Did Judgmental gods help society grow?

Starcomet

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Interesting! It does make sense that the larger societies became, the more sophisticated the religion was about morals and ethics. A universal being that can see all and know when you are bad is a great way to help keep people honest and moral when the elders or neighbors can no longer watch each other.
 
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bhsmte

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I am reading a book right now, titled; Sapiens, a brief history of humankind. Terrific book and it discusses how man develops beliefs, based on "figments of our imagination" that have helped keep larger societies in line.

Whether those beliefs are in the many different gods, religions or forms of government, they help hold societies together as they grow.
 
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Jane_the_Bane

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The "external policeman" is a problematic concept, because the only thing standing between a civilised society and a free-for-all, dog-eat-dog Mad Max arena is the law enforcer: he becomes the one who demands compliance to social conduct; not your conscience, not your regard for fellow human beings, not your understanding of WHY it is such a bad idea to maim and kill your neighbours.

Children go through a phase where they don't yet fully understand moral implications, but comply because authority figures threaten them with punishment. You know what happens once you remove the authority figure? Lord of the Flies.

Now, perhaps our species needed this stage in their collective cultural development at some point, but I doubt it's a permanent solution. We need something a little more sophisticated than threats of punishment to truly get along.
 
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