When was God invented?

Answer 1

Answer 1

Probably 50,000 years ago or more and unknown.

Answer 2

This is quite a difficult subject to answer as the belief in the supernatural has existed in mankind since prehistoric times and as such, no records exist. All evidence from prehistorical time takes the place of archeological and anthropological research. Further complicating the problem is cultural and lingustics issues associated with post-historic societies as the definition of words becomes a matter of debate.

Isaiah 43:10 Ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me.

Isaiah 46:9 Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me,

Isaiah 45:18 For thus saith the LORD that created the heavens; God himself that formed the earth and made it; he hath established it, he created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited: I am the LORD; and there is none else.

Isaiah 45:21 Tell ye, and bring them near; yea, let them take counsel together: who hath declared this from ancient time? who hath told it from that time? have not I the LORD? and there is no God else beside me; a just God and a Saviour; there is none beside me.

According the the Christian faith, God was always here, and always will be.

Revelation 1: 8 "I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty."

Answer 2

1) God himself did not need to be made.
2) As for humans, the earliest people believed in God.

Answer 3

God is eternal. He is above time, because He created time.

When did humans start believing in God?

The entire ancient world possessed the original traditions of the Creation, the existence of the human soul and the afterlife, etc.

One thing that researchers agree upon is that mankind has always believed in a Higher Power. Archaeology has shown that no ancient society ever existed that did not believe in the supernatural.(See: Can you show me that God exists?)

Based upon a massive worldwide study of the most ancient inscriptions and the earliest levels of civilization, Dr. Wilhelm Schmidt (in his twelve-volume Der Ursprung Der Gottesidee) concluded that the original belief was monotheistic; a belief in One God (see footnote 1, below). It was a simple belief in the Creator (Dyeus Pater; Sky-Father) with no imagery of any kind. It gave way relatively quickly to polytheism and idolatry, but its traces could still be seen by the careful researcher, just as (for example) Proto-Indo European has left indelible marks within the later languages. Other traditions also are traceable worldwide, such as the religious significance of the number seven, and the immortality of the soul.

The process by which the awareness of One God gave way to a belief in many gods, has been described by Scandinavian researchers (see footnote 2) as splitting ("Gottespaltung"): the people gradually viewed God's attributes of truth, righteousness, fertility etc., as separate from Him, and afterwards personified and worshiped the attributes themselves, until God was largely forgotten.

According to Jewish tradition also, (Rashi commentary, Genesis 4:26), monotheism is more ancient than polytheism. Maimonides (see footnote 3, below) describes the process by which polytheism began: "A couple of centuries after the Creation, mankind made a great mistake. They said that since God had created the stars and spheres and placed them on high, accordingly it is fitting for people to praise and glorify them and to treat them with honor. They perceived this to be the will of God, that people should magnify and honor the stars. They began to praise and glorify them with words, and prostrate themselves before them, because by doing so, they would (according to their false conception) be indirectly honoring God too."

This descent into polytheism contributed to the weakening of any sense of religious belief and was also used as justification for excessive and licentious behavior, since the caprices which were narrated concerning the idols were adopted as an excuse to imitate their putative actions. See: Cruelties of the polytheists.

It was the original belief which Abraham reinstated through his teaching of ethical monotheism.

Footnotes:

1) Albright, "From the Stone Age," p.170; and J.A. Wilson, "The Culture of ancient Egypt," p.129. Also Baron, "A Social and Religious History," vol. I, p.44 and 311. Also James Meek, "Hebrew Origins," p.188, quoting Langdon, Lagrange and John Ross. Also Martin Nilsson, Handbuch der Altertumswissenschaften, 2nd ed., p.61, 141, 220 and 394.

2) G. W. Anderson, in "The Old Testament and Modern Study," p.287. Also Friedrich Baethgen, in Beitraege zur Semitischen Religionsgeschichte, p.288. Also Pallotino, "The Etruscans," p. 158 and 167.

3) See the full quote from Maimonides, in: "How did polytheism start?"

Answer 4

The concept of god(s) was invented early in human history. Neanderthals (100 000 years ago) had some behaviors such as burying the dead. It is thought that these behaviors arose from experiences where doing something had an apparent related results in the real world.

Pigeons in laboratory tests (press a button to get a treat) develop similar behaviors (known as superstitious behaviors) where they think that turning around twice is as important as pecking the button.

At the present time bingo players bring good luck charms to ensure their success. This again is superstitious behaviour

This type of behaviour is eventually expanded. When someone decides, or convinces others, that he is better at affecting odds or outcomes he becomes shaman or medicine man. This progresses to being a priest or holy man.

These positions all require a source of the power (also a wiser being with a hidden agenda to blame when the charms don't work). Thus god(s) are created.

Answer 5

The Abrahamic God (capital 'G' God) is a syncretism of the early Israel god 'Elohim and Yahweh(YHWH).

It is now generally recognised among historians and scholars that the Israelites were no invaders, but were actually rural Canaanites who left the region of the rich coastal cities to settle peacefully in the hitherto sparsely populated hinterland. They brought their Canaanite gods and goddesses with them, including the 'father of the gods', El, whose name was adapted as 'Elohim. Egyptian records show that the Midianites worshipped a storm god they knew as YHW, and many scholars believe that this god was taken to Judah and Israel quite early in the history of these nations.

In time, 'Elohim and Yahweh were worshipped as the same God, and gradually other gods, including Baal, were eliminated from the Hebrew pantheon.

Answer 6

God has always been around - always. Yeah, it's hard to imagine, but that is what's so great about Him!