TED Conversations

Peter Emer

Hinder

This conversation is closed. Start a new conversation
or join one »

Is God Real?

Its human nature to seek superiority and its human nature to seek an authoritative entity to take responsibility and control of one's life. So i often wonder if God is just that idea. The idea of a god that is all powerful and all knowing and just superior in everyday than any human being, is the very idea that makes me question the legitimacy of a God. We tend to subscribe to a divine command or an authoritative figure. The creator of the universe gets to set the rules and do anything it likes with its creations like sending them for eternal punishment.

And lastly, everyone that believes in a divine command gets the same satisfaction from believing in something that everyone else gets no matter what they believe in.

I am just interested in the TED community's input on this. I am a student of life, so i take no biases even if it sounds like it sometimes. :)

Related Talks:
Topics: Cognitive philosophy Existence of God freedom of choice religion
+2
Share:

Showing single comment thread. View the full conversation.

  • Etienne Vernier

    • +2
    Mar 5 2013: Mankind invented the idea of God, an omnipotent, omnipresent being that created us in his image. This alone should tell you what religion is all about, and if God is real or not. Those that can't bear to live with doubts and questions about our existence prefer to turn to simplicity: it's easier to believe a magic creature created everything and that we have a purpose, than to believe we are the product of what appears to be a random chain of event, then try to take that 100,000,000,000 pieces puzzle and put it together.

    The idea of God (and gods in general, throughout history) is to answer the questions we don't understand, and to control the populace. What's an earthquake ? What's a lightning storm ? What about northern lights ? Wait, if I don't worship God I'll suffer for eternity ? This king has a divine right to rule under god, I should listen to him! When you have no way of figuring it out, it can be pretty scary. I'd probably be a religious man if I was born in an era of scientific ignorance.

    In this day and age, everything that God is has pretty much been disproved and everything now relies on blind faith alone, however the grip of religion weakens with every passing generation.
    • thumb

      Obey No1kinobe 50+

      • 0
      Mar 8 2013: I've seen a similar attitude with reincarnation.

      "they must have been good in past lives to be born into power and money.
      They deserve it

      And I must have been bad in a past life, I deserve to be poor.

      Different ways to justify inequality.

Showing single comment thread. View the full conversation.