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A question directed chiefly at the few atheists amongst us here on AB...
170 Answers
What fault is it in the human character that has led us, in all races, all times, and all places, to 'invent' Gods?
Answers
What do I think? I think that some of the pat answers here could have been cut + pasted from the atheists catechism.
What do I believe? This says it much better that I ever could.
I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible;
And in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Only-
What do I believe? This says it much better that I ever could.
I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible;
And in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Only-
15:13 Wed 01st Feb 2012
Without going into the issue of whether it is a fault or whether or not all races at all time had gods, there are a few points that may be relevant..
1. The human mind is very good at ignoring things that it doesn’t understand so it is easy to brush a lot of insoluble problems under the celestial carpet and attribute them to the realm of ‘god’. You may think that what you see is really there but you only ’see’ a tiny fraction of what you think you see, the rest is just a construct of the brain based on what it thinks is there. There have been a lot of phenomena that people just took for granted and didn’t attempt to question, until Copernicus and Newton came along.
2. Humans are also good at ‘denial’, once they have come to a decision about something, even if based on the flimsiest evidence they will not change their mind when faced with compelling evidence to the contrary as they would have to admit that they had been wrong and nobody likes doing that. You only have to hear an angler explaining why a particular approach to catching fish is the best one, it is mostly based on supposition and anthropomorphism.
3. The characteristics of gods reflect the social mores, beliefs and hopes and fears of the society that produced them and are invented to enforce and preserve those mores ie they are made ‘in our own image’. That is why people were comfortable with their gods and why some of them are now looking just a tad out of date.
4. The priest syndrome; It is very comforting for some people to be able to explain and pontificate to others, it gives them a sense of worth (doesn‘t it just:-)). It is not far removed from people discussing the merits and motives of characters in soaps, although of course they only exist in the mind of the scriptwriter but to the soap fans they are real.
1. The human mind is very good at ignoring things that it doesn’t understand so it is easy to brush a lot of insoluble problems under the celestial carpet and attribute them to the realm of ‘god’. You may think that what you see is really there but you only ’see’ a tiny fraction of what you think you see, the rest is just a construct of the brain based on what it thinks is there. There have been a lot of phenomena that people just took for granted and didn’t attempt to question, until Copernicus and Newton came along.
2. Humans are also good at ‘denial’, once they have come to a decision about something, even if based on the flimsiest evidence they will not change their mind when faced with compelling evidence to the contrary as they would have to admit that they had been wrong and nobody likes doing that. You only have to hear an angler explaining why a particular approach to catching fish is the best one, it is mostly based on supposition and anthropomorphism.
3. The characteristics of gods reflect the social mores, beliefs and hopes and fears of the society that produced them and are invented to enforce and preserve those mores ie they are made ‘in our own image’. That is why people were comfortable with their gods and why some of them are now looking just a tad out of date.
4. The priest syndrome; It is very comforting for some people to be able to explain and pontificate to others, it gives them a sense of worth (doesn‘t it just:-)). It is not far removed from people discussing the merits and motives of characters in soaps, although of course they only exist in the mind of the scriptwriter but to the soap fans they are real.
I am not sure that it is a fault of the human character. The fault lies in not being able to give stuff up.
We are a species that needs narratives to explain what is around us, especially things that are frightening or seemingly inexplicable.As our understanding of the world around us increases, the need for supernatural explanations reduces, and the invented gods disappear. Some seem a bit more resistant than that however :)
We are a species that needs narratives to explain what is around us, especially things that are frightening or seemingly inexplicable.As our understanding of the world around us increases, the need for supernatural explanations reduces, and the invented gods disappear. Some seem a bit more resistant than that however :)
I won't expand upon my thoughts, but suffice to say that, in my opinion, belief in supernatural 'gods' originated from an initial inability to comprehend the physical universe, resulting in the notion that man is, in all of nature, an exceptional creature who, by following particular rituals, is able to render himself exempt from the inevitable consequence of life - death.
Gods were invented in an attempt to gain control or favour over aspects of our life over which we have at any given point in time failed and hoped to gain or relegate control outside of our current context of knowledge and understanding of cause and available options.
The problem with appealing to a divine overseer of reality is that:
1. it diverts our attention away from understanding the nature of the problems and obstacles we face and acquiring the necessary knowledge to adjust to or find solutions for dealing with them.
2. there is no divine overseer or other alternative to number 1.
The problem with appealing to a divine overseer of reality is that:
1. it diverts our attention away from understanding the nature of the problems and obstacles we face and acquiring the necessary knowledge to adjust to or find solutions for dealing with them.
2. there is no divine overseer or other alternative to number 1.
“What fault is it in the human character...”
The 'fault' is a lack of understanding about the physical world we live in. A thunder clap is the noise that is generated when several million cubic metres of atmosphere is heated rapidly by a bolt of lightening. Before we knew this, our ancestors invented thunder gods to explain this weird and wonderful audible phenomena.
Belief in a deity (or deities) is borne from a lack of knowledge and the human desire to make sense of the world we all inhabit. Organised religion exploits this desire and creates a hierarchy of people who, above all else, desire power.
By the way, I like the way you've framed the question. By suggesting (ironically of course) that believing in a deity is a 'fault' of humans, what you're actually saying is that, “... all races, [in] all times, and [in] all places...” cannot possibly be wrong and it is the non-believers who are at odds with reality. Subtle.
