Why have people throughout human history chosen to believe in transcendent powers and disregarded nature?

Question

This,of course does not include the Greeks who believed that ignorance caused humans to move away from the ideal.

Christianity, for instance, believed that humans had to try to live up to the perfection of thier god, and the rejection of god's laws is what causes sin.

Answer 1

because nature is heartless and random and cannot be controlled. it does not reason or care. so we invent a caring god to appease so we can worry less

Answer 2

Prepare for a host of answers, most which make no sense, are rude, and disregard anything you really asked...

Also, I believe the Greeks and other Pagans believed nature itself ALSO had transcendent powers...

- 16 yo Pagan

Answer 3

There are some subtleties at work here that seem to escape the notice of most people. They have to do with the nature of 'belief'.

A rational person might say "I believe in the Big Bang." A religious person might say "I believe in creation, as described in Genesis." But these statements are not even remotely similar, with respect to what is meant by the word 'believe'.

For the rational person, the statement of 'belief' in the Big Bang means that they understand that the concept provides a scientifically and mathematically consistent explanation, congruent with the evidence, which accounts for the evolution of the universe from a fraction of a second after the initiating event, up until the present. When the 'inflationary model' came to the fore, rational people said "Well, good... that clears up a few questions and makes things even more coherent." NOBODY threw up their arms and wailed "Oh, no... oh, no... ain't so... ain't so... the Big Bang is the inerrant truth... not this ridiculous, atheistic 'inflationary' model."

See... when we say "I believe in the Big Bang", we don't really mean the same thing as the religious person means when he says "I believe in creation, as described in Genesis," or "I believe in God." Our 'belief' in the Big Bang (or anything else) isn't really a 'belief'... it is more properly a 'paradigm'... a useful way of looking at something, or thinking about something. If additional information is uncovered that adds to the conceptual model, that is a good thing... not a disaster. If part of the conceptual model is discovered to be incorrect, and must be tossed in the trash and replaced with something completely different... that is also a good thing... not the end of the world as we know it. And often, no matter how highly confident we may be of the accuracy or completeness of a particular paradigm, we may have reason to apply a DIFFERENT paradigm to the same thing, in an effort to tease out new insights; for example, we might want to contemplate the potential implications of a change to a theory from the perspective of the Tao Te Ching, the Gaia hypothesis, or ecological homeostasis. We KNOW that all theories are approximations... and that is OK. We KNOW that we don't have all the answers... and that is OK, too. There is nothing wrong with saying "We don't know... yet; but we're working on it."

But these modes of thinking, perceiving, contemplating and understanding are utterly alien to the 'religious' mind. For the religious mind, a 'belief' is not a paradigm... not a useful way of thinking about something... it is an internalized conviction that one knows the absolute 'truth' pertaining to some aspect of existence and/or fundamental reality. 'Beliefs' are one of the key interpretive component filters of the religious person's 'self-description'... a part of what DEFINES them as a person... the very thing that creates their world-view... an underpinning of their 'subjective reality'. Any challenge to one of these internalized 'beliefs' is perceived and interpreted as a vital threat... an attack upon the 'self-description'... and an assault upon their subjective reality.

And here is the key difference: When there is a change in one of the paradigms dealing with a scientific concept, or a new insight into the workings of the universe, to the 'rational' person it merely constitutes an interesting new piece of knowledge and understanding... a new insight. However, if that same new insight, or piece of information (a feature of the universe, for example) seems to threaten a tenet of Christianity, everybody goes to battle stations, goes into 'damage control' mode... for fear that the whole edifice will come crashing down. And, ultimately, it will.

So, when a fundie disparages evolution, for example, it really has nothing to do with a genuine, intellectual dispute regarding scientific details... they are generally scientifically illiterate, anyway. Any 'scientific' arguments that they present are inevitably not even understood... they are just lifted from the pre-packaged lies and misrepresentations that are found on dozens of 'Liars for Jesus' (LFJ) web sites, and parroted. They are in a battle. They are trying to sink science before science sinks them. They are desperate... and science is (mostly, and unfortunately) oblivious to the fact that they are even in a fight, and that somebody is trying to sink them. They are just blithely bopping along, doing what science does... figuring out how nature works.

