why has theism (Christianity, Islam, Judaism, etc..) survived for so many thousands of years? And why is the majority of the population of the planet a Theist of some sort? Are the atheists so arrogant to think that ONLY they are the enlightened ones?
2007-12-21 06:20:28 · 21 answers · asked by flinginfeces 5 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
All good points. But the spirit of my question was more toward getting people to think to themselves "What if I'm wrong?" Yes, science HAS shown us much, but is there NO possibility that God exists? I don't adhere to ANY particular denomination but I think that there is a good possibility that science can blind people just as much as religion.
2007-12-21 06:37:28 · update #1
Yeah, pretty much.
2007-12-21 06:23:53 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋
Well I can't speak for everyone. But YES I do think I as an Atheist am one of the few only enlightened ones. The only reason religion has survived for so long is because it is fear driven and promises checks it doesn't have the money to cash on a population it doesn't give a rats behind about. I will be proven wrong when there are no more starving people in the world thanks to religion. You are right you have the numbers. What good are you doing with that gift?
2007-12-21 06:28:26 · answer #2 · answered by Blame Amy 5 · 0⤊ 2⤋
Good question. Have you ever read any history books? Much of the beliefs were not an option, you either believed in the faith or you were killed. Given an option of the rack or the belief - I think it would be the later. Further, the human species does not like the thought of death, actually they fear the premise of it. The only solution to the fear is to be a believer - somehow people think it at least gives them hope.
You can consider us arrogant but it is not necessarily true. Knowledge is not arrogant - it simply is knowledge. We have taken the time to learn and educate ourselves, so perhpas you might consider that arrogant.
2007-12-21 06:50:19 · answer #3 · answered by Tricia R 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
You are correct that most of the world believes in some sort of god. But you have to ask yourself - why are there thousands of religions, thousands of gods, and tens of thousands of Christian denominations out there?
Perhaps the reason is that religion answers three big human needs:
1. Fear of being alone.
2. Fear of insignificance.
3. Need for a strong father figure.
Maybe it doesn't matter if the religion is "true" or not as long as it addresses these three needs?
2007-12-21 06:25:26 · answer #4 · answered by Alan 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Plenty of reasons.
1. There are aspects of nature we still don't understand. Many people are uncomfortable with that, so they'll take irrational answers over none at all.
2. Many people are convinced that voice inside their head is not just their own consciousness, but a supernatural being.
3. If you take the long view of history, it's only been about 100 years now that it's been socially acceptable to toss aside the religion of your parents and family. In Muslims countries it's STILL unacceptable.
4. Many people are scared of death. Believing in an afterlife makes death less scary.
5. People like to judge others, in order to feel better about themselves. Religion gives them a framework for this.
6. As irrational as religion is, it IS impossible to disprove the existence of god.
7. (Related to #3) Historically, religion has been very good about ingratiating itself with the powers-that-be. In Middle-Ages Europe, the Catholic church basically ruled alongside Kings and Emperors. In Asia, the rulers WERE gods.
2007-12-21 06:29:39 · answer #5 · answered by David Carrington Jr. 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Having stood for some time, and/or being popular is no indication of truth or value at all. Murder predate religion. Does this point to some inherent value in murder, or a weakness in mankind? And yes, on the point of deities, Atheists are the enlightened ones.
2007-12-21 06:28:10 · answer #6 · answered by neil s 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Compared to the ancient gods of Greece and Rome and Ancient Egypt, Christianity is still a little boy....and the Greeks, Romans, And Ancient Egyptians were just as wrong.....lol
2007-12-21 06:26:37 · answer #7 · answered by ms_beehayven 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Religion is a means to maintain power. Every human wants power sometimes, leaders even more so. Therefore leaders who want to maintain control of their population might throughout the centuries have used religion as part of this control structure.
Just because a bunch of theories survive in practice doesn't make it right. Besides, who's to say that those who thought themselves "in the right" simply didn't dispose of those who opposed them, literally?
2007-12-21 06:24:25 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 4⤊ 1⤋
Some (people) would go bananas if there truly were Nothing bigger out there-what ever that may be. I think it gives some a feeling of immortality believing in the after life, etc..like there is a bigger purpose
2007-12-21 06:25:17 · answer #9 · answered by Zigmo 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Everyone thought the world was flat too until someone proved otherwise...
It is impossible to prove a negative though; So since we cannot prove God does not exist, those religions continue...
"You can kill a man, but not his ideas."
2007-12-21 06:24:57 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋
They may be "theists" but that does not make them any more right than the atheists... There is only One Church... man invented "religions" will gain no one anything but death.... only those of The Church will enter Heaven.
2007-12-21 06:29:54 · answer #11 · answered by ? 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