This is something I posted on another board. Just wanted to get opinions here.
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Thousands of years ago, our ancestors were a pack of savages. They ran around the wilderness, gathering berries, clubbing animals over the head, and things of that nature. But they were still human beings. They were still curious about the world around them. At night, after a hard day's struggle for survival, they would sit around the cave and wonder what it was all about. The problem, of course, was that they didn't yet have literacy or civilization and therefore couldn't get very far. Thus the nature of the world was left largely to their imagination. And as we all ought to know, the human imagination loves to anthropomorphize everything.
So now all of those things that couldn't be understood? They weren't just happening, someone was doing them. Someone powerful. It felt good to know that someone was in charge, because maybe he could be reasoned with. You certainly couldn't just tell him what to do, but you could try asking him nicely for things. And if something really bad happened, you knew it wasn't just cruel fate. You knew that SOMEONE had pissed off the Big Guy. And if you took the steps to make the Big Guy happy again, it stood to reason that the bad things would quit happening. If that meant taking the offender out and burning him alive, well, it was all for the best.
Thus it was that our prehistoric ancestors quit feeling like the slaves to uncaring nature that they really were. They began to feel as if they had at least some small measure of control over the universe. Where were you before you were born? Where will you be after you die? Well the Big Guy is running this show, so you're probably with him, in whatever unseen place he resides. That sounds much nicer than "I don't know" or "we're worm food" doesn't it?
Time passes, and civilization is born. Agriculture takes root, the division of labor occurs, and technology begins to develop. Some folks grow the food. Others bake the bread. The food supply becomes steady enough that some people can make their living creating objects of art that other people will want. What sort of art do they make? Well lots of things, really, but most of it has to do with the Big Guy. After all, he's more interesting than anything else in this muddy little world. And some people think that if you keep a statue or picture of him in the place where you live, he'll see that you're on his side, and be good to you.
More time passes. Written language is created, nations rise, roads are built, and people begin to see the world as being more than just their own little city. They're getting a little more sophisticated, and so is their image of God. Books are written on exactly what he does and does not like, and the things he has supposedly done in the past. War are fought because... Well, for the same reason they're always fought, namely economic advantage. But nobody wants to take a spear through the eye for economics. Thus it behooves the king and his priests to instill the peons with a good dependable sense of religious superiority and hatred. Left to their own devices, they'll merely persecute and occasionally kill each other over one religious difference or another. Properly whipped into a frenzy, they'll kill a whole shitload of people and build an empire.
Sure, some of the mysterious things previously attributed to God turn out to have mundane explanations. Thunder isn't really God stamping his feet, or whatever. But the funny thing about science is that whenever you answer a question, two more new questions always seem to arise. Thus as human knowledge expands, God's mystery pervades. It just keeps getting pushed back further and further over time.
No, he doesn't make thunder.
Well what about day and night?
No, he doesn't pull the sun around on a chariot either.
But what about sickness?
No, he didn't smite you with drippy-dick disease for the sin of porking the town whore. That's just a virus.
Even more time passes, and eventually we reach the present. The "God's mystery" crowd has gone from sitting in a hut and asking who makes the thunder, to logging onto a messageboard and asking who made the Big Bang. Unless we somehow end up omniscient ourselves, they'll always have a patch of human scientific ignorance to claim God is hiding behind. Our technology is shinier, but nothing else has changed very much. Some of us have figured out that the whole thing is just a big conglomeration of wishful thinking from good people, and manipulation from bad people. But really, we're still the same species that was sitting in a cave and making up stories about the Big Guy a few short millenia ago.
The Birth of God, by me.
Moderator: Alyrium Denryle
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LordShaithis
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The Birth of God, by me.
If Religion and Politics were characters on a soap opera, Religion would be the one that goes insane with jealousy over Politics' intimate relationship with Reality, and secretly murder Politics in the night, skin the corpse, and run around its apartment wearing the skin like a cape shouting "My votes now! All votes for me! Wheeee!" -- Lagmonster
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Zero
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- Location: Trying to find the divide between real memories and false ones.
Why is it saddening? If our illusions make us happy, and hurt none, why should it be bad that we maintain them? If these illusions do hurt some, however, as they often have in the souther US states, they're bad, but you can't expect such people to listen to reason and rationality anyways.
And the God's mystery crowd typically deals with coincidence more then anything, which seems like a bloody stupid way to operate, but it aint a big deal.
And the God's mystery crowd typically deals with coincidence more then anything, which seems like a bloody stupid way to operate, but it aint a big deal.
So long, and thanks for all the fish
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wolveraptor
- Sith Marauder
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Oughta change that beginning to "tens of thousands of years ago" instead of thousands. Even back in 8000 BC, people had domesticated animals, built shelters, and had begun limited farming, though trade was non-existant, as was written language.
But good otherwise.
But good otherwise.
"If one needed proof that a guitar was more than wood and string, that a song was more than notes and words, and that a man could be more than a name and a few faded pictures, then Robert Johnson’s recordings were all one could ask for."
- Herb Bowie, Reason to Rock
- Herb Bowie, Reason to Rock
I was actually JUST having a conversation about the evolution of god and man and religion with a college friend over AIM. Which is similar to what you have up there. This is what he said in a nutshell. (yes, he's christian)
Well, I believe in God and I believe that science is an explanation of how he does things. I also don't feel that God causes bad things to happen. He gave you free agency to do what you want. So when something like 9/11 happens and people blame it on God I just want to smack them. As for natural disasters, I believe that he can prevent them, but let's look at a recent one hurricane Katrina. I feel he didn't prevent that because of how wicked a lot of the people there are. Had they been living a descent life then perhaps he would have prevented that.
You’re also speculating that early man was just too stupid and created God to make himself feel better or justify killing another man. I just don't agree with that.
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