God: A human invention?

Question

Are you familiar with the idea that God is a human invention, and that we needed to create this idea of God? If so, do you know who proposed this theory, and who're the most prominent people to have written about it, and where they have written it? THANKS HEAPS!

Answer 1

Rather man made God or God made man is a subject that only draws on opinions since no one has any proof to back it up. No matter how you phrase it the fact remains. It is a argument that can not be won so the question should be why do those who believe and those who do not believe in God fight a battle that can't be won. Both are theories none stronger or weaker than the other. it is an agree to disagree and a truce should be drawn that I the non believer agree that i will not put down your theory and i the believer agree not to put down your theory as we both have the right to our own opinion and should no longer fight over this subject. live and let live.

Answer 2

Let me be upfront. The question sounds like you are asking for references to people who have philosophized and I don't know any. I would be glad if you could mail me if you find any or know any - just a request as I am lazy to go look for that info. But it is a good question I would like to know the answer.

That said, I can tell you my learnings and thoughts on this, for what it is worth - i have grown up through multiple stages of my life and understanding and multiple religions and tons of sentiments I see around me.

First: when i was a kid mom said if i tell a lie, God will poke my eyes (sounds better if I say it in Tamil, my mother tongue). So is the concept of Santa - you do good, he brings gifts, you do bad, he ignores you. Intevention of God is primarily to enforce morality and humans being naturally shelfish and self centered a concept of a supernatural unbeatable force plays nicely.

Two: Humans since the beginning have realized the need and advantage of a harmonious social network (tigers hunt and live alone, lions hunt and live together). The smart ones of the society probably realized that people can be manipulated with enforcement of a religion, that gives sufficient power to keep humans together as good people (churches/temples/mosques do a lot of good things for the society) without killing each other, at least within the society but not the same when it crosses the boundaries (crusades).

Third: Unlike the first two points which are socially good, the third one comes from smart people who knew they could take advantage of stupid ones with this kind of manipulation so that they can gain power, recognition and wealth. Religions have ruled the world for centuries.

Forth: Humans are very inquisitive about their surroundings see the world and happenings they can not comprehend or explain, being an animal of a strong concept of a creator (create things, make things happen, everything has to have a creator), had to make up a God, otherwise just can't go to sleep peacefully wondering how all this came about. God is end of the day a name given to what created everything that we don't know what created.

Once again, I apologize if you weren't asking for my opinion but asking for a reference, I don't have any, as much as I wished I did.

It is a nice question.

Answer 3

There is also a simple saying or theory that says "If God doesn't exist, man would have to invent God" ... saying that simply, there is no meaningful existence without God, or god, or some higher power. Even in AA Meetings, in the 12 step program, step one suggests that there is a higher being out there then just ourselves.

If our very existence is purely an accident of molecules, then life is pretty meaningless and purposeless. Therefore, if we have no purpose, then we must invent it, and that is God. It doesn't answer the question, however ... even if God didn't exist, do we invent God ... but ... does God exist outside our being and did God invent us? That's another question.

Answer 4

I would extend the question from God to gods, mother nature and anything that seems magical and/or supernatural. We have to ask the question from a non believer point of view. To ask the question from any other perspective is impossible... In that sense god, gods, mother nature and magical beings are just about the same thing.

Primitive humans most probably invented god(s) and magical beings to explain their world and what they didn't understand. From seasons change to death to fire and lightning. It's something born out of necessity to put some definition to things that would have been scary and on which there was no control.

So I'm not sure any one can answer the question you put forth as to whom thought of it first.

Answer 5

Throughout history we have tried to explain our place in the universe.
From monkies to cavemen to modern day man.
I’ll give you an example of how I believe this all came about (from reading books, to experiencing life, to conversing with others (professors, doctors, religious people, not religious people…etc), from evolution, to common sense, and science….)
EX: A cavemen saw a light in the sky that suddenly struck the earth setting it afire. We had no idea what it was or anything about it. It probably scared us silly, so we coined a term to be able to explain what we were experiencing to others. And to try and explain what was happening, since it was so much ‘bigger’ than us, completely incomprehensible to us. This ‘God’ or mysteriousness was made part of language to help us try and explain, or at least make some sense out of what was happening all around us.
So this term (‘God’) throughout history has evolved with us, we have not evolved enough to the point of not needing it anymore. So, we hold on for dear life; so the rug will not be pulled out from beneath us, because we are scared of what we will find under that rug!!!

You should read some books on the evolution of language, you will greatly enjoy it, and it will help you understand these ideas “words”. (We put ideas into words, so we can communicate, and make sense out of our existence; otherwise we would have no way to understand anything that was happening to us, without language and communication.)

Answer 6

I think that the ignorance of man to possibly think that himself can be called a "god" is an invention itself. We know God exists, buried under a bunch "Idols" and Paganistic voo-doo garbage that basically are nothing but a remodification of an image forged by human hands. We invent other "gods" because we simply cannot "Follow" what we don't see. An insecurity to the rather "Aggressive Passive" Society we have now.

Answer 7

Harold Bloom has done some writing...start there. I think the proposal of these theories are as natural as fear.."fear of the unknown" ... and curiosity.... " who, what, where, why to things not understood". Invention? Mechanics of Manipulation? Legend? Lore?....God? Everything has a beginning and an origin of fact, the human mind needs to know the unknown and satisfy that need.

Answer 8

The fact that gods are human inventions has been known since bygone ages!

Where most people make the mistake is in the assumption that there is no real God just because there are so many false and invented ones! The implications and the results of worshiping such cannot be over stated. Even the god of money, and science is among these false gods --there is no real salvation from them.

Jeremiah 2:28 And where are thy gods, that thou hast made to thyself? Let them arise, if they may save thee, In the time of thy vexation, For--the number of thy cities have been thy gods, O Judah (YLT)




Isaiah 2:18-20 And the valueless gods themselves will pass away completely. 19 And people will enter into the caves of the rocks and into the holes of the dust because of the dreadfulness of Jehovah and from his splendid superiority, when he rises up for the earth to suffer shocks. 20 In that day the earthling man will throw his worthless gods of silver and his valueless gods of gold that they had made for him to bow before to the shrewmice and to the bats,

Answer 9

I think you should pose this question to the anthropology group, not Philosophy.. Philosophers argue if we exist, and if so what is the definitive explanation of that existence... Anthropologists learn what we (as human beings) believe and when we came up with the idea, and just how dominant that idea was / is.

Answer 10

Archeologists and anthropoligist found that humans began burying their dead 'cermonially' somewhere in the neighborhood of 40,000 years ago, or commonly referred to as the Upper Paleolithic Period. This is generally believed to be the time when an afterlife and belief in supernatural entities began.