This is a very salient question, Jaianniah, which suggests many ideas.

To begin with, it is my most heart-felt, inner-core feeling and expression that we do not define ourselves as human beings, but rather as sovereign beings of infinite consciousness and pre-existent spirit/pre-existent source electricity, experiencing a reality via an intelligently designed and highly manipulated and limiting holographic containment vessel that has divided, split, and entrapped our pre-existent spirit/source electricity individually into a pre-designed computation matrix reality of polarisation and separation: the Game of Duality, where we combat the polarisations of our individuated selves (and others) to propagate further polarisation of Oneness. And the biggest trick of this computation matrix is that it operates on positive-negative counter-propagation programmes (contra-programmes) that manifest through belief and affect of such, an orobourus recycling pattern, which, systematically, creates the psy-op Maya of 'law of attraction' and 'karma', and hence, an excuse to write off traumatic experiences as being nothing more than pre-divined and all apart of the Game; and that you deserved, as a soul, to experience such trauma because your 'higher self' required such an experience to be All-There-Is.

Whether one calls it God, Divine Creator, Source etc. - such does not matter. When one gives up one's sovereign being and connection to such, believing one is below 'such and such' and not worthy of 'such', one relinquishes one's sovereignty. There are plenty of astral/etheric entities who will gladly accept the relinquished power and worship one gives to them. They will be happy to guide one, and they will promise one much, in return for such.

Any being or entity that claims itself a 'god' or 'higher self' is nothing more than a subsidiary or wannabe logos -- a lower or higher level astral entity in the hier (liar) archy of the archons (the first principles)/aeons (the ages, or of the ages) -- the deimurge/astral/etheric/shadow realms: the realms of dark energy and dark matter.

You (Jaianniah) ask 'Was our belief in God programmed into us by aliens?' I would add to that question with this question: 'And is our belief in aliens something being programmed into us, too?'

There are most definitely astral/etheric entities. These are the entities of dark energy and dark matter -- entities of the Shadow and Ether(Astral). Some of these entities existed long before mankind and even the earth, but as beings of infinite and eternal consciousness, we existed before they. Many of these entities are thought forms manifested by our own thoughts and emotions, individually and collectively, voluntarily, via many aspects of influence, dreams, worship, nightmares, suggestions, etc. They are reflections and aspects of ourselves, but they are not us.

Ancient spiritual alchemists learned how to tap into and harness this energy and the information stored within these realms (information which is all compressed within us and encoded in our DNA blueprint), as well as control it; and many of these entities, as a result, become more and more powerful on the earth-plane via belief, worship, and false idol, to the point where they began controlling the very ones who sought control over them. Call them the undead/the archons/aeons/djinn/devas/suras/aliens/mind parasites -- they are all the same entities, even if their alignment varies.

We all of us can through thought, focus, and intention call 'things' into existence. We do it all the time. But most of us are no longer aware of this and have lost the knowledge we once had to control this ability with greater accuracy and precision. So now this inherent power is being used by an elite, who do not use this power to benefit the all, but rather the few.

Spirit is God, Source, All There Is. Spirit is not a being, it IS being. It is not above us, below us, nor outside of us. It is within us and is us. That which is dark energy and dark matter may be created through Spirit but such is not of Spirit; not born of Spirit, nor possessing Spirit. However, such can possess the spirit -- the spirit of man -- and it does this through the harvesting of the soul.

You say: 'The reasoning for this is, of course, survival of our species. It is genetically better for humans to be peaceful rather than to be at war.'

Genetically better? Do you mean genetically docile and subservient, so we can be 'better' slaves and zombies? And what of all the wars? More people have died in the name of religion and 'god' than anything else.

You say: 'Dead people do not pass on their genes.'

They most certainly do! 'Bloodlines', consciousness, spiritual DNA, and soul memory -- at least in this computation matrix -- are synonymous with one another.

i'd say our personal beliefs
were part and parcel of our upbringing
bestowed on us from our parents

so where did they get theirs
researched or conditioned
was thinking allowed

or towing the line through fear
the way to maintain peace
in the family

Gotta love Toms answer. HA! But any answer to this question will only be conjecture because the aliens ain’t talkin. A quick review of the situation might give us some clues though.

People can be pretty random. Just look out into the world and the evidence is clear. We Make Stuff Up. The Bible says human beings started less than 10,000 years ago and that there was a garden of Eden where Adam and Eve lived. Real scientific investigation has confirmed humans have lived on planet Earth hundreds of thousands if not millions of years. The religions hate this. But either way, the human race is quite a mixture of those who believe in God, those who believe in “something” whatever that may be and the rest who believe we’re on our own. Did the aliens miss the last two groups? Nah. I believe it’s all a combination of several factors that come from who and what we, as human beings are. Part upbringing, part environment and part what’s in our heads and hearts.

