What if God wasn't what you thought God was?

POSTED BY: HKCavalier
UPDATED: Monday, August 14, 2006 03:45
VIEWED: 3030
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HKCAVALIER

Friday, August 11, 2006 8:31 PM

Psychologically, developmentally, children have gods: their parents. A child sees in a parent a perfect ruler of reality; a loving, infalible higher power. If such a "god" punishes the child, the child will naturally internalize the punishment and assume that it was deserved, that the "god" is "rightious." Even if such a parent merely hurts the child out of negligence, the child will naturally construe it as a "just punishment" for some imagined "sin."

This kind of identification with the parent at all costs is a natural survival mechanism; it is apparently hardwired into all human children. Of course any parent can tell you that for some months around the age of 2 and for several years in puberty (at the very least), it is natural for a child to "call b.s." on all that.

"You're not the boss of me!"

"I hate you!"

"I wish I'd never been born!"

"I wish I was adopted!"

This kind of outburst is normal and necessary for a the child to mature and fully individuate. If a child does not go through these "rebelious phases," it's likely to create all kinds of trouble down the line.

Quite apart from the issue of whether God ultimately exists or not, there's an argument to be made here that people's belief in God is often reflective of an immature relationship to reality. Many folks, it would seem, when faced with the ultimate falibility and frailty of their real parents still feel the need for a perfect loving caretaker and so project these needs onto God.

In some ways God serves their purposes much better than a parent ever could, because real flesh and blood parents will eventually disappoint; while the special neither-here-nor-there nature of God guarentees that their projection of perfection will never be falsified. As long as God is the perfect father of a perfect dead guy, who nonetheless follows us around unseen and loves us in ways we can never prove to anyone, we, like happy infants, can assume all misfortune is our own doing and all pleasure is a gift from the Almighty. Some Christians, for instance, apparently look at the people dying by the tens of thousands in the Middle East and rejoice in God's Providence, seeing in the suffering of others a sign that Jesus will soon return to us. Obviously, a belief in God can be a powerful tool to comfort the mind when faced with senseless atrocity.

So, our unresolved infantile needs can be projected onto the universe and foster a belief in a loving God. And adolescent beliefs can be projected onto the universe and foster an aggressive atheism. But developmentally, many people do manage to reach psychological maturity and autonomy; many of us come to understand our parents as friends and as equals, helpers along the way. In my own experience, the majority of theists I have known who went through a thorough atheistic phase in their lives have been a good deal more sensible and responsible in their beliefs than the majority of belly-button Christians I've had to deal with. Just as a belief in the infalibility of authority seems hardwired and developmentally necessary, so questioning that authority and moving beyond it is necessary for us to become fully functioning adults.

Perhaps one day, we as a race will come to an understanding of the Earth and the Universe not as a Mother from whom we may take and take and take until she's used up ("Earth?" "Used up?" Where have I heard that before?), or a cold and neglegent absentee father whom we must investigate and expose, but as friends and helpers along the way who deserve our respect and protection.

Thoughts?

HKCavalier

Hey, hey, hey, don't be mean. We don't have to be mean, because, remember, no matter where you go, there you are.

YINYANG

Friday, August 11, 2006 8:37 PM

Wow, I like that. I like that a lot. Good job, HK!

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Go to http://richlabonte.net/tvvote/ and vote Firefly!

RUE

Friday, August 11, 2006 8:51 PM

If there was (a) god(s), I would hope for special-ness. But what if god(s) was(ere) (a) small, malicious, petty-minded ugly little bug(s).

EEEeeewwwwww ... gross.

CITIZEN

Friday, August 11, 2006 8:56 PM

What if god was a concious universe that is trying to understand itself.

Babel-on till 5 CitizenIsDellen

More insane ramblings by the people who brought you beeeer milkshakes!
No one can see their reflection in running water. It is only in still water that we can see.

YINYANG

Friday, August 11, 2006 9:00 PM

What if God was Jello? I mean, come on - it jiggles, but it doesn't fall apart. That's a miracle.

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Go to http://richlabonte.net/tvvote/ and vote Firefly!

CITIZEN

Friday, August 11, 2006 9:14 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by yinyang:
What if God was Jello? I mean, come on - it jiggles, but it doesn't fall apart. That's a miracle.

Gods belly would wobble like a bowl full of jelly.

More insane ramblings by the people who brought you beeeer milkshakes!
No one can see their reflection in running water. It is only in still water that we can see.

CHRISISALL

Friday, August 11, 2006 10:17 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by HKCavalier:

So, our unresolved infantile needs can be projected onto the universe and foster a belief in a loving God. And adolescent beliefs can be projected onto the universe and foster an aggressive atheism.

When I was young I cursed the Devil for his evil.
When I was a little older, I cursed God for letting bad things happen.
When I saw Star Trek's first season I discovered morals and their applications. And realized God could not be quantified or explained quite so easily as some would have us believe.

Today I am a modified Buddhist.

American Gigalo Chrisisall

CANTTAKESKY

Saturday, August 12, 2006 5:06 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by yinyang:
Good job, HK!

HK got wisdom.

I used to be a fundie. (Mind you, everyone said I was the most open-minded fundie they knew, but there I was, praising God with my arms in the air and speaking in tongues.) But looking back, I was attracted to that crowd because they helped me pull through some difficult times. I have to be grateful for that.

Anyway, right around the end of graduate school, I started seriously questioning some tenets of the faith--like why do only Christians get to go to heaven? I got kicked out, but with a boot. They said I was "gangrene in the body of Christ and had to be cut off before I infected the rest of the body." Yeah, those exact words.

So for a while I was rebellious gangrene, and I kinda stopped talking to God for a while. I still believed, but I wasn't sure in what.

Recently, I've been finding my faith again. Nothing like before, but faith nonetheless.

And if it turns out that God is non-existent or a tiny purple Venusian shaped like an armadillo, so what? We believed what we needed to believe to pull through what we needed to pull through. It doesn't matter that Jayne didn't really love the mudders. Believing gave them a reason to have hope. And hope gave them a reason to get up in the morning. Why crap on hope, just because it isn't true?

Speaking of crap, this has nothing to do with HK's post. I be just rambling...

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"Maybe she's a lazy hooker. They can't all have hearts of gold and good work ethics." -- Jaye in Wonderfalls

DUKKATI

Sunday, August 13, 2006 8:21 PM

If God wasn't what I thought He was...I guess I would believe something else.

I've been through the system.
It dont work.

WASHSYOUNGERSEXIERBR

Sunday, August 13, 2006 8:29 PM

This is the fourth god thread thats been posted

Religion is REALLY starting to great on me

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