SKZB said: > This was pretty much the state of God until the reformation, when, with the beginning advancement of science, and with the advent of Protestantism, God became more of an original starter--that is, he created the heaven and the earth and the laws that govern them, and then pretty much let things run. > And here again, I disagree that that became the general thought of, at least, the Roman Catholic, Anglican, Orthodox, and protestant churches. Yes, that's the Age of Enlightenment God the Clockmaker line of thought, but it is not mainstream Christian theology. While I have little expertise in Judaism and none in Islam, I very much doubt that their thoughts have changed in this direction, either. I don't see anyone carefully keeping Kosher or praying five times a day in the direction of Mecca for the sake of a God who wound things up and then wandered off. > In other words, one of the things God has always reflected is the unknown. And, however much the cynics like to deny progress, we know a *lot* more about how our world operates than we did 10,000 years ago--or a hundred years ago. And it would be silly to imagine that conceptions of God wouldn't change as knowledge of the world changed. > I see. Are you, perhaps, trying to argue that the basis of our need for a God(s) to believe in is to explain what we don't know in the universe? I comprehend the argument, but disagree. Mia