Why the brain creates God

An interesting article, but the experiments are not very well controlled.

I always think back to one particular line that I read in a science fiction novel, Wizard's First Rule, which has stuck with me (in fact, if I can find the right wording, I think I will adopt it as my new signature quote):

"People will believe anything if they want it to be true or if they're afraid it's true."

It's so true. I think that God falls under this category. I think people want to believe their life has a purpose, they want to believe in a simple explanation (even though it doesn't explain anything), and I think they're afraid to believe that they're alone...that they're loved ones are really dead...that they have no meaning.

I tend to agree. The conclusions were interesting, but I thought there were a bit of a stretch.



That has always been the classic view. The article was the first reasonably different view I've seen in a while.

Isn't that what existential angst is about - or am I off target on that one?

Someone answer me - I'm getting anxious

sorry goodfeilder, there's no answer to that. I'm afraid life is meaningless


A bit of a stretch, though? ...I don't think so, I think it's spot on... In my opinion religions and their gods are a "bit of a stretch."

I disagree. Maybe I am like one of the folks in the article who looks for good in everything, but I DO think life has meaning. As an agnostic, who has no reason to even consider the existence of a God, I would say that, "Life is a journey, not a destination". And I am in there for the ride, for as long as it lasts!

I find it silly to contend that "the brain creates god." There have been primitive societies which when first encountered by Europeans had no concept of a deity. I rather suspect that gods are created in a simple manner as a result of shamanism. The most of the human race lives their lives unexamined. Our species, homo sapiens sapiens has been around for at least 50,000 years (some contend twice as long). So, it's not hard for me to imagine that in a group in which most members who do manage to survive infancy and childhood still are unlikely to long outlive their years of reproductive fertility, the advent of anyone of a high-order of intelligence is likely to produce shamanism. Imagine for yourself being an intelligent and perceptive individual in the midst of a hunter-gatherer band of what is basically a culture of adolescent rutting. How very simple to get an easy living by explaining the world in terms of a plausible superstition and profiting from one's alleged ability to intercede on behalf of the group.

Man, Thag, that antelope haunch sure looks juicy and good . . . say, i'll bet God would just love to have you sacrifice that to Her, and i'll bet i could get Her to guarantee the success of your next hunt ! ! ! Uh, no, no, that won't be necessary--in fact, the sacrifice won't work with all you jokers lookin' over my shoulder--i'll just run off and . . . uh . . . make a burnt offering for ya . . . be right back . . .

Does anyone know of any cases where animals other than us - homo sapiens - have been found to practise worship of a deity? I know some animals are what might be called "superstitious" (from memory I think that might go way back to Skinner's experiments) but that isn't the same thing.

Are we the only animals to create and worship a deity? Is that the price we pay for having a really good cerebral cortex?

Pattern recognition . . . it'll get ya every time . . .

Gestalt psychology?

Hehe, interesting question...no, there's no evidence of this.

Setanta,

It is true that religion was used mainly as a method of maintaining profit and power over people, especially throughout the middle ages when Christianity was forming.

Still, your shaman example seems a little out there!

stuh 505
stuh 505, Setanta's creative shaman makes perfect sense to me. But then, I've learned to disect his posts to separate the facts from the wild mental meanderings. Wonderful sport!

BBB