Describe God

[Una_Persson]

I do not believe but I did at one time, and this is what I believed:

How powerful is she/he/it First off, it is genderless, or gender may not even apply. It’s not human or human-appearing. It was a nebulous entity which may or may not be recognizable to us if we saw it.

what is she/he/it made of Unknown.

what can/can’t she/he/it do The god I thought I believed in was bound within the universe - it did not create the universe, it was part of it, and would end when the universe ended.

where does she/he/it reside Unknown. I did not believe that god fervently watched over the earth and the people on it, heard prayers, etc. I believed that God sort of set life in motion many years ago and for the most part sat back to watch in general how things were proceeding, with occasional intervention to push things along. I also believed it was likely God was doing the same on many different worlds in parallel.

At one time I believed that the “spark” of consciousness within each of us was a part of god, and that whatever we did in our lives changed god overall, because when we died that spark returned to the source and carried with it some of the “development” it went through within us. No heaven or hell or purgatory or limbo, just a flow of energy so to speak.

I think that god would have been/was highly disappointed in most organized religions, such as Judaism, Christianity, Islam, etc. That god would have wanted a sort of “benevolent natural philosophy” to take over - one where education, learning, science, etc. would help us become a better race, mutually beneficial for all.

That’s what I believed; I haven’t believed anything like that for a while. I now believe in a cold, empty, universe which will die a heat death forever and ever meaning that everything we are and do right now is meaningless and pointless and stupid. I don’t like writing about it and the only reason I’m doing so here is…I don’t know.

I’ve answered the question the best I know how.

[fumster]

@Rodney_of_Texas

His Socks are the size of New Jersey.

I think the officially accepted metrics for size are bread box, football field, Rhode Island, and Texas. Pretty sure New Jersey is not on the list.

[The_Tao_s_Revenge]

@Czarcasm

For the purpose of this thread I am not interested in proofs and/or evidence, and I don’t care to read responses such as “I would tell you, but you would just…”. Describe the characteristics of the deity you believe in. How powerful is she/he/it, what is she/he/it made of, what can/can’t she/he/it do, where does she/he/it reside, and any other specifics you can throw in, please.
Again, this is not the a thread for proving or disproving God-this is a thread for describing God.

In some religions gods represent elements of nature and life. In Norse mythology, among others, the gods are mortal in that they can be killed. The term “god” its self is a loaded term. In Christianity it’s used as the name of an all powerful being. In Buddhism godhood is the fruit of very good karma but still temporary. Further god can be a blurry concept In Mesopotamian and Greek belief systems you have beings with human and god ancestors who have properties from both.

In some religions gods originate from the personification of animals, or legendary humans. The Inuit goddess of sea mammals, Sedna in some legends was born of the death of a mortal woman who’s father married her of to a crow in a desperate bid to keep her from starving. The crow was mean to her and she died in the sea trying to escape. Her body was the source marine mammals which she sends fourth to feed people.
Christians believe in an omnimax god. A being capable of knowing, and doing anything, who is everywhere. Such a being presents logical contradictions, but I honestly don’t see why describing logical contradictions as limiting factors complies with the initial premise of a “god who can do anything”. If the being can do anything, then it can enter states that contradict logic at will too.

I’m agnostic so here’s my beliefs concern the nature and existence of god or god like entities:

how the hell should I know?

[AshenLady]

Some kind of hot-head that you would meet at the local tappie. No talking to and making sense with the guy. A real irritable SOB.

[tomndebb]

@Left_Hand_of_Dorkness

. . . possibly marijuana-enhanced, . . .

Keep your opinions of the other posters and comments about their remarks out of this thread.

[ /Moderating ]

[Czarcasm]

@Diogenes_the_Cynic

Isn’t “spirit” just a nonsense word, in that case? If the word has no definition, how does it convey any information?

What stops him?

For what it’s worth, the Bible says that God has lied at least once, and maybe twice if you believe that Jesus was God.

Does he have a penis? “Male” is a biological characteristic. If God is not a biological entity, what makes him “male?”

This thread is for religionists to describe the deity they believe in. Unless you have evidence that they believe something other than what they have put forth in this thread, please take it elsewhere.

[Czarcasm]

@The_Tao_s_Revenge

In some religions gods represent elements of nature and life. In Norse mythology, among others, the gods are mortal in that they can be killed. The term “god” its self is a loaded term. In Christianity it’s used as the name of an all powerful being. In Buddhism godhood is the fruit of very good karma but still temporary. Further god can be a blurry concept In Mesopotamian and Greek belief systems you have beings with human and god ancestors who have properties from both.

