I'm surprised Morgan Freeman only 'thinks' we invented God.

I'm quite sure that man invented God in his own image .... And men have used him to manipulate and control other men for thousands of years.

Originally posted by NorEaster
So, the guy who has played God believes that we invented God. Not much of a headline, but it got me thinking about a very specific origin that is closely related to the stuff discussed on this forum.

www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/06/08/morgan-freeman-god-religion_n_1580521.html?ref=mostpopular#e


This mystery may seem fairly simple at first blush, but give it a moment before you reply. It really is not a simple question. Any seriously considered suggestions?

iTS normally 'orrible tabloid sh 1 t e .

Question answered .

Oh and LOGIC ain't my God . Even the brains of morons , sometimes conceive it .

Originally posted by NorEaster
Obviously nobody who posts actually reads.

The premise of the question - again - is that IF the entirety of Earth-centric humanity's existence exists as the ongoing activity of the Homo Sapiens brain, then please explain the concept of blah, blah, blah...

You people are not reading the post, or you are not understanding the post.

It's no big accomplishment to pontificate about how dumb or messed up people are who (1) believe or (2) don't believe in a God. That's nothing to achieve whatsoever. What I want to see is someone explain where the original concept happened, given the proven fact that imagination and creativity is not actually original. And the fact that an invisible and imperceptible being can't possibly be invented by a brain that has no innate capacity to invent a notion that is so profoundly incompatible with its own existential nature and the nature of literally everything it can conceive of as a direct result of experience and/or perception.

So try again.

Incompleteness.

Either mathematics is too big for the human mind or the human mind is more than a machine.

Why did the idea of God come from nothing?

It didn't.

Anthropomorphication of those daily and annual natural events that allow humanitys' existence on Earth is what led to the idea of a god (a pantheon initially). In a cold place what things happen every day and every year that are really important? Dawn and Spring. So who was the first God? Probably the sun. Who was the second god? He probably had to do with the success of the hunt.

I hate to be mean but some of the arguments and reasoning that I see on here are so presumptive, elementary, and flawed that you deserve to believe in the falsities that you do. You can't just make stuff up in your head and then profess it as some kind of sound reasoning.. You really should look into it a bit because there are smarter people than you out there whose entire careers are centered around exploring these things.

Magic, religion, and witchcraft is/are big topics in anthropology. There is no need to look beyond the human brain to find magic or God.

Creativity is what changed man from H. sapien to H. sapien sapien. It stemmed from a change in the brain that allowed a human to abstractly relate dissimilar things. This is the heart of mans' creativity and explosive inventiveness after 25-50,000ybp.

Originally posted by NorEaster


Obviously nobody who posts actually reads.

The premise of the question - again - is that IF the entirety of Earth-centric humanity's existence exists as the ongoing activity of the Homo Sapiens brain, then please explain the concept of blah, blah, blah...

You people are not reading the post, or you are not understanding the post.

It's no big accomplishment to pontificate about how dumb or messed up people are who (1) believe or (2) don't believe in a God. That's nothing to achieve whatsoever. What I want to see is someone explain where the original concept happened, given the proven fact that imagination and creativity is not actually original. And the fact that an invisible and imperceptible being can't possibly be invented by a brain that has no innate capacity to invent a notion that is so profoundly incompatible with its own existential nature and the nature of literally everything it can conceive of as a direct result of experience and/or perception.

So try again.

We all have to agree that there was an original man - regardless of creation or evolution. Could there not have been an original thought? Since then, we know that man has been replicating himself, so maybe thoughts have just been replicating. It doesn't mean there couldn't have been an original thought, right?

Humans are the smartest of the "self-aware" creatures on this planet. Surely it is feasible to say that the first humans wondered how they got here. Watching themselves give birth, and watching other animals give birth - it's not a stretch to think that early man believed that someone "gave birth" to the entire planet and it's inhabitants. From there, you could just extrapolate on down the line. Parents control their childrens' environment, therefore a creator controls the planet's environment, i.e., weather, crops, natural disasters, etc., etc.

do we charge lions for killing their own kind, or another kind?

all concept of morality falls away without a higher power. "without god, all things are permissible".

