# When did humans become cognizant of God? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [May 28, 2015, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-humans-become-cognizant-of-god/721080 "2015-05-28T23:11:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2015, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-humans-become-cognizant-of-god/721080/21 "2015-05-29T18:30:27Z")
> [@Apollon](#): > > What do you expect such evidence should look like? My point is that I don’t expect there to be such evidence; but without such evidence, I don’t see how there could be an answer to either my question or the OP’s. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2015, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-humans-become-cognizant-of-god/721080/22 "2015-05-29T18:35:34Z")
> [@Clu-Me-In](#): > > Is there any documented evidence of when human beings became aware of GOD or a supernatural being? Do you mean the question to presuppose the existence of said “GOD” and/or supernatural beings? ---
**Author:** ![Turble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8dc957/32.png) [@Turble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Turble)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2015, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-humans-become-cognizant-of-god/721080/23 "2015-05-29T18:38:27Z")
> [@XT](#): > > Ants don’t bury their dead for the same reason, and they don’t, afaik, bury them with grave goods and other things like that. 😛 I assume you are assuming to know the reasons why ants bury their dead, much like some archaeologists and paleontologists assume they know why the first ancient people buried theirs. Personally, I amused myself nicely by making up dialog for the ants in my ant farm as they dug their little tombs and made their funeral processions, carrying their beloved raised high above the crowd. It was a long time ago so I can’t really remember whether or not they ever put some other bits of junk in the tomb … but it wouldn’t surprise me much if they had. Perhaps ants are in the early stages of developing religion? ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2015, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-humans-become-cognizant-of-god/721080/24 "2015-05-29T18:44:30Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > Lets turn the question around: is there any documented evidence of ancient humans _not_ acknowledging some God or gods? Yes. They first acknowledged Goddess. They didn’t discover God until thousands of years later. ---
**Author:** ![watchwolf49](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e9c0ed/32.png) [@watchwolf49](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/watchwolf49)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2015, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-humans-become-cognizant-of-god/721080/25 "2015-05-29T18:47:53Z")
> [@Clu-Me-In](#): > > Is there any documented evidence of when human beings became aware of GOD or a supernatural being? I believe the first documents were accounting records, I’d imagine documents concerning supernatural beings came quickly after … so around 6,000 years. ---
**Author:** ![Alan\_Smithee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/2acd7d/32.png) [@Alan\_Smithee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alan_Smithee)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2015, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-humans-become-cognizant-of-god/721080/26 "2015-05-31T21:41:35Z")
> [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > Yes. They first acknowledged Goddess. They didn’t discover God until thousands of years later. Cite? ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2015, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-humans-become-cognizant-of-god/721080/27 "2015-05-31T23:34:55Z")
> [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > Yes. They first acknowledged Goddess. They didn’t discover God until thousands of years later. That’s a hypothesis not accepted as consensus in the scientific community, but gets lots of play to pop science circles as well as some radical feminist ones. The only GQ answer to the OP is “no”. ---
**Author:** ![Chief\_Pedant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a6a055/32.png) [@Chief\_Pedant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chief_Pedant)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2015, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-humans-become-cognizant-of-god/721080/28 "2015-05-31T23:37:00Z")
> [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > Yes. They first acknowledged Goddess. They didn’t discover God until thousands of years later. I assume you are talking about [that fat lady?](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venus_of_Willendorf) No proof that it was a deity. (If it was, good thing we’ve evolved what a goddess would look like… 😉 ) ---
**Author:** ![HeXen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@HeXen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeXen)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2015, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-humans-become-cognizant-of-god/721080/29 "2015-05-31T23:39:34Z")
Divine beings are a great way to answer questions you can’t answer. Our ancestors were no different and that’s why they believed in sun gods and the like because they had a lot more questions than we do now. Ancient questions like why did our crops not grow? is now why do gay’s choose to be gay?..stuff like that. ---
