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The statement, "God is dead", by Friedrich Nietzsche is not a statement on the existence of a deity, but instead is a assertion that the concept of God no longer has a meaningful or progressive place in human life. The phrase was first published in a book of his well over one hundred years ago, in 1882. To give that period historical context, 1882 is the same year that Charles Darwin, author of 'The Origin of Species' died.

With over a hundred years of scientific and philosophical progress after Nietzsche, it's fairly obvious that the religious background of humanity is indeed eroding, and will continue to dwindle faster and faster as our understanding of the universe increases more and more. We could call this a prediction of Nietzsche's, but his statement is that religion and God is already gone from having an impact in human's lives.

The concept of God is rooted in the ideas of morality. A believer in a God is given a set of rules or is guided in some way by their God, and this is considered the only necessary grounding in morality and understanding of existence. Following this, it's also assumed that the adherent of a God is given or seeks some form of wisdom or knowledge that will lead them through their lives properly. But Nietzsche, by saying that "God is Dead", is implying that God is no longer an idea that adds anything to the human experience, and even perhaps that the perseverance of a belief in a deity is backwards and reduces any chance of progress.

Instead of being something that is truly sought after, Nietzsche is saying that religion is just a shell of what it once was, if it ever was what it claimed to be as a moral and spiritual authority. Although most of the world's population claims a belief in one God or another, these people are simply following a social standard but not dedicated to the concept in any real way. In that human faith in metaphysics has declined, the metaphysical no longer maintains any true fixation or authority over humans, because believe is no longer strictly enforced nor is it concretely structured.

God has long been a concept of authority, and as the ultimate cosmic authority God's have always had set laws of morality for the humans to follow. But for Nietzsche, because God is Dead, and the adherents to religion are no longer concretely dedicated to their Gods, so that God is no longer an authority that can maintain rule or attention over people and societies. Although the set morality and guidelines for peoples life's still remain from all of the recent religions, the are no longer relevant to societal or private life. The perceived authority of God no longer exists, because of an infinite number of changes in human societies and scientific understandings of the universe.

Nietzsche wants people to understand that the idea of God is no longer a progressive idea, if it ever was one. Gods have been around since the beginning of mankind, and the nature of humans and societies and every aspect of human life at its core have not changed significantly over the course of the entire world history. He is asserting that the only way humans can progress as societies and as individuals is by getting over the dead concept of a God, and focusing its efforts on humans and the universe as they actually are.

Belief in God(s) have been around forever, but where has it gotten us, and where could it possibly take us?

"God is dead. God remains dead. And we have killed him."

Learn more about this author, Michelle R. Bishop.
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