why did humanity create god?

[sin_is_fun]

Why did man create the concept of God and religion?From the remote islands in pacific to all major continents every culture,every man has always known about god.Like the concept of family,the concept of god is also universal.
what made so many cultures to create the concept of God?what was the basic motive?What was the purpose?Was it fear of the unknown?

[juliod]

Ah, I have a theory about that.

I suspect that the origin was coincident with the origin of language. Specifically, with the origin of the word "why".

Quite a useful word, "why". But it opened a pandora's box of problems for the primitives who first used it. Some questions that began "why" could be answered. But there was a huge number that couldn't. In fact, nearly the entire universe was a mystery to them. But now they could say "why does the sun come up?" and "Why do the animals migrate?" and "Why are we here?"

Of course, since the sum total of their knowledge at this point was approximately zero, they answers they came up with were wrong. From that we get religion.

DanZ

[Tim the Skeptic]

I like the "why" theory. I would add to it the question, "Why am I going to die?"

And let's face it, atheism is a hard sell. We're an infinitesimal part of the universe. Consciousness on this planet, has only existed for, at most, a couple of million years. Civilization for some thousands of years. Both in a universe billions of years old. An individual only lives for a mayfly-like speck on time on a planet that will be destroyed in a universe that appears to be heading for an energy death. It all looks kinda meaningless and random. And meaninglessness feels bad and randomness is scary.

God solves all that. You're hear to serve God. You won't die. God will reward you if you live a good life. You'll go to heaven and everything will be great. God will give your life meaning, you won't have to think about it or work at it. Supersize your Happy Meal, and have it your way.

God's a great deal, as long as you don't think too hard about it.

[lifeisboring]

Why did man create the concept of God and religion?From the remote islands in pacific to all major continents every culture,every man has always known about god.Like the concept of family,the concept of god is also universal.
what made so many cultures to create the concept of God?what was the basic motive?What was the purpose?Was it fear of the unknown?

The people created God to explain the unexplainable. For example, we have a theory that the Big Bang created the universe, but at most, it's only a theory. But if people say God created it in seven days, yay! all questions are answered.

[Qazwa]

Why did man create the concept of God and religion?From the remote islands in pacific to all major continents every culture,every man has always known about god.Like the concept of family,the concept of god is also universal.
what made so many cultures to create the concept of God?what was the basic motive?What was the purpose?Was it fear of the unknown?

Peace be to you,

Things to ponder for sure.

Im not sure man created God.

I ask. If man created God then it is only reasonable that this created god would be under our control and at out disposal. No? We could discard this manufactured god at any time or at least be able to order it around. In times past and to this day people have created for themselves many "gods" but as time went on we found that these were not gods or God. They were simply just stones and statues. In other words their gods that they made and depended on were less than them.

Im not so sure that man has displayed a fear of the unknown. Are we not constantly exploring? Risking our lives to uncover the unknown? Like descending miles under the ocean and rocketing into space simply to find out what is out there.

I believe God created mankind to be searchers not hiders. When man creates thier own gods we see humankind stagnate such as we were in the dark ages. Any religion that suppresses new ideas and asks its believers to think only a certian way cant be a true religion of God.
Like the "big bang" theory. Why would God create humankind with a lust for information of the unknown then give us a religion that supreses this?

The Holy Qur'an tells us in chapter 51 verse 47:

"With power and skill Did we construct the Firmament: For it is we (God) who *expand* The vastness of Space."

This was written "revealed" 1400 years ago before the big bang was ever considered.

If the universe is expanding then it must be limited and have had a starting point.

As a Muslim The "big bang" theory works for me.

Qazwa

[harvey1]

Why did man create the concept of God and religion?From the remote islands in pacific to all major continents every culture,every man has always known about god.Like the concept of family,the concept of god is also universal. what made so many cultures to create the concept of God?what was the basic motive?What was the purpose?Was it fear of the unknown?

I'm not sure why men "invented" cause and effect. Perhaps it's because humans are intelligent creatures, and therefore they are very attune to their environment?