Homo sapiens didn't create God, or the concept of an all-knowing, omnipotent, being. Homo sapiens is the vehicle by which a perception, or a measurement, of the "world" is formed. This interaction between man and perception is God.

And, perhaps, 'between' man and perception is not the right word. None can exist without the other. There is no real 'between'. Once one comes into contact with the other, all comes to fruition; to existence.

It's an impossible question. As we are.

Originally posted by FlyersFan
So when Morgan Freeman dies, and is standing before his Creator, he's going to say ... 'you are a figment of my imagination .. go away'. I'm wondering if God will be amused at the arrogance of Freeman.

you don't know if he'll be "standing before his creator" anymore than a dog knows calculus. i can't understand how religous people are always so sure of what happens when a person dies

Originally posted by Erectus
Why did the idea of God come from nothing?

It didn't.

Anthropomorphication of those daily and annual natural events that allow humanitys' existence on Earth is what led to the idea of a god (a pantheon initially). In a cold place what things happen every day and every year that are really important? Dawn and Spring. So who was the first God? Probably the sun. Who was the second god? He probably had to do with the success of the hunt.

I hate to be mean but some of the arguments and reasoning that I see on here are so presumptive, elementary, and flawed that you deserve to believe in the falsities that you do. You can't just make stuff up in your head and then profess it as some kind of sound reasoning.. You really should look into it a bit because there are smarter people than you out there whose entire careers are centered around exploring these things.

Magic, religion, and witchcraft is/are big topics in anthropology. There is no need to look beyond the human brain to find magic or God.

Creativity is what changed man from H. sapien to H. sapien sapien. It stemmed from a change in the brain that allowed a human to abstractly relate dissimilar things. This is the heart of mans' creativity and explosive inventiveness after 25-50,000ybp.

edit on 10-6-2012 by Erectus because: (no reason given)

Again...what pulled the notion of a completely imperceptible intelligent (and all powerful) being from the brain of a 100% physical and perceivable human being. Imagination does NOT answer this question unless all you want to do is make the question go away. I'm not saying that God exists, but I am saying that the notion of a non-physical intelligence is extremely unlikely if what exists to invent such a notion is only a 100% physical brain. The human brain is not the same as the human mind.

Maybe you are not familiar with this fact of what the brain is all about? It is a processor that is rigidly logical - unlike the human mind that it creates. That said, it has been proven that the human mind cannot invent what the human brain has not allowed to exist as concept. This means that the human brain must be introduced to at least the central premise of an imagined notion before the mind can entertain that notion and expound on it creatively.

I guess that I'm not surprised at the simplistic assertions I'm getting here.

Hi Noreaster heres an argumnet based strictly on logic .
Logically speaking you want to get to the truth in life , because your current state is one without certainty or any exterior guidance to reassure your point of view . The facts of life say that each is on our own in our overall and corporeal awareness. Our origins and destiny in life remain unknown while explanation is not given .

Its up to each individual person (free of unwarranted interjection) to develop their own understanding of how the world around them works . Sometimes this will form a downfall because of delusioned ideas long held , but understanding of actual realities may form benefits as well as further gains in understanding about what are facts in life .

The realm of truth and possibility , and clear definitions of each , with direct observation of reality is the (logical) way to form opinions which may gravitate towards being held as fact .
Facts , are logically more refined and less in quantity than possibilities , or 'possible facts ' .

If the above, logically methodical approach towards finding truth in life , whether being about the existence of a creator, life -force , alien or extra terrestrial sentience , is to be followed , as it should be , there are 2 choices available to those seriously seeking answers .

1 One is to include possibilities in the approach to finding facts .
2. The other is to exclude possibilities > ie the negative approach , saying xyz (substitute 'God' ) is impossible .

