Cultures making different Gods (and religion being created to control people)

Many people say that religion was made to control people (and because people didn’t understand the world) and that many people leave religion because of how different cultures around the world created different Gods to explain how the world was made (like the Egyptian Gods).

Yep, some people say that. Probably it’s true that a lot of superstitions (even those within Christianity) are simply a way for people to feel a degree of control over their lives or surroundings. But that doesn’t mean God isn’t there – it may just mean God is difficult for humans to understand.

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That harks back to your earlier question, and I would reply similarly (identically? ; - )…

 
Also relevant is a little attention to the word religion itself:

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Cian…some say that. But then you have nations whose political leaders outlaw religion — and why do they do that? Control of people. In other words, anything is a control mechanism in the right hands (or the wrong warped mindset). So the fact that people want to “control” others through some means or other — is not an argument against the thing being used to control. As for leaving religion because of all the different deities out there — that is like giving up on food because of the plethora of restaurants and super markets!

I don’t think that is why people give up religion.
In other words, there may be other ways of describing the desire of humans to control other humans and the plethora of deities.

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There are many new religions where we can examine quite closely how they begin. Any such study simply doesn’t agree with such a claim about why religions exist. What is true is that religion is often used as a tool of control – often giving rise to elements in such religions which serve that purpose only too well.

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May I change your analogy a bit? :slightly_smiling_face: It implies that there is true nourishment in other religions.

As for leaving religion because of all the different deities out there — that is like giving up on food because of the plethora of restaurants and super markets [variety of junk food available].

Dale…you can make any adjustment you like. But I was not “there yet” with regards to the details of other religions. I was only referencing the idea presented by Cian who said/suggested that people leave religions because of all the different deities out there. And he said that in conjunction with his other assertion that religion is something meant to control people with.

Anything can become a control method. And I doubt that people leave religion out of some disgust or confusion about the different deities. They may, in fact, leave because of something lacking in those “deities”. But that is another conversation.

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I emphatically agree with that!
 

I definitely agree there, as well!

Its a bit like claiming atoms don’t exist because of the many models for the atom.

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Atheism is is a worldview like non stamp collecting is a hobby. https://vimeo.com/35613555 gives you a food summary of a worldview. A worldview requires conformity with reality and internal coherence.

Aye CianO (as in Kean?). Religion as in a priestly class is part of the class system with it’s anthropological origins in shamanism. The only people who leave it are the more privileged free thinkers in plural societies.

This is interesting. Could you go into more details ?

Everyone who is conscious has a worldview, even children, whether they are conscious of it or not.
 


That’s curious. :slightly_smiling_face:

It is probably a mangled way to say that religion evolved as a way to allow people to live in larger social groups than any other mammal. Along with language, religion facilitates trust and cooperation as well as.accountability. If you want to substitute the “control” word then it would be better to say that religion contributed to the capacity of humans to control their impulses so that they could enjoy the advantages of specialization which has given us dominion over the natural world. Whether or not we shall be proven worthy of that responsibility remains to be seen.

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‘Religion’ and knowing the knowable God are not synonymous.

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everyone has an opinion, but a worldview requires fundamental beliefs that are corresponding with reality and internally coherent. A lot of Atheists deny having beliefs, let alone having faith in some fundamental belief on which to base their worldview in fear of failing to having to explain their “Not God” of the gaps.

Your opinion of what worldview means is narrower than mine.
 

A largely unconscious but generally coherent set of presuppositions and beliefs that every person has which shape how we make sense of the world and everything in it. https://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/oi/authority.20110803124830471

the way someone thinks about the world Worldview Definition & Meaning | Britannica Dictionary

Children do that.

but pubertarians deny that it makes sense and declare “why” a silly question :slight_smile:

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I was talking about five year olds. :wink:

Religions (christianity included) just puts all the blame on peoples shoulder i feel.Hense the priests and such demand certain things . For me the “real” religions are the ones deemed heretical by those who held power. For me anything thats puts even the slightest blame on God and not only on us is something that is not controlable and more likely real than mainstream stuff

Just know that religion has the worst people on this earth amognst all groups.Sadly.