The better question is why do a small percentage of people deny cause and effect? Could it be that a small percentage of us are scarred by independence issues from adolescence and therefore have the need to deny the obvious? That's my first guess, although I think that some of us are also nihilists (or wannabe nihilists). Good question.

[QED]

Just because every culture has its God(s) doesn't mean that God must exists beyond being more than just a concept. What is common is man and his capacity for imagination. God presents us with an ultimate concept -- easily arrived at when pondering imaginary extremes.

The better question is why do a small percentage of people deny cause and effect? Could it be that a small percentage of us are scarred by independence issues from adolescence and therefore have the need to deny the obvious? That's my first guess, although I think that some of us are also nihilists (or wannabe nihilists).

I don't think there's much profit to be had in your suggestion that Atheists are reacting to the loss of independence or even a puppy in childhood Harvey. I feel I have to point out that you're verging on the insulting with comments like this. Your claim that we're denying the obvious is clearly questionable. There's a lot about our universe that both you and I agree upon as being obvious. Much of this is denied by a considerable number of your fellow believers which I think puts you in a fairly exotic region of belief. Interestingly, this "common currency" of knowledge is more typically (if not universally) shared by us Atheists.

We both see energy being customised into stars/planets/people over many billions of years. We both agree on the evolutionary principles that result in this. However, you see it as purposeful and guided whereas I do not. If we're scoring our positions on how many other people agree with us, then yes, you win hands-down. But I can live with that. Most people, I think it fair to say, are agreeing with you because they think it obvious that God created man in his image and built our planet as the whole point of his creation. It's pretty obvious to me that this isn't the case and that a worryingly large percentage of the population is off-beam about this.

[harvey1]

I don't think there's much profit to be had in your suggestion that Atheists are reacting to the loss of independence or even a puppy in childhood Harvey. I feel I have to point out that you're verging on the insulting with comments like this.

That's the thing QED, our positions almost require that we respond to such a question with the other person practically being insulted. I wish there was a sugar-coated way to put my views, and I'm sure you'd like to sugar-coat atheism so that theists don't look like psychological morons too, but in the end there's not much we can do to sugar-coat. I think the majority of the people are right with a minority having irrational "issues," and you think a minority of the people have a great insight into nature, with the majority succumbing to irrational "issues."

However, if I was to try to sugar-coat, I would just say that some atheists are merely blinded by their approach to causal issues, and therefore that's why they are atheists. Although, I would consider you to be an exotic type of atheist who share this trait. The majority of atheists, I think, are just having adolescent issues (or run over puppy issues, or nihilist issues) played over and over. I have to be honest, that's what I think.

[QED]

Harvey, I think it's clear that you many extra problems over mine in all this. Take the example of human evolution. Look at all the fuss this creates. That man evolved from ape-like ancestors is totally at odds with the bible -- a book that is owned and cherished by a huge number of people out there in the world. This one issue is typical of a great many that show an unjustified reliance on the writings of late iron-age men. Goodness only knows what the situation would be if the atheist was working from some analogous document written equally long ago!

The other thing that doesn't quite chime-in with your view is the number of presumably mature scientists and philosophers who hold atheistic views. I would venture to say that in such fields we would not see the heavily lopsided statistics that you draw upon from the majority of the general public (incidentally I'm going along with your statistics despite the fact that they apply mostly to your own country -- which has the highest percentage of Christian Fundamentalists in the world) . It wouldn't surprise me in the least if, in fact, it turned out that the majority of people in those fields were agnostic/atheist.

[Scrotum]

However, if I was to try to sugar-coat, I would just say that some atheists are merely blinded by their approach to causal issues, and therefore that's why they are atheists. Although, I would consider you to be an exotic type of atheist who share this trait. The majority of atheists, I think, are just having adolescent issues (or run over puppy issues, or nihilist issues) played over and over. I have to be honest, that's what I think.

Oh Gosh Harvey, you got me. It was Mirranda, my puchy.. I love that dog,,,, and then a Car run over it.. NO GOD COULD HAVE ALLOWED IT.. So no god can exist. NO NO NO. No god... not klling my Mirranda...


Are you serious? Or just stupid?