# 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:** 3
**Author:** ![Clu-Me-In](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dfb087/32.png) [@Clu-Me-In](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clu-Me-In)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2015, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-humans-become-cognizant-of-god/721080/41 "2015-06-02T03:30:52Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Do you mean the question to presuppose the existence of said “GOD” and/or supernatural beings? I think most intelligent humans of pretty much all stripes believe there to be a supernatural being we can for now agree to call God. ---
**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:** [June 2, 2015, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-humans-become-cognizant-of-god/721080/42 "2015-06-02T03:48:39Z")
> [@Clu-Me-In](#): > > I think most intelligent humans of pretty much all stripes believe there to be a supernatural being we can for now agree to call God. I don’t _think_ so. :rolleyes: ---
**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, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-humans-become-cognizant-of-god/721080/43 "2015-06-02T03:53:18Z")
> [@Clu-Me-In](#): > > I think most intelligent humans of pretty much all stripes believe there to be a supernatural being we can for now agree to call God. However, there is a significant minority that does not.[Atheists comprise up to 8% of the world population, and the non-religious in general up to 20%](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/private.php). Given that you evidently do presuppose the question to be based on the existence of supernatural beings, this is probably better suited to GD than GQ. Colibri General Questions Moderator ---
**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:** [June 2, 2015, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-humans-become-cognizant-of-god/721080/44 "2015-06-02T04:20:25Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > However, there is a significant minority that does not.[Atheists comprise up to 8% of the world population, and the non-religious in general up to 20%](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/private.php). > > Given that you evidently do presuppose the question to be based on the existence of supernatural beings, this is probably better suited to GD than GQ. > > Colibri > General Questions Moderator Not to mention the fact that some might want to call this entity “Allah”, among other things. ---
**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:** [June 2, 2015, 5:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-humans-become-cognizant-of-god/721080/45 "2015-06-02T05:26:45Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > The only GQ answer to the OP is “no”. The best GD answer to the OP is still “no”. Unless you have some evidence not presented so far… ---
**Author:** ![PlaceboTarget](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/placebotarget/32/1073_2.png) [@PlaceboTarget](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PlaceboTarget)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2015, 6:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-humans-become-cognizant-of-god/721080/46 "2015-06-02T06:27:25Z")
> [@Clu-Me-In](#): > > Is there any documented evidence of when human beings became aware of GOD or a supernatural being? The question requires a complex answer that only a cultural anthropologist could give appropriately. From what I’ve read, human beings’ awareness of the divine came with their upright standing/walking posture and symbolic thinking. Not only did symbolic thinking allow human beings to produce information and understand the world, but it also created the almost biological necessity to find a profound meaning beyond their profane life. On the other hand, the early people were probably the first beings on this planet to observe and wonder about the celestial bodies and their cyclical manifestation. Here are two quotes from Mircea Eliade’s “History of Religious Ideas”: “[…]it is difficult to imagine how the human mind could function without the conviction that there is something irreducibly real in the world; and it is impossible to imagine how consciousness could appear without conferring a meaning on man’s impulses and experiences. Consciousness of a real and meaningful world is intimately conected with the discovery of the sacred.” “Uprightness cannot be maintained except in a state of wakefulness. It is because of man’s vertical posture that space is organized in a structure inaccessible to the prehominians: in four horizontal directions radiating from an “up”-“down” central axis. In other words, space can be organized around the human body as extending forward, backward, to right, to left, upward, and downward. It is from this original and originating experience - feeling oneself “thrown” into the middle of an apparently limitless, unknown and threatening extention - that the different methods of \*orientatio \*are developed; for it is impossible to survive for any length of time in the vertigo brought on by disorientation. This experience of space oriented around a “center” explains the importance of paradigmatic divisions and distributions of territories, agglomerations, and habitations and their cosmological symbolism.” ---
**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:** [June 2, 2015, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-humans-become-cognizant-of-god/721080/47 "2015-06-02T13:25:41Z")
> [@PlaceboTarget](#): > > The question requires a complex answer that only a cultural anthropologist could give appropriately. From what I’ve read, human beings’ awareness of the divine came with their upright standing/walking posture and symbolic thinking." Upright walking came millions of years before there were any humans at all. We don’t know exactly when it evolved, but at least 4M years ago, and probably earlier. The first humans (members of the Genus _Homo_) appeared about 2M years ago, and the first members of our species (_H. sapiens_) appeared about 200K years ago. ---
**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, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-humans-become-cognizant-of-god/721080/48 "2015-06-02T13:44:38Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > Given that you evidently do presuppose the question to be based on the existence of supernatural beings, this is probably better suited to GD than GQ. Goodie, now we can start making religious jabs. * * * @ **Turble** - Did any of your ants get buried with their favorite aphid? I think this behavior is more easily explained with the evolutionary need to keep their permanent habitations sanitary. As **XT** pointed out, there’s the steps of including goods needed (presumably) for the after-life. Your species evolved needing explanations for things that defied understanding, like why a woman’s baby died after only a year. Your enlarged brains are quick to fill in the voids with things like supernatural beings or dark matter. ---
**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:** [June 2, 2015, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-humans-become-cognizant-of-god/721080/49 "2015-06-02T14:06:13Z")
> [@watchwolf49](#): > > Goodie, now we can start making religious jabs. But only with flint tipped spears! ---