**Author:** ![ufel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/b4bc9f/32.png) [@ufel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ufel)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2015, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-humans-become-cognizant-of-god/721080/30 "2015-06-01T02:00:02Z")
YOu mean, when did some clown start deluding others about it, so he could be the witch doctor? 10’s of thousands of years ago, and idiots still fall for it. Religionists should not be allowed within ear shot of ANY kid under the age of 18, on pain of death. ---
**Author:** ![md2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/73ab20/32.png) [@md2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md2000)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2015, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-humans-become-cognizant-of-god/721080/31 "2015-06-01T04:38:21Z")
Also remember that Akhenaten (originally Amenhotep IV, Tut’s daddy) invented his own “there is only one god, any claims to the contrary are heresy” some 800 years before Moses and his descendants allegedly wandered out of the desert proclaiming something similar. Once the concept of supernatural existed it was not a difficult leap for someone to decide to winnow down the pantheon, even all the way to monotheon. It would just be convenient to also have the power to enforce that vision. ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2015, 6:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-humans-become-cognizant-of-god/721080/32 "2015-06-01T06:16:13Z")
> [@Chief\_Pedant](#): > > (If it was, good thing we’ve evolved what a goddess would look like… 😉 ) I dunno, I could see myself worshipping She of the Big Tatas. Sure more friendly that the jealous beard in the sky. ---
**Author:** ![md2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/73ab20/32.png) [@md2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md2000)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2015, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-humans-become-cognizant-of-god/721080/33 "2015-06-01T16:19:04Z")
Presumably the logic leap also comes from the fact that dead (until they start to smell) look a lot like sleeping. Add in the mystical power of dreams, and it’s not surprising that once capable of abstract thought, humans would think of death as The Big Sleep, and people have moved permanently to their dreams, they are enjoying perpetual happy dreams instead of the miseries they did have to endure in life. Plus people who loved them would like to think they are still out there somewhere in dreamland. Or that maybe they will wake up again sometime and return to their family. ---
**Author:** ![Oddball\_92](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/b3f665/32.png) [@Oddball\_92](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oddball_92)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2015, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-humans-become-cognizant-of-god/721080/34 "2015-06-01T21:57:48Z")
> [@Clu-Me-In](#): > > Is there any documented evidence of when human beings became aware of GOD or a supernatural being? Adam, the first human created. It is documented in the Bible Of course. there are so many godless people on here as well as those educated beyond their intelligence, I have no doubt there will be more than a few that will disagree. ---
**Author:** ![ufel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/b4bc9f/32.png) [@ufel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ufel)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2015, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-humans-become-cognizant-of-god/721080/35 "2015-06-01T22:57:17Z")
to walk upright. you need to learn a bit more about our world. Lunatic ravings do NOT become “documentation” just because some deluded scamster writes them down and fools find ways to “beleive” in those writings. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2015, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-humans-become-cognizant-of-god/721080/36 "2015-06-01T23:42:40Z")
> [@Kobal2](#): > > I dunno, I could see myself worshipping She of the Big Tatas. Sure more friendly that the jealous beard in the sky. Don’t know if she was a goddess or a very early instance of porn being an early adopter of any new art form. ---
**Author:** ![watchwolf49](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e9c0ed/32.png) [@watchwolf49](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/watchwolf49)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2015, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-humans-become-cognizant-of-god/721080/37 "2015-06-02T00:04:57Z")
> [@ufel](#): > > YOu mean, when did some clown start deluding others about it, so he could be the witch doctor? 10’s of thousands of years ago, and idiots still fall for it. Religionists should not be allowed within ear shot of ANY kid under the age of 18, on pain of death. Before the age of science, smart people became clerics or priests or what have you. I’m not sure it’s fair to say people today “fall for” the things scientists say, rather we respect what scientists say. I think the same would be true ten’s of thousands of years ago, in any group of people, fully one half are smarter than average. Evidence of any kind is pretty thin. It’s going to be difficult with just a dozen skeletal remains to infer any great truths about their social structure. We just have to wait until somebody wrote down that they believed in some manner of god. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2015, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-humans-become-cognizant-of-god/721080/38 "2015-06-02T01:42:09Z")
