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Is God Man-made? Did Man Create The Idea Of God? - Religion - Nairaland

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Is God Man-made? Did Man Create The Idea Of God? by OLAADEGBU(m): 2:51am On Dec 16, 2015
Is God man-made? Did man create the idea of God? Is the concept of God simply a way to explain things we don't understand?
Re: Is God Man-made? Did Man Create The Idea Of God? by kejes10: 3:39am On Dec 16, 2015
You will know when you get to the great beyond. Be patient!
Re: Is God Man-made? Did Man Create The Idea Of God? by Scholar8200(m): 10:44am On Dec 16, 2015
N sad!!!!!
Re: Is God Man-made? Did Man Create The Idea Of God? by CoolUsername: 4:27pm On Dec 16, 2015
In the beginning, man created God.

4 Likes

Re: Is God Man-made? Did Man Create The Idea Of God? by lepasharon(f): 11:27pm On Dec 16, 2015
Maybe
Re: Is God Man-made? Did Man Create The Idea Of God? by malvisguy212: 11:35pm On Dec 16, 2015
https://www.nairaland.com/2575407/invented-god-image-mankind Atheists commonly claim that humans invented God to satisfy some of his fear of death, therefore, wishing God into existence. According to the theory, man realized his limitations and fears and projected an image of God to calm these fears. In short, God is what man wishes to be - a kind of super-man. This model matches the gods of the pagan religions quite well, and possibly explains the origins of these religions. For example, in nearly all pagan religions, the gods look like the people - Ethiopian gods were dark-skinned whereas Greek gods tended to be white. So, aren't all gods just inventions of the people who claim them? In contrast to the pagan gods, the God of Judaism and Christianity does not look like the an old man with white beards . In fact, He is described as being invisible to us and not some image that humans can imagine>>>> Hebrews 11:27 ...Him who is unseen. Acts 17:29 "Being then the children of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and thought of man." Accordingly, we can only see Him in His glory when we die and are transformed into spiritual beings. The Hebrews were commanded NOT to make an image of their God. The New Testament specifically says that God does not look like a man>>>> Leviticus 26:1 'You shall NOT make for yourselves idols, nor shall you set up for YOURSELVES AND IMAGE or a sacred pillar, nor shall you place a figured stone in your land to bow down to it; for I am the LORD your God. CHRISTIANITY: However, if people were to have invented the God of Christianity, it is unlikely that it would be the demanding God of the Bible. The God of the Bible is described as holy , without sin and without the ability to commit sin>>>> Isaiah 5:16 But the LORD of hosts will be exalted in judgment, And the holy God will show Himself holy in righteousness. The holiness of God is described as being above anything that humans can attain, such that no human can stand before Him as holy. Behaving more morally upright than most other people is not sufficient to escape the punishment of the God of the Bible.>>> Leviticus 11:45 'For I am the LORD, who brought you up from the land of Egypt, to be your God; thus you shall be holy for I AM HOLY.'" SALVATION. In nearly all religions,salvation is attained through human effort. Only in Christianity does salvation come solely as a gift from God , it cannot be earned through human effort. Clearly, in doctrines such as the nature of God and the way of salvation, there is very little common ground between Christianity and the religions of the world>>>> Ephesians 2:8-9 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one should boast. TRANSCENDENT GOD: The God of Christianity also differs from the gods of the world's religions in terms of His nature and existence. Most of the religions of the world describe their god as existing within the universe. In many cases, these gods even have parents. Both of these attributes are logically inconsistent with the reality of our universe. Only a God who is transcendent to both space and time,like the God of the Bible,is logically possible>>>> 1 Kings 8:27 "But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the highest heaven CANNOT CONTAIN THEE how much less this house which I have built! CONCLUSION: It is impossible for the christian God to be invented because men will not invent God that set an uphill task on how to attain Holiness and salvation. Romans1:22-23 Professing to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures. Isaiah 1:13 "Bring your worthless offerings no longer, Incense is an abomination to Me. New moon and Sabbath, the calling of assemblies-- I [God] cannot endure iniquity and the solemn assembly.

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Re: Is God Man-made? Did Man Create The Idea Of God? by OLAADEGBU(m): 3:02pm On Dec 30, 2015
kejes10:


You will know when you get to the great beyond. Be patient!

You can know it now before it gets too late. smiley
Re: Is God Man-made? Did Man Create The Idea Of God? by OLAADEGBU(m): 1:01am On Jan 07, 2016
Scholar8200:


N sad!!!!!

