Do we actually think that God loves us because we are an egocentric species?

[ANV]

Humans like to feel that they are at the centre of the universe, at the centre of everything, when in fact we are not, we are so afraid and weak that we want and need to feel protected and loved so we think we are the centre of God’s eyes when in fact the universe doesn’t seem to put us into consideration, only we do, and we created Gods on our image, who care for our earthly concerns. What do you think?

 

[Beryllos]

At first blush, it’s a plausible explanation for religion.

One weak point might be that you appear to assume that all religious people are the same. What about thoughtful believers who don’t believe they are the center of the universe, or who recognizing their human weakness without fear but with peace?

 

[ANV]

So all people around the world have different testimonies of different things, many times contradicting each other, don’t you think that humanity is weak and that we need love and protection? We are afraid and weak, and all over history we created gods on our image to serve our purposes, needs and goals, fill our curiosities regarding what we don’t have the answers to including our egocentrism that plays a big role, whether regrding earth the universe or God. What makes you think that God if he exists cares for you or for humanity.

 

[STT]

Humans like to feel that they are at the centre of the universe, at the centre of everything, when in fact we are not, we are so afraid and weak that we want and need to feel protected and loved so we think we are the centre of God’s eyes when in fact the universe doesn’t seem to put us into consideration, only we do, and we created Gods on our image, who care for our earthly concerns. What do you think?

I think that God is neutral if there is any. What the Father means when there can also be The Mother too? Why Jesus didn’t use pronoun It instead of Father or I? Why women are missing in the history of prophecy? Why the second person of Trinity should be male? Why just human? The universe is infinite!

 

[ANV]

At first blush, it’s a plausible explanation for religion.

One weak point might be that you appear to assume that all religious people are the same. What about thoughtful believers who don’t believe they are the center of the universe, or who recognizing their human weakness without fear but with peace?

I’m not assuming, I just think how religions were made, if you do not think that, it’s because you’re not the inventor or the contributor of any religion, you’re just a follower, I wonder you may not think we are the center of the universe, but you do believe that the God of the universe sent himself to save one species out of billions in the universe, so isn’t that a humancentric and egocentric I wonder.

 

[Vonsalza]

I have no need for any sort of god to make an excellent case for human exceptionalism.

Any other critters on the globe visiting space? Harnessing the power of the atom? Pondering its own history?

Nope.

 

[Beryllos]

I’m not assuming, I just think how religions were made, if you do not think that, it’s because you’re not the inventor or the contributor of any religion, you’re just a follower, I wonder you may not think we are the center of the universe, but you do believe that the God of the universe sent himself to save one species out of billions in the universe, so isn’t that a humancentric and egocentric I wonder.

Who knows? Maybe there are other life forms in the universe which can love one another and can appreciate their creator. I’m not jealous. God loves and provides for them all.

 

[Autumn_Smoke]

One of the reasons I think God loves us so much, is that he created us. We belong to him, and he treasures us. It’s the same as parents who love their children. No matter what their children do, their parents still love them–they are their parents’ creation–they came from them. If they had one child or 100, they would love them the same. If God had one creation–those on earth–or 100–on multiple planets, God would love them because they came from him and all belong to him. With all of His heart, he would love them all equally and with an enduring everlasting love.

 

[ANV]

Who knows? Maybe there are other life forms in the universe which can love one another and can appreciate their creator. I’m not jealous. God loves and provides for them all.

But that God you speak of, contradicts the humancentrism in most religions, whether in beliefs or rules.

One of the reasons I think God loves us so much, is that he created us. We belong to him, and he treasures us. It’s the same as parents who love their children. No matter what their children do, their parents still love them–they are their parents’ creation–they came from them. If they had one child or 100, they would love them the same. If God had one creation–those on earth–or 100–on multiple planets, God would love them because they came from him and all belong to him. With all of His heart, he would love them all equally and with an enduring everlasting love.

So, a question to both of you, does God love you as much as he loves an ant or an alien?

