Is god just mankind's way of personifying nature?

Question

Nature is both fertile and fickle. Nature can be warm and nourishing, but at the same time, it can also be unpredictable and destructive. Most deities throughout the ages -- especially the judeo-christian god -- reflect this paradox. People associate warmth and the harvest with god's loving side; they associate natural disasters and famine with god's jealous wrath. Therefore, the invention of a deity makes man feel more in control of this completely uncontrollable force by giving nature "moods" and "emotions".

What do you guys think?

Yes, I'm aware that this is just another "chicken or egg" question. But its interesting, at least.

Answer 1

There has been some solid field work by anthropologists over the last hundred years or so to suggest that you are right. Primitive societies in particular explain the forces of nature in magical and/or supernatural terms. However, this is not necessarily an adequate explanation for religious thinking in more advanced cultures, or even a complete understanding of primitive cultures. More than just the mysterious and often unpredictable workings of nature, the idea of god also helps many people in all cultures to cope with the horror that is much of the human condition. God is an answer that many people, albeit irrationally, cling to in order to cope with injustice, sickness, disaster, and death. Why do bad things happen? Many people chose to answer this at least in part as "god's will," or the will of some other supernatural agency, such as said deity's alleged enemy, commonly known as Satan. These primitive mythes, while lacking any concrete evidence in reality, frame the trauma that so much of life is into terms that many people find much easier to digest intellectually. The chief problem with irrational and/or mythic thinking is that it is not an adequate substitute for rationally dealing with the crises that humanity now faces. Quite simply, religion is now a luxury that humanity can no longer afford.

Answer 2

God is mankind's way of explaining things it fears or does not understand. It has always been thus.

When nature causes violent destruction, people despair, and god is temporarily brought back into the equation as a source of comfort, justification, or denial, but for the most part, nature is thoroughly comprehensible by anyone with a high school education.

Through science, mankind has come to understand the natural phenomenon on earth, and even the local universe, so god has been relegated to the few areas people continue to fear, or not understand - the origins of the universe, life, the purpose of existence, certain moral quandaries, and what happens (if anything) when we die. As science continues to chip away at these mysteries, we will fear fewer and fewer things, and god will play less and less of a role in the everyday lives of people.

Answer 3

God created and is the brain behind the universe. The universe is made of elements, the elements go through chemical reactions with the purspose of reaching peace or equilibium, when it reaches perfection it gives life. The planet is the same way, there are reasons for all the things that you see, the good of the earth and the bad. Just like there is a reason for the athiest like yourself, they are the ones who are most thirsty for the truth. The truth is that if you think you already have the answers, then you are wrong.

Answer 4

I agree with your chicken or egg rational. You have presented the egg, and not the chicken.

If there is no God causing what we see in nature, then why do people refer to nature fertile or fickle.
Nature is neither, unless you attribute Gaia to the mix.

Gaia, mother nature, is a goddess, just not the creator God that I attribute to nature.

I know you won't agree, because you are an atheist, but I find it much easier to believe the phenomenons in nature are due to a higher power, and the only higher power I believe in is God.

grace2u

Answer 5

That is just about what I believe is the reason people conjured up the notion of "supreme beings". And, that is why science has explained most of the gods ever worshipped out of existance.

The only reason religion still exists is because there are two questions that will never be answered. How did all of this start? What happens after you die? These two questions will be the fuel that keeps religious fires always burning. They will never be answered in a absolute and scientific way.

Answer 6

Mankind has discovered ways to be less susceptible to the forces of nature. Pagan Gods were created moreso for the purpose you are discussing. The judeo-christian God was created to correspond with the growth of civilization for one purpose and that is/was to control people's morality. Personally I feel that if you can't be moral without the fear of retribution from a higher power then you have problems.

Answer 7

Mark 4:37, 39, "But soon a fierce storm arose. When he woke up, he rebuked the wind and said to the water, "Quiet down!" Suddenly the wind stopped, and there was a great calm."

I think that the frightened disciples were quite happy to witness the power of God over the elements in this scenario.

Answer 8

Yes to Some NO to others!!!


We the Native Americans Believe in!!!
Wakan Tanka ------ The Creator!!!

is the true personifying Nature and here's why!!!

Each morning upon rising, and each evening before sleeping, gives thanks for the life within you and for all life, for the good things the Creator has given you and for the opportunity to grow a little more each day. Consider your thoughts and actions of the past day and seek for the courage and strength to be a better person. Seek for the things that will benefit others (everyone).

2. Respect. Respect means "To feel or show honor or esteem for someone or something; to consider the well being of, or to treat someone or something with deference or courtesy". Showing respect is a basic law of life.

3. Once a council has decided something in unity, respect demands that no one speak secretly against what has been decided. If the council has made an error, that error will become apparent to everyone in its own time.

4. Be truthful at all times, and under all conditions.

5. Always treat your guests with honor and consideration. Give of your best food, your best blankets, the best part of your house, and your best service to your guests.

6. The hurt of one is the hurt of all; the honor of one is the honor of all.

7. Receive strangers and outsiders with a loving heart and as members of the human family.

8. All the races and tribes in the world are like the different colored flowers of one meadow. All are beautiful. As children of the Creator they must all be respected.

9. To serve others, to be of some use to family, community, nation, and the world is one of the main purposes for which human beings have been created. Do not fill yourself with your own affairs and forget you’re most important talks. True happiness comes only to those who dedicate their lives to the service of others.

10. Observe moderation and balance in all things.

11. Know those things that lead to your well-being and those things that lead to your destruction.

12. Listen to and follow the guidance given to your heart. Expect guidance to come in many forms; in prayer, in dreams, in times of quiet solitude, and in the words and deeds of wise Elders and friends







Wahoo

Answer 9

the native americans refered to this theory as "father sky and mother earth" it is believed that "father sky" is the birth of "god" i do not find this true, but i just thought i would share this theory with you and let you decide. the native americans determined that everything has a spirit ran by the same cosmic rules and principle for the greater good. grandmother spider is supposed to be the threory of how man was created. all religions have a shared common denominator: "a great flood" all religions are linked, maybe you have discovered a new sect. research all religions would be my best advice to you. i hope you find what you are looking for.

Answer 10

No. That is pantheism.

In the Bible, God makes it clear that He is not only the Creator of nature and the physical realm in general, but also a personal God.

The pantheistic god is an invention of man to explain the complexity of nature's design without responsibility for personal action.