Happy New Year my brother. smiley
Re: Is God Man-made? Did Man Create The Idea Of God? by Scholar8200(m): 6:36am On Jan 07, 2016
OLAADEGBU:


Happy New Year my brother. smiley
Happy New year to you too. smiley
Re: Is God Man-made? Did Man Create The Idea Of God? by OLAADEGBU(m): 1:28am On Jan 09, 2016
OLAADEGBU:


Is God man-made? Did man create the idea of God? Is the concept of God simply a way to explain things we don't understand?

Suggested answer:

Some people argue that God is man-made; that is, the concept of God is merely a human fabrication handed down through the generations from those who didn't know any better. They claim that the idea of a God or gods is simply the way human beings explain things that are too difficult to understand. Some state that belief in the supernatural ignores science and embraces superstition. So, is the idea of God a fantasy based on ignorance and concocted by our forefathers before science proved it to be false?

No, God is not man-made; rather, God made man. Even skeptics agree that there is a beginning for every created thing, including man. So, in order for man to have a beginning, there must be a "first cause" that existed before him. Evolutionists argue that the first cause was an impersonal force, a "big bang," that started the universe. But even that explanation leaves a lot of unanswered questions. The logical response to this line of thinking is, "What caused the Big Bang? What or who put those forces into motion?" No reasonable answer, outside of the Bible, has been offered.

The Bible starts with the fact of God in Genesis 1:1, "In the beginning God . . . ." When we set aside prejudice, the Bible's answer seems to be the most logical explanation for that first cause. In the beginning was God. He was not created and therefore needs no first cause. He has always been and always will be, apart from time and space (Psalm 90:2). He introduced Himself to Moses as I AM (Exodus 3:14). The meaning of His name signifies the eternal aspect of His nature. He always was and always will be, the Eternal, Self-existent One (Revelation 1:8; 4:8.

A second consideration in the matter of whether or not God is man-made is the nature of God as He has revealed Himself through the pages of His Book. Many attributes of God are not those that human beings would necessarily think to include if they had invented Him. God's character includes omniscience (Isaiah 46:9–10), omnipotence (2 Samuel 22:3; Psalm 18:2), patience (2 Peter 3:9), and consistency (Malachi 3:6). He is described as loving (Psalm 25:10), faithful (Psalm 31:23), and desirous of having a relationship with us (Jeremiah 29:13; James 4:8. But He is also perfectly just, and that justice requires payment for man's high treason against his Creator (Zephaniah 3:5; Romans 6:23). Rather than hand down a list of requirements we must meet in order to gain His favour (as all other religions include), the God of the Bible took on human flesh, lived among us, and then allowed the people He created to torture Him to death while He forgave them (Luke 23:34; Philippians 2:5–11). That kind of selfless, sacrificial love is outside human experience and not present in any man-made religion. Grace is a concept exclusive to the God of the Bible.

Man-made gods are usually fashioned in the image of man. The gods of pagan cultures are fraught with flaws, inconsistencies, and human-like weaknesses. They are petty, selfish, cruel, and capricious; in short, they behave as man-made gods would behave, with the same sins and jealousies found in the human heart. In order for God to be man-made, His nature could only extend as far as man's imagination. The God of the Bible far surpasses our understanding, yet He leaves hints, like a trail of spiritual breadcrumbs, for us to follow as we come to know Him better.

A third point to consider in the matter of whether or not God is man-made is the spiritual quality of the human soul. Every human being is unique and possesses an innate sense of "me." We have an inborn understanding of the eternal (Ecclesiastes 3:11) and the sense that there is more beyond this world. Genesis 1:27 says that human beings were fashioned in the image of God; Colossians 1:16 says we were created for His purposes and His pleasure. We were created like Him in some ways, but He is not necessarily like us (Numbers 23:19). If God were merely a human fabrication, then many new questions arise: What makes human beings different from animals? Where do humans get the ideas of justice, benevolence, self-sacrifice, and love—abstract qualities not found in the animal kingdom? Such traits, found in every culture in the world, would never have survived the evolutionary process. However, when we see those traits showcased within the character of God Himself, we understand why we possess them.