Which then , is the logical approach to finding the truth ??
That of the atheist , who declares (like a buffoon) "But its impossible!" Answer 2 ?

The atheist wants to say the theist has no concept of logic , that he is deluded . Who is the sad deluded person without positivism , who grips , as if his own , and the sole right of others , _NOTHING.
The negative one , thats who , the atheist .

He needs to learn the value of logic and positive thinking . If he doesnt he reamins lost in life , with no clear answers ; nothing .

2 .

How can anyone speculate as to the origins of that which we cannot agreeably define, let alone identify?

Who created the creator?

What would the purpose of life be without questions like these?

Originally posted by Bob Sholtz
do we charge lions for killing their own kind, or another kind?

all concept of morality falls away without a higher power. "without god, all things are permissible".

no they are not...this has been proven false. modern era researchers have found tribes of people from remote locations that are disconnected from the outside world, who have no idea of a god. they just treat each other with respect and kindness.
god, gods and religion were used mainly for control of an ignorant populace living in barbaric societies.

Originally posted by Bob Sholtz
do we charge lions for killing their own kind, or another kind?

all concept of morality falls away without a higher power. "without god, all things are permissible".

Morality is simply making order out of chaos. You don't need religion for that. Even the animal kingdom has certain rules that they live by. We don't necessarily understand those rules, but they seem to. It would be chaos if everyone was killing everyone, and stealing from everyone, and lying to everyone. In order to survive, nature has a certain order to it. Humans, as part of nature, long for order over chaos. Thus, morality is born.

Originally posted by kaylaluv

Originally posted by NorEaster


Obviously nobody who posts actually reads.

The premise of the question - again - is that IF the entirety of Earth-centric humanity's existence exists as the ongoing activity of the Homo Sapiens brain, then please explain the concept of blah, blah, blah...

You people are not reading the post, or you are not understanding the post.

It's no big accomplishment to pontificate about how dumb or messed up people are who (1) believe or (2) don't believe in a God. That's nothing to achieve whatsoever. What I want to see is someone explain where the original concept happened, given the proven fact that imagination and creativity is not actually original. And the fact that an invisible and imperceptible being can't possibly be invented by a brain that has no innate capacity to invent a notion that is so profoundly incompatible with its own existential nature and the nature of literally everything it can conceive of as a direct result of experience and/or perception.

So try again.

We all have to agree that there was an original man - regardless of creation or evolution. Could there not have been an original thought? Since then, we know that man has been replicating himself, so maybe thoughts have just been replicating. It doesn't mean there couldn't have been an original thought, right?

Humans are the smartest of the "self-aware" creatures on this planet. Surely it is feasible to say that the first humans wondered how they got here. Watching themselves give birth, and watching other animals give birth - it's not a stretch to think that early man believed that someone "gave birth" to the entire planet and it's inhabitants. From there, you could just extrapolate on down the line. Parents control their childrens' environment, therefore a creator controls the planet's environment, i.e., weather, crops, natural disasters, etc., etc.

The idea of gods living on Mt Olympus wasn't a stretch. People lived on mountains, and a giant person is just a person who is bigger, stronger, and more powerful than a regular person. Even a magical person is still a physical person who can do things that are magical. The logical break here occurs when the very first invisible and inherently imperceptible person is invented. This is the mysterious logical break that I'm interested in understanding. From there, sure, you can invent whatever you want for this invisible, inherently imperceptible person, but you still have to invent what can't be seen, heard, felt, smelled, or experienced in any way, and as a visceral certainty that has total authority over all that does exist as visible, audible, palpable, and readily experienced by your own brain, and your brain has to allow it.

Cognitive dissonance is extremely aggressive, and research has proven this to be true. If the brain won't buy it as logically familiar, it won't even process it...period. So what "pulled" that notion from nowhere and into the brain of the very first human being (barring the ET influence meme, since that ET would've had to burp up this notion from nothing if this was the case..which doesn't make the question go away) Like I said, this is not a simple question.