Why god?

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SunDog's picture
Why god?

A simple question.

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Keith Raye's picture
Why not? I think one of the

Why not? I think one of the fundamental questions religion raises has to do with the creation myth. The important thing is not how long ago did this mythical god create the universe, or how long it took. The $64,000 question is, WHY? Why did he bother? Being omnipotent and omnipresent, all-knowing and all-seeing, he must have been aware, before he ever began his works, that mankind would turn out to be a bad lot. Christians, and others, believe that their god made each and every one of us individually. And then they say, the trials of life are intended to 'test our faith' when, if he made us, he must have known beforehand how rebellious and disbelieving many of us would turn out be. Then, Christians say that their strange god gave us free choice. Free? Do me a favour. You put a gun to a man's head and 'Say believe in me or I'll pull the trigger' and then call that free choice?? Come on!

SunDog's picture
Exactly - adam & eve screwed

Exactly - adam & eve screwed-up so why didn't god just kill them & start over? Nooooo, god has to do the whole flood thing. lol

algebe's picture
Because we die, and because

Because we die, and because we know that we're going to die. Self-awareness coupled with the ability to look ahead can be a bitter mixture to swallow. Some people need a spoonful of sugary god syrup to take away the taste.

MCDennis's picture
This question does not make

This question does not make sense. Please explain your question.

SunDog's picture
Why do people need god? If

Why do people need god? If there is no need, then why god?

chimp3's picture
Why which god?

Why which god?

SunDog's picture
A hedonistic one with free

A hedonistic one with free beer!

mykcob4's picture
Man is a creature that is

Man is a creature that is insecure by nature. He is also curious. Man developed certain parts of the brain that function to solve problems but also to plan for the future. Instead of being a species that capitalize on opportunity the human mind developed ways to plan. The problem with that is that the human brain is obsessed with the unknown and the future. Answering the question why became very important to early humans. Why does the sun rise and what is the sun? Why does it get hot or cold? So many questions and too few answers. So early humans started relating to inanimate objects as if they were human. The sun became the giver of life etc. and so on. Also to become a tribe leader you had to be able to predict where food would be. So some tribe members became exalted over others. A good hunter, a good tracker, might be a person that actually communicated with the animal they were hunting. These elevated tribe members got better food got the pick of the females so if they were revered as supernatural they were not going to correct anybody. Simultaneously individuals and inanimate objects were thought to have human and superhuman capabilities. So religion was born. I went out of control from there.

Keith Raye's picture
Yes, I think we all get that,

Yes, I think we all get that, or we wouldn't be here in this hub, on this website.Some of us might argue with the fine details but not with the essence.

SunDog's picture
So, we are pattern seekers,

So, we are pattern seekers, story tellers & creatures of habit that attach significance to the meaningless.

Jared Alesi's picture
Scene: two prehistoric

Scene: two prehistoric Neanderthals, Unk and Grunk walking in a field, and one sees a fire burning in the grass.
Unk: What it do! What it do!
Grunk: Dunno. Touch it.
(Unk touches it, screams in pain)
Unk: Ouch! It hurts!
Grunk: Huh.
Unk: Why?
(Grunk points up)
Grunk: God

They continue walking.
(Enter friend Zunk)
Zunk: Hey guys, kill anything lately?
Unk: No. Hurt. Hot fire hurts.
(wild animal kills Zunk)
Unk: Aaahhhh! Zunk dead! What now, Grunk?
(Grunk points up)
Grunk: God

A few days later, Unk making annoying noises.
Grunk: Stop
Unk: No, I don't want to
Grunk: Stop, or else.
Unk: Or else what?
(Grunk points up)
Grunk: God

Now think of those scenarios happening in 2017, but replace Unk with a curious child, and Grunk with a conman in a robe. That's why.

SunDog's picture
The universal answer.

The universal answer.

Keith Raye's picture
Yup. If you don't understand

Yup. If you don't understand it you can either worship it or hit it with a rock. The answer to Life, The Universe, and Everything is BONK.

Pitar's picture
Well, I'm glad we got all

Well, I'm glad we got all that cleared up. I thought the OP was asking god to fess up.

SunDog's picture
Wouldn't that be something

Wouldn't that be something else. God confessing! I'll let the pope know.

Bathiker's picture
I think Hitchens said it best

I think Hitchens said it best when he said "Religion was our first attempt at explaining the world around us" everything used to be a mystery. Weather, disease, astronomy, literally everything... Hitchens goes on to say
"because Religion was our first attempt it was also our WORST attempt"

LogicFTW's picture
Why god?