Another consideration in the matter of whether or not God is man-made is the trustworthiness of the Bible. In order to contend that God does not exist, one must deal with the accuracy of the Book that tells about Him. Within the pages of the Bible, God has revealed Himself to us and given us hundreds of examples of His dealings with man through the centuries. Many who staunchly argue against the reality of God are also blindly ignorant about the Bible. They often claim it is "an ancient book written by a bunch of Jews." Statements like that demonstrate the flawed foundation upon which they have constructed their arguments. The Bible is a collection of books written by over 40 different authors, over a 1,500-year time span, from three continents, and in three different languages. Yet it weaves together the pieces of a single story like a jigsaw puzzle fits together. The Bible is God's story of His relentless pursuit to redeem His fallen creation.

Those who believe that the idea of God is man-made must also consider the manner in which the Bible portrays mankind, especially the Jews. If the Jews wrote the Bible to honour themselves, they failed miserably. Even the Lord Himself is clear that He chose the Israelites for His own reasons, not because they were deserving of special treatment (Deuteronomy 7:7). The failures of the Israelite nation are showcased again and again, right up to the crucifixion of the Son of God (Isaiah 65:2; Mark 15:9–15). Humanity is portrayed realistically, complete with sin, rebellion, and punishment. No group or individual is exalted. This raises the obvious question: if man fabricated the idea of God, what was his motive? Throughout the Old and New Testaments, the only hero is God. Rather than pave the way for personal gain, the truths of the Bible lead to self-sacrifice and surrender. Rather than instruct us how to earn God's favour, the Bible warns us that no one is righteous (Romans 3:10, 23). Throughout history, those proclaiming the Bible's truths have been martyred, stoned, and driven into hiding (1 Kings 19:10; Acts 7:58; 2 Corinthians 11:25).

If the idea of God is man-made, then there is no God, really, and the biggest question left unanswered relates to the complexity and apparent design of the universe. A single strand of DNA shows such intricate brilliance that random chance cannot come close to explaining it. Beyond that, the billions of perfectly synchronized atoms, molecules, systems, and universes shout to us about a Designer. Removing God from the realm of possible explanations gives rise to many unanswerable questions. No other explanation makes sense. Theories abound, but none can claim definitive scientific evidence for the startling harmonization of the universe's complexity. Even Charles Darwin had to admit, "To suppose that the eye, with all its inimitable contrivances for adjusting the focus to different distances, for admitting different amounts of light, and for the correction of spherical and chromatic aberration, could have been formed by natural selection, seems, I freely confess, absurd in the highest possible degree" (The Origin of Species, J. M. Dent & Sons, Ltd., London, 1971, p. 167).

We cannot simply remove the idea of God without replacing that idea with a more reasonable explanation. Questions do not disappear by eliminating the possibility of God. However, when we remove the prejudices and presuppositions that refuse to allow God to be considered, He remains the only logical explanation for this amazing world. Those who have decided that God cannot exist build their worldview around that idea and pretend that their fallible answers fill in the blanks. Denial of God is a strong, almost religious assumption that taints their so-called search for truth. However, those who truly desire to be open-minded and pursue truth wherever it may lead find that the evidence always leads to God.

http://www.gotquestions.org/is-God-man-made.html
Re: Is God Man-made? Did Man Create The Idea Of God? by OLAADEGBU(m): 4:05pm On Jan 20, 2016
CoolUsername:


In the beginning, man created God.

In your own imagination. cool

1 Like 2 Shares

Re: Is God Man-made? Did Man Create The Idea Of God? by CoolUsername: 4:28pm On Jan 20, 2016
OLAADEGBU:

In your own imagination. cool
You're right, it wasn't exactly "in the beginning".

1 Like 1 Share

Re: Is God Man-made? Did Man Create The Idea Of God? by Oluwaseytiano(m): 8:03pm On Jan 20, 2016
hmmmm tough question. The only answer I can give that no one knows
Re: Is God Man-made? Did Man Create The Idea Of God? by OLAADEGBU(m): 6:54pm On Mar 01, 2016
lepasharon:


Maybe

Why are you not certain?
Re: Is God Man-made? Did Man Create The Idea Of God? by lepasharon(f): 8:50pm On Mar 01, 2016
OLAADEGBU:


Why are you not certain?

Are you certain ? Actually im certain
Re: Is God Man-made? Did Man Create The Idea Of God? by OLAADEGBU(m): 1:50pm On Mar 05, 2016
CoolUsername:


You're right, it wasn't exactly "in the beginning".