The 'fault' is a lack of understanding about the physical world we live in. A thunder clap is the noise that is generated when several million cubic metres of atmosphere is heated rapidly by a bolt of lightening. Before we knew this, our ancestors invented thunder gods to explain this weird and wonderful audible phenomena.
Belief in a deity (or deities) is borne from a lack of knowledge and the human desire to make sense of the world we all inhabit. Organised religion exploits this desire and creates a hierarchy of people who, above all else, desire power.
By the way, I like the way you've framed the question. By suggesting (ironically of course) that believing in a deity is a 'fault' of humans, what you're actually saying is that, “... all races, [in] all times, and [in] all places...” cannot possibly be wrong and it is the non-believers who are at odds with reality. Subtle.
// what you're actually saying is that, “... all races, [in] all times, and [in] all places...” cannot possibly be wrong and it is the non-believers who are at odds with reality //
Which is why I asked sandy his opinion Birdie. I'd like him to just say straightforwardly is this is what he thinks rather than being all ironic about it.
Which is why I asked sandy his opinion Birdie. I'd like him to just say straightforwardly is this is what he thinks rather than being all ironic about it.
Hi Sandy
The basis of Human intelligence is the ability to make connections
Whether it's Einstein connecting the concept of time with that of mass or an ape connecting out of reach ants with a handy stick - that ability to make connections in our minds is what we call intelligence and is very very strong in Humans.
We evolved it because it's the ability to see into the future - you can make predictions based on it and that's a powerful thing.
Trouble is that instict to make connections is so powerful it leads us to make connections that aren't there.
From optical illusions to conspiracy theorists to reading the runes in chicken guts we make connections because that desire to see connections is so strong.
Gods are very powerful concepts to make connections for - why does it rain, thunder why does the sun rise - we need connections and Gods were the answer.
Then we Socialise the answers, we get together and tell each other the same story - with each retelling we become more emotionally invested with the answer, more convinced that the story is true.
In the end we can convince ourselves of the most preposterous things - look at all of the end of the world cultists - from the outside it's clearly nonsense but when you've been telling each other something for years and there are people you trust repeating the story it's very hard to break away from the group.
Especially powerful when the story is something you want to hear - something that soothes your fear, tells you you're with friends, special, loved.
All you have to do is think like us
All you have to do is believe
All you have to do is follow
Rather Orwellian isn't it?
The basis of Human intelligence is the ability to make connections
Whether it's Einstein connecting the concept of time with that of mass or an ape connecting out of reach ants with a handy stick - that ability to make connections in our minds is what we call intelligence and is very very strong in Humans.
We evolved it because it's the ability to see into the future - you can make predictions based on it and that's a powerful thing.
Trouble is that instict to make connections is so powerful it leads us to make connections that aren't there.
From optical illusions to conspiracy theorists to reading the runes in chicken guts we make connections because that desire to see connections is so strong.
Gods are very powerful concepts to make connections for - why does it rain, thunder why does the sun rise - we need connections and Gods were the answer.
Then we Socialise the answers, we get together and tell each other the same story - with each retelling we become more emotionally invested with the answer, more convinced that the story is true.
In the end we can convince ourselves of the most preposterous things - look at all of the end of the world cultists - from the outside it's clearly nonsense but when you've been telling each other something for years and there are people you trust repeating the story it's very hard to break away from the group.
Especially powerful when the story is something you want to hear - something that soothes your fear, tells you you're with friends, special, loved.
All you have to do is think like us
All you have to do is believe
All you have to do is follow
Rather Orwellian isn't it?
What do I think? I think that some of the pat answers here could have been cut + pasted from the atheists catechism.
What do I believe? This says it much better that I ever could.
I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible;
And in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Only-begotten, begotten of the Father before all ages; Light of Light, true God of true God; begotten, not made; being of one essence with the Father; by Whom all things were made;
Who for us men, and for our salvation, came down from the Heavens, and was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary, and became man;
And was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate, suffered and was buried;
And arose again on the third day according to the Scriptures;
And ascended into the Heavens, and sitteth at the right hand of the Father;
And shall come again, with glory, to judge both the living and the dead; Whose Kingdom shall have no end;
And in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the Giver of life; Who proceedeth from the Father; Who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified; Who spake by the Prophets;
In One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church.
I confess one baptism for the remission of sins.
I look for the resurrection fo the dead,
And the life of the age to come. Amen.
What do I believe? This says it much better that I ever could.
I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible;
And in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Only-begotten, begotten of the Father before all ages; Light of Light, true God of true God; begotten, not made; being of one essence with the Father; by Whom all things were made;
Who for us men, and for our salvation, came down from the Heavens, and was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary, and became man;
And was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate, suffered and was buried;
And arose again on the third day according to the Scriptures;
And ascended into the Heavens, and sitteth at the right hand of the Father;
And shall come again, with glory, to judge both the living and the dead; Whose Kingdom shall have no end;
And in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the Giver of life; Who proceedeth from the Father; Who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified; Who spake by the Prophets;
In One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church.
I confess one baptism for the remission of sins.
I look for the resurrection fo the dead,
And the life of the age to come. Amen.
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