19 Jun 07
Originally posted by steponupGod wasn't invented for that...and people naturally fear what they dont understand....i think that applies somewhat to christians as well!!!
Religion and fear from what i've seen seem to go hand in hand.Is it not possible that god was invented to control the masses?
19 Jun 07
Originally posted by steponupNo one invented religion. Its just a perfect way to explain things we don't understand.
Religion and fear from what i've seen seem to go hand in hand.Is it not possible that god was invented to control the masses?
As humans evolved and developed self awareness, and then soceity and culture they would imediatly be faced with some difficult questions. With the development of language increasing the complexity of soceity its not going to take long before a self aware being questions its existance and the existance of things around it. Religion develops from this basic human nature. A lack of knowleage of purpose ('why are we here?'😉 and origin ('how did we get here?'😉 leads over time to ideas of Gods and creators. Sun worship is an obvious place to start, a light and life giving sphere in the sky. How do you explain its existance? Maybe its a God or many its controled by God.
Another difficult quesiton is 'what happens when we die?' With self awarness it becomes difficult to imagine what a lose of awarness would be like. How can it just be oblivion? Fear and a lack of understanding of death leads to the afterlife. And a seperat afterlife develops for the good and bad, because isn't it so incredibly unfair that some good people suffer when some bad people lead great lives? We don't like to accept the unfairness and indifference of the universe. We like to find comfort in the thought that something is watching over us and protecting us. As human beings, we hate to be alone. Religion can fill that particular human need.
After all trhis its just culture. Human groups become isolated and various cultures and creationstories and ultimatly religions spring up all based on varying myths. If one were really true then which? All peoples of all the hundreds of faiths that have existed throughtout all of human history ardently believed that they were right.
But to summerise, religion is not invented (except maybe scientology) it evolves. It comes from basic human nature, a fear of death, a fear of the unknown, a need for comfort and a need for meaning in life. Religion is perfect. It dose anything we want. It explains all, it brings ultimate justice to the oppressed and it gives us something to kill and die for, another brilliant human trait.
19 Jun 07
Originally posted by Jake EllisonWhy do human beings have a need for meaning in the first place? Or a need for God? Have you ever asked yourself whether or not the reason we might have these needs is because we were meant to? After all, if we were created for fellowship with God, without him would we not eventually in some way or another sense our incompleteness?
No one invented religion. Its just a perfect way to explain things we don't understand.
As humans evolved and developed self awareness, and then soceity and culture they would imediatly be faced with some difficult questions. With the development of language increasing the complexity of soceity its not going to take long before a self aware being que ...[text shortened]... oppressed and it gives us something to kill and die for, another brilliant human trait.
19 Jun 07
Originally posted by epiphinehasThat logic seems rather circular.
Why do human beings have a need for [...] God? [...] The reason we might have these needs is because we were meant to? After all, if we were created for fellowship with God, without him would we not eventually in some way or another sense our incompleteness?
On top of that, I've seen no evidence that humans as a species have a need for God anyway. We have a need for explanation. We want things to happen for a reason, which is a natural extension of our curiosity and intelligence. We created various myths and stories to explain nature, nothing more.
19 Jun 07
Originally posted by UmbrageOfSnowBut when we don't have an explaination, God is good at filling the gaps and providing the explaination. At varying times in human history God has filled gaps that there is no way people of the time could have solved scientifically. So yeah we need an explantion, but that need is often what creates God.
That logic seems rather circular.
On top of that, I've seen no evidence that humans as a species have a need for God anyway. We have a need for explanation. We want things to happen for a reason, which is a natural extension of our curiosity and intelligence. We created various myths and stories to explain nature, nothing more.
19 Jun 07
Originally posted by Jake EllisonBasically what I said.
But when we don't have an explaination, God is good at filling the gaps and providing the explaination. At varying times in human history God has filled gaps that there is no way people of the time could have solved scientifically. So yeah we need an explantion, but that need is often what creates God.