In some religions gods originate from the personification of animals, or legendary humans. The Inuit goddess of sea mammals, Sedna in some legends was born of the death of a mortal woman who’s father married her of to a crow in a desperate bid to keep her from starving. The crow was mean to her and she died in the sea trying to escape. Her body was the source marine mammals which she sends fourth to feed people.
Christians believe in an omnimax god. A being capable of knowing, and doing anything, who is everywhere. Such a being presents logical contradictions, but I honestly don’t see why describing logical contradictions as limiting factors complies with the initial premise of a “god who can do anything”. If the being can do anything, then it can enter states that contradict logic at will too.

I’m agnostic so here’s my beliefs concern the nature and existence of god or god like entities:

how the hell should I know?

And where in the OP does it ask you to describe the deity you don’t believe in?

[Beware_of_Doug]

@AshenLady

Some kind of hot-head that you would meet at the local tappie. No talking to and making sense with the guy. A real irritable SOB.

With unlimited authority. Which is why I chose the drill instructor.

[Diogenes_the_Cynic]

@Czarcasm

This thread is for religionists to describe the deity they believe in. Unless you have evidence that they believe something other than what they have put forth in this thread, please take it elsewhere.

Take what elsewhere? All I’m doing is asking for clarification of answers.

[The_Tao_s_Revenge]

@Czarcasm

And where in the OP does it ask you to describe the deity you don’t believe in?

I guess you’re the type of person who puts words in people’s mouths.

I said agnostic, not atheist.

[The_Tao_s_Revenge]

@The_Tao_s_Revenge

I guess you’re the type of person who puts words in people’s mouths.

I said agnostic, not atheist.

To clarify this I don’t believe or disbelieve. I believe some beliefs systems are highly improbably, but there’s always a nonzero chance, even if it is maddeningly close to zero.

[Thudlow_Boink]

@Diogenes_the_Cynic

So far we haven’t really seen a single genuine answer. Interesting.

I don’t think you’re going to get an answer that satisfies you, Diogenes. And you’re going to discourage people from posting serious answers if you’re going to treat them as targets for people like you to shoot at.

In words that echo the begining of the Tao Te Ching, I might say that a God who could be defined or described would not be the true God. I can’t exactly describe God by saying “God is a member of well-defined set A,” since God is unique. And many people have attempted to describe God by means of analogy or metaphor: “God is like x.” But of course, all such attempts are limited, and have the potential to mislead. And in particular, God cannot be understood the way one might try to understand a mathematical concept or a physical phenomenon: by seeking to intellectually master it. We cannot master God; the very notion is absurd.

@Diogenes_the_Cynic

Isn’t “spirit” just a nonsense word, in that case? If the word has no definition, how does it convey any information?

You can’t define everything in terms of previously defined terms. Euclid knew that.

I agree that God is spirit. I would have trouble defining what “spirit” means, but I can at least say that God is not a material entity made up of atoms and molecules, and that God is not limited to some particular location in space/time.

Thus, questions like “What is God made of?” or “Where does God reside?” don’t really apply, any more than “What color is God?” or “What does God smell like?”

As for “How powerful is God?”: God is the Creator. God was there In The Beginning, before anything that was made, was made, and all that exists owes its existence to God. God can create entities that are not mere puppets under God’s control but that are free and independent, and God can limit God’s own power so as to give those free beings scope for their freedom.

Does he have a penis? “Male” is a biological characteristic. If God is not a biological entity, what makes him “male?”

And that’s a good question, mixed with a stupid one. Of course God, not being a biological being, isn’t male in the physical, biological sense. But there’s more to being male than just having a penis; otherwise no one would ever describe feeling like “a woman trapped in a man’s body” or vice versa. But, if you believe in immortal souls or spirits (and if you don’t, the question is moot), can they be in some sense masculine or feminine, or are maleness and femaleness strictly characteristics of material bodies? On this, I plead ignorance; but I suspect it may be in some sense correct to say that God is indeed Masculine—and that God is also Feminine.

[The_Conqueror_Worm]

@Diogenes_the_Cynic

So far we haven’t really seen a single genuine answer. Interesting.

I resent that you think my reply was less than sincere. Certainly it was unsatisfactory. In many ways it is very unsatisfactory to myself as well. But that is the nature of what I perceive to be the deity. Anytime someone tries to complete the statement “God is…” or “God is not…” they have in fact put a limit upon their deity. As I stated before, I am a finite being and so anytime I try to conceive (let alone explain) the infinite it will be so far removed from the truth so as to be less than useless.

I have always been bothered by both “true believers” and “true believer atheists,” both are so narrow minded and certain of themselves that they can not even admit the possibility of the existence of something beyond their understanding. Incidentally, I have more than once said to “true believers” that my concept of the deity is large enough to include theirs and that I am sorry that their god is so small. To evangelical atheists I say that I’m sorry that their truth is real.

If people insist on labeling others and wish me to narrow down my beliefs so as to hang a tag upon me I’m probably a Taoist/Buddhist. The only way to know god is to become god.

[cmyk]

As I just stated in this post in Czarcasm’s sister thread on this topic:

@cmyk

Definition for God: An intelligence (be it collective, individual, or “other”) that created the universe we find ourselves living in.*

Everything else is heresy and trivialities, no?