When was it then?
Re: Is God Man-made? Did Man Create The Idea Of God? by CoolUsername: 2:15pm On Mar 05, 2016
OLAADEGBU:


When was it then?

When man developed a mind, complex enough to question his origins and death. It also served as a method of societal control.

2 Likes 1 Share

Re: Is God Man-made? Did Man Create The Idea Of God? by UyiIredia(m): 4:23pm On Mar 05, 2016
CoolUsername:


When man developed a mind, complex enough to question his origins and death. It also served as a method of societal control.

Nature, by itself, can't make a pin talkless of a mind.
Re: Is God Man-made? Did Man Create The Idea Of God? by OLAADEGBU(m): 4:59pm On Mar 05, 2016
CoolUsername:


When man developed a mind, complex enough to question his origins and death. It also served as a method of societal control.

But God has already spoonfed you the answers to those questions.

"It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honour of kings is to search out a matter" (Proverbs 25:2).
Re: Is God Man-made? Did Man Create The Idea Of God? by orisa37: 9:20am On Mar 06, 2016
The Conscience a Man feels in him, makes him think that his Motives reside in the Supreme One.

1 Like

Re: Is God Man-made? Did Man Create The Idea Of God? by OLAADEGBU(m): 6:16pm On Mar 14, 2016
UyiIredia:


Nature, by itself, can't make a pin talkless of a mind.

But evolutionists would want us to believe that order can come out of chaos.

1 Like 1 Share

Re: Is God Man-made? Did Man Create The Idea Of God? by cloudgoddess(f): 3:44pm On Mar 17, 2016
UyiIredia:


Nature, by itself, can't make a pin talkless of a mind.
So, according to you, organisms are not a result of natural processes that have been occuring for billions of years, but instead the purposeful creation of a supernatural entity no one can see? And that entity is not Krishna or Zeus or any of the gods that have existed as early as 10,000+ years ago, but specifically Yahweh, the god created by Jewish middle-easterners 2000 years ago?

So, the multiple species of flesh eating bacteria that exist are not born as a natural result of evolutionary need for survival and adaptation, but instead their very DNA and cell proliferation are intentionally directed by this Yahweh, so that unknowing swimmers can have their flesh mutilated and torn apart by organisms too small for the human eye to detect? Same for parasites that burrow into the eyes of children who drink polluted water in 3rd world countries, and then lay eggs there so that the child's eye is left in a disturbing state of ruin? All purposely directed by the magnificent hand of all-loving Yahweh, correct?

1 Like

Re: Is God Man-made? Did Man Create The Idea Of God? by UyiIredia(m): 5:36pm On Mar 17, 2016
cloudgoddess:

So, according to you, organisms are not a result of natural processes that have been occuring for billions of years, but instead the purposeful creation of a supernatural entity no one can see? And that entity is not Krishna or Zeus or any of the gods that have existed as early as 10,000+ years ago, but specifically Yahweh, the god created by Jewish middle-easterners 2000 years ago?

So, the multiple species of flesh eating bacteria that exist are not born as a natural result of evolutionary need for survival and adaptation, but instead their very DNA and cell proliferation are intentionally directed by this Yahweh, so that unknowing swimmers can have their flesh mutilated and torn apart by organisms too small for the human eye to detect? Same for parasites that burrow into the eyes of children who drink polluted water in 3rd world countries, and then lay eggs there so that the child's eye is left in a disturbing state of ruin? All purposely directed by the magnificent hand of all-loving Yahweh, correct?

After all you've said, where is the evidence of nature making a pin much less forming life by itself?
Re: Is God Man-made? Did Man Create The Idea Of God? by cloudgoddess(f): 6:24pm On Mar 17, 2016
UyiIredia:


After all you've said, where is the evidence of nature making a pin much less forming life by itself?
You didn't answer my question.
Re: Is God Man-made? Did Man Create The Idea Of God? by UyiIredia(m): 7:38pm On Mar 17, 2016
cloudgoddess:
You didn't answer my question.
I don't have to.
Re: Is God Man-made? Did Man Create The Idea Of God? by UyiIredia(m): 7:38pm On Mar 17, 2016
cloudgoddess:
You didn't answer my question.
I don't have to.
Re: Is God Man-made? Did Man Create The Idea Of God? by OLAADEGBU(m): 4:54pm On Apr 05, 2016
Oluwaseytiano:


hmmmm tough question. The only answer I can give that no one knows

Peruse the suggested answer I posted above.

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