Is god just a myth or a way to control people?

Originally posted by RBHILL
Wrong, I know for fact that they were not controled becasue they always rebeled.

That doesn't rule out the possibility that God was invented to control the masses. For example if a weapon is invented to control the masses and the masses rebel then it doesn't change the reason why the weapon was invented.
In fact your statement implies that the 'God concept' does attempt to rule the masses or the masses wouldn't be rebelling.

Originally posted by epiphinehas
Why 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?

Because having meanings for things is "fitter" evolutionarily than not.

It's better to know why you get sick than not. It allows you to learn not to lick those spotty toads.

Originally posted by Jake Ellison
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.

That's an excuse, not an explanation.

Originally posted by RBHILL
Wrong, I know for fact that they were not controled becasue they always rebeled.

Like you are now?

Oh wait, you always have been a wee bit hard of thinking.

Originally posted by scottishinnz
Ahhhh, but he was invented, right!?!

wrong.

Originally posted by Jay Joos
wrong.

I believe you capitulated the point already.

Originally posted by scottishinnz
I believe you capitulated the point already.

whatever!!!

Originally posted by scottishinnz
That's an excuse, not an explanation.

When you say that a giant scarab bettle pushes the sun across the sky, it is an explanation. God is used to explan things that we don't know. Its always the perfect explaination because it can't be disproofed. I don't see how God is an excuse in this sence.

Originally posted by Jake Ellison
When you say that a giant scarab bettle pushes the sun across the sky, it is an explanation. God is used to explan things that we don't know. Its always the perfect explaination because it can't be disproofed. I don't see how God is an excuse in this sence.

Loosely it’s an explanation, a crap one, so I would be more inclined to say it’s an excuse for not thinking. Completely fabricating something does not make it a perfect explanation.

Originally posted by Jake Ellison
When you say that a giant scarab bettle pushes the sun across the sky, it is an explanation. God is used to explan things that we don't know. Its always the perfect explaination because it can't be disproofed. I don't see how God is an excuse in this sence.

"God" is just a way of saying "we don't know", the cosmic equivalent of "a big boy did it and ran away".

I don't hold that as a valid explanation, rather, as I say, I view it as an excuse, a way to avoid "don't know".

I don't remember much of the Bible. Who was the first person God spoke to? Was it Job or Noah or who? Could it be that all this God stuff was started by a schizophrenic? That's what we call people today who hear God's voice. Nah! there was no schizophrenia way back then.

Originally posted by steponup
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?

That would be true if God was interested in controlling you.
Unfortunately man is in the business of controlling the masses, and will use God when necessary.

Originally posted by steponup
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?

You may be on to something here. We have all evolved from some slime. Our lives are purely accidental and have no meaning except to eat, drink and be merry.😀

Originally posted by josephw
That would be true if God was interested in controlling you.
Unfortunately man is in the business of controlling the masses, and will use God when necessary.

But if God is a concept invented by man rather than a real (but invisible and extremely choosy about who he will talk to) being then he does not have an interest in anything. A mental concept does not in itself have an interest. However, the concept can still have been created and used for a purpose.

--- Penguin.

Originally posted by Penguin
But if God is a concept invented by man rather than a real (but invisible and extremely choosy about who he will talk to) being then he does not have an interest in anything. A mental concept does not in itself have an interest. However, the concept can still have been created and used for a purpose.

--- Penguin.

If God is a concept invented by man then nothing really matters.