What if gods never existed?

Fri May 18, 2018, 05:06 PM

1. Maybe...

We would have lost our minds when we became sentient only to realize our end game was always death? Maybe we wouldn't have pushed on when we realized that we had almost no control over the world and it's conditions. Maybe we would have stole all the other people in our clan when there wasn't enough food to go around and we wouldn't have cooperated in times of famine? Unlike the other non-self aware animals, we can see how bleak and sad the human condition can be.

By this, I believe the need for ritual, faith and/or religion seems to be ingrained in the human spirit and must have played some role in our evolutionary survival or it wouldn't have been so prevalent.

And I am not arguing in favor or against modern religion, I am just thinking how evolution doesn't always pick intellect as the best survival strategy.

60 replies	Author	Time	Post
What if gods never existed? (Original post)	Voltaire2	May 2018	OP
Maybe...	SoFlaDem	May 2018	#1
Why, then, do atheists not feel that way?	MineralMan	May 2018	#2
Plenty of theists believe atheists do feel that way	Mariana	May 2018	#9
I know. But we don't feel that way. We understand	MineralMan	May 2018	#10
I am not arguing for religion	SoFlaDem	May 2018	#14
I didn't ask about belief in gods.	Voltaire2	May 2018	#3
I'm sorry	SoFlaDem	May 2018	#15
The poster merely clarified the question for you	Mariana	May 2018	#17
I was just trying to make the question I asked clear.	Voltaire2	May 2018	#19
To quote Antonio Porchia	Snotcicles	May 2018	#52
Religions pit groups of people against	Duppers	May 2018	#13
like it is now..	LSFL	May 2018	#4
...	Voltaire2	May 2018	#7
I wouldn't have had to sit through...	Liberalhammer	May 2018	#5
Not necessarily.	Mariana	May 2018	#11
Coitus wouldn't wake up the neighbors	Major Nikon	May 2018	#6
Omfg.	Voltaire2	May 2018	#20
There are no gods.	BigmanPigman	May 2018	#8
I think the question is a good one just the way it is.	Mariana	May 2018	#12
for those who believe gods exist the	Voltaire2	May 2018	#21
Arn't gods just a construct of the human mind?	mitch96	May 2018	#16
Well I think they are, but other people think	Voltaire2	May 2018	#18
A world with out a god...hummm	mitch96	May 2018	#22
But I see no reason why religion wouldn't exist.	Voltaire2	May 2018	#23
You obviously liked my post.	guillaumeb	May 2018	#24
Your question implies that gods exist.	guillaumeb	May 2018	#25
Nope. Let me clarify.	Voltaire2	May 2018	#26
Understood.	guillaumeb	May 2018	#28
Well sure. I think it is vanishingly unlikely	Voltaire2	May 2018	#45
Voltaire disagreed. eom	guillaumeb	May 2018	#59
Well no. Again you seem to think the question	Voltaire2	May 2018	#60
In other words...	Major Nikon	May 2018	#58
Exactly as you are experiencing it now	RockRaven	May 2018	#27
Or...........	guillaumeb	May 2018	#29
it's all I have evidence for or reason to believe	RockRaven	May 2018	#33
I understand your position. eom	guillaumeb	May 2018	#34
Right	elleng	May 2018	#36
Depends what your definition of existed is.	Sneederbunk	May 2018	#30
Probably be a lot fewer wars nt	doc03	May 2018	#31
Fewer Charleton Heston movies.	progressoid	May 2018	#32
As it does.	elleng	May 2018	#35
We wouldn't have Bach's Mass in B Minor	thucythucy	May 2018	#37
But what about Wagner!!??	edhopper	May 2018	#40
Well, yeah, not to mention all that awful "Christian Rock."	thucythucy	May 2018	#42
And we couldn't collect these	edhopper	May 2018	#51
Yikes!	thucythucy	May 2018	#53
Those are creepy as hell. Just saying. nt.	Mariana	May 2018	#56
Why? Religion does not require that gods exist.	Voltaire2	May 2018	#43
Quite right.	thucythucy	May 2018	#49
I don't think you know how art works	Cartoonist	May 2018	#48
You mean what if men never invented gods.	gibraltar72	May 2018	#38
No. I mean if it is a fact about the world.	Voltaire2	May 2018	#46
It would look exactly the same	edhopper	May 2018	#39
I think it would be a vast void	thinkingagain	May 2018	#41
Again you are referring to belief in gods.	Voltaire2	May 2018	#44
Maybe you can tell us how you think it would be different	thinkingagain	May 2018	#47
I think this world is exactly that: a world	Voltaire2	May 2018	#50
Better.	Snackshack	May 2018	#54
Man would conger up a different loophole to escape responsibility for being inhumane. nt	Snotcicles	May 2018	#55
Exactly...	NeoGreen	May 2018	#57

1. Maybe...

2. Why, then, do atheists not feel that way?

9. Plenty of theists believe atheists do feel that way

10. I know. But we don't feel that way. We understand

14. I am not arguing for religion

3. I didn't ask about belief in gods.

15. I'm sorry

17. The poster merely clarified the question for you

19. I was just trying to make the question I asked clear.

52. To quote Antonio Porchia

13. Religions pit groups of people against

4. like it is now..

7. ...

5. I wouldn't have had to sit through...

11. Not necessarily.

6. Coitus wouldn't wake up the neighbors

20. Omfg.

8. There are no gods.

12. I think the question is a good one just the way it is.

21. for those who believe gods exist the

16. Arn't gods just a construct of the human mind?

18. Well I think they are, but other people think

22. A world with out a god...hummm

23. But I see no reason why religion wouldn't exist.

24. You obviously liked my post.

25. Your question implies that gods exist.

26. Nope. Let me clarify.

28. Understood.

45. Well sure. I think it is vanishingly unlikely

59. Voltaire disagreed. eom

60. Well no. Again you seem to think the question

58. In other words...

27. Exactly as you are experiencing it now

29. Or...........

33. it's all I have evidence for or reason to believe

34. I understand your position. eom

36. Right

30. Depends what your definition of existed is.

31. Probably be a lot fewer wars nt

32. Fewer Charleton Heston movies.

35. As it does.

37. We wouldn't have Bach's Mass in B Minor

40. But what about Wagner!!??

42. Well, yeah, not to mention all that awful "Christian Rock."

51. And we couldn't collect these

53. Yikes!

56. Those are creepy as hell. Just saying. nt.

43. Why? Religion does not require that gods exist.

49. Quite right.

48. I don't think you know how art works

38. You mean what if men never invented gods.

46. No. I mean if it is a fact about the world.

39. It would look exactly the same

41. I think it would be a vast void

44. Again you are referring to belief in gods.

47. Maybe you can tell us how you think it would be different

50. I think this world is exactly that: a world

54. Better.

55. Man would conger up a different loophole to escape responsibility for being inhumane. nt

57. Exactly...