A Human Creation

W. R. Frederick

Description

history; faith; religion
A Human Creation challenges god belief under several disciplines. History shows that humanity's need for the supernatural is rooted in the ancient past and that subsequent religious scriptures are poor proof of any god's existence, wrought with myth, fabrication, and textual error. Evolution is supported by the evidence, not a divine intervention or design. The brain—your mind—can make you a believer, and society, culture, and power politics can enforce belief. The physics of the universe show that there is no need for a god to arrive at today’s reality, while life’s existence was a natural certainty. All of this means that humans fabricated their gods to satisfy their needs and fears.

Sujets

• Philosophie et théologie
• Atheism
• Religion

Informations

• Publié par: AuthorHouse
• Date de parution: 05 juillet 2022
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781665562201
• Langue: English

Extrait

A HUMAN CREATION
 
Revised and Updated
 
 
 
 
W. R. Frederick
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
AuthorHouse™
1663 Liberty Drive
Bloomington, IN 47403
www.authorhouse.com
Phone: [phone]
 
 
 
 
 
 
© 2022 W. R. Frederick. All rights reserved.
 
No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.
 
Published by AuthorHouse  06/24/2022
 
ISBN: 978-1-6655-6222-5 (sc)
ISBN: 978-1-6655-6221-8 (hc)
ISBN: 978-1-6655-6220-1 (e)
 
Library of Congress Control Number: 2022911143
 
 
 
 
 
Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.
Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.
 
 
 
Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.
CONTENTS
Preface
 
Chapter 1 History and God
A Doubtful Record at Best
Chapter 2 Evolution and the Numbers
The Evidence Supports Evolution and Not God
Chapter 3 The Brain
It Can Make You a Believer
Chapter 4 Society, Culture, and Power Politics
Believe or Suffer the Consequences
Chapter 5 Cosmic Continuity
The Cosmos Shows There Is No Beginning or End
Chapter 6 Life’s Continuity
It Was a Natural from the Start
Chapter 7 God Is a Human Creation
The Evidence in All Areas So Concludes
 