No... none of this has anything to do with a mere disagreement pertaining to evidence and understanding. It has to do with minds that deal with fundamental issues in an entirely different way. It has to do with a flexible, open-minded, intellectually honest (willing to question and doubt one's own presumptions) curiosity about the universe, contending with a rigid, unyielding world-view that depends from a certainty that certain delusional faith-based (willful ignorance and magical, wishful thinking) 'beliefs' represent the absolute 'truth' of reality.

We might as well be talking to an alien species, from a distant planet.

When the religious enter a venue like this one, they are (generally) NOT seeking answers, or new information... these might cause them to QUESTION their beliefs, or might put their beliefs at risk. No... they are seeking VALIDATION... of their beliefs, and hence, of their self-description.

Answer 4

Because humans NEED something to believe in, some universal "daddy" who is going to take care of them. They don't see nature as being that THING that will care for them. So they created god, an all powerful being that created everything, INCLUDING nature, and have placed all of their hopes and dreams into him instead of themselves. Sad, isn't it?

Answer 5

Because nature in and of itself can't account for everything within the human experience. When you think about it, nature cannot account for the creation of life -- that is, at what point the sperm and egg of any species come together to begin a human being. Nature can account for growth and maturity, but it can only return to the point of origin. How does that begin?

Singling out Christianity as the sole faith in which humans try to live up to their god's perfection is unfair (which some of these Yahoo! questioners seem to specialize in) to Islam, Judaism, Zoroastrianism, and other faiths that hold their followers to a high ethical standard. What makes Christianity distinct is that its followers KNOW they can't live up to God's standards; they will sin, but all are offered forgiveness through Jesus who was sacrificed with all others' sin. (cf. John 3:16-18, Romans 3 in the Bible)

Through that forgiveness, Christians achieve fellowship with God because they are cleansed from sin; literally, cleansed from separation from God. The belief many people have in a personal deity IS what helps them account for what they can't explain. It's far from stupid to have faith; I don't know all that goes into making an automobile run, but I have faith it will start when I turn my key in the ignition. I have faith in the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit even though I don't understand everything that happens in our world, I understand everything works together for our good. We just have to read the instruction manual and apply it to ourselves because we ultimately can't handle it all ourselves.

Answer 6

There is no such thing as the supernatural. Because everything in the universe is natural. I forget who said that. Therefore, contemplating the Divine, is not ignoring the material. Since the material comes from the Divine. And we are all dependent on a spiritual ecosystem. As well as an environmental one.

Answer 7

How have we "disregarded nature". As a power no. I don't "worship nature" but I respect it because God commanded me to be a good steward of what he has given to us.

You won't ever catch me driving an SUV and I shed tears for all the fallow land that is being made into strip malls and Mac-Mansions.

Answer 8

It IS truely sad that many people do not understand the beauty of nature and that nature has answers, nature gives us signs from God, if we will only listen.

Answer 9

First you ought to have self assurance in the man. Why might want to he answer a prayer of someone that does no longer have self assurance and there question be close ended. 2d If and also you do decide on to count number on that minute of your existence then you definately might want to wish to him (communicate over with him) asking if he's actual. Then: you receives an surprising answer of warmth a conviction that he does answer prayers and that he does exist. yet in case you opt on to get your "answer" from some different person. you'll by no skill discover the right "answer". get at the same time: Going to the Ford Dealership to ask about how good keep away from is gained't get you your answer. Going to communicate over with a pastor asking him if yet another church is actual likewise gained't get you the answer. yet believing in a excellent being and then asking him your self and getting evidence is the "suited answer" and the right thanks to do it. in case you do not have self assurance in any respect nor opt to have self assurance then why inquire in any respect? And in case you recieve evidence (miracle) the answer on your question from that's that no longer adequate evidence in itself of what I actually have merely reported? I once had the same question poised to me about some huge considerable theory that for sure my human options might want to no longer of route provide the answer to. And it may be the answer right here. So sick percentage it. the guy requested a valid question yet grow to be the form of deep question that no one truly might want to truthfully answer it. To wich my reply grow to be "it really is an "infinite" question to a "finite" options." it truly is a question which could no longer partial or mandatory to our salvation i reported. yet right here it may be because you're asking about god. And definite in case you're taking that project and open mindedly watch for an answer, you receives one.

Answer 10

because when you look at the nature, for example the human body or the function between plants and animal. You see that there must be a creator who designed this all.