God: Invented in the Image of Man?

Atheists commonly claim that man invented God to satisfy some of his fear of death, therefore, wishing God into existence. According to the theory, man realized his limitations and fears and projected an image of God to calm these fears. In short, God is what man wishes to be - a kind of super-man. This model matches the gods of the pagan religions quite well, and possibly explains the origins of these religions.

However, if men were to invent the God of Christianity, it is unlikely that it would be the demanding God of the Bible. The God of the Bible is described as holy¹ - without sin and without the ability to commit sin.² The holiness of God is described as being above anything that humans can attain, such that no human can stand before Him as holy.³ Behaving more morally than most other people is not sufficient to escape the punishment of the God of the Bible.⁴

In nearly all religions, salvation is attained through human effort. Only in Christianity does salvation come solely as a gift from God⁵ - it cannot be earned through human effort.⁶ Clearly, in doctrines such as the nature of God and the way of salvation, there is very little common ground between Christianity and the religions of the world.

The God of Christianity also differs from the gods of the world's religions in terms of His nature and existence. Most of the religions of the world describe their god as existing within the universe. In many cases, these gods even have parents. Both of these attributes are logically inconsistent with the reality of our universe. Only a God who is transcendent to both space and time, like the God of the Bible, is logically possible.

The God of the Bible is quite unlike humans. Therefore, the idea that humans "created" God is unlikely. A comparison between God and man is shown in the table below:

1. 'For I am the LORD, who brought you up from the land of Egypt, to be your God; thus you shall be holy for I am holy.'" (Leviticus 11:45)
   "Speak to all the congregation of the sons of Israel and say to them, 'You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy. (Leviticus 19:2)
   "There is no one holy like the LORD, Indeed, there is no one besides Thee, Nor is there any rock like our God. (1 Samuel 2:2)
   But the LORD of hosts will be exalted in judgment, And the holy God will show Himself holy in righteousness. (Isaiah 5:16)
2. Thy way, O God, is holy; What god is great like our God? (Psalms 77:13)
   Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am being tempted by God"; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone. (James 1:13)
   in the hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, promised long ages ago, (Titus 1:2)
   "Bring your worthless offerings no longer, Incense is an abomination to Me. New moon and Sabbath, the calling of assemblies-- I [God] cannot endure iniquity and the solemn assembly. (Isaiah 1:13)
3. And the men of Beth-shemesh said, "Who is able to stand before the LORD, this holy God? And to whom shall He go up from us?" (1 Samuel 6:20)
4. A jealous and avenging God is the LORD; The LORD is avenging and wrathful. The LORD takes vengeance on His adversaries, And He reserves wrath for His enemies. The LORD is slow to anger and great in power, And the LORD will by no means leave the guilty unpunished. In whirlwind and storm is His way, And clouds are the dust beneath His feet. (Nahum 1:2-3)
   It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God. (Hebrews 10:31)
   For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all. (James 2:10)
   For all who have sinned without the Law will also perish without the Law; and all who have sinned under the Law will be judged by the Law; (Romans 2:12)
5. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:23)
6. For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one should boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9)
7. "Thine, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, indeed everything that is in the heavens and the earth; Thine is the dominion, O LORD, and Thou dost exalt Thyself as head over all. (1 Chronicles 29:11)
   "Can you discover the depths of God? Can you discover the limits of the Almighty? (Job 11:7)
   ...Lord Jesus Christ; who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself. (Philippians 3:20-21)
8. in whatever our heart condemns us; for God is greater than our heart, and knows all things. (1 John 3:20)
   ... Christ Himself, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. (Colossians 2:2-3)
9. The eyes of the LORD are in every place, Watching the evil and the good. (Proverbs 15:3)
   But thanks be to God, who always leads us in His triumph in Christ, and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place. (2 Corinthians 2:14)
10. The Extradimensional Nature of God
11. "But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain Thee, how much less this house which I have built! (1 Kings 8:27)
12. "God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth." (John 4:24)
13. Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba, and there he called upon the name of the LORD, the Eternal God. (Genesis 21:33)
    "But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Too little to be among the clans of Judah, From you One will go forth for Me to be ruler in Israel. His goings forth are from long ago, From the days of eternity." (Micah 5:2)
14. "There is no one holy like the LORD, Indeed, there is no one besides Thee, Nor is there any rock like our God. (1 Samuel 2:2)
    "But you disowned the Holy and Righteous One, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, (Acts 3:14)

Last updated 02/27/01