Foreign 2: Sense of Doubt

Religion is the largest jump in logic endemic to civilisation. It is ultimately an attempt to explain the natural world. According to the ancient Greeks, lightning was a sign that Zeus was angry. Science knows it involves the buildup and discharge of static electricity caused by friction between ice particles in clouds.

According to Christians, the universe was created in 6 days by an all-powerful being who looks like us. Through decades of research, we're very close to pinning it down as the result of an extra-universal reaction, in which matter emerged from the vacuum. It takes time to get a proper answer, rather than making an educated-guess based on human experience.

The human mind is very good at jumping to conclusions. If one can throw a spear, perhaps lightning bolts are the gods doing similar? As we are sentient, and natural events appear to follow rules, then natural events must be the work of an intelligent being like ourselves - only, this being is far more powerful than man, and superior.

Thus we attribute our own likeness, and powers beyond ours, to a being entirely of our imagination. Now we can work backwards: We are the likeness of G*d because we created him in our image. "He" is omniscient because we could not explain our environment. "He" is omnipotent because we could not control our environment. "He" is our reflection - endowed in every way we are not.

When quizzed as to why G*d does not simply reveal himself and lay waste to the doubters, theists answer that he does not want to, and is testing the faith of the believers. That "He" is doing anything at all is a fundamental error, based on the primordial error that "He" exists at all! When one is prone to an instance of misbelief, one is prone to go all the way.


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