The human body runs on electricity. Thoughts produce electrical charges. When that current hits the Earth’s atmosphere, it encounters magnetic energy and other forces, thus creating God ideas (Carl Jung’s ‘cosmic consciousness’ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4217602/ ) ‘God’ as a person/entity does not exist. Rather the IDEA of God, gods, and goddesses exist because humans have added their thoughts (energy) into these ideas, creating these ideas in another form of reality, which, much like oxygen, encircles the planet.

Nearly every culture has an idea about God: attempts to explain and understand the natural world. The inexplicable world demands answers, such as why is the sky blue? Who or what makes thunder? Why do trees shed their leaves every year? Recent studies propose that the idea of a god united primitive groups and helped them survive. Thus the god-idea was born, an offspring of human survival instincts. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/your-brain-food/202107/why-do-humans-keep-inventing-gods-worship

Rome copied the conquered Greeks, adopting their gods with Roman names: Mars/Ares for war; Venus/Aphrodite goddess for love; Mercury/Hermes for messenger of the gods; Neptune/Poseidon for the Sea; Cupid/Eros for love; Terra/Gaia for Earth, etc. These gods and goddesses embodied human emotions and activities: anger, love, lust, messengers, hunters, sleep, shepherds, etc. This may be the crux, the heart, of why humans created, then adored, defended and believed in their gods: the power of human emotions and lives. A mirror to themselves such as stories of Zeus’s infidelity to his wife Hera.

https://www.cliffsnotes.com/literature/m/mythology/summary-and-analysis-greek-mythology/the-beginnings-8212-loves-of-zeus

I was buying a rug in Saudi Arabia in 1985. The shop owner, sharing Arabic hospitality, offered me tea. We sat among the glorious beauty of a multitude of colorful hand-woven carpets. We discussed rugs and enjoyed the art of conversation – highly prized in Arabic society. I asked him, as a Muslim, if his god was called ‘Allah’ and when ‘Allah’ was translated into English it meant ‘God’, didn’t that mean Muslims and Christians were actually praying to the same God? He considered the possibility with his furrowed brow, then tilted his head one way, and said, “Perhaps.” Maybe he spoke to sweeten his financial exchange, or perhaps a perception of a different, but possible, reality?

Science explains natural phenomena once attributed to gods and goddesses. For example, Hades, god of the underworld, kidnapped Persephone, daughter of Demeter – the goddess of Nature. Demeter mourned and neglected her duties. Thus Winter occurred. Hades relented and allowed Persephone to join her mother above ground, creating Spring. Galileo’s ideas, especially Earth not being the center of the universe, contradicted the teachings of the Holy Roman Empire Christianity. His theories, as many scientists’ of his time, were based upon Arabic science. European scientists were well-versed in Arabic, using their texts for research; as English is now the language of science.

But scientists more than 500 years ago could not acknowledge Arabic/Islamic sources. The Catholic Church’s power objected. Why? Because Islam was ‘not the true religion’. Even now, few Westerners or Christians understand that Islam respects ‘people of the Book’ which is the Bible, both the Old and New Testament as well as Jesus Christ as a Prophet. The Koran added more to it to create Islam, with the Prophet Mohamed.

Why don’t Christians know this essential fact? Why don’t Muslims promote this message of unity?

If people knew they were so alike, perhaps manipulation by religion would fail, and find no willing victims for crusades and terrorist wars?

Then religious groups assigned God as responsible for good and evil. In Nature. In humans. God vs. Satan. Heaven vs. Hell. Buddhism marvelously solved human evil with the theory of reincarnation: You do bad things, you return in your next life in a lesser form. Do good things, and you will be elevated in your next life. Christianity sought to ease good people’s pain and anger against evil humans (often those in power, including themselves) with the saying, “They’ll get what’s coming to them when they die – Hell.” And if you play nice in life, you will get Heaven in the afterlife.

But why even an afterlife? Does a flower have an afterlife? Do horses and elephants, cats and dogs, and wheat or sunflowers? Trees? Do they have afterlives? Usually, no in most cultures, except ancient Egyptians were known to mummify cats as well as favored bulls. https://www.discovermagazine.com/planet-earth/how-we-know-ancient-humans-believed-in-the-afterlife A more casual and Christian-slanted, argumentative discussion: https://fixanswer.com/where-did-the-idea-of-afterlife-come-from/

Why an afterlife? When a loved person dies, grief may overwhelm those remaining. Thus cultural burials entomb sacred goods, food and money for the afterlife with the dead body while other death rituals abound in cultures. What has been neglected is the natural laws of physics and biochemistry: close proximity to another human produces an electro-chemical interaction, that over time, creates bonds.

Babies emit Oxycontin which causes happiness. Watching one’s own baby also triggers the happiness hormone of dopamine. Even photographs of family and loved ones raise dopamine levels. The all-encompassing time experienced with a spouse, parent, or child create biochemical bonds that are withdrawn at death.

When one partner dies, the remaining partner actually experiences withdrawal. An energy source in their life that provided happiness, smiles, good times as well as problems, suddenly is taken from them. The living mourn their loss are actually experiencing physical symptoms akin to addicts when they cease their drug addictions. Death often causes grief. Some cultures set time limits on grief. Some scientists say the peak of grief is at the six month point. Islam accepts death as a natural occurrence, reducing the pain of death, yet grief still occurs. For some people, grief is unable to die. Thus the comfort of, “I’ll see you again when you join me in heaven.”

So yes, there is a God or a multitude of gods – all ideas created by humans to help people survive life’s hardships.

It would be lovely if everyone believed in ‘the same God’ and not a multitude of religions bragging like first graders, “My God is better than your God!” Or warring parties guilty of horrendous crimes against humanity proclaiming, – both sides – “God is on our side.”

Thus gods and the afterlife were used to explain what could not be explained; then later, for control by the few over the masses; then as reward and punishment.

Storytelling is another common human activity, originating, some say, more than 50,000 years ago. https://reporter.rit.edu/tech/evolution-storytelling Gods and an afterlife evolved as a rich resource for amusing stories. Unfortunately, religions used these ideas to manipulate and control populations across time and land boundaries, as well as Crusades, the Inquisition, wars, terrorism, taxation, and more.

In conclusion, let me throw in a random, somewhat related theory: according to quantum physics, electricity, magnetic energy, solar flares and other sciences, love is an actual energy source, as is oil, coal, and more. Love makes the world go round. After Pope John XXIII held the Second Vatican Council (1962-65) the Sisters of Mercy at my high school taught ‘God is Love’.

PS – Love is eternal and yes, many of us have an afterlife through our DNA and children.