Religion
Related: About this forum"God Did It" is an explanation for children.
Children, as any parent or uncle knows, ask an endless stream of questions in their early years. Often, though, they are not equipped to understand the answers to them. So, we simplify our explanations to suit their abilities to understand. "Where did I come from?" they ask. We answer, early in their lives, that "Mommy and daddy wanted a baby, so we made you." Later, the explanation gets more complicated, as the child gets older and can understand.
Really, though, humans never stop asking difficult or awkward questions. They sometimes ask them of people who don't really have good answers for those questions. "What happens when I die?" "Well, you go to live in Heaven with God." Done. Question answered. Is it a correct answer? Well, nobody knows, really, since nobody has been dead and returned with the real answer. But it's a good enough answer, since an explanation of the deterioration and disintegration of a human body is probably not going to allay the fears that brought up the question in the first place.
Lots of things are very complicated to explain. Some things we don't actually have complete explanations for. Most people don't really want a long explanation as an answer, anyhow. So, it's useful to have quick answers that offer immediate satisfaction for the questioner. God and religion fill that role in many cases. And, if the questioner pursues the question further, we can simply say, "God's ways are not our ways. It is beyond our understanding." End of discussion.
Even as adults, most of us are childlike in our ability to understand complex explanations. We don't really want to spend the time or intellectual effort, either. So, religion and its deities offer a simple answer to some of the most difficult questions. It doesn't really matter if it's the right answer. As long as it satisfies us, even temporarily, it is a good enough answer for most people.
Cartoonist
(7,297 posts)"What happens when I die?" "Well, you go to live in Heaven with God."
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How come no one in heaven is allowed to contact their friends and family on 🌍? Heaven is obviously a prison whose occupants have no freedom to travel or communicate.
MineralMan
(146,189 posts)just eternal contemplation of God. Hell doesn't exist, he also said. Unsaved souls just disappear. Frankly, I'd prefer disappearing over forever contemplating God. Sounds eternally boring to me. Who needs that?
Permanut
(5,436 posts)So these explanations are satisfying, and also comforting. Danged if I want to spend eternity with John Hagee, Oral Roberts, Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell, though. Wait, maybe that's the other place.
MineralMan
(146,189 posts)I'm quite content with it being just over, frankly. In fact, that's what I believe happens. We get our time, and then it's over. That's why it's important to live our lives well. If we're lucky, we'll have some time to contemplate our lives near the end of them. I want that to be a pleasant experience. That's why I try to behave myself and promote good.
I can see no reason, nor evidence, to believe that anything extends beyond our current lives, except perhaps memories of us for a while. I don't need to be comforted.
Permanut
(5,436 posts)and well explained. I should have used the pronoun "they" instead of "we". I don't count on having even one more day, so each moment is a kind of self-contained opportunity to live, learn and love.
Act_of_Reparation
(9,116 posts)"God did it" is the "Because I said so" of religion. It's something insecure adults say to avoid sounding stupid in front of their children, often without success.
MineralMan
(146,189 posts)Children often simply accept what adults tell them, until the are old enough to consider alternatives. That is the key to early education, especially when one wants to instill unsupported facts in children's minds. That so many adults never go beyond those childhood teachings is an indication that not all children are smart enough to know better or even to question.
Act_of_Reparation
(9,116 posts)There are four of us. All of us incredulous, skeptical, and suspicious of authority.
guillaumeb
(42,641 posts)MineralMan
(146,189 posts)of people who actually care very busy. Many people follow that research closely. Not everyone cares, of course, and are satisfied with statements rather than factual information. They're welcome to do that.
I'm not so easily satisfied, so I follow the research.
Simple people want answers they don't have to think about. I'm not one of those. Some others are always working to find things that confirm their simplistic beliefs. I'm not one of those, either. I'm interested in factual answers to some very complex questions. So, I keep learning, not just looking for reinforcement of simple, unsatisfactory answers.
Major Nikon
(36,814 posts)Perhaps especially so.