Evolving God

[Bikewer]

I try to listen to NPR's To The Best Of Our Knowledge each week, they usually have at least a couple of interesting segments.

This week, they interviewed Barbara King, the author of Evolving God. King is a primatologist who's observations of great apes leads her to see behaviors that at least provide a foundation for the evolution of religion itself.
Among these are imagination and empathy.

There has been a lot of talk in pop-science lately about the "God Gene" and other biological basis for spiritual/religious belief; I may have to put this one on my reading list.

http://www.amazon.com/Evolving-God-Provocative-Origins-Religion/dp/0385511043/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/105-9960427-8777260?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1189355574&sr=8-1

[cyborg]

Since it seems that our minds are prejudiced to notice 'live' and 'not live' things as different (for example, we recognise biological movement patterns - like walking - as distinct from non-biological moving patterns - like juggling balls being juggled) it can only be a simple conceptual linking between a 'live' universe and the personification of that universe as a means to explain the seemingly unknowable 'moods' of it.

One only needs to consider that gods are almost always of 'live' rather than 'not live' things - animals, people etc...

It's basically an example showing how such a simple association can grow with all the rest of the concepts in our minds to formulate ever more complex conceptualisations about a 'god' like entity.

[The Grave]

Is a paper bag alive as it is moved by the energy of the wind: we are moved by the energy of glucose: both stem from the Sun's energy: both are made of un-alive elements, forced to move....

[Apathia]

I'm reading the book at present.
The strength of its contribution to the subject of the evolution of human relgious behavior is that it identifies the relational foundation of god belief, whereas many prior conjectures have seen it as an intelectual development. For example, Humans are pattern imposers, or Myths where just so stories to explain natural occurances, or it was all about alleviating fear of the unknown.

It's a very positive book, because it gives an affirming place to stand in regard to Human religious behavior, so one can then encourage growth to a healthier expression. rather than just beating ourslves with intellectual debunks that don't address our existential longings.

[Snap]

I can see a primitive people believing that an unseen being controlled the weather, etc., but at what point and how did people come to believe they needed salvation?

It seems like a stretch to go from asking God for rain during a drought to asking God to save our souls.

[AgeGap]

I had a friend who said when the people of old needed controlling, thier god was a vengeful god. As soon as these people became persecuted they reinvented thier god as a gentle god. Even god is evolving.

[blobru]

I can see a primitive people believing that an unseen being controlled the weather, etc., but at what point and how did people come to believe they needed salvation?

It seems like a stretch to go from asking God for rain during a drought to asking God to save our souls.


Rain for drought, forgiveness for sin, not that big a stretch really.

Like weather gods, an afterlife of some kind is a common primitive belief. Once a religion splits the afterlife in two, to reward good and punish bad, people start praying to go to the good place: for God to "save their souls".