anthrosub
Posts: 843
Joined: 6/2/2004
Status: offline
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dark~angel,
Thanks for your thoughts and let's remember...we're talking fantasy here. I wanted to include your quotes but there's just too darn many tags to keep track of. 
I would change your quote to read, "People kill people over religion." They have in the past, are doing so today, and will continue to do it. This doesn't say there aren't lots of other, maybe even more significant reasons behind it but it's definitely part of the equation.
Yes...people are selfish. At the base level we are all operating in survival mode. Beyond that, what we do (even if it's for someone else) can be traced back to fulfulling some inner need. Of course there are exceptions but I think this is pretty much a general rule.
As to my "creation" making me God...well, this may sound arrogant or crazy but I realized a long time ago that's exactly who we all are. The difference is, most people either don't know it or won't except it when it's pointed out to them. Here's why I say this and I admit it's not a full blown, cited, explanation (that would be way beyond the scope of this board) and a bit simplified to get to my point.
***
Back when agriculture was first being developed in the 5 areas around the globe where it independently appeared (sometime around 15 to 20,000 years ago), a major change was taking place in daily human existence...people settled down. No more foraging for food each day, the first inklings of what would later become villages, towns, and eventually cities began to be built.
Irrigation was the next step and since domestication of animals was still in its infancy (and technology was practically non-existent) manual labor was how things got done. Building towns, planting and harvesting crops, maintaining irrigation systems, and eventually defending all these resources from the town over the next hill...all these things required a coordinated effort. Now the big question was...who's in charge to say who will do what, when, where, and how?
The need to organize labor gave rise to the need for authority. Politics was born and where did the authority come from? Before agriculture, its generally accepted that the people living back then had already formulated myths to explain the world in which they lived. There were leaders of the various tribes who's authority was derived from these myths (as well as their own demonstrated abilities and personal influence over others).
As the rise of cities took hold, it's easy to see how the old myths and political structures became institutionalized to give the new leaders the power and authority they needed. As time passed, these belief systems and fledgling forms of government were improved, enhanced, and embellished. Eventually writing was invented and with this, the word of mouth stories and myths became codified and made even more official. Laws were put down in writing and belief systems became scripture.
***
So, my point is...we created God in our image (not the other way around). We did it to establish order amongst ourselves but also to continue the age old need to have an explanation of the unknown. I've always held that,
"When people are confronted with something they don't understand...they invent a reason why." - Me
Imagine living back then. Your local community builds a nice little town and enjoys a wonderful harvest every year. Why? Because the spot where you're living is a flood plain from the nearby river. It's full of rich sediments...good black soil. Then one season, a 100 year flood comes down the valley (but nobody knew about them back then) and wipes everything out. Everyone scratches their head and attributes it to God's will. Prayers, worshipping, and maybe even sacrifices ensue.
So, you're right, my creation makes me God and we've just come full circle. What I've just written is not what I believe, it's what I think. Belief doesn't require any facts necessarily and that's the rub. The ultimate form of belief is faith (going on no facts at all). Here's an example...
Scientists have determined a rough age of the earth. Creationists will dismiss this by simply saying, "God made everything to look that old." There's no way they can prove it, they just have to believe it and they're fine with doing so. People believe what they want and disregard the rest.
I have no idea how my fantasy would ever become possible. What I do know is that the world population is increasingly taxing the earth's carrying capacity and if we don't take responsibility for ourselves, our numbers will be reduced through non-action (which is what is most likely going to happen anyway). The earth is a pretty big place but it's not infinite. It used to take tens of thousands of years for the world population to double. Now it only takes a few decades (less than your lifetime to be precise). I'm 50 and I've seen the changes since I was a kid and I've lived all over this country in places more than once, so I know it's not just because I moved from a little town to a big city.
Anyway, I know this is not what interests most people and is pretty dark and depressing but it's where I went with my own curiosity over my lifetime. I could speak volumes more but will let it go. Sorry if I bring anyone down...it's not my intent.
anthrosub
_____________________________
"It is easier to fool people than it is to convince them they have been fooled." - Mark Twain
"I am not young enough to know everything." - Oscar Wilde
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RE: Something to think about - 
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