Are god and religion ways of saying "screw you" to nature?

[neil]

Yes; today it is, but that's not the main reason religion & cults exist. The main reason is to deceive/control/brainwash people, and to take money from them.

[Anomalocaris]

Here is the thing: I have, past topics of mine here, I talked about things like how God could not exist and other things. Based on what I may have said in those topics; and all of what I have said, plus some new things included; nature, reality and science, the way they are made (especially nature and reality in terms of how they are made) seemingly dictate our lives, as well as how everything works. Back when the first religion was thought of, humans did not understand much or anything about how nature, science and reality worked and did not understand much about why things were the way they were. Now, in the past on this forum, I believe I said religion and God were ways to escape reality, and by extent, nature and maybe science. Now, I am thinking there is a bit more to it than just that...

I mean, the supernatural, God supposedly answering prayers and working miracles and supposedly stepping in to help people through some divine intervention, possibly making things happen when they shouldn't because they defy physics, nature, reality; as I also may have said, humans need someone to look up to, even if they are not real. With that said, to me, it seems like looking up to such an imaginary being, a supreme being, is a way for humans to not only escape reality, but to try to get away from how reality/nature/science work or dictate things as well as avoid things that are true just because those people can't just accept the reality of things, and want some way to get out of it, sometimes desperately.

So my question is...

Do you all think God and religion are ways to say "screw you", or better yet, "fuck you" to the likes of science, nature and/or reality and how it works and all?

I think it is rather the reverse, God, and the religion is natures way of saying fuck you to humans.   by making humans susceptible to things like religion, and God, so humans would forever wallpw in cesspool of wishful thinking, make belief, projection and superstition, and therefore labor under impossible burdens when trying to Understand nature and thereby prevail in its struggle against nature

[ShinyCrystals]

Here is the thing: I have, past topics of mine here, I talked about things like how God could not exist and other things. Based on what I may have said in those topics; and all of what I have said, plus some new things included; nature, reality and science, the way they are made (especially nature and reality in terms of how they are made) seemingly dictate our lives, as well as how everything works. Back when the first religion was thought of, humans did not understand much or anything about how nature, science and reality worked and did not understand much about why things were the way they were. Now, in the past on this forum, I believe I said religion and God were ways to escape reality, and by extent, nature and maybe science. Now, I am thinking there is a bit more to it than just that...

I mean, the supernatural, God supposedly answering prayers and working miracles and supposedly stepping in to help people through some divine intervention, possibly making things happen when they shouldn't because they defy physics, nature, reality; as I also may have said, humans need someone to look up to, even if they are not real. With that said, to me, it seems like looking up to such an imaginary being, a supreme being, is a way for humans to not only escape reality, but to try to get away from how reality/nature/science work or dictate things as well as avoid things that are true just because those people can't just accept the reality of things, and want some way to get out of it, sometimes desperately.

So my question is...

Do you all think God and religion are ways to say "screw you", or better yet, "fuck you" to the likes of science, nature and/or reality and how it works and all?

I think it is rather the reverse, God, and the religion is natures way of saying fuck you to humans.   Made humans susceptible to things like religion, and God, so humans would forever follow in, assess of wishful thinking, make belief, and the superstition, and therefore labor under impossible burdens, when trying to prevail in its struggle against nature

Interesting point of view of yours, there. It makes sense, too.

For some reason, I did not think that way. If there were more animals who could think like humans, down to having great intellectual capabilities, I bet nature would have done the same thing to those animals.

[Belacqua]

[...]

it seems like looking up to such an imaginary being, a supreme being, is a way for humans to not only escape reality, but to try to get away from how reality/nature/science work or dictate things as well as avoid things that are true just because those people can't just accept the reality of things, and want some way to get out of it, sometimes desperately.

[...]

Of course very religious people don't believe they're escaping reality; they just think there is more to reality than the materialists perceive.

But from an atheist perspective, yes, of course. Many aspects of religion serve as an attempt to evade reality. 

Many atheists are happy to tell you that the universe is a cold hard place that doesn't care about you, facts don't care about your feelings, you're really a zero in the cosmic scale of things. Christians on the other hand think that God the Father is the foundation of all being, and his son is the Logos, the meaning and logic of reality, and both of them love you. Even if you're a poor sick loser, you're still a cherished part of the great whole. 

So that will seem to atheists like a fantasy to avoid facing facts.

[brewer]

Yes; today it is, but that's not the main reason religion & cults exist. The main reason is to deceive/control/brainwash people, and to take money from them.

But, but, they do sooooooo much good in the world.  That initself should justify their continued existence.

[neil]

Yes; today it is, but that's not the main reason religion & cults exist. The main reason is to deceive/control/brainwash people, and to take money from them.

But, but, they do sooooooo much good in the world.  That initself should justify their continued existence.

Good, as in "good vs. evil"?

[brewer]

But, but, they do sooooooo much good in the world.  That initself should justify their continued existence.

Good, as in "good vs. evil"?

Apologies, temporary mind meld with an apologist.

[The Grand Nudger]

IMO, exactly the opposite. Gods and religions are us positively worshipping nature, even if we misapprehend it. Take a mountain god. It's "the power of the mountain" being respected. Sure, there are people who believe that some ghost has this power, but if they didn't, they'd just be a ghost. Rinse and repeat with every god. I think that if people wanted to be deeply religious and worshipful they should just skip the comic books and middle men - go straight to the source of gods. Nature.

[Angrboda]

Ag man speaks.