Does Humanity Need A God Story?

Author: ethang5

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ethang5
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Since every culture has come up with  God story, would it be correct to say that psychologically, humans need a God narrative?

I say yes, as even atheist seem to need it just as much as theists even if for different reasons.

Why do you think humans seem to need a God story?



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@ethang5
Yes, humans need a god story or a spiritual belief. It helps with life and it helps with motivations to go through life. Then there are the people with lower iq's and bad impulse control. These humans need a threat of punishment either through religion or law to keep them from going wild. It's better more than not to have spiritual beliefs. 
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@Outplayz
So then if you believe this, how do you account for atheists who say they (and humans) do not need a God story?
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I would say the fact that every culture as some kind of supernatural narrative says we need something bigger than us or outside of us. Now does it have to be god(s), not necessarily. I think you have to be pretty arrogant to look up at the stars and think, yeah I am top of the universal food chain. 
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@ethang5
I would say that they are wrong. It is in human nature to wonder about spirituality. It's a part of us as much as they want to deny it. For instance, i may not have a common belief, but my belief hinges on death. In order for me to have what i hope for i must die. This belief has made me look forward to death, in a way, which helps in not fearing death but celebrating it. Also, it helps in building myself in reality. For my belief says that i cannot become what i am not. Therefore, say i want to be a mage with a good heart helping out the society i am in by using my powers for good. Well, i cannot become that if i am not a good person that tries to help people in this reality. All of that, plus more, is a positive of having beliefs. 

Even a lack of belief is still a spiritual quest. Atheists have come to terms with that which helps them in its own way through life. So... i think just having a belief is a positive. You search everything about yourself in the journey... which is always a good thing to come to terms with who you are and the subsequent confidence you gain in knowing. 

When it is bad is when it divides us. All together, religion can also be poison. That is why i don't like religion overall, or more specifically, give any credit that any one is the absolute truth. I'm an Omnist in the sense that i believe every faith is trying to define the ultimate spiritual reality... but, no one knows it by itself. The more people come to this type of realization of spirituality i think the better, personally. Bc then you can critique what isn't love, what isn't hope, and realize that is a flaw. 

But overall, i think religion and spirituality is a positive. Most people are smart enough to know what is good and bad. The problem is that people with darker intent can misconstrue religious text to justify their hate... so in that sense religion is bad. However, i think people will find a way to justify their evil anyways... which is why i don't fully blame it on religion.  
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@ethang5
I don't know if they "need" it more so that it's a part of the nature of the soul to express God. The very individual soul comes from the heart of God, even when they play in creation it's mans nature to express that. Then why atheists? because at this level in creation souls are subject to the flesh nature as well as the spiritual nature. Man's natural, carnal tendency is to perceive that which is sensed and experienced through the physical body only and atheists obviously are focused on that facet, it's not really a flaw or a sin, it's just an observation, a limited one but an observation none the less. What the atheists should be willing to do, is consider spirituality as a means to objectively experience Theism and to explore resources other than a material based ideology. 
Humans need to express God because it expresses the very core of where they originate. Atheists are in a state of denial unintentional, they aren't yet aware of what they come from. 
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@ethang5
What is it that makes you think atheists need a god story, that is simply a preposterous proposal. To an atheist there are no gods so there can't possibly be a story.
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@ethang5
I live in a majority atheistic country with a secular government. Most of my friends are atheists and are very nice people. They clearly don't need a god story to live a happy and functional life because they are doing fine so far without. Not to say anything about the health of their soul, but the rich man parable Jesus spoke of and Solomon's Ecclesiastes shows that a pleasurable life is very easily achieved when you don't have God.
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In fact I would wager that pleasure in life increases proportionately with less religiosity. 
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@ethang5
Not every culture has come up with a god story. 

"Pirahã does not have any concepts of a supreme entity or God"


So, obviously, humans don't need a god narrative.

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@ethang5
Since every culture has come up with  God story, would it be correct to say that psychologically, humans need a God narrative?

I say yes, as even atheist seem to need it just as much as theists even if for different reasons.

