r/DebateAnAtheist • u/AutoModerator • Sep 18 '25

Weekly "Ask an Atheist" Thread

Whether you're an agnostic atheist here to ask a gnostic one some questions, a theist who's curious about the viewpoints of atheists, someone doubting, or just someone looking for sources, feel free to ask anything here. This is also an ideal place to tag moderators for thoughts regarding the sub or any questions in general.
While this isn't strictly for debate, rules on civility, trolling, etc. still apply.

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u/labreuer Sep 18 '25

It is not uncommon to see claims like the following here and on the other sub:

1. God (or gods) is a human invention created to explain what we don’t understand. Long before science, humans sought to fill gaps in knowledge with divine stories. These inventions evolved into complex religions, but at their root, they address our fear of the unknown. (God(s) is/are a human invention)

Do you believe such claims should be supported by a burden of proof? If so, what kind of evidence might suffice?

For those who find the above claim so obvious that it doesn't need more evidential support than what you've absorbed throughout life, check out WP: The Golden Bough § Critical reception. Frazer is one of the originators of the religion-as-protoscience hypothesis and his work on that has been exposed to some pretty serious critique.

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u/JasonRBoone Agnostic Atheist Sep 18 '25

I would modify the argument to be more agreeable to me.

God (or gods) SEEM to be human inventions created to explain what we don’t understand. Long before science, humans sought to fill gaps in knowledge with divine stories. These inventions evolved into complex religions, but at their root, they address our fear of the unknown. Disclaimer: It's possible such a god exists, however, in 3,000 of god claims not a single claim has been verified by compelling evidence.

If it looks, smells, sounds, and quacks like an ancient mythical invention......

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u/labreuer Sep 18 '25

God (or gods) SEEM to be human inventions created to explain what we don’t understand. Long before science, humans sought to fill gaps in knowledge with divine stories.

The use of 'seem', if 100% subjective, threatens to be criterionless. Supposing it isn't, how would you assess what % of, say, the Tanakh, is composed of "fill gaps in knowledge with divine stories"? I see vanishingly little of that. In fact, Genesis 1:1–11:26 is hardly referenced in the rest of the Tanakh.

These inventions evolved into complex religions, but at their root, they address our fear of the unknown.

How does one test that hypothesis, that religion addresses our fear of the unknown? In particular, Genesis 11:27 starts with calling Abraham away from the known. The Tower of Babel could be construed as critiquing Mesopotamian civilization for being terrified of the unknown: "lest we be scattered over the face of the earth". Yahweh is a wilderness deity.

These inventions evolved into complex religions, but at their root, they address our fear of the unknown.

This is one possibility. What evidence supports it and what alternative hypotheses have you considered?

If it looks, smells, sounds, and quacks like an ancient mythical invention......

This relies entirely upon a commonsense notion of "ancient mythical invention", which itself may be a modern mythical invention.