Assume for a minute that the universe were not devine in nature.

[Epidemic]

And that molecules managed to join together and become annimate. Finally assume a race of beings to eventually evolve to approximately human levels.

Would this race develop gods to explain away their fears and explain the unknown?

Say you took Australia (home of wierd animals ) and took babies who had never had human contact and managed to raise them in a pure environement free from interaction with all human knowledge. essentially taking all of social evolution, literature speech... away from the new blank humans.

I believe that they would first develop speech, over time they would see death and wonder about the heavens. Then after seeing all that could not be explained, like droughts famine, death, lightning... they would develop gods for said things.

Over time as order appeared by their development and they found that killing virgins to the rain god did not bring the rain and that thunder came from big towering clouds. Would those gods not dwindle.

I contend that ultimately you would come up with one god who answers all the unanswerable.

Whatcha tink?

[Knothead]

Originally posted by Epidemic
Would this race develop gods to explain away their fears and explain the unknown?

I think it was Neitzche who once wrote, "If God did not exist, it would be neccessary for man to create one."

So...yep!

[Epidemic]

Well I never read Neitzche, but seems like a perty smart fellar since he comes to the same conclusion that I have.

[osprey4]

There was a coach named Devine. I think he coached Notre Dame.

Are you asking if there is a totally naturalistic explanation for the origin of the universe and man? Obviously, the totally naturalistic explanation is perfectly adequate for those who are unwilling to accept the concept of a supernatural power. But C.S. Lewis and Francis Schaeffer (to name the best know Christian apologists of our century) have dealt with this topic extensively.

[J-Excel]

I think the question is, "is there a totally naturalistic explanation for the origin of the God?"

[Epidemic]

Thank you J,

The natural universe is the next post. Please don't jump the gun.

[RedFury]

Interesting post. My question has always been....why do some civilizations have multiple gods, while others have only one?

Why seperate acts of nature, the sun rising and falling, etc as well as why combine them into one diety?

Ow! My head!

[Theophylact]

Over time as order appeared by their development and they found that killing virgins to the rain god did not bring the rain and that thunder came from big towering clouds. Would those gods not dwindle.

I contend that ultimately you would come up with one god who answers all the unanswerable.

You've got a good line of reasoning going there, Epidemic -- but why stop at one?

[Epidemic]

I believe that one god is the most likely result of god being a natural byproduct of man.

After the rain god and thunder god go the speed with which all but one god would happen quickly. The one god would be used to explain the remaining un knowable. 1 out of ten experimental cultures will keep permenant multiple gods.

[J-Excel]

If I'm correct in my interpretation of Genesis, Judaism evolved from a polytheistic religion. Before anyone starts throwing verbal daggers let me explain.

In the time of Abraham each major family had their own god. The God of Judaism (and Christianity and Islam) was the God of Abraham. Another family God at the time was the God of Nahor. In some cases these Gods were represented by idols. For example, when Jacob (descendent of Abraham) took Rachel (descendent of Nahor) as his wife (they were first cousins by the way I think) she secretly stole the God of Nahor. Later, when Jacob was able to screw Rachel's father out of his possessions it was supposedly because the God of Abraham was stronger than the God of Nahor. Jacob’s name was later changed to Israel. Jews are the descendents of Israel. So, what we currently consider the monotheistic God was at one time one of several family gods.

I’m not 100% I got the details straight but I think that’s the way Genesis reads.