> [@ufel](#): > > YOu mean, when did some clown start deluding others about it, so he could be the witch doctor? 10’s of thousands of years ago, and idiots still fall for it. Religionists should not be allowed within ear shot of ANY kid under the age of 18, on pain of death. > [@ufel](#): > > to walk upright. you need to learn a bit more about our world. Lunatic ravings do NOT become “documentation” just because some deluded scamster writes them down and fools find ways to “beleive” in those writings. Moderator Note **ufel** , religious jabs are not permitted in General Questions. No warning issued, but let’s dial it way back. Colibri General Questions Moderator ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2015, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-humans-become-cognizant-of-god/721080/39 "2015-06-02T02:10:34Z")
> [@ufel](#): > > YOu mean, when did some clown start deluding others about it, so he could be the witch doctor? 10’s of thousands of years ago, and idiots still fall for it. Religionists should not be allowed within ear shot of ANY kid under the age of 18, on pain of death. > [@ufel](#): > > to walk upright. you need to learn a bit more about our world. Lunatic ravings do NOT become “documentation” just because some deluded scamster writes them down and fools find ways to “beleive” in those writings. Moderator Note **ufel** , religious jabs are not permitted in General Questions. No warning issued, but let’s dial it way back. Colibri General Questions Moderator ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2015, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-humans-become-cognizant-of-god/721080/40 "2015-06-02T02:19:42Z")
> [@Turble](#): > > I assume you are assuming to know the reasons why ants bury their dead, much like some archaeologists and paleontologists assume they know why the first ancient people buried theirs. > > Personally, I amused myself nicely by making up dialog for the ants in my ant farm as they dug their little tombs and made their funeral processions, carrying their beloved raised high above the crowd. It was a long time ago so I can’t really remember whether or not they ever put some other bits of junk in the tomb … but it wouldn’t surprise me much if they had. Perhaps ants are in the early stages of developing religion? It’s not really that much of a [mystery](http://news.softpedia.com/news/039-Life-Chemicals-039-Tell-Ants-When-to-Bury-Their-Dead-110760.shtml), so, yes, I assume I know why. 😛 > [@](#): > > Argentine ants are a very curious species, on account of the fact that they are among the few animals in the world that have a “morgue,” and workers dealing specifically with carrying away the bodies of the dead. But the workers are pretty much blind, and they must rely on their senses to identify their next targets. And that’s why pupae, or larvae, and pretty much everything that’s still alive and kicking, is sprayed with two chemical substances that researchers studying the insects have colorfully termed the “stench of life.” This means that, when they feel these chemicals, the workers move away, and do not carry the “victim” away. > > The two dolichodial and iridomyrmecin chemicals are produced by the ants themselves while they are alive. However, the production stops within minutes after their death, so the workers know it’s time to carry them away. Though it may seem a bit cruel, this raw garbage-disposal mechanism ensures that no carcasses become infected with pathogens, or with harmful chemicals that could potentially wipe out a good part, if not all, of the colony. The swiftness of action is key here, and workers will relentlessly carry anything away that is not producing the chemicals. > [@](#): > > The new study also clears the mystery of why some species of ants and bees get rid of their dead even before the fat in the dead bodies reaches high concentration levels. Choe’s team also determined that fats, indeed, played a role, but not one as important as first thought. When they coated larvae with fats extracted from live ants, workers carried them to the morgue within ten minutes. > > This implies, the researchers say, that dolichodial and iridomyrmecin act as “overrides” for the natural tendency that workers have, of carrying bodies away from the main colony. Also, when the experts placed the two chemicals on pupae, which don’t naturally produce them, workers ignored them, and didn’t carry them away. > > “This is an exciting result that helps to dispel a widespread myth that persisted despite the lack of evidence. It seems to me very possible that there are similar chemical changes in other social insects and I hope this work inspires people to look,” Stanford University Entomologist Deborah Gordon told New Scientist. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-humans-become-cognizant-of-god/721080.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-humans-become-cognizant-of-god/721080.md?page=3)