Then why should humans play by god rules?
If God has no more involvement in our lives than to plant hidden messages, what good is he?
None, unless this keeps the NSA busy and out of our hair…
Cite.
Where did I say that?
Do you have me confused with someone else?
Where did I say you said it? Do you have me confused with someone else?
I’m asking you the question. Does your model of God include any relevance to humanity or religion? If not, why are you talking about God instead of a Cosmic Zebra? Why hang these ideas on the God-concept instead of any other imaginary being you could be making up? What makes what you’ve modeled ‘God’ and not ‘Steve’?
I don’t have a model of God. I’m just pointing out the Good/Evil model of God isn’t the only one.
Consider this hypothetical. Lets say there’s a universe alot more complex then this one. In this universe computers able to simulate things as complex as our whole universe are possible. A lab tech does just that. Lets call this lab tech “Steve”
He wants to see what a universe with different cosmological constants and lot fewer quantum particle variables would become. Well Steve finds life exists in his simulation!
Steve is effectively God. Steve can reprogram and change things in the simulation as he likes. However Steve decides not to interfere because his species feels interference is morally wrong.
Is Steve evil?
Could we build some kind of debigulator to transport Steve down here into our laboratory universe?
Go look up virtual particles. Again.
Sure, but how would we send him back? That would require a rebigulator, which is totally preposterous.
I am a new member here, but I see ALOT of arrogance in this community. Wow.
God does not ‘prove’ himself through physical means. God is spirit. His spirit is revealed in the most powerful force on earth - LOVE.
Think about this. We can agree that Love exists , right? You see it everyday being transmitted and received. Its a powerful energy that drives most of the world. However, its not something tangible that you can see it or touch it. It exists without having to be created on Earth. Why do most people believe in the existence of love if you can’t see it?
But that goes against science and reason, right?
People are even more aware of its prescence when a major tragedy hits. When
a devestation hits (e.g. hurricanes, tornadoes, etc.) you hear and see
people on the news providing food, shelter, & support for others besides themselves. Its
demonstrated in selfless acts of generosity. Why would people go out of their way to show love for others through selfless actions? Answer: Love.
Now, if you can accept that Love exists with being able to have tangible
proof there must be a source where Love comes from. Where do you think the
source is? I will let you make that conclusion.
I believe both reason and faith can lead to the mind of God. However,
Love has much more impact on mankind than reason. St Thomas Aquinas, one of
the highest intellectual Theologians ever to live in the World, used reason
to provide his “Five ways of Proving the existence of God.” Its taken from
his book “Summa Theologica.” I won’t pretend to understand most of the
arguements only because they surpase my ability to understand. The mind of
this man was from another world. See link below.
If 2 sides of a debate are equally firm in their belief, why would you only consider 1 side to be arrogant?
*If God has no more involvement in our lives than to plant hidden messages, what good is he? *
Bryan, if somebody needs your help and comes to your front door and just stands there without knocking, how are you able to know they are there? Have you tried knocking?
God looks at the heart . You have to have an “open” heart and sincerely seek him out.
I guarantee if you simply talk to him he will respond. He even reveals this in the Holy Bible. I will bet my life on it. However, it probably will not happen in “your” timing. Just ask him to answer you or help you in a way that “you” can easily pick up on. Keep your eyes, mind and heart open!
Peace be with you…
Probably an evolutionary adaptation to further the prospects of survival among an intelligent sociable species, combined with a culture that expands that species’ definition from “family” to “community” and even “all people.”
That’s my guess, anyway.
It would help if you would define exactly what you mean by each of those terms: God, spirit, love, force. You may not be using them the same way others do, and we can’t have a conversation until we know what the words mean.
Are you saying that “God” is simply an emotion, akin to “love”? Most people agree that there is some objective reality, outside our heads, and that people who believe in God, think that he is part of that objective external reality. But it sounds like you’re saying God’s simply an emotion. Is that right?
Since you can’t find God through reason, you’re left no choice but to use unreason.
That ain’t sayin’ much.
Yes, almost all of us have seen Aquinas’s five ways, and found them laughable. Seriously, and schoolchild should be able to see right through their fallacies, given that the schoolchild’s mind has not already been infected with anti-reason.
Ah; the typical religious claim that those who don’t believe are arrogant. Despite they themselves being so arrogant as to assert the unquestionable existence of wildly implausible beings and places and forces. And then, to deny the need for any evidence whatsoever. Arrogance is part of the core of religion; it can’t exist without it. Declaring objective reality to be what you want it to be, or denying objective reality because you don’t like it is as arrogant as it gets.
Because he’s not real. That does make proving his existence a problem.
And there’s no evidence for any such thing as spirit. You are claiming that a creature you can’t provide evidence for is made of something you can’t provide evidence for.
:rolleyes: Oh, please, not this love fetishism again. Love is just an emotion that happens to feel good. It’s not the world’s most powerful force, it’s not a force at all except in the most metaphorical of senses, it’s not intrinsically good, and it’s not all that profound either.
Because they can feel it, like hunger or anger or lust. It’s just an emotion. Just chemistry and neurology, manifested in psychology; not some “force”.
No. You are making something rather mundane into something that it isn’t.
Answer : Mutual survival, and evolution. Cooperation in the face of a natural disaster benefits everyone; not doing so can easily be lethal, thus they tend to cooperate. At least during the actual disaster; it’s when people settle down that looting and such tends to start. “Love” isn’t involved, except with people you know.
The brain is very tangible, and that’s where love comes from. Again, you are making something mundane into something it’s not.
Religion is hostile to thought; it corrupts reason. Faith does lead to religion, because faith is a form of insanity, and so is religion.
Okay, I can imagine describing the conditions under which I could be convinced God exists, or at least a being sufficiently powerful that it may as well be God. The Bible isn’t involved, nor are doors and hearts and such. If God exists and can read minds, he/it already knows what he/it has to do to satisfy me, if he/it cares about such things.
Peace be with you, too.
Rittersport,
I believe that Love comes from your spirit. If you look at ourselves purely as products of evolution then we are nothing more than animals. Existing just to exist without a purpose. On the contrary, we are here to love and take care of one another. Isn’t that enough?
Here is a wise quote:
Patience with others is Love, Patience with self is Hope, Patience with God is faith.
Well, you’re wrong; there’s no such thing as “spirit”.
We ARE the products of evolution, and we are “just” animals, if smart ones. As for “purpose”, what makes you think having a purpose imposed on you is desirable ? I choose my own purpose.
Not even close. Nor is indiscriminate, general love love desirable or worthwhile. A love that applies to everyone has no standards, and therefore no worth.
It’s not “wise”; it’s incorrect, and makes no sense. It’s just a bunch of words strung together; a meaningless slogan that sounds pretty but means nothing.
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