How Did Deity Evolve? (Earth, beliefs, evolution, myth, atheist)

[Rough_ER]

Originally Posted by Jaiket

In The God Delusion Richard Dawkins speaks of a similar idea proposed by Dan Dennett. He talks of humans assigning intent to external entities (not always humans) in order to make quick decisions.

It's a funny book. He also mentioned the utter hatred he feels towards his bicycle chain when it comes off. I am particularly fond of the idea Sunstone talked about. It seems we have a tendency to personify objects and even conditions e.g the weather.

[meogi]

Originally Posted by Sunstone

What is the impulse in humans to have deities and how did it evolve?

To give a manner of control over things which we have no control over. Death, nature, the actions of others, etc.

Asking how it evoloved is simply unanswerable, due to the 6 million years of stimuli/interactions that has gotton us to where we are today. I believe Halcyon's explanation has it pretty close though; whatever gave us the ability to reason and formulate the idea of "Why?".

[PolyHedral]

BECAUSE WE PUT A PERSONALITY INTO EVERYTHING.

[BruceDLimber]

Deity, being pre-existent, didn't evolve, but was always extant.

So I fear the topic is an ill-formed question.

And has nothing whatever to do with man or any other part of the universe . . .

Regards,

Bruce

[painted wolf]

well our earlier cousins the Neandertals had 'religoius' leanings so I'm lible to think that it is a genetic pre-dispostion. Likely gained from our last shared common ancestor.
Possibly H. erectus.

wa:do

[sandy whitelinger]

Originally Posted by Sunstone

How did the human predisposition to create deities evolve?

This statement is a logical fallacy along the lines of begging the question. You assume two things, one that there is a human predisposition to creating deities and two that the disposition is a product of evolution.

[Sunstone]

Originally Posted by sandy whitelinger

This statement is a logical fallacy along the lines of begging the question. You assume two things, one that there is a human predisposition to creating deities and two that the disposition is a product of evolution.

The assumptions are based on the best current evidence available. I have no time nor inclination to debate either evolution or human predispositions with you. So far as I'm concerned, both are settled science.

[sandy whitelinger]

Originally Posted by Sunstone

The assumptions are based on the best current evidence available. I have no time nor inclination to debate either evolution or human predispositions with you. So far as I'm concerned, both are settled science.

That statement is full of hooie and obviously an attempt to avoid the issue by changing the intent. You do need to show specifically that there is a proven scientific fact of human predisposition for creating deities and that, specifically, the disposition is a product of evolution.

You changed from specific claims to general claims to try and support your statement. Nice try.

[Halcyon]

Originally Posted by sandy whitelinger

That statement is full of hooie and obviously an attempt to avoid the issue by changing the intent. You do need to show specifically that there is a proven scientific fact of human predisposition for creating deities and that, specifically, the disposition is a product of evolution.

You changed from specific claims to general claims to try and support your statement. Nice try.

The fact that every culture on the planet has a form of deity (or has had one during its existence) along with the clear progression from animism to polytheism to henotheism to monotheism should be plenty of evidence.