God as Control? -- Religion Created to Control the Simpleton?

I can't (and won't) take credit for this theory. It was put to me by an uncle some time ago and I felt I would relay it here.

While I do not believe in god and personally find the idea silly, I think the belief in god (when used APPROPRIATELY) can be a very good thing. Sometimes a little faith is all we seem to have.

This is his theory in a nutshell.


At the beginning of human intellectual evolution, when the stronger minds were evolving, the "superiors" of the race created the idea of a "god" as a means to control the more simple minded of the species. They claimed that they were placed here by the "gods" to watch over the "inferiors" and also tell them what to do. They told the people they wanted to control that they would be punished by the "gods" if they disobeyed. They used natural phenomena such as thunder and lightning as "proof" that the "gods" were there and always watching them. From there, human nature and human ruthlessness lead us to where we are today.


While this is just a "theory", it certainly makes a bit of sense. Religion has been used (and is still used) as a means of control since written time.

While religion CAN be a very good thing, it has also been used to perpetrate some of the worst attrocities the world has ever seen.

The Catholic religion is one that I feel definitely gives a bit of credence to this theory. To this day they still embrace a hierarchal system of speaking to god. They also use the religion to, in a sense, control a billion people. All the while, a good number of their ranks live a less-than-godly existence.


Personally, I feel that this little theory could very well be as close to the truth (pertaining to the origins of religion) as we'll ever really get.

Could be right and could be total bunk.



What do you guys think? Is it an explanation for the conspiracy of conspiracies? Or just a load of garbage?



Jasn

I would have to disagree on it being created as a means of control, but over the course of time, yeah i believe that somewhere along the line the more intelligent members of society figured out how to corrupt and use it to control the masses. Unfortunately it is mans nature to twist things to his own benefit.

As Jovi1 said people corrupt things and there are always those who twist things to wield power over the masses - If it wasn't religion they would just use or invent something else.

Religion has also been a major force for good over the years and certainly helps mainly individuals get through life.

Originally posted by SimiusDei
While this is just a "theory", it certainly makes a bit of sense. Religion has been used (and is still used) as a means of control since written time.

Considering that Christianity, with the exception of the Roman Catholic Church, teaches salvation through grace, this old adage used by many Anti-Christians, does not work on the majority of Christians. It is imposable to use a religion to control someone who believes they are saved by grace, it only works in religions which teach salvation through works. Grace means that through faith, and out of no action of my own, I am saved.

I believe that Joseph Stalin was the first person to publicly make a statement similar to yours above.

Most christians are controlled alot more than they think and no a Catholic doesn't believe in a salvation based on works, rather that the works are the product of the salvation. And if you really don't belive the majority of Christians are controlled in some way or another try watching what is going on in the televangilist scene, not to mention the denominations that have changed their minds on pretty much all of their social stances as the result of dropping attendance and donations.

It has happened the other way, but to assume that religion was created as a means of control ignores many facts.

I often hear/read about people saying Christianity creates a bunch of sheeple, we can't think for ourselves, and we do whatever the least popular public figure calling themselves a Christian says to do. There's a huge problem with that, in that the Western world has a huge literacy rate, and scripture is considered the foundation of our faith. In that very scripture, it warns of false teachers. While it may say we are to respect and honor our leaders as God placed them were they are, at the same time we are to obey God's law above all laws of man, no matter the cost. This is part of the reason North Korea persecutes Christians so harshly, and why China has created a "state-approved" version of it -- States fear people who will follow a morality that has nothing to do with the culture, and do not believe there is anything someone can do to them to cause them to change.

On the other hand, religion has most assuredly been used to manipulate. Sadly, despite the literacy rate, there are those who will listen to someone without confirming or knowing if what they are saying is true. This is specifically warned against in scripture, talking about people who flock to teachers who teach what the people want to hear instead of what the Word says.

The other thing to consider is the extreme length of this conspiracy. The Bible was written by 44 authors over thousands of years, yet maintains a singular story through it all. People hundreds of years apart, in completely different cultures, sometimes not even aware of the other books, wrote right in line with the others.

If it was a 4,000+ year long conspiracy to delude people, what was the motivation of the original folks? If they knew this whole afterlife thing was a farce, why in the world look to future generations as being able to control?

Originally posted by SimiusDei
I can't (and won't) take credit for this theory. It was put to me by an uncle some time ago and I felt I would relay it here.


This is his theory in a nutshell.


At the beginning of human intellectual evolution, when the stronger minds were evolving, the "superiors" of the race created the idea of a "god" as a means to control the more simple minded of the species. They claimed that they were placed here by the "gods" to watch over the "inferiors" and also tell them what to do.

Superiors, or gods, or perhaps the aliens? Any being that came from the heavens in flying machines can of course be considered nothing but a god, or gods to ancient peoples. And the aliens realized this.
But if they came today, we would regard them as aliens, supreme beings for sure, but gods?
No.
We have technology too and are aware that it's getting more technological.

But some people would think they are gods I am sure.
And I am sure they would still have their way, they are technologically, and perhaps more mentally superior than us.

What better way for an alien being to have its way?
I AM (WE ARE) GOD(s), OBEY!

Originally posted by Jovi1
no a Catholic doesn't believe in a salvation based on works, rather that the works are the product of the salvation.

Actually Catholicism teaches that both are required, while all protestant religions I am aware of, teach salvation by grace alone. The problem is that the Roman Catholic Church has been one of the groups over the years who is extremely guilty of having abused the “Works” part for control. They did it throughout History to gain funding, and to keep entire governments under their thumb. If you do not realize this I suggest you study some history, specifically Martin Luther and why he started the Protestant reformation. The Protestant Reformation was very much about Rome’s using works to control the masses.

Originally posted by Jovi1
And if you really don't belive the majority of Christians are controlled in some way or another try watching what is going on in the televangilist scene,

I would hardly call most televangelists mainstream Christianity. Besides this I would hardly say they control anyone, they may be masters at some form of manipulation, but hardly control.

Originally posted by Jovi1
not to mention the denominations that have changed their minds on pretty much all of their social stances as the result of dropping attendance and donations.

My Church has never changed its stance on anything since it was founded in the 1500’s, we still adhere to the original teachings of Martin Luther.

I believe that the concept of gods was initially created by people as a means to answers questions that, at the time, were unanswerable.

ie. Question: Why is the sky blue?
Answer: Because that's how God created it...

I think, after a while, some of civilization's more opportunistic denizens saw that the concept of gods was catching on and began develop religions and began preaching them as the word of gods to common people. The religious deceivers promised happiness for those that bought into their religion and torment for those who didn't. From that point, these religious deceivers were able to manipulate the religions that they create to best suit their needs, be it wealth or power or whatever. The deceivers were able to eventually use their religions to influence people's morals, and control the way they thought and acted.