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THE QUESTION
Is Religion Man-Made?
In the controversial new book, "God is Not Great," author Christopher Hitchens argues that "religion is man-made." How would you respond to that statement?
Posted by
Sally Quinn and Jon Meacham on May 23, 2007 5:14 AM
FROM THE PANEL
Religion is a Human Construct
From the Pagan perspective, it’s all poetry.
Posted by Starhawk, on May 29, 2007 9:57 AM
Not Just Wish-Fulfillment
We hunger for God because God created us with that hunger, or we hunger for God because we refuse to accept that our deepest spiritual hungers are incapable of being fulfilled.
Posted by Richard Mouw, on May 29, 2007 8:39 AM
Religion is Negotiated by Each Individual
Religion (or lack thereof) is created anew by each individual as s/he navigates her or his own faith course.
Posted by Pamela K. Taylor, on May 29, 2007 7:26 AM
Man Made Religion, God Created Relationships
Christ introduced not necessarily a religion but a relationship.
Posted by Samuel Rodriguez, on May 29, 2007 6:14 AM
The Heavy Yoke of Religion
Tillich's sermon renewed my faith that there is a hidden saving power in our existence that does give rest to our souls.
Posted by James Anderson, on May 28, 2007 10:46 AM
The Mutual Dream
Most of our religions are man-made, in the full sexist sense of the word.
Posted by Wendy Doniger, on May 28, 2007 9:20 AM
Reflecting on the "Man-Made"... And on the Inspiring
"Man-made" tells us nothing about inspiration, a faculty that individuals possess in different capacities and that they appreciate to differing degrees.
Posted by Gustav Niebuhr, on May 28, 2007 8:44 AM
It is How We Deal with the World
What makes us cling to religion is not man-made-- that is the awareness of God within and beyond us.
Posted by Julia Neuberger, on May 27, 2007 9:07 AM
Man-Made Or Made For Man?
The original energy and inspiration of religion are not man-made, but are “Givens,” like breathing.
Posted by Gardner Calvin Taylor, on May 27, 2007 8:51 AM
People Build the Steeple
The solution is not denigration of religion a la Hitchens, but new religious leadership that acts on dimensions of faith that are life-affirming instead of suffocating.
Posted by Eboo Patel, on May 25, 2007 10:56 AM
The Church Is God-Made
If Mr. Hitchens would like to see the real thing, I ask him to visit prison with me. It’s an open invitation.
Posted by Charles "Chuck" Colson, on May 25, 2007 9:53 AM
Re-Connecting Man to God
So religion is man-made to the extent that the God man redeemed us and established a Church.
Posted by William J. Byron, on May 25, 2007 8:09 AM
"Religionless Christianity"
Faith and religion are not the same, in my view.
Posted by Susan Brooks Thistlethwaite, on May 25, 2007 7:08 AM
Bridging the Hitchens’ Gap
Christopher Hitchens is an author with a masterful domination of language who writes about only one thing: Christopher Hitchens.
Posted by Anthony M. Stevens-Arroyo, on May 24, 2007 9:03 AM
Only Man Could Be So Patronizing
The only alternative – that religion is woman-made – is hard to reconcile with prevailing attitudes of religious authorities to women.
Posted by Richard Dawkins, on May 24, 2007 8:38 AM
The Limits of Human Creation
The God he rejects is the same God most thinking Christians reject.
Posted by John Shelby Spong, on May 24, 2007 7:44 AM
The Gods: Made in Our Image
If people truly believed in an afterlife, they would be happy to have lived into their 80s and ready to join their departed loved ones.
Posted by Susan Jacoby, on May 23, 2007 9:58 AM
True Religion Works From Inside Out
True religion works from the inside-out when Jesus transforms us, not the outside-in through laws, rules and regulations.
Posted by Cal Thomas, on May 23, 2007 8:55 AM
One God, Many Views
We start creating our own reality about God.
Posted by Salman Ahmad, on May 23, 2007 7:06 AM
Religion is God-Given
For the Christian, of course (as for the Jew), humans are made to reflect the Creator.
Posted by Nicholas T. Wright, on May 23, 2007 6:53 AM
FEATURED COMMENTS
Jim: Hitchens is a national treasure, well spoken and the best debater I have ever heard. That said, I think he's spreading himself a little thin...
Soja John Thaikattil, Sydney, Australia: Religions are man-made, but God is not. Man is God-made....
bob johnson: my sociology prof. supported that theory 40 years ago.when we got to chapter 8 religion,in one sentence she stated that religion was man-mad...
