Why do intelligent creatures feel the need to create imaginary deities?
Is it simply fear of death (which religion placates with the fairytale you'll live forever after you die; you'll see all your deceased relatives, etc.)
Is it longing to be part of something bigger than yourself?
Is it to feel special, unique? That you have a personal relationship with this all-powerful magical being who actually cares what you think.
Why do people believe in the unbelievable? Just curious.
(I'm looking for answers from a human psychology perspective. I'd rather not hear from all the religious nuts who may disagree with me)
Answer:
..The main reason is that their intelligence allows them to foresee their eventual death. The thought of personal annihilation and nothingness is so horrible and intolerable that they seek and hope for life after death. Belief in a deity makes this hope possible.
It also solves another problem. The largest questions...Where did all this come from? Why do I exist? These become answered as people form the religion around the deity. Yes, science has its own answers. But religious answers have been around a lot longer, and for many people they are easier to grasp...and contain the answers they seek.
You may think some of the stuff people believe in is pretty amazing. But their need for these answers - some "Good News" - has been there as long as human beings could think conceptually.
I have often wondered myself why so many people create false gods, when they have the intelligence to choose to follow the one true God through His son Jesus Christ.
People want to feel a sense of purpose and to believe that their lives are significant - in modern society this is an increasingly difficult thing to do. People want immortality and to be rewarded for their efforts. Above all, I think people want to believe that their suffering has meaning and is part of a greater plan. Marx was right, "religion is the opium of the masses."
Great question. 'Deities' fill in a gap for many people, or give them meaning which they cannot find elsewhere. Read Richard Dawkins' "The God Delusion" for a complete understanding.
What makes you think you're right in believing God doesn't exist? And why should it bother you that there are those who believe He does? How do you know they're wrong?
Thank you Brian.apology accepted. And please accept my apology for appearing testy in my response to your question. Faith is very personal and in my opinion, cannot be explained on a psychological level...it must be experienced to be understood. I'd be here all day if I were to list the reasons I believe, but I can tell you this.it wasn't until I stepped out in faith and asked Christ into my life that I began to understand the scriptures and to understand God as a personal being who loves and takes joy in His creation. I hope this helps somewhat to answer your question. And never stop seeking answers! :o)
Maybe its an instilled ingrediant in our DNA that recognizes that there is a harmony connecting us all. Not Being intelligent enough to identify this silent voice in us all, we give it the face and names of things we can indentify, or would be comfortable with
Men are born with an intuition of something greater and beyond themselves. Even cavemen had this sense of something greater than themselves, the sense that something powerful and immortal runs the universe and allowed all life to become aware. Mankind, in a sense, was born with a God sense.long before the Jews came to know Yaweh, long before the scriptures were written, long before we came on Yahoo to ask questions. I believe in the unbelieveable because of the beauty of the mysterious universe that is everywhere and the miracle that I came from where I do not know and the fear of where I am to go... I fear and rejoice all at the same time...Peace...
I know nothing of psychology, i can understand why people created religion out of fear and also wanting control...but it's got out of hand now i reckon...
however, from my own personal belief...i can but only give you a personal pespective.
when i was growing up as a child - the fear of death, of "nothingness", of no longer having an active mind and any concept of 'being', truly scared the crap out of me.
I used to have nightmares about this and tried desperately to come to terms with this concept.
it look quite a long term for me to reconcile my fears, as in no way can i accept a "religion" (any), that is followed by people today.
however, i do find it truly mind boggling that our awareness and capacity to think sets us aside from all the animal kingdom and therefore struggle sometimes to completely accept evolution (without 3rd party intervention).
I honestly believe that we carry something within us, soul or otherwise, the ability to continue on a different level of consciousness after our bodies expire.
at least, that's my hope...and if i'm wrong.well, i'll try and do the best i can while i'm here.
just keep smiling !!
:)))
good question - i like the thought provoking ones from time to time.
An intelligent human being keeps analyzing things and happenings around him and keeps asking 'what', 'who and 'why'. He simply can not accept the fact that many times, he
ends up in a clueless blind alley. At that point he starts postulating and ends up with a version of his answer.
Many times such an answer is abstract which causes him to
assign identifiable concrete shape. The deity concept is such
an example.
Elements of 'fear of death', 'longing to be part of something
bigger than yourself', 'to feel unique' etc also contribute to
the urge to make such formulations.
I always wondered that too, why can't people just see what Jesus has in offer for us instead making up imaginary deities
*grin* i love when atheists challenge people with a religious question, then say, "no religious answers please" :o)
First of all, since a vast majority of people for one reason or another feel as if there is something bigger than them, there just might be something to it.
Secondly, I would also assume (since we are talking about the entire human race) that many people see things in nature that you just can't explain away by science and feel there just MUST be some sort of intelligent design behind it that again, is much bigger than them.
Thirdly, well sure, how many people are not afraid of the unknown (like, say, death?) and would entertain the *possibility* that there is something out there? Forget the fairy-tales, we just wanna know "is this all there is? 80 or so measley years on a crappy planet?" And, is it so bad to want to feel comforted by the thought of there *possibly* being something out there that DOES care about them? *shrug* who knows?
In this extremely wide and vast universe, it would be so arrogant to think that we have somehow learned ALL there is to know and that the proof of there being any dieties has been solved, doncha think?
Just as religious folks don't have all the answers, neither do atheists or agnostics.
nice answer waxfarie
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