Because man is..

As i was reading this, i was reminded of the simpsons episode where lisa unwittingly created life and then bart godzilla'ed the shit out of the civilization. Also thinking there is place to consider the baby-of-the-family syndrone. (We are a moody bunch! ?) And finally, watching program on the tel-e-vision -overheard reminder that the titans are the gods parental units. Now somewhere in my jumble of thoughts is a cohesive answer i'm not focused enough to convey with eloquence. (And to the ones asking why this question is on an atheist/agnostic site, where else could this question be debated with intelligence?? In my opinion, its all story, and making our -ism stronger, we gotta figure out their rules and the cracks in the foundation of the others' .

God, as a product of man, embodies many of our psychological flaws.

Probably because he's never had a time-out.

God is just a projecting of the only sort of leader / ruler known in the time the Bible was authored. Such rulers demanded absolute fealty as a means of staying in power, as the whole political mechanism was "might makes right". Not so coincidentally, all such leaders were to some degree insecure and paranoid, rightly understanding at some level that they were just ordinary humans who rose to where they were mostly through happenstance and dumb luck, and could be supplanted just as easily.

In this light it's easy to understand the overweening need for adulation.

I know this is weird but even before I looked at your profile, I knew you were British. I can always tell these things. I'd have guessed at a Scouser too.