Based on the vast numbers of disparate civilizations and cultures that
believe in some sort of creator, you'd have to conclude that the need
for that belief is somehow deeply embedded in human DNA. That in turn
raises the interesting question of why. Those beliefs may truly be
the one thing that separates us from other life forms. If and when we
discover other intelligent civilizations in the universe it will be
interesting to see if they have similar beliefs.
The need for belief, if there really is one, probably arose in early
man and continued for centuries as a way to try to explain the natural
world that was pretty much a mystery in those times. I think the
beliefs, such as they are, are taught, not genetic. I doubt if a newborn
has any thoughts or feelings about a god and if he or she isn't exposed
to the concept, I doubt such thoughts would arise spontaneously,
especially in a society where much science of the natural world is known.
