revealed religions” depend on prophets and holy texts to get their messages out to people: in order to figure out what God wants, you either have to read this holy text or have a class of priests that read the text tell you what the text says.
But this is a form of cultural diffusion: whether or not the text is available to you before the modern world (with printing presses and internet) depends on whether you’re born in the region where the book is in print, whether your culture supports the priest class that can tell you what the text says (such as if you’re illiterate), things like this. Even today, we see religions based on particular texts to be somewhat geographically locked as tends to happen with things (like fashion) that are spread through cultural diffusion.
Why would gods choose such an obviously inefficient way to spread their message, especially if (in some worldviews) that message has infinite consequences?
For instance, for a being with godlike power, it would be trivially easy to just implant whatever knowledge is supposed to be gleaned by the holy text directly into every newborn: then it won’t become region locked, people wouldn’t fight over whose holy text is holiest, people wouldn’t be born in regions that don’t have easy cultural access to the holy text or priest class that reads it, etc. Why not this instead?
You are right!! It doesn't add up these are the actions of an Intelligent Being as God. Religion is a creation of mankind. They speak to who they think God is or who they want God to be. As such, religions reflect mankind more than anything.
Do you see Powerful, Mighty, Ruling, Controlling, Wrathful, Angry, Judging, Condemning, Punishing, Manipulating, Coercing, Intimidating, Threatening, Pay Back, Hate, Having Favorites and such in holy books? Question! Would a Being with the Great Intelligence to create us and this universe value all those petty things as mankind does? Can one really be at a Higher Level holding onto all the garbage that brings hurt to so many?
On the other hand, religion is a catalyst that brings out so many of mankind's problems to the surface so they can be dealt with. One lesson many need to learn is about Blindly accepting.
There have been cults in the past that ended with mass suicide. I wonder how many in the religions of today would blindly accept enough to commit suicide? Clearly, we have all seen some of this in the news. I wonder if those preachers told them God is coming to get us. Let's go! Would the blindly accepting sheep just walk over a cliff?
A God with any intelligence at all would not want His children Blindly accepting and following. We are all meant to THINK. Further, Choosing is a part of God's learning system. Choosing is far too important to allow others to make our choices for us.
You have a very good discussion here. You are right. Thinking people will bring better results.
That's what I see. It's very clear!!
