h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

We could say that God is the all-powerful ruler who would smite those who would break the rules layed down by him.

Or we could say that God is the ideals of society and peoples visions of how we should live our lives personified. Feeling that there is a higher being somewhere who has told us how to lead our lives and will condemn us to eternal torture if we do not obey is a major influence on many peoples lives and will make them behave in a manner which is more desired by society.

The God idea is not an individuals views on how they should behave but a collection of the major views of society as a whole condensed and fit to their lifestyle. Without this God figure as a guard against total loss of control of the population and lawlessness erupting everywhere, their would be less of a reason to keep to the law. But, if there was no God figure, one would be created.

Society, in general, prefers peace to war. If there is war going on, the religious views either take on the stance that the war is good because they are quashing the heathens, or take the stance that it is bad as murder is wrong. How the religion reacts to War can change from decade to decade.

As religions are supposed to follow the word of their God, then changing their stance is basically saying that their God has changed his mind. As God is meant to be a perfect being, he can never change his mind as he was right the first time (This arguement has also been used by me to attempt to prove that God is not real).

While a God is not supposed to change its mind, Society does. The change in public views about war between the 1940's and the 1960's was huge. And with it, many religions views on war changed too. Religions do not follow a God, they follow the views of society so that they gain more followers.

There is no God, there is only the human race and its collective Psyche.


NOTE: If this entire post makes no sense to you, its because I'm 15, its 2:30am and im tired. Ill probably read this again tomorrow and wonder what on earth i was on about....

If God is society...and Maggie 'Iron Lady' Thatcher (I bet you know where I'm going with this) said "there is no society", then indirectly she said "Their is no God". So we can now assume that the authoritarian Mag is actually atheist .