Why do you think humans seem to need a God story?

We're story-oriented creatures. We want answers, narrative, causality. Reasons and explanations. We want something to believe in, and tales that inspire.
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@Castin
Are you saying the truth - unembellished with gods and magic - cannot be beieved in and cannot inspire?
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@ethang5
Since every culture has come up with  God story, would it be correct to say that psychologically, humans need a God narrative?I say yes, as even atheist seem to need it just as much as theists even if for different reasons.Why do you think humans seem to need a God story?
people need a purpose and will to live imo and religion can provide that, some people need it some don't.

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@keithprosser
Are you saying the truth - unembellished with gods and magic - cannot be beieved in and cannot inspire?
I'm saying I don't believe the truth was designed with us in mind, but I believe religion was. Reality can and does inspire, but it wasn't made to inspire us or to keep our hopes afloat. It can devastate as easily as uplift. Our stories, on the other hand, are made to do just that -- inspire and uplift us.
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@Castin
Truth is acquired, either through experience or through another source. You are designed perfectly to know the truth, and to live the truth. Why don't you inspire yourself to reach a little deeper?
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@EtrnlVw
I'd say Cas is reaching deeper...perhaps it's you who are not - you are the one advocating going by mere appearances in regard to design.



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@SkepticalOne
You should check deeper into this story. It was debunked.
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@Castin
But why?
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@Smithereens
That would make the fact that virtually every culture has come up with a God story extremely curious wouldn't it?
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@Polytheist-Witch
Yet that is exactly what many do with no sense of self-awareness at all. I think it's a western thing.
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@ethang5
That every culture has it's history tied to mysticism, doesn't mean that witchcraft is automatically valid. Popularity is not an indicator of validity. 
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@EtrnlVw
Truth is acquired, either through experience or through another source. You are designed perfectly to know the truth, and to live the truth. Why don't you inspire yourself to reach a little deeper?

How could I be designed to perfectly know the truth? I'm just an ignorant, fallible human being.
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@Smithereens
Sigh.

I am not arguing for its validity, but if you claim cultures are happier without a God story, then that means virtually every culture has willfully and persistently sought what made them unhappy! 

And when you consider that they began at atheism, the state you say is happier, it becomes unbelievable that they all would move to what was less happy.

I don't think reality supports your claim.




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@Castin
The truth will not be ignorant, fallible, or a human being.
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@ethang5
people living in poverty tend to believe in the supernatural. Quality of life negatively correlates with religiosity. Humanity has been getting more and more atheistic as people stop seeing the need for God. Previously cultures stood a lot to gain from believing in God. It provided a sense of security in a world that was merciless and unforgiving. Now technology has become humanities new 'god,' as it's steadily assuming the role of the provider of comforter.

You'll note the richer the country, the fastest they are moving towards total atheism.
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@ethang5
But why?
Which of my posts is this addressing?

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Well, you're talking about God. I'm asking about a God story. Once the society has a story, how close or how far individuals are to personal belief in the God is irrelevant.

And though richer societies move away from belief in God, they do not move away from the God story. Did you see any of the funeral of Stephen Hawking? Officiated by clergy, held on church property, and spiritual references abounded.


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@Castin
Why do you think humans seem to need a God story?

We're story-oriented creatures. We want answers, narrative, causality. Reasons and explanations. We want something to believe in, and tales that inspire.

But why do we need something to believe in?
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@ethang5
That's deeply cultural. Supernatural stories are woven very strongly into most cultures, but where you'd be mistaken is with the term "god." Most primitive cultures are mystic, and most ancient cultures are polytheistic. Monotheism is relatively new compared to the old styles of paganism that came before. If you're suggesting that our pagan roots mean something other than the fact that we were primitive savages who now know better, I would likely disagree.
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@keithprosser
I'll happily drop my view on the Pirahã when evidence to the contrary is known to me. 

That being said, I have no problem accepting 'goddidit' is a common explanation regarding magnificent or frightening aspects of nature, but I dont accept that means we 'have a god shaped hole' in our head or hearts.