 

[Beryllos]

But that God you speak of, contradicts the humancentrism in most religions, whether in beliefs or rules.

I’m not here to defend “most religions” but I will say that different people and different cultures have different ideas about God. How can any human (or alien) have a perfect understanding of something which is greater than the sum of everything he has experienced.

The attempt to understand God is like taking an x-ray image of your hand. The true nature of your hand is reduced and flattened onto a two-dimensional black-and-white image. Projections from different angles look different, but not completely different.

Similarly, in our minds, in our culture, and in our language, the true God is projected (reduced, flattened) onto the level of our ability to understand. The projection is incomplete but it is not untrue. Different projections look different, but not completely different.

So does God love you as much as he loves an ant or an alien?

Ants, I don’t know. Right now some ants are trying to colonize my kitchen, and I’m not feeling a lot of love. Still I think God loves them to the extent that they are lovable. Aliens too.

 

[Autumn_Smoke]

But that God you speak of, contradicts the humancentrism in most religions, whether in beliefs or rules.

So, a question to both of you, does God love you as much as he loves an ant or an alien?

When God looked at his creation, he said that it was good. Jesus said that even the sparrow who falls is in God’s hands. He also said that one person is worth more than many sparrows. It is the soul of a person that God reaches out to. God’s creation–ants, animals, etc., did not rebel against God and do not need to be redeemed. Aliens, too, if they did not rebel against God, would not need to be redeemed, but would already have that special place in eternity–but we do not have ALL understanding–only God has that.

So God reaches out especially to mankind who was created in his image. He loves all of his creation–ants, birds, people. But people, who were made in his very image, he has a special love for, and has gone to great lengths for their redemption.

 

[steve_b]

Humans like to feel that they are at the centre of the universe, at the centre of everything, when in fact we are not, we are so afraid and weak that we want and need to feel protected and loved so we think we are the centre of God’s eyes when in fact the universe doesn’t seem to put us into consideration, only we do, and we created Gods on our image, who care for our earthly concerns. What do you think?

Who feeds you this stuff?

 

[ANV]

I’m not here to defend “most religions” but I will say that different people and different cultures have different ideas about God. How can any human (or alien) have a perfect understanding of something which is greater than the sum of everything he has experienced.

The attempt to understand God is like taking an x-ray image of your hand. The true nature of your hand is reduced and flattened onto a two-dimensional black-and-white image. Projections from different angles look different, but not completely different.

Similarly, in our minds, in our culture, and in our language, the true God is projected (reduced, flattened) onto the level of our ability to understand. The projection is incomplete but it is not untrue. Different projections look different, but not completely different.

Ants, I don’t know. Right now some ants are trying to colonize my kitchen, and I’m not feeling a lot of love. Still I think God loves them to the extent that they are lovable. Aliens too.

I think it wasn’t about our projection to real gods as much as it was about our projection to the core humanity that we built in these gods that we created to answers our needs, curiosity and benefits.
You are not presenting what most religions speak of.

 

[ANV]

When God looked at his creation, he said that it was good. Jesus said that even the sparrow who falls is in God’s hands. He also said that one person is worth more than many sparrows. It is the soul of a person that God reaches out to. God’s creation–ants, animals, etc., did not rebel against God and do not need to be redeemed. Aliens, too, if they did not rebel against God, would not need to be redeemed, but would already have that special place in eternity–but we do not have ALL understanding–only God has that.

So God reaches out especially to mankind who was created in his image. He loves all of his creation–ants, birds, people. But people, who were made in his very image, he has a special love for, and has gone to great lengths for their redemption.

This special love to humans, isn’t humancentric? So ants have to suffer because humans have free will?

I’m not here to defend “most religions” but I will say that different people and different cultures have different ideas about God. How can any human (or alien) have a perfect understanding of something which is greater than the sum of everything he has experienced.

The attempt to understand God is like taking an x-ray image of your hand. The true nature of your hand is reduced and flattened onto a two-dimensional black-and-white image. Projections from different angles look different, but not completely different.

