One of the questions burning in Jack Bucher's adolescent mind in Second Chance was if God exists. Why does God allow the poverty, suffering, and evil to continue that he sees around him? This question has always intrigued me as well. So I was captivated when I caught part of Through the Wormhole hosted by Morgan Freeman on the Science Channel asking some of these same questions.
The main premise appeared to be: Did God create us, or did we create God?

Naturally, they couldn't answer this eternal question, but the show provided some fascinating insights. According to psychologists, the human mind is hot-wired to find connections between things—to connect the dots. We are constantly asking why. When we don't understand why something happens, we search for unknown purposes. And the more our lives seem out of our control, the more we see imagined connections. Can you envision our distant ancestors hundreds of thousands of years ago who lived in a dark, mystical world full of death and the unexplained? How did they explain all that was beyond their understanding? Wouldn't it have been natural for them to imagine an all-powerful God with unfathomed purposes to explain their tragic lives? This could be the basis for worldwide religions that continue to give us comfort in our complex lives today.
The show also pointed out other interesting facts: Humans are the only higher primates who believe in a god. Chimpanzees don't practice religion. Even children under seven or eight don't seem to grasp the concept.
But is God real? As the show pointed out, the reality is in the beholder's mind. What our minds perceive as accurate is our reality. Scientists did brain scans of people during prayers when they talked to or saw God. The tests showed that when Christians prayed, the frontal lobes of the brain, those involving speech, showed activity. Therefore, their brains believed they were talking to God. When Buddhists are tested, the brain lobes involved with sight were highlighted because they envision God while praying. So, in essence, these peoples' brains perceived God as absolute. God was part of their reality.
So is God real or not? They are undoubtedly genuine to those who genuinely believe.
As Zeph pointed out to Jack in Second Chance, whether you believe in God or not, you need to have a strong faith in something. Otherwise, why get out of bed in the morning?