Selected Sources
About The Author
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
To Mary and John
for their invaluable support
in realizing this work
PREFACE
As the belief in God and the theme of religion reflect very personal and fundamental human emotions, I have decided to express the views in this work in the first person. I have my beliefs; it is up to you, the reader, to judge them according to your views.
A while ago I read a book on atheism that had been highly touted by a respected journal. I came away with the feeling that the book came nowhere near doing justice to the case for atheism. The fault, in my view, was that the author had so heavily emphasized the supposed corporal humanitarian superiority of atheism over theism that the true arguments for atheism were lost. In other words, religion inflicts so much pain on humanity that it must be bad, and God, therefore, does not exist. Clearly, the superiority or inferiority of a religion or belief relative to the happiness or suffering of humankind has nothing to do with the existence or not of God. Pain and suffering do have an effect on belief, but they are not the determinants of the existence or not of God. I researched other works and found that many arguments of the “experts” were so compartmentalized that they exposed their works to weakness on the flanks. Other considerations could undermine their conclusions. I felt encouraged, therefore, to compile the arguments across the spectrum of disciplines that impact the atheist-theist controversy.
I have since read several notable exceptions, in that the authors do truly present a cross-disciplinary mastery of history, philosophy, and science. However, there are not enough of these speakers.
I will not stress the superiority or inferiority of atheism with respect to theism. Whether religion is good or bad is immaterial. And, yes, religion may provide solace and hope, but that does not prove or disprove the existence of God. The fact that atheists have not been the bad guys of history means nothing as well. Atheists never had the numbers and clout to matter at all.
Another factor spurring me to express my thoughts and conclusions is the state of political debate in the United States involving an unprecedented degree of religious fervor. When the president of the United States wears his religion so visibly on his sleeve, and when the political process is being driven often by intense lobbying by religious groups, there arises an urgent need to place these drives in their proper perspective. Hopefully these times will pass. But I doubt it. There are signs that the pressure for theocracy is on the rise. The radical religious right is very alive, and it will not go away.
Who am I to take on this task? I am not a theologian, a medical doctor, a neuropsychologist, an archeologist, a biologist, a psychiatrist, or one in a few more disciplines. I am a generalist with background in engineering, languages, and business. I have lived nearly a third of my life outside of the United States and have traveled through a very large part of the world. New and exciting experiences have been a constant factor in my life. I have had my life and death experiences. I have developed what I think is a very respectful skepticism, and I am a contrarian.
What do I know about religion? I was brought up on Long Island, New York, and it was there that I had the privilege of benefiting from the teachings of a respected biblical scholar. But that is surely not enough to earn any credibility, and a great deal of research has been undertaken to support this book.
Although I will attempt to put a new slant on the arguments, I do not intend to break new ground in the area of research and investigation. The true experts have put time and assets into research that I cannot match. Facts, theories, and conclusions will be cited without footnote generally, while providing attribution as necessary. Again, my goal is to piece together, somewhat in the form of an anthology, a convincing case based on the investigations of several disciplines. In a sense I am reviewing some of the current literature and its arguments.
It is worth noting that the many ideas that have occurred to me as I put together this text have all arisen before, expressed by many others active in the several areas addressed in this book. That should be no surprise. The debate has been going on for millennia, and the more I research, the more I find that there are few new ideas. The exception is the proliferation of scientific undertakings that provide new underpinnings or contradictions of theories long ago expressed. The deciphering of the human genome is a good example.
In any case, where I state my views, there is no intent to plagiarize, recognizing that someone may have already stated a similar view.
I have been cited by critics for giving short shrift to the arguments of the theists. However, this book reflects my views, and where a theist’s ideas make no sense to me, I am not going to waste time in unnecessary debate. I do cite numerous experts who attack those same theist arguments.
I have emphasized sources critical of god belief that support the central theme of this book. As one looks at the sources, one could say I am creating a bible of atheism, citing certain works as gospel. Is this, then, an unbalanced analysis? No, it is not. The religious texts are of a clearly opposing view, and I do cite them. In fact, this book spends considerable time on the theist proponents.
The centuries of studies to back up the various scriptures are readily available. The theists promote them and make them available at every turn. They inevitably strongly engage in defense and explanation of the ancient and original texts central to the religion involved. On the other hand, works critical of God’s existence have received far less exposure and great resistance, and I believe a comprehensive presentation of atheist thought provides the balance needed. Yes, a number of great philosophers, writers, and scientists throughout the centuries, as well as several very recent authors, have gained notoriety for their atheist views, but if one examines how society views those voices in religious, educational, and literary institutions, it is clear that they are thought to represent a ho-hum fringe presence and not much more. This needs to change!
Fortunately, or unfortunately (I am not sure), Sam Harris, Richard Dawkins, William Dembski, Michael Behe, Christopher Hitchens, Victor J. Stenger, Stephen Hawking, and several others have come out with books that impact my thesis overwhelmingly. They have a credibility factor that I may never enjoy, and the question arises as to why I would entertain publishing a book that examines their many themes. The answer is in the very authenticity of our messages. They are in most cases the experts. They play by defined rules. I, on the other hand, am a layman. I see things as they may be, but I can describe them with more subjectivity, although, hopefully, responsibly. I will state again that the writings of some of these luminaries that emphasize the terrible human record of religious history do not encompass the theme of this book. The good or bad acts of the religious do not prove God’s existence one way or the other.
My thesis does depart from those just mentioned. I am out to show that humans created God. I will show the supporting history, the evolutionary evidence, the biological data, and the cultural/societal influences that prove that God did not create humans but just the opposite. I delve into the cosmological because it is here that the theist has his last argument, and it is my intent to show that no god has ever been involved, that there was never a need for such an involvement, and that there is no evidence of a god involvement.
Let me address Richard Dawkins’s The God Delusion . Throughout his book I encountered a remarkable parallel wi