Honestly, I remember being seven years old in Sunday school when this hit me: "If God made everything... then who made God?" My teacher just smiled and said "God always was," which frankly felt like cheating. Years later, digging through dusty theology books at college, I realized billions have wrestled with where does god come from across cultures. Let's break this down without the canned answers.
Here's the core tension: We live in a world where everything has a beginning. Trees grow from seeds, rivers start as springs, even universes supposedly explode from singularities. So where did god come from? The question itself might be flawed if we consider God exists outside time. But that's a massive "if," isn't it?
Ancient Answers to Divine Origins
Humanity's earliest creation myths reveal fascinating patterns about divine origins. The Egyptians had Atum spontaneously emerging from primordial waters. The Greeks believed Gaia (Earth) arose from Chaos. Notice how these stories don't bother explaining the origin of Chaos or waters—it's just where existence begins. Clever dodge, really.
I spent months comparing these myths during my anthropology elective. What struck me was the discomfort with infinite regression. Ancient minds seemed to hit a wall and declare "This force simply *was*." Maybe they were onto something practical. Or maybe inventing pre-gods felt exhausting. Who knows?
Comparative Origin Beliefs Across Cultures
| Tradition | Creator Being | Origin Explanation | Key Source Text |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ancient Egyptian | Atum | Self-created from Nun (primordial waters) | Pyramid Texts |
| Hinduism | Brahma | Born from golden egg in cosmic waters | Rigveda |
| Norse Mythology | Ymir & Audhumla | Emerges from melting ice in Ginnungagap | Prose Edda |
| Yoruba (West Africa) | Olodumare | Pre-exists creation, source of Orishas | Oral Tradition |
| Judeo-Christian | Yahweh/God | Uncreated eternal being (Alpha & Omega) | Genesis/Bible |
What bugs me about most theological answers is how they sidestep the core issue. Monotheistic traditions typically assert God's eternal nature as fundamental. But when I pressed my rabbi friend about where god comes from originally, he sighed: "Asking what's before time is like asking what's north of the North Pole." Annoyingly poetic, but unsatisfying.
The Philosophical Wrestling Match
Philosophers have gone ten rounds with this question. Thomas Aquinas argued everything needs a "First Cause" (God) to avoid infinite regress. Okay, fine—but then what caused the First Cause? David Hume shot back that assuming everything needs a cause might be wrong. Fair point.
Here's my layman's take: We're trying to apply physical world rules to something allegedly beyond physics. It's like explaining Wi-Fi to a goldfish. Still, I can't help wondering where does god come from if not from some prior existence? Universe-making entities don't just pop into being... right?
Major Philosophical Arguments Explained Simply
Cosmological Argument: Everything that begins has a cause. Universe began → must have cause (God). But where did god come from then? Proponents say God didn't "begin." Convenient.
Ontological Argument: God must exist because we can imagine perfection. Personally, I can imagine perfect pizza too—doesn't make it real.
Teleological Argument: Universe shows design → must have Designer. But who designed the Designer? Now we're back where we started.
What Science Says About Divine Origins
Now here's where it gets juicy. Physics actually offers fascinating parallels. Quantum mechanics shows particles popping in/out of existence seemingly uncaused. Lawrence Krauss controversially argued universes could arise from "nothing" via quantum fluctuations. Does this eliminate God? Not necessarily.
I once interviewed a physicist who said: "If God exists, science asks what 'substrate' enabled that existence." Heavy stuff. Maybe asking where god comes from is like asking where mathematics "comes from"—it transcends physical origins.
Scientific Perspectives on First Causes
| Field | View on Origins | Implied Answer About God | Key Thinkers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quantum Physics | Virtual particles appear spontaneously | Uncaused beginnings possible | Heisenberg, Krauss |
| Cosmology | Multiverse theories suggest infinite universes | God unnecessary for creation | Tegmark, Hawking |
| Neuroscience | Religious experiences mapped to brain activity | God as evolutionary construct | Persinger, Newberg |
| Anthropology | God concepts evolve with societies | God as cultural projection | Durkheim, Boyer |
Psychological Roots of the God Question
Why are we obsessed with where does god come from? Childhood development might hold clues. Kids naturally assume everything has makers and purposes. Trees exist "for climbing," clouds "for raining." This "promiscuous teleology," as psychologists call it, primes us for creator gods.
I tested this with my niece. When I asked why mountains exist, she instantly said "For giants to sit on!" Her preschool logic felt weirdly similar to ancient myths. Maybe we're hardwired to demand origin stories—whether for rainbows, diseases, or deities.
Here's the uncomfortable bit: Studies show people attribute uncertainty to divine will. When we can't trace causes—whether lightning strikes or cancer diagnoses—"God's plan" becomes the ultimate comfort. Does this mean we invented God to solve the origin problem? Or did God invent us to ask the question? My head hurts.
What Different Religions Teach Today
Modern faiths have wildly different takes:
Christianity/Judaism/Islam: God is uncreated. Period. Asking where god came from misunderstands God's eternal nature. As Exodus 3:14 puts it: "I AM WHO I AM." That's the whole answer.
Hinduism: Gods emerge from Brahman (ultimate reality), but Brahman itself is eternal. Cyclical creation avoids the "first cause" problem.
Buddhism: Generally avoids creator gods. Focuses instead on cosmic laws. When I asked a Zen master our question, he smiled: "Does the moon need an origin story to shine?" Showoff.
Indigenous Traditions: Often blur creator/creation. The Great Spirit exists within all things rather than preceding them. This sidesteps origins nicely.
Personal Musings & Practical Takeaways
After years studying this, I've made peace with uncertainty. Maybe God emerged from quantum foam. Maybe God is existence itself. Or maybe—just maybe—we're asking the wrong question entirely. What if "where" implies location in time and space, which God might transcend?
Here's what helps me sleep at night: Whether God evolved from primordial deities or always existed, the practical impact remains. Millions find meaning in divine relationship regardless of cosmic origins. And frankly, debating where god comes from matters less than how we treat each other down here.
Where Does God Come From? Your Burning Questions Answered
How do monotheistic religions explain God's origin?
They generally don't—it's considered beyond human comprehension. God exists necessarily, without cause or creator. This avoids infinite regress ("Who created the creator?"). Though honestly, this always felt like special pleading to me.
Could God have evolved from earlier gods?
Polytheism → monotheism is historically documented. Yahweh (Bible's God) possibly evolved from Canaanite deity El amongst others. Does this mean God was "created"? Theologians would say no—God revealed progressively. Historians might disagree.
What about the idea of God creating God?
This leads to circular headaches. If God created God, who created God creating God? Most traditions reject this. Though Gnostic Christianity had "Aeons" emanating from God. Still avoids ultimate origins.
Does science disprove God's existence?
Not necessarily. It just restricts where God could operate. If stars form naturally, God isn't needed there—maybe God kickstarted cosmic laws instead. This preserves divine purpose while accepting science. Personally, I find this the most satisfying approach.
Why do people care so much about divine origins?
Because origins imply purpose. If God arose from chaos, that's terrifying. If God always existed with intentionality, that's comforting. Our anxiety about where god comes from is really anxiety about cosmic meaning.
So where does God come from? After all this research, my unsatisfying conclusion is: We still don't know. And maybe can't know. But wrestling with the question reveals fascinating things about human psychology, cultural evolution, and our desperate need for meaning in a vast universe. That's worth something.
What do you think? Ever lie awake wondering where god came from originally? I'd love to hear your theories—drop them in the comments. And if you found this helpful, share it with that friend who always argues theology at parties. You know the one.
Comment