Why god?

Human's capacity for imagination.

Keith Raye's picture
@LogicForTW

@LogicForTW

I gave you an agree there. But I think that it also has a lot to do with human ambition and greed.

livingmylife2's picture
I read an explanation--I can

I read an explanation--I can't remember whose, but it was someone with enough credentials that I paid attention. She (I think) was saying that we're born with an instinct to look for a powerful being who will take care of us. First we turn to our mothers, but for some, the inclination continues in adulthood.

Cognostic's picture
@ WHY GOD?

@ WHY GOD?
I really like the comment about innate need for nurturing and care made by Keith Raye.
I think there is something there, especially in primitive humans who did not understand the world around them.

Storms - gods
Lightening - gods
sickness - gods
disease - gods
the sun - a god
the moon - a god
ships sinking - sea gods

God has always been the reason for everything. It has helped people to believe that they understand the world around them and that everything is not random chaos but under control of an intelligent and caring being who has their best interest at heart. God gives humanity a false sense of explanation and security. But the more we know about the world around us, the less we need fictitious ideas of God.

Grinseed's picture
I think the primitive mind

I think the primitive mind was initially drawn to the idea of a god or gods because that's just what it looked like. If you have ever been caught up in the middle of a cyclone, hurricane, earthquake, or volcano eruption, even today, you immediately understand just how puny and powerless we really are, and without the benefit of scientific knowledge forces like that go a long way to making you believe in gods and demons.. Facing off an aggressive animal in the wild, or even a rabid dog in the suburbs forcing you to identify your own weakness and mortality can make you want to believe in a force to protect you from such circumstances. God is a survival mechanism.
For centuries most people thought the universe was geocentric simply because that's exactly what it looks like from day to day, without telescopes, satellites and Aristarchus (look him up).

Anonymous's picture
Agreed, wholeheartedly.

Agreed, wholeheartedly. Bravo. Great post. God IS a survival mechanism.

I saw this in my practice. Clients who were grown adults still looked for mommy and daddy figures to protect them. In their gods, in their marriages. "heavenly father" "blessed mother". The tragedy is how much they suffered when their god didn't protect them. I once had a CEO of a large mainland company who had the maturity of a 12 year old. It's an amazing thing to watch; it's like a boy possessed a man's body.

Anyway. Excellent post you made. Thank you.

Tin-Man's picture
Why God?.... Because, "Praise

Why God?.... Because, "Praise be to Captain Crunch," just doesn't quite have the same ring to it.

Anonymous's picture
JEREMIAH WAS A BULL FROG!!

JEREMIAH WAS A BULL FROG!!

Was a good friend of mine. (sing with me, Tin-Pan)
Never heard a single word he said.
But I helped him drink his wine.
He always had some mighty fine wine.

JOY TO THE WORLD
ALL THE BOYS AND GIRLS, NOW
JOY TO THE FISHES IN THE DEEP BLUE SEA
JOY TO YOU AND ME

Tin-Man's picture
@MB

@MB

You know I love the ladies
Love to have my fun
I'm a high life flyer and a rainbow rider
A straight shootin' son-of-a-gun
I said a straight shootin' son-of-a-gun....

(Sing it....)
JOY TO THE WORLD
ALL THE BOYS AND GIRLS, NOW
JOY TO THE FISHES IN THE DEEP BLUE SEA
JOY TO YOU AND ME

Anonymous's picture
Tin-Can

Tin-Can

If I was the Queen of the world,
Tell you what I'd do,
something something
Make sweet love to you.

JOY TO THE WORLD
ALL THE BOYS AND GIRLS, NOW
JOY TO THE FISHES IN THE DEEP BLUE SEA
JOY TO YOU AND ME

SeniorCitizen007's picture
God is a verb.

God is a verb.

Cognostic's picture
Is that what they are

Is that what they are teaching in home-school English these days?
Well let's go for a god, Did you god yesterday or are you planning on godding today. I like to god after I get home from work. Have you ever thought of godding in public? If you god while watching porn are you being amoral? How exactly does one god anyway? What sort of lubricant or device do you use while godding?

Use the verb form of God to complete the following sentences.

While sitting on the toilet I ________________ out a huge painful turd.

You don't have go be in a cheap hotel room to _____________ all over the big twins.

You know what they say.... "You are what you _________________.

SeniorCitizen007's picture
Invoke

Invoke

Tin-Man's picture
Why God?..... Because praying

Why God?..... Because praying to a can of chicken noodle soup just seems so silly.

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