Man Must Evolve Beyond His Need for Gods

[Old Rocks]

For hope, I look to our children.

For faith, to the geological record and the clear sky. Far better than all of this being made for us, we are made part of all of it.

For religion, I simply do not seek it. Far to constricting to the mind. If there be a Diety, I fail to see how any of us would be capable of understanding such an intellect, and certainly not capable of understanding in what way it regards our existance. If there is not a Diety, it changes nothing in the way with which we should regard and treat each other.

 

[AVG-JOE]

Faith and religion are, for all intents and purposes, synonymous.

Religion is, for all practical purposes, any system founded upon faith and dogma. This includes everything from Catholicism to Communism

I disagree. Faith is bigger than religion like God, ass-u-me-ing He exists at all, is bigger than all the 'holy' literature to survive the 2,000 year trip from antiquity to now combined.

If organized religion had a lock on faith, mankind truly would be fucked against its will.

 

[Wingsofwind]

Absent of God man will put himself at the center of the universe, and we all know how that works out.

Do we?

What WOULD happen if humans took responsibility for their feelings and actions instead of using the cop-outs of blaming The Devil or sweeping it under the rug as "Gods Will"?

See, you have this wrong.

The Bible shows people that they are the ones responsible for their actions. Those who say 'it was the Devil' are not going by what is taught in the Bible, but rather what THEY would like to think. Blaming something or someone other than themselves is nothing more than human nature, NOT the result of the belief of God.

 

[AVG-JOE]

Absent of God man will put himself at the center of the universe, and we all know how that works out.

Do we?

What WOULD happen if humans took responsibility for their feelings and actions instead of using the cop-outs of blaming The Devil or sweeping it under the rug as "Gods Will"?

See, you have this wrong.

The Bible shows people that they are the ones responsible for their actions. Those who say 'it was the Devil' are not going by what is taught in the Bible, but rather what THEY would like to think. Blaming something or someone other than themselves is nothing more than human nature, NOT the result of the belief of God.

There are SO many interpretations of The Bible that for something like this I prefer observation in both the marketplace and the pew.

Christianity is used as a crutch. I've used it. I've seen it used plenty.

 

[FA_Q2]

The OP suggests that we must evolve beyond our myths but I do not see the reason that we need to? So religion is a natural instinct, did you need a 3 year study to tell you that. I could have done the same in 10 minutes at zero cost. Of course religion is a natural instinct; why else would the VAST majority of the 6 billion + people on the planet believe in a deity. Why do we need to evolve past that? If you are waiting for that to happen by the way I would not hold my breath. Faith is not going anywhere for a VERY long time.

 

[amrchaos]

It maybe possible thaGod will "evolve beyond his need for God"

But man will never "evolve beyond his need for religion"

There is a significant difference between thetwo concepts, althoug many theist will try to argue that religion is belief in god. I say it is not. Religion is basically a set of instructions and models designed to help the newly born human being "live this life" and nothing more!

 

[AVG-JOE]

It maybe possible thaGod will "evolve beyond his need for God"

But man will never "evolve beyond his need for religion"

There is a significant difference between thetwo concepts, althoug many theist will try to argue that religion is belief in god. I say it is not. Religion is basically a set of instructions and models designed to help the newly born human being "live this life" and nothing more!

I disagree. I believe religion to be an expected first step toward a group of 'survival of the fittest' animals becoming a society. The Deity worshiped is irrelevant.

The next step is organizing a society based on law, not faith. It looks to this average Joe that humanity is about two-thirds through the process.

 

[JBeukema]

I disagree. I believe religion to be an expected first step toward a group of 'survival of the fittest' animals becoming a society. The Deity worshiped is irrelevant.

I emphatically disagree. You confuse religion [dogma, faith, and blind obedience] with ethics and reciprocal altruism. I see no reason to believe religion predated the social contract. Indeed, I don't see how that's even remotely possible, as the social contract emerges the moment two or more persons interact.

You might find this of interest.

https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/Law_of_three_stages

 

[Flagwavrusa]

Man is something to be overcome...
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An exciting, new Oxford University study has found that faith and religion come to human beings naturally — possibly instinctively. The initiative, entitled the “Cognition, Religion and Theology Project,” took three years to complete and involved more than 40 different studies in 20 countries around the globe. According to CNN, the study has some intriguing findings:

...[F]aith appeals to the human heart and mind, but that humanity must evolve and move beyond simple myths.

The study seems to suggest that religiosity, like violence, lust, and the mating instinct, is yet another artifact of our past development. Fighting over religion then is, in a sense, shown to be even more analogous to fighting over skin colour than previously though

More at Blaze

The research indicates that spirituality is part of human nature, ergo trying to ban religion would probably create perpetual conflict and in the end would be futile. Assuming that you are correct that religion is a source of conflict, and not a force for curbing man's inherently violent and territorial nature that on balance makes the world a more peaceful place, then the only reasonable solution would be to ban all religions but one, and force everyone to worship the same god.

 

[JBeukema]

trying to ban religion

Who advocated any such thing?

Why do you have to be so dishonest?

 

[Flagwavrusa]

trying to ban religion

Who advocated any such thing?

Why do you have to be so dishonest?

I guess Im unclear how you would expect mankind to evolve into atheists when its not in their nature.

 

[JBeukema]

It once wasn't in our nature to wear clothes or build homes, either.

Man is something that shall be overcome.

Man is now at a stage where he can begin to guide his own evolution- physically, socially, and philosophically.

 

[Flagwavrusa]

It once wasn't in our nature to wear clothes or build homes, either.

Man is something that shall be overcome.

Man is now at a stage where he can begin to guide his own evolution- physically, socially, and philosophically.

Wearing clothes and erecting shelter were cultural advancements that sprang out of the urge to survive, so these skills were always in our nature, we just had to evolve larger brains and higher intelligence to be able to develop them. The fact that some people are atheists proves that some men can live without the need to believe in God, but I have to believe that a large percentage of people will never be able to overcome a desire to fulfill their instinctive need to worship a higher power.

Nor do I think its necessarily advisable. Obviously if we have evolved into beings who feel the need for faith in something transcendant then this need serves an important purpose. As the article suggests, it's even possible that this calling is something endowed in us by the divine. Man has proven he has the ability to overcome nature to an impressive degree, but I think the hope that we will ever overcome human nature is somewhat overrated. We need to cultivate and guide our instincts using our rational faculty, not try to stamp them out.

 

[AmericanFirst]

Yes, we decide that the bible is wrong and outlaw slavery, stop making girls marry their rapists, reject 'god's' [read: 'the priests''] orders that genocide be committed to conquer the 'promised land', stop killing people for being heretics and worshiping other gods, work to end sectarian violence, and actually progress as a species.

Religion rests upon the twin foundations of faith and dogma; both are antithetical to liberty and to progress.

What would you declare is wrong with the Bible?

Genocide for one thing.

Making girls serve their rapists sexually for the rest of their lives for another.

Killing unbelievers for another.

Killing homosexuals.

Evil Bible Home Page

Or maybe you meant demonstrable wrong and not just evil?

Either Genesis 1 is wrong or Genesis 2 is. They can't both be correct.

Or God = Satan, since it claims each ordered the first census, despite elsewhere pretending they're different entities.

A List Of Biblical Contradictions

Bible Inconsistencies: Bible Contradictions?

Idiot. If you understood the Bible you wouldn't sound so stupid.