Have you ever heard this quote?
How do you interpret it?
I took it as people needing something to have, like a comfort. People don't want to think that we could just be in this world alone with no hope of something better.
2006-11-27 05:47:50 · 16 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Havent heard it, but I like it.
I would take it to mean that, ever since humans became self aware, they were desperate to find some comfort for the forboding reality of death.
2006-11-27 05:50:49 · answer #1 · answered by Speech Hating Monkey 1 · 2⤊ 1⤋
I don't think there is any real basis for this being a foregone conclusion. There are other intelligent beings on Earth, such as dolphins and the great apes. They have had no need to invent a deity, even though the apes have the intelligence to do many of the things we do, such as fashion tools and learn abstract ideas.
Given that geneticists are starting to warm to the idea that spirituality is actually an innate characteristic of Homo Sapiens, I'm not sure we can say we invented God. Rather, one can quite literally say that it is written right into our being to find him. So it should not surprise that we, via various religions, have indeed made attempts to do so.
2006-11-27 14:41:59 · answer #2 · answered by evolver 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Psychologists have long confirmed that people will use all sorts of self-serving biases ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Self-serving_bias ) to keep themselves mentally healthy. People will see themselves in a better light than is actually true, people will say they do more housework than their spouse, etc. This constant delusion isn't thought to be bad a thing - on the contrary, those who don't perform these kind of misinterpretations become depressed.
This quote is an extension of that idea - the debate of the actual existence of god is immaterial. Humans will use all sorts of coping mechanisms to get through the day - whether they are credible, or not. The idea of god comforts people, and if he does or doesn't exist, we would have made him up anyway.
2006-11-27 14:00:36 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
I have heard this quote and yes it is true. Whether you believe in God or not, all you need do is look at history to see this. There have been many different types of religions and made up Gods sense people first walked the Earth, they all have one thing in common, all have claimed to be the truth, maybe they are maybe they are not, but I really don't think that we are alone in the universe, I am sure there are many sentient beings like our selves out there in the universe some where, we just have not developed the ability to go out their and meet them yet, we are but a child race still dealing with childish things.
2006-11-27 13:55:50 · answer #4 · answered by LONGINUS 2 · 3⤊ 1⤋
From my perspective, it changes to, "God doesn't exists, and people surely did invent him."
I think the main reason was not comfort, but an attempt to explain and understand. The explanation then brings comfort. Humans have a need to understand and problem solve. God is an outdated way to do that.
2006-11-27 13:49:33 · answer #5 · answered by Snark 7 · 1⤊ 2⤋
Absolutely, people would have to come up with an explanation for things they could not explain, simple things like the sun, moon, stars, rain, thunder, lightning, eclipses, the seasons, all the things we know are simple natural phenomena.
They at first worshiped these elements, then put names and faces to them, those faces being gods
2006-11-27 13:52:44 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
Voltaire said that I think. I interpret it as religion will always hold a place in our society. People need to feel their is purpose to their life cuz then it would all be pointless. I also read something about we all feel we need to fill this empty hole in our life (soul) this hole was created when we we're ripped from our primary care giver no longer in the safety of the womb.
2006-11-27 13:52:09 · answer #7 · answered by Ben V 3 · 2⤊ 1⤋
I agree. If God didn't exist, nobody would be around to invent anything because they wouldn't exist either.
2006-11-27 13:51:18 · answer #8 · answered by LineDancer 7 · 1⤊ 2⤋
I had honestly never heard it before, but it sounds like atheist babble. It's trying to say nicely that God doesn't exist.
To me it's just as good as -
"One of Satan's greatest tricks was to convince the world he didn't exist." If one doesn't believe in satan, it is doubtful they would believe in God. If God doesn't exist, then neither does Satan.
Anyhow, there's plenty to go around.
2006-11-27 13:53:22 · answer #9 · answered by CHRISTINA 4 · 0⤊ 4⤋
I think it means that people need God so much that they would create one.
notice the first word in the quote is 'If'
2006-11-27 13:52:36 · answer #10 · answered by Mav here! 4 · 1⤊ 3⤋