it is to our nature to explain natural phenomena
if we can't explain, we think of an explanation- it has always been like that- from the most primitive tribes (many spirits for each - lightning, sea, water, storm), to more advanced civilizations (greeks- only some dozen of gods), to our time - not so many religions (4big) and small amount of gods, which over time explain even less and less.

There will always be a place for god, but that's not the question or answer.

the thing is that- through time gods/supernatural beings explain less and less, they become not needed and so many stop to believe in them. It's been a movement to this dirrection since the first sacriface

there really are no gods* - there is only our will to explain things which we can't explain with our current level of technology/science

*(ok- 9.99 x 10^90% to be honest)

as for believers continuing to believe that thunder is caused by some thunder god being angry or anything else-

"After Buddha was dead, his shadow was still shown for centuries in a cave--a tremendous, gruesome shadow. God is dead; but given the way of men, there may still be caves for thousands of years in which his shadow will be shown.--And we--we still have to vanquish his shadow, too."

--Friedrich Nietzsche

I couldn't have said it any better myself.

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Increan wrote:
I couldn't have said it any better myself.
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...or worse. ;)

-Mike

"God in the gaps"
The more science explains, the smaller the gaps gets and the less room God has to exist...

The known world expands, and the world of impenetrable mystery shrinks. With every expanse, something is explained which at an earlier point in history had been permanently consigned to supernatural mystery or metaphysical speculation. And the expansion of scientific knowledge has been and remains an epistemological threat to any claims which have been fashioned independently (or in defiance) of such knowledge. We are confronted with an asymptotic decrease in the existential possibility of the supernatural to the point at which it is wholly negligible.

-- Methodological Naturalism and Philosophical Naturalism by Doctor Barbara Forrest
My personal favorite ...

I cant argue with you avatar. You do make a good pint. (that should have been poInt :rolleyes: ) But there are too many questions to anser and i doubt that we will answer them all before the human race dies out. So just in case. Worship god eh ;) and pray for his forgiveness :D