LHP Adept

This parent/child analogy is something that has come up in several threads, and in many conversations with theists. Theists (and Abrahamics in particular) often refer to their God(s) in parental terms: Heavenly Father, Mother Nature, etc.
Often there is an implied, sometimes explicit, argument that we are should obey God because He is so much wiser than us, like a child is less wise and needs adult supervision so he doesn't fall into a well or something.
A recent reference in another Forum started me thinking along this line:
The goal of parents is (or should be) to prepare their children for an adult life without parental authority. If God is like a Father and we are like His children, then He should want us to develop the maturity to be able to live without Him. Perhaps the reason for the recent dearth of flashy, unmistakable miracles like the ones that happened in Old Testament days is that God wants us to outgrow our dependence on Him and take responsibility for our own affairs (i.e. to outgrow religion). If this is true, then those who continue to attend church, confess, pray before meals, etc. are as pathetic as a 35-yr-old who still lives in his parents' house, lets his mother pick out his clothes, etc.

Whaddaya think?

Philosoft

I think any divine analogies to human behavior are doomed to failure, because an omnipotent, omniscient God certainly doesn't lack for power or creativity. Comparisons of God's behavior with human behavior invariably smack of anthropomorphism.

Darth Dane

Yes, I think I agree.

As a child starts to think for itself, sets its own rules it seperates itself.

God wanted his children to think for themselves, and Jesus started to think for himself.
Can we think on our own?

Well we are having difficulties in getting along, not the best sons and daughters if the OT/NT understanding of Reality is the one we should use as context.

I don't need God to tell me to behave, that is quite naturally for me, not to take others freewill away.

Philosoft, according to teh bible, we are in teh image of God. So any comparison is valid because that is how God would do it...





DD - Love Spliff

Violent Messiah

I think not Darth Dane.

So God sins?

Or maybe you have drawn a line to what qualities we have that we could ascribe to God? If so, kindly point it out.

lex
Ad infinitum!

Inconnu

God does indeed sin, did he not flood the world and kill everybody totally against his own commandments?

Theli

Although I understand and agree with the parentfigure analogy in modern theism, I don't see why this form of religion would require the god to actually exist.
It would make more sense that man invented these gods to cope with the large and in many cases unwelcoming world.

But I think belief in these gods will decrease with the passing of time, as mankind learns more about our world, and have less to fear from the unkown.

Marlowe

Did your parents raise you to entirely ignore their values? I'm not a Christian, but it seems to me that going to church, confession, prayer, etc. are rituals designed to keep values alive and are more analogous to a 35 yr old who raises their children by accessing the wisdom their parents taught them as opposed to one who lets his mother pick out his clothes. Someone who can't make a decision without referencing the Bible might be the pathetic 35 yr old of your example, but that's a fundie, not your average Christian.

mike_decock

In a few discussions recently, I have been thinking along the God as Father analogy. I don't believe in God, but if there was one, I think His greatest desire for us is to be completely independent, using our knowledge and wisdom to make good decisions.

Which child would you be more proud of? The one who declares their love for you yet never learns to think for themselves, constantly begs you for help and is intolerant of anyone who doesn't agree with you; or the one who thinks for themselves, works to help others out and tolerates those of differing opinions?

Which child has reached maturity? The one who behaves well out of fear of punishment, desire for reward or in response to emotional bribery; or the one who behaves well because they understand why good behavior is beneficial to themselves as well as others?

-Mike...

the_cave

Even though I'm an independent adult, I still visit my parents, and keep in touch with them, and call them on their birthday.

Theli

And ofcourse another error in this analogy, our parents didn't create the world we live in.