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07 May 16
Originally posted by googlefudgeI think, from the dawn of man he looked up to the heavens and sought to make Gods of the planets. Or, to quote Mr Burn's, "“Ever since the beginning of time, man has yearned to destroy the sun."
I agree.
People have a tendency to 'magic thinking' and of 'anthropomorphism' and of human centred instead
of universe centred thinking.
And so we think of the Earth as the centre of the universe, and believe that everything revolves around
us and wonder at how 'perfectly' the world seems to suite us etc etc.
This tendency leaves us open to belief in gods or god... But doesn't always or necessarily lead to it.
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07 May 16
Originally posted by Ghost of a DukeAnd I disagree.
I think, from the dawn of man he looked up to the heavens and sought to make Gods of the planets. Or, to quote Mr Burn's, "“Ever since the beginning of time, man has yearned to destroy the sun."
Studies of early cultures [and modern day equivalents] tend towards animism and/or
belief in spirits and anthropomorphism of forces in nature.
Gods [certainly in their modern form] are a more recent phenomena.
Originally posted by FetchmyjunkYou say that as if you don't believe me?
So you don't remember why exactly you became an atheist? Ok if you say so.
Do you remember exactly why you became a theist? If so, it was either very recently, or you are lying or mistaken. Human memory simply isn't all that good.
Does it matter how I became an atheist? It was so long ago that it has no real bearing on who I am now or why I am an atheist now.
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07 May 16
Originally posted by googlefudgeSure, anthropomorphism and the like were prevalent too, but if we are going right back to 'pre-historic religion' then almost everything we know is known indirectly and is far from conclusive.
And I disagree.
Studies of early cultures [and modern day equivalents] tend towards animism and/or
belief in spirits and anthropomorphism of forces in nature.
Gods [certainly in their modern form] are a more recent phenomena.
07 May 16
Originally posted by Ghost of a DukeNo need for prehistoric religion. There are plenty of societies today where the only real god concept came directly from the Abrahamic religions. I honestly don't know a lot about the beliefs in Zambia prior to Christianity but I strongly suspect there wasn't much of a god concept involved. Ancestor worship is far more likely and is common globally.
Sure, anthropomorphism and the like were prevalent too, but if we are going right back to 'pre-historic religion' then almost everything we know is known indirectly and is far from conclusive.
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07 May 16
Originally posted by twhiteheadSorry for the lazy copy and paste:
No need for prehistoric religion. There are plenty of societies today where the only real god concept came directly from the Abrahamic religions. I honestly don't know a lot about the beliefs in Zambia prior to Christianity but I strongly suspect there wasn't much of a god concept involved. Ancestor worship is far more likely and is common globally.
'Christian missionaries in Africa often thought the people served multiple Gods; in reality, all forms of African religion held a belief in one supreme God. This Supreme Being was the creator of the known world. God, however, created the world and then remained distant. The Africans held God in such esteem that they believed it impossible for the Supreme Being to be concerned with the daily trivialities of mortals. Africans would invoke God only when the death of the community seemed certain.'
http://people.opposingviews.com/
07 May 16
Originally posted by Ghost of a DukeWhen a source says 'all forms' I get a bit sceptical. Sounds like it was written by someone with an agenda.
Sorry for the lazy copy and paste:
'Christian missionaries in Africa often thought the people served multiple Gods; in reality, all forms of African religion held a belief in one supreme God. This Supreme Being was the creator of the known world. God, however, created the world and then remained distant. The Africans held God in such esteem that t ...[text shortened]... ke God only when the death of the community seemed certain.'
http://people.opposingviews.com/
In Livingstone three is a river god known as Nyami Nyami. So I know for sure that people believe(d) in various 'gods' other than a supreme being. Given that everyone I know was exposed to Christianity, I don't know what the beliefs were with regards to a supreme god, but I very much doubt it was a universal belief.
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07 May 16
Originally posted by twhiteheadYeah, as I say, 'a lazy copy and paste', but I did remember something from my student days about the misconceptions of African religion before the Christian missionaries arrived.
When a source says 'all forms' I get a bit sceptical. Sounds like it was written by someone with an agenda.
In Livingstone three is a river god known as Nyami Nyami. So I know for sure that people believe(d) in various 'gods' other than a supreme being. Given that everyone I know was exposed to Christianity, I don't know what the beliefs were with regards to a supreme god, but I very much doubt it was a universal belief.
07 May 16
Originally posted by Ghost of a DukeVery little would be known about the African beliefs before the missionaries arrived given that the missionaries were the first to bring writing (and much of Zambia is still illiterate over a hundred years later). So anyone doing research on it would have to rely on what has been passed down orally which may have been influenced by Christian ideas.
Yeah, as I say, 'a lazy copy and paste', but I did remember something from my student days about the misconceptions of African religion before the Christian missionaries arrived.
07 May 16
My dad used to tell a story about a student he met in a rural part of Zambia. He asked the student if he thought the world was flat. The student said yes, he believed the world was flat and that if you walked quite far you would fall off the edge. He also said that he knew perfectly well that that was not the correct answer to give in a geography test in school.
Originally posted by twhiteheadThere is no "realization" as it isn't true. One day you thought you had enough "evidence" to come to a decision. And that is what it was. A decision.
No it isn't.
[b]So what exactly was your "realization"? You just decided one day that it wasn't true? There must have been some "trigger factor" in that decision, so what was that?
No trigger. I just realised one day that it wasn't true. And it was a realisation, not a decision.[/b]