Yes, we do have choice after all is said and done, but emotion, and especially fear plays a big part in all of this. The fear to break out of the social norm and find ourselves alone. What’s more, human beings have a very high need for “meaning”. And when we can’t find the real answers to our questions like “Where did we come from, why are we here and where are we going?”, heh heh… we make stuff up. So it’s not so much that we are programmed to believe in anything. It’s more like we just have this natural need to understand. Gaining understanding helps in our quest for survival. But even more is our need to avoid pain and gain pleasure or comfort and we accomplish this best with understanding, even if it's all made up. Besides, for many it’s just comforting to believe there is a Supreme being who will take care of them so they would probably have chosen this without alien intervention anyway. It’s all good. God bless Richard Johnsen. ;-)

Many will disagree, but, every religion under the sun has an astrological foundation.

"Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter; THE MYSTERY OF THE SEVEN STARS, which thou sawest in my right hand." Revelation 1:19-20.

7 stars = Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, Venus, Mercury, Sun and moon!!

The 12 sons of Jacob represent the 12 Constellations of the Zodiac. For example:

Leo, the lion is represented by Judah, the 4th son of Jacob. “Judah is a lion’s whelp, from the prey my son thou art gone up. He stooped down, he crouched like a lion.” Gen. 49:9

actually jai god is not a belief he actually exist(god his the absolute truth). has for the belief programmed in you that his the ego. since men have use and corrupted religion to their advantage to suit their perpace their ego for money and power many people are stuck in the belief. get over the ego and stay in the truth and you will know god.

this statement his true: Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

http://bible.cc/matthew/5-8.htm

so experiance and enjoy.

has for the alien they are also under god. that they know it or not does not change the truth.

Not necessarily by "aliens." These mind parasites were known as the Archon by the Gnostics.

http://www.unicusmagazine.com/skyfish.htm

http://www.examiner.com/exopolitics-in-seattle/archons-exorcising-hidden-controllers-with-robert-stanley-and-laura-eisenhower

http://www.gnosis.org/naghamm/hypostas.html

I'd like to thank @TGunn for pointing out that this question is "salient" so it got me thinking, "what is so striking and conspicuous about this question?" hmm

Well it contains two often highly emotionally charged words "god" and "alien" and to be blunt @Jai my first reaction was "this question is a load of ****" but on the flip side it's a beautifully clear demonstration of key resistances in action, so I suppose it could also be paradoxically considered as a great question, the resistances and their solutions being

1- there's only one truth ... meaning that in order for me to be right you have to be wrong. It's ok for anyone to hold their own choices, however what can do damage is the pushing and pulling of the "I'm right so you're wrong struggle".

2- I can't get what I want ... simply say "I can change whenever I want, I can get what I want"

3- beliefs are not a choice ... I have free will to choose to believe whatever I want, all belief is a choice and I can freely change my mind.

4- seeing is believing ... this is like looking in the mirror and watching to see if my image will smile, to create a smiling mirror image I must first create the smile in my mind.

The question "was our belief in god programmed into us by aliens?" is like someone consciously or unconsciously tying their legs together then hopping into the doctor's surgery and saying "hello doctor I don't know why but I just can't seem to walk properly". If I was the doctor I'd probably utter haha.

So the zillion dollar question is "can I see the bonds?"

Here's a video by Melody Fletcher in which there's a cartoon animation that may assist in opening up the definition of the word "alien", not forgetting that "words" are symbols and a symbol represents the function that it was created for ... one of the definitions of alien from an ecologic point of view is; "introduced to a region deliberately or accidentally by humans. Starlings, horses and dandelions are species that are alien to North America but that have become widely naturalized throughout the continent" ref; the free dictionary ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kAS_9bkHp50

The definition of "alien" that I prefer was inspired by the definition in the Urban Dictionary; "Aliens. People from outer space. Generally peace loving and wise, they've come to earth because we've got velcro and they love that ****.

I invite you check out the definition of "velcro" in the Urban Dictionary yourself.

My "Inner space" is inside me, no one can see it not even myself. My "Outer space" is all that my physical eyes can see including my own body, everybody else can see it all too. So what could I consider as "alien"? All those I can see in my outer space :) which brings me back to one of my own questions "Are we all extra-terrestrials" asked the 29th dec 2011 by me as blubird two.