**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:** [June 2, 2015, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-humans-become-cognizant-of-god/721080/50 "2015-06-02T14:09:56Z")
> [@watchwolf49](#): > > Goodie, now we can start making religious jabs. I don’t know about “religious jabs”, but the first post and the OP’s follow-up are certainly jabs against those that _aren’t_ religious in a particular manner. ---
**Author:** ![Razncain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9d8465/32.png) [@Razncain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Razncain)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2015, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-humans-become-cognizant-of-god/721080/51 "2015-06-02T14:35:21Z")
> [@Clu-Me-In](#): > > I think most intelligent humans of pretty much all stripes believe there to be a supernatural being we can for now agree to call God. Half of all scientists don’t believe in god, and among leading scientists at NAS (National Academy of Sciences) 93% don’t believe in a personal god, and those numbers are also reflective of Britain’s top leading scientists too. Are they not intelligent enough? ---
**Author:** ![hotflungwok](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/edb3f5/32.png) [@hotflungwok](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hotflungwok)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2015, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-humans-become-cognizant-of-god/721080/52 "2015-06-02T14:48:10Z")
> [@Clu-Me-In](#): > > I think most intelligent humans of pretty much all stripes believe there to be a supernatural being we can for now agree to call God. What do humans of average and below average intelligence of pretty much all stripes believe about supernatural beings? ---
**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:** [June 2, 2015, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-humans-become-cognizant-of-god/721080/53 "2015-06-02T14:58:41Z")
I’m a pretty intelligent guy who doesn’t believe in god/gods; but then I don’t have any stripes, so maybe I don’t count. ---
**Author:** ![hotflungwok](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/edb3f5/32.png) [@hotflungwok](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hotflungwok)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2015, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-humans-become-cognizant-of-god/721080/54 "2015-06-02T15:01:03Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > I’m a pretty intelligent guy who doesn’t believe in god/gods; but then I don’t have any stripes, so maybe I don’t count. Actually, [you do.](http://io9.com/5963790/humans-have-stripes-you-just-cant-see-them) ---
**Author:** ![Latro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a87d85/32.png) [@Latro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Latro)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2015, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-humans-become-cognizant-of-god/721080/55 "2015-06-02T15:51:41Z")
> [@Clu-Me-In](#): > > I think most intelligent humans of pretty much all stripes believe there to be a supernatural being we can for now agree to call God. I’ll give you that there are still many people that believe in supernatural beings. However, I don’t believe they are actually cognizant of any gods. No doubt they would really, really _like_ to be aware of them or know them, but ultimately it is just wishful thinking and self-delusion. If people actually did know God, and there really was something objectively ‘out there’ to know about, I would expect their religions to be a lot more alike. A lot. ---
**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:** [June 2, 2015, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-humans-become-cognizant-of-god/721080/56 "2015-06-02T15:57:42Z")
Question for the OP: If one person is cognizant of one god, and another person is cognizant of another god, does that mean there are _two_ gods? ---
**Author:** ![PlaceboTarget](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/placebotarget/32/1073_2.png) [@PlaceboTarget](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PlaceboTarget)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2015, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-humans-become-cognizant-of-god/721080/57 "2015-06-02T19:29:02Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > Upright walking came millions of years before there were any humans at all. We don’t know exactly when it evolved, but at least 4M years ago, and probably earlier. The first humans (members of the Genus _Homo_) appeared about 2M years ago, and the first members of our species (_H. sapiens_) appeared about 200K years ago. Sure. But look what I’ve said: > [@PlaceboTarget](#): > > From what I’ve read, human beings’ awareness of the divine came with their upright standing/walking posture \*\*and \*\*symbolic thinking. Bolding mine (sic!). That’s the reason why I’ve given the **two** quotes. They’re really telling for anyone interested in the issue, as the entire work where they come from actually. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2015, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-humans-become-cognizant-of-god/721080/58 "2015-06-02T20:02:43Z")
> [@Kobal2](#): > > I dunno, I could see myself worshipping She of the Big Tatas. Sure more friendly that the jealous beard in the sky. The Venus of Willendorf is a fat, voluptuous, possibly pregnant female figure with huge tits, wide hips, and no face, hands or feet. She is Woman stripped of all attributes but those of sex object and breeder. I can see how this would appeal to the paleolithic imagination as a fertility figure – but how is she a symbol of feminist empowerment?! ---
**Author:** ![andros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e480ec/32.png) [@andros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andros)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2015, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-humans-become-cognizant-of-god/721080/59 "2015-06-02T20:33:27Z")
> [@hotflungwok](#): > > Actually, [you do.](http://io9.com/5963790/humans-have-stripes-you-just-cant-see-them) That is easily the coolest thing I’ve read this week. Thanks! ---
**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:** [June 2, 2015, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-humans-become-cognizant-of-god/721080/60 "2015-06-02T20:47:57Z")
> [@PlaceboTarget](#): > > Sure. But look what I’ve said: > > Bolding mine (sic!). > > That’s the reason why I’ve given the **two** quotes. They’re really telling for anyone interested in the issue, as the entire work where they come from actually. Upright walking had nothing to do with it. You might as well say that it started when tetrapods first pulled themselves up onto land. “Uprightness cannot be maintained except in a state of wakefulness. It is because of man’s vertical posture that space is organized in a structure inaccessible to the prehominians” What a bunch of pseudo-scientific nonsense. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-humans-become-cognizant-of-god/721080.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-humans-become-cognizant-of-god/721080.md?page=4)