contracycle

I think the poll is slightly mistaken. I think those individuals who originally argued the point pretty much made it up - but the "rank and file" may well have believed it literally.

Rick Sumner

It doesn't make sense for a god to start like that, either. It's drastic oversimplification.

Bob wakes up and sees the sun. Bob knows that he can't move the sun. He doesn't know anyone else who can move the sun. So someone very powerful must be moving the sun (most of the first gods were probably nature gods, rather than sun gods, but sun gods make a more succinct outline).

But what's this? Where's the sun? It's not warm out at all! Bob likes it when it's warm. Why is the very powerful dude behind the sun not making it warm? Is he unhappy? How can Bob make the sun dude happy?

And away we go. Freud actually contended it was more primal than that--that gods developed in response to "the horror of self-awareness," and a means to provide purpose to our lives. I'd venture Freud is wrong. People seem to have thought that a sacrifice to whomever would bring good fortune. They don't seem to have thought their purpose in life was to worship whomever.

Regards,
Rick

B. H. Manners

I think the priests knew it was fake, but wrote the Bible in such a way as to get the population of masses on their side and buck the nobility from time time.

Doctor X

I would add that quite a few rulers directed these writing.

Much of Hammurapi's Code is him justifying his divine right to rule.

--J.D.

PopeInTheWoods

I voted undecided, if by "undecided" you mean lots of both and neither, over time, with lots of other theistic traditions thrown in, overlaid with a tribal survival mentality.

Andy

DeLurking

Reading the OT I always had the idea that God was part of a nationalistic delirium. The jews needed that religion and the idea of chosen people to survive as a community when periodically overrun by the armies of egiptians, hitites, babilonians, greeks, romans... Why are they always conquered and submitted to humilliating servitude? Why does God allow that? Because thay´ve sinned and angered Him; but if they are stricter in their worship, reject other gods and keep firm, God will bless and save them, and send a Messiah that will exterminate their enemies and lead them to world´s domination.

Rick Sumner

This is the chief reason Judaism survived while other religions died out. When most people lost, they decided that the opponents had stronger gods. When Israel lost, they decided that they're God was even more powerful than they had ever dreamed, and the enemy simply his pawn.

Regards,
Rick