Deitism? What about thinking for yourself?

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   jfreemonposted 15 years ago

   Religion, politics, and beliefs -- these all intertwine to form the foundations of our everyday morals.
   
   So without further ado, why does everyone feel the need to follow deity religions? Furthermore, why is it that religions without a traditional deity when they were created, form a need for someone to call a deity? (For example, Buddhism.)
   
   And please, do avoid directly approaching the title and bypassing the question, "Why do people need someone to look up to?"

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      thevoiceposted 15 years agoin reply to this

      until all people respect the rights freedoms of each other struggle goes on

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      Cagsilposted 15 years agoin reply to this

      This isn't the correct way to understand morals. I am of the wisdom that morals have an absolute standard, which many do not know exists. It is a common misconception and leads to the results we have in society.
      
      Because a lack of knowledge and understanding of life.
      
      There is a firm perceived belief based on the inclination that all humans are evil in nature and must have a higher authority to answer to. Hence, each culture has it's own myths.
       
      Because, they themselves cannot understand their own existence.
      
      Great questions.

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      kessposted 15 years agoin reply to this

      When a man understand his spiritual origin, he will naturally desire to give himself for the benefit of such for his existence is directly dependant on his creator.
      
      If one do not understand this spiritual origin, then what purpose will he labour except for his physical origin.
      
      And in this physical life, if he understands the power of goodness, to live selflessly for the benefit of others.
      
      That one is on a one way course into the kingdom of God.   
      
      For the one true God is the father of the truly selfless, for of such is His kingdom.

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         earnestshubposted 15 years agoin reply to this

         and no doubt you are truly selfless.

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      tantrumposted 15 years agoin reply to this

      If you think for yourself without the aid of Family, (upbringing), Society (social behavior),  or religion (indoctrination), you wouldn't believe in any God.
      God is Fear, and that's the way people are controlled.

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      aka-djposted 15 years agoin reply to this

      In the words of Billy Graham, if I remember it correctly, "Inside of every man (or woman) there is a god-shaped vacuum, that only He can fill".
      
      I believe it's an inbuilt yearning to know Him, (our Creator). All religion is man's way of trying to fill that void.
      
      Many choose to give up on the task and dismiss anything spiritual in life.
      We all think for ourselves, and make the choices that best satisfy us individually.

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   Mishaposted 15 years ago

   Looks like they just do. Not all of them, though.
   
   And if I understood you correctly, I wouldn't agree to your depiction of Buddha as a deity, to my understanding he is not

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      jfreemonposted 15 years agoin reply to this

      I've actually heard mixed things about this, which is why I chose to include Buddha as an example. My basic understanding is that Buddha gives a way for people to live, yet things such as statues and the like seem to regard him as a deity.

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   Arthur Fontesposted 15 years ago

   I thought there were many Buddhas.  I thought the statue represented an enlightened one.

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   R.G. San Ramonposted 15 years ago

   Idealism...people need look up to someone they admire and see as relatively "perfect" in order to have a baseline to compare themselves against. Interestingly, idealistic people are those who readily admit to themselves that they are limited, finite and imperfect. Because of this, existentialists are, in a sense, atheistic; it is impossible to fit in their philosophy a kind of meaning existing beyond the point of human existence. As such, existentialists, although they recognize that they can be "better" as they go on with their lives, do not necessarily think in perfect and absolute terms.
   
   So not everyone believe in a supposed diety. However, "needing" is a totally different thing. I am an idealist, and I admit that it is very difficult for me to grasp how hardcore existentialists can think that they can live life without incorporating (or even thinking about) a past, a meaning beyond themselves.

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   Rod Marsdenposted 15 years ago

   The simple answer is that we are social animals and social animals need leaders in order to form a social group identity. Chimpanzees and gorillas are examples of animals that also have this need. The animal that acquires the most useful piece of knowledge or seemingly the most useful piece of knowledge for the group or the society then lives on after death sometimes as more than what they were in life. Sometimes it has to do with strength or skill when they were alive that becomes exaggerated overtime.
   
   The Greek gods are very human. I believe Hercules was once a real strong man who became exaggerated into a demi-god after his death. When it comes to the Norse gods a similar pattern emerges. Odin or Wodin(V) was probably a gifted soothsayer and medicine man in real life but when he passed away he was first exaggerated into the god of death and then into the god of gods. Remembering in a semi-literate society or a society where reading and writing is just getting a hold on the populace does lead to tall tales and tall tales to gods.
   
   For some time it has been thought that Jesus was one of the exceptions to the general rule because of his humble beginnings and the crucifixion. Of course the crucifixion is mirrored to some extent in Norse mythology by Odin's experience on the Tree of knowledge.

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