Why is it necessary to "teach" about religion or any God?
If god is an all powerful thing that is everywhere, why don't humans inherently "know" god? What is the purpose of religion, religious texts, religious teachers, etc?
Things that people are usually taught are not things that come naturally (most school subjects, for example) to us. We have the capacity to learn these things and can leverage the experience of others who came before us.
But some things, like speech, and problem solving, etc, are natural because they are necesary for our survival.
If God or religion is so important to so many, why isn't it "natural"?
If it requires teaching, it doesn't seem so necessary and natural if you can't figure it out on your own.
2008-03-07T08:59:03Z
Lovingula: I completely disagree. It is sad that Christians think the way you do: that the only thing keeping you "good" is the threat of punishment.
Non believers do not need that threat to act morally.
2008-03-07T09:09:18Z
PCB: I have two kids who choose broccoli over pizza. Why? Because we have never fed them a high fat, high salt diet. The example you use is complicated...people crave salt because minerals were scarce as we evolved and people crave fat because it is high in energy needed for survival. Today's society is far different from the past couple of million years where we evolved, and humans have not had the chance to "catch up" from an evolutionary perspective. Basically, societies evolved faster than the humans who live in them.
I appreciate your perspective though. (((PCB)))
Eleventy2008-03-07T09:32:12Z
Favorite Answer
Many have argued that it is natural, and that humans have been endowed with a "sensus divinitatus" -- a sense that is capable of detecting the Divine... Obviously in Christian circles this isn't really an issue, but when a Christian debates an atheist, it's questionable. Additionally, it is obvious that the "knowledge" gained by a Christian's sensus divinitatus often contradicts a Muslim's. True knowledge is not culturally contingent.
[edit] The problem with the vegetable metaphor is that atheists generally don't believe that liking vegetables is the key to salvation or that our taste buds were divinely designed.
It's essentially a nature vs. nurture question applied to religion.
If "god" supposedly created the world, including our natural inclinations then why wouldnt we accept god from birth?
It's actually really interesting, and I would love to read a logical religious answer. I dont believe in any religion so I cant even begin to fathom how someone is going to logically explain this one.
Oh, and to Catti-brie. . . . bad bad analogy. If anything, it directly supports the dude's thought that nurture is what shapes a person's religion, not nature.
edit: mcshughes, speech is natural because it's our evolved form of communication. Communication is natural and learned from birth. Infants can use sign language and CRYING to get their point across. Crying is the very first thing a baby does once out of the womb. It is a verbal communication.
I think your premise is faulty though. Speech for example isn't natural at all. We've seen throughout history, that if a child isn't around those making the words, and correctly (taught or caught if you prefer) that speech isn't at all natural. I know that to learn a second language, I had to be taught vs. just listening to it. English wasn't at all natural!
Many people now, especially young people don't have the ability to solve problems well left to themselves. When you don't have the skills (that are taught) you replace that with anything to get by, and those aren't helpful behaviors in many cases.
Left to your own devices, you could be little more than a beggar in the street or a criminal to get by on. All of the skills we have to be successful are because we have aquired them though none "natural" means.
Speech is inherited through the parent. A child does not know speech without first mimicking the parent. Problem solving is natural to us, but everyone can easily loose skills if they are not continually practiced. The same goes with religion. You are born with inherent curiosity of God, but without continued education the knowledge can be lost.
I agree with you, Mike, and I have to respectfully disagree with Cattie-Brie, because a person can eat things like hamburgers and other not-so-healthy foods indefinitely and still manage to survive just fine... not eating vegetables isn't going to land you in a lake of fire, ya know? So, following God, according to many Christians, is necessary for eternal life (survival). Generally, things that are necessary for survival are intrinsic or instinctual. It would only make sense that a belief in God, if that's what's necessary for survival, would also be inborn.