Does God exist or is it just a way of keeping conformity in society?

Question

I believe (like Hagel) that it is only a way of making people work hard without any humanly recompensation or benefit. It is a way in which the higher classes control the poor and exploit them saying they will get their benefit in heaven. I am not an atheist. I am just willing to believe in a large range of things. Anything is possible.

I agree with all those who doubt. Where is the credible proof of the matter?? Religion exploits the people into believing in a God that punishes them. people should be morally correct and good but should not be enslaved to the idea of eternal damnation or heaven.

Answer 1

Yup. It's a way of instilling fear and thusly keeping people in line by being afraid of eternal torment if they misbehave. I unfortunately witnessed this myself growing up and was on the receiving end at times.

My family hinted to me when I was growing up that if I didn't do "girly" things like cooking, cleaning, and sewing, etc, I would be a "naughty" girl and naughty girls went to Hell. If I didn't go to church like everyone else, yup, Hell. Pretty much, if I didn't do what they told me, believed like they told me, acted the way they told me, I was pretty much doomed.

Anytime I questioned something they told me, be it about the Bible or otherwise, whether I questioned intentionally or innocently, it was that much worse. Heaven help the family should I ask why God would do one thing, then turn around and do the opposite or do anything that questioned God or the Bible. I might as well be stoned for being the proverbial rebellious child for wondering anything of the sort, whether I knew better or not.

I'm sure it doesn't remain confined to just families. If it did, we wouldn't have the lovely word known as "theocracy". People in power make the rules, and if they want their rules to be obeyed, no matter how unjust, there always had to be a reason for the people to obey the law. Either you fear God, or your fear the men in power. The way they say it, either God will brutally punish you after death, or your fellow man will torture you in life before sending you into God's hands.

Neither one seems all that appetizing, so naturally, people who have sense enough to want to live, are obviously going to obey. Simple survival psychology there.

Answer 2

I believe God exists, but even if you don't, that doesn't mean that "it is only a way of making people work hard without any humanly recompensation or benefit." The fact that religion has been used for that purpose frequently only shows that exploiters will use whatever means they can to exploit. You unbelievers, don't be so naive as to blame greed etc on religion. It has existed independently of exploitation!

Also, the answerer who blames "homosexuality and incest" on Christianity clearly doesn't know much about non-Christian societies: These things have been suppressed in many non-Christian societies because they are seen (rightly or wrongly, you may say!) as a threat to the structure of the society, whether tribal or national.

Answer 3

In this time and age that question has been answered. Only those poor confused minds capable o hearing voices believes in second hand opinions about god. Think about it. If God is God, he should present a more credible and a more useful information to mankind. For example, It is not true the world was created in seven days, and it's been here for more than just a few thousand years. It is not true the first man and woman in the planet were Jewish, supposing there was such a thing as a first man and a first woman. I don't think it is a proper thought of a God to stone a child on the square because he's been bad. If God is God he should be above everything and everybody. He should not have the faults and sins it is said he ponish mankind for, like jealousy, vengeance, arrogance, and the vain need to be worshiped. He should not have any preference for this o that group of people. If God is God, we all should be his people, his childrens. It is extremely ignorance to call in superlative to this or that person, The Son of God. I think is OK to believe in any type of god, as a temporary substitude for knowledge and experience, if that helps the individual to be a better person, as long as that believe is not presented as the only truth, and as long as it is not imposed to others by force. One more thing i think should be kept in mind: God, or the idea that man has of it, is something that should grow and evolve, just as man grow and evolve with time.

Answer 4

I say, in fact I know that God exists. Through the proofs I've had in my life, I know he is there. This world is a test, it is hard, but it is possible. Religion is not a way for the rich to control the poor. Looking a little back into history, we know that when Jesus Christ established his church, he did it among the poorer and humbler class. When his apostles were destroyed, unfortunately people confused what religion was, and started making up churches with the philosophies of men. But the true church of Christ is back, and God does exist. Find out more at www.mormon.org

Answer 5

Religions NOT God were created to keep conformity in society.
Even the basic US law has its foundation in the Bible:

Bankrupcty: the Old Testament requires that a man be held to service for his debts... for a period of no more than 7 years, at which end of the period, the man must be forgiven his debt. The Law of Banruptcy in this country followed that to the letter... until recently. The law stated that at the end of that seven years, the debt no longer existed. In other words there is and never was a debt. That period has recently been altered (for credit reporting purposes) to be 10 years.