*For the record, I consider myself agnostic.

[pinkyvee]

@Czarcasm

Sorry about the delay-I got caught up in a Mexican baby shower, and those things last forever.

Yes they can and do.
I am Mexican by marriage only.
I hope you enjoyed it.

I’m not looking for inspirational poetry or greeting card glurge-I can find stuff like this on forums that have a pink background and pictures of angels in the upper corners.

You could have just said, “No thanks.”

This is not a “gotcha”. This is an honest attempt to find out what you believe. Either believe me, or pit me.

I don’t pit people. It is unnecessary for me to insult you.
I very much felt the “gotcha” as evidenced in the “glurge” comment.

Sorry I was not helpful to you.
I enjoyed writing my response, so it was helpful to me.

I hope you get the answers you are looking for.

[Gymnopithys]

Dio: *If God is not a biological entity, what makes him “male?” *

His voice
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ROFUEIhvYU (The Ark)

God is that imaginary thingumajig that created Canis Majoris (2000 times the radius of the Sun) and a few others hot bodies like Brigitte Bardot (Et Dieu créa la femme).

[fumster]

@The_Conqueror_Worm

I have always been bothered by both “true believers” and “true believer atheists,” both are so narrow minded and certain of themselves that they can not even admit the possibility of the existence of something beyond their understanding.

So you accept the possibility of faries, or unicorns, or that Thor is causing thunder with his hammer?

But beyond that, atheists, true believers or not, do not deny the existence of something beyond their understanding. I certainly don’t expect to ever understand what occurred before our universe. Rather the belief is that there is nothing observable that currently requires one to accept the existence of a supernatural deity.

[eleanorigby]

@Left_Hand_of_Dorkness

Frankfurters purple quiescent platinum reverberating ragamuffin tweet.

Which is to say, I don’t dismiss it as woo: I furrow my brow at something that’s incoherent. If it works for you, awesome, but I don’t see a place for such a post in a debate, inasmuch as if it means anything, it’s an explicit rejection of logic.

Where is it written that God has anything to do with logic? Why is logic held up as the ultimate standard of correctness or acceptance? Many things about life and being human are not logical in the least. What is incoherent to YOU may not be to someone else. How is this difficult? Why is this difficult?

I am certain that the presence of what people are calling God cannot be scientifically proven, that does not make God any less real.

I am also quite leery of the OP and do sense a “gotcha” coming at some point. Since I care not one whit about obtaining or keeping the OP’s (or the others in here that claim to just not get how anyone could believe in God or claim to etc) good opinion of myself, I will give the answer that seems to be asked for:

God is a robed old man with a white beard who sits on a golden throne on a cloud up in the heavens. He dispenses justice and mercy with waves of his hand.

Now, I’m sure to be taken to task because this is not what I actually believe. God is indescribable in terms that we can understand. We cannot contain and categorize God, so a description is not only inadequate, it is unnecessary. I never took freshman Philosophy, so I can’t help you with the formal terminology, but you are asking the impossible (which I think you are smart enough to realize it is impossible, so therefore, logically, I think you’re toying with us, Czarcasm,) for what purpose, I do not know.

IOW, why should believers lay bald their deeply felt notions for you, just for the asking? There is an arrogance and presumption in your OP that does not set well with me, at least. LHoD, Dio and Czarcasm: to what purpose is your questioning and implied scorn? What on earth do you hope to achieve? Who are any of you to question another’s beliefs?

[The_Conqueror_Worm]

@sh1bu1

So you accept the possibility of faries, or unicorns, or that Thor is causing thunder with his hammer?

But beyond that, atheists, true believers or not, do not deny the existence of something beyond their understanding. I certainly don’t expect to ever understand what occurred before our universe. Rather the belief is that there is nothing observable that currently requires one to accept the existence of a supernatural deity.

To the first part, there certainly doesn’t seem to any evidence of their existence in this world. On another planet or in another universe? The truth is, I don’t know and neither do you.

To the latter part, I accept that in your reckoning the evidence does not exist. I wonder if you can legitimately do the same for my perspective?

Honestly, I don’t usually talk about my thoughts regarding the existence or non existence of a deity for exactly the reasons I pointed out in my previous posts.

[fumster]

@eleanorigby

I am certain that the presence of what people are calling God cannot be scientifically proven, that does not make God any less real.

When I hear statements like that I just can not make any sense of it. Let’s say there is a God but he is not directly observable, nor does his presence influence any observable phenomenon that is not consistent with the rules of chance or the known physical laws, nor would we know if he stopped existing, nor will we ever know what his will is. In what way is that different from there not being a God?

I can posit that everything in the universe is being multiplied by 1 every 13 seconds, but because 1*X=X we can not see that it is happening. How is that different from someone asserting that God exists, but is unobservable?