"I cannot imagine a God who rewards and punishes the objects of his creation, whose purposes are modeled after our own...a God, in short, who is but a reflection of human frailty. Neither can I believe that the individual survives the death of his body, although feeble souls harbor such thoughts through fear or ridiculous egotisms." Albert Einstein (1879-1955) New York Times, April 19, 1955
Religion was originally a way to decsribe events beyond our comprehension in a time before scientific explanation. A reasonable result of us trying to understand how the world works in the early history of mankind. There were those who capitalized in this lack of knowledge and used it to leverage control over others. Back in the day many a sacrafice was made to appeaze a god. This has evolved into the modern day religions, sans sacrafice there is little difference from the early days except man knows better but refuses to acknowledge it.
Today many sacrafice their free will and thought for the belief that some being Loves them. Unfortunately it is hard to reason with those who would through logic out the window for a false sense of Love and superiority.
Profound statement!
@DarwinistOne thank you.
Einstein couldn’t imagine that particular kind of God but he did have other God concepts:
“My religion consists of a humble admiration of the illimitable superior spirit who reveals himself in the slight details we are able to perceive with our frail and feeble mind."
“I believe in Spinoza's God, Who reveals Himself in the lawful harmony of the world, not in a God Who concerns Himself with the fate and the doings of mankind.”
I think it is pretty clear that we made God into our own image. All the religious texts do not agree with each other and most are borrowed, if not stolen, from other cultures or religions. It was a great story to gain control of the people and keep them in line. There is no evidence for the exodus, the great flood, or of Jesus's own existence. What is there to believe? Christianity would have died out if it wasn't for the Roman Empire making it the state religion and the rest was spread by the point of a sword. What is there to believe?
Most Christians no longer believe in hell.
Now they trying to beef up heaven, yet forgot the fear of hell was their greatest draw.
So why bother reaching for extreme happiness for eternity, it could be disguise as a funny farm. That is why I think nonbelievers are the fastest growing group.