Militia (Conscientous Objection): The Old Testament requires that a man be relieved of any military 'duty' when he has not the stomach for it. The military codes of the US include this same allowance, though it has not been looked upon as willingly since the Revolutionary war is over and done with.

Money: The Bible states explicitly that Money is "gold and silver." The constitution of the US states that "No state shall... coin Money... make any thing but gold and silver coin a tender in payment of debts..." Interesting how they can print "dollars" and pass them off as "Money." I don't see any amendments to that constitution.

Treason: The Bible states that no one can be convicted except out of the mouths of two or three witnesses. The constitution states "No person shall be convicted of treason unless on the testimony of two witnesses to the same overt act, or on confession in open court."

God exists, but religious leaders use Him as a tool to threaten people if they don't conform to their rules.

Answer 6

I don't think God exists. Jesus Christ, yes. God, no. Why? simple, there has to be someone who started Christianity and Jesus Christ and his followers were those someones. As for God, there is absolutely no proof of the existence of God. you can believe all you want, but I think "God," like you said, is a way of making people work hard. Even more so, follow your point of view. For example, homosexuality and incest was NOT considered a sin until Christianity appeared. It's true. When people started to believe that by doing these things they were sinning and would go to Hell or wherever, they made things like that immoral and now we see it as wrong when things like that is NATURAL. And why would God make it so that there would be people who are homosexual if it was a sin?

Answer 7

Well, Religion is one of the 5 pillars of civilization. So, in a way, it is necessary in some respects to unify and create stability withing a group.
In addition, God could be any number of things, and could very well exist, depending on how it is defined or from what perspective it is looked at from.
Religion can be a very powerful tool, and that tool has been used quite a bit throughout the years. People that have power want to stay in power and those without power wish to achieve it.
I agree, anything is possible, and really, you can't really determine or deem certain things true as there is no super-clear way to know the answers to them yet... at least.

Answer 8

Yes, God punishes...He punishes for the unrepented sin.
It's interesting that you mentioned believing in God as a means of the rich to oppress the poor, B/c being a Christian, for instance, is not about getting rich, and there is scripture everywhere telling us to care for the poor, the widowed, and the orphaned. Not to mention the fact that most "rich" people don't have anything to do with God, nor do they believe they need Jesus. Also, we're following a Lord who said He didn't even have a place to rest His head.

Why do I mention Christianity? B/c as Christians, we believe we are children of God through His Son.
Yeah, we'll get our benefit in heaven, but it's so much more than that. See, Christianity isn't a "religion", for it's not about what we do...it's a Relationship with God, for it's about who we know.
So we live in God's presence during this life, and live eternally with Him in the next one. (Can you imagine that? God as a friend!)
If anybody's oppressing ANYBODY, then they can't say they have anything to do w/ God, b/c His children take on His character, and oppression (especially of the poor) is not God's character.

As for a means of conformity in society, I think if anything, we're conformed in our persecution. Those who want to do away with God push us into groupings...even as it says in revelation...those who have the number of the beast can purchase things, but those who don't (those who have God's stamp on their foreheads instead) won't be able to buy anything. So we're grouped together by our persecuters in society.
(though, we're supposed to be grouped together anyway, but I mention this for the sake of your question) :)

Answer 9

I had all kinds of thoughts when I seen your question. Right now all I can think of to say is YES. To me the proof is in our daily existance. The birth of a baby what a miracle. The weather, the ocean, the whole earth.Someone all knowing and loving had to do this. God does not cause sin in men we ourselves mostly out of greed do

Answer 10

God or an ultimate power is sure there.

God exist in religion so that people live a decent and moral life, atleast out of fear of the God they believe in.