Similarly, in our minds, in our culture, and in our language, the true God is projected (reduced, flattened) onto the level of our ability to understand. The projection is incomplete but it is not untrue. Different projections look different, but not completely different.

Ants, I don’t know. Right now some ants are trying to colonize my kitchen, and I’m not feeling a lot of love. Still I think God loves them to the extent that they are lovable. Aliens too.

Maybe it wasn’t about our projection to real gods as much as it was about our projection to the core humanity that we built in these gods that we created, you are not representing what most religions speak of but your own understanding of why religions are human-based, wouldn’t there be a God or gods to prove their existence first, before trying to falsely or humanly identify them? So humanity jumped to identifying Gods based on what? Did they feel or see these gods before falsely identifying them or they just simply created them to serve their own kind?
I’m really interested to know why your perception on religion is that Gods exist first and then human tried to identify them by their understanding, rather than creating them or him.

 

[ANV]

Who feeds you this stuff?

the doubt that God created inside me

 

[steve_b]

the doubt that God created inside me

Since to you God doesn’t exist, God didn’t put that there.

 

[joeybaggz]

Humans like to feel that they are at the centre of the universe, at the centre of everything, when in fact we are not, we are so afraid and weak that we want and need to feel protected and loved so we think we are the centre of God’s eyes when in fact the universe doesn’t seem to put us into consideration, only we do, and we created Gods on our image, who care for our earthly concerns. What do you think?

I think this question is one of the biggest compilations of generalization and half-truths masquerading as a legitimate philosophical/spiritual inquiry I’ve ever encountered.

“Humans like to feel that they are at the center of the universe” Hell of a generalization. Feel, maybe, think, no. The vast number of theistically oriented humanity realizes we are not the center of the universe, but rather inhabitants of a vast and wonderful creation that came into existence through the will of a creative force that treasures all of His/Her/Its creation. See the scriptural reference of God knowing when every sparrow falls, every hair on your head, etc.

“we are so afraid and weak” Really, a species that controls the fate of every living thing on the planet is afraid and weak? Tell that to those who established freedom and fight to maintain it every day.

“we are the centre of God’s eyes when in fact the universe doesn’t seem to put us into consideration, only we do, and we created Gods on our image, who care for our earthly concerns.” Devoid of reason, will, and volitional consciousness, I would have to agree that the universe doesn’t put us into consideration. Given our physical makeup, we are inferior to almost everything in the animal kingdom. We would be extinct as a species in a couple generations. Thing is, man is the only species out of the billions that exist and have existed, that is endowed with reason and will (and the higher emotions). Nature, specifically evolution, did not grace man with these qualities simply because it is statistically impossible. One species out of billions? Why did reason and will not evolve in say, elephants, dolphins, mosquitos, lemurs, or any other creature? This gift, could only have come from a creative entity of a higher nature. A God. Again, the understanding of the theistically oriented.

“and we created Gods on our image,” And again, for those who believe, see the first and second chapter of Genesis. Reason, will, and the higher emotions are not found in any other species, mankind, at least after what we call the "age of reason’ does not have instinct; that quality in all other created lifeforms that predetermines their very survival. And those qualities did not “evolve.” They were infused in the human mind by a higher power. A power of pure love.

My answer.

 

[ANV]

Since to you God doesn’t exist, God didn’t put that there.

Funny, your question was a bit off it’s place so I answered similarly.

 

[1neophyte]

in fact the universe doesn’t seem to put us into consideration, only we do

Time to start paying more attention.

 

[Dorothy]

I’m not assuming, I just think how religions were made, if you do not think that, it’s because you’re not the inventor or the contributor of any religion, you’re just a follower, I wonder you may not think we are the center of the universe, but you do believe that the God of the universe sent himself to save one species out of billions in the universe, so isn’t that a humancentric and egocentric I wonder.

The LORD didn’t come just to save the Israelites, He favored them because the Incarnation was to take place in that race. When the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity became man and showed us what love is all about, He also gave us the means and inspiration to follow Him.

He loves everyone He created!