# What is a "god"? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [April 8, 2013, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-god/655153 "2013-04-08T14:16:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 10
**Author:** ![Latro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a87d85/32.png) [@Latro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Latro)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2013, 9:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-god/655153/181 "2013-04-25T09:17:53Z")
> [@Measure\_for\_Measure](#): > > Zoroastrians still exist, though they do not proselytize and they discourage inter-marriage. They probably worship the same J/C/I God though (or rather, that’s the conventional ecumenical take). Fundis can differ on that point. What!? No, of course not. The supreme God is Ahura Mazda who is definitely not the same as the “Abrahamic” god. (AKA YHWH, aka “God”, aka “Allah”.) ---
**Author:** ![Kaviik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f05b48/32.png) [@Kaviik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kaviik)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2013, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-god/655153/182 "2013-04-26T22:43:46Z")
> [@Trinopus](#): > > **Kaviik** : Actually, to the very best of our ability to know, some events in the universe really are random. The decay of radioactive elements, for instance, or the position of an electron. Quantum tunnelling seems to demonstrate this, and, while other explanations have been proposed, none, so far, has survived experimental testing. > > Philosophically, this doesn’t prove much either way. Maybe there’s no God, or maybe God embraces randomness in his laws of nature. I understand where you are coming from, but IMO it does not address what I was calling random, and the poster I replied to will have to define the word Random. I took it as random meaning a break in laws of physics, such as something randomly falling up. I apologize if I was confusing ---
**Author:** ![Kaviik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f05b48/32.png) [@Kaviik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kaviik)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2013, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-god/655153/183 "2013-04-26T22:49:53Z")
> [@lekatt](#): > > I am not my body, and I have functioned fine without my brain and body. It is common knowledge that some don’t consider, but it is still truth and easy to prove. Yes you are your body, and that is all you are, no more or no less. Without your brain you cannot function. You do not exist if there is no brain or body. What you say is not common knowledge, do you even know what the word KNOWLEDGE means. Knowledge does not include guess; for example it is KNOWLEDGE that the sun exists, this would be COMMON KNOWLEDGE There is no knowledge, none what so ever regarding spirit, soul or any other religious claim of faith you make If your claims were KNOWLEDGE there would be no need for faith. ---
**Author:** ![Kaviik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f05b48/32.png) [@Kaviik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kaviik)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2013, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-god/655153/184 "2013-04-26T22:55:08Z")
> [@lekatt](#): > > No I mean it was proven years ago, but some still don’t understand. > > A person goes into cardiac arrest and clinical dies. Later he returns to life. > He can then describe what happened while he was dead. Conclusion: > life continues after the clinical death of the body and brain. Many universities have > studied this and concur. Blind people can see while they are dead. Handicapped can move and do as they want, etc. > > I would not say this if it were not true, there is much research, and I experienced it myself and no it was not an hallucination it was real as they all are. It is OK with me > if you don’t believe. Truth is truth no matter what anyone believes. Oh, you want to babble on about NDE, okay I am game A: NDE refutes your claim, NDE requires a BODY AND BRAIN B: Do be declared actually dead; a specific doctor in the hospital makes the decision. C: Simply having a heart stop does not equal DEAD; as in a coroner declares a person DEAD. D: NED experiences can be explained using the Scientific Method; to argue else wise due to insufficient knowledge on the topic; is simply employing the Argument from Ignorance logical fallacy. E: You use the word “proven”; I have a problem with that since the scientific method does not PROVE it DISPROVES; Science deals with probabilities not absolutes. ---
**Author:** ![Kaviik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f05b48/32.png) [@Kaviik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kaviik)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2013, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-god/655153/185 "2013-04-26T23:03:14Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > When it comes to gods being all powerful/omnipotent/omniscient/eternal etc., was the Judeo-Christian god the first? Is he the only one with these attributes assigned to him? There is no Judeo-Christian god, yes we hear the term but the NT is not Judaism in any manner. Sects of Hinduism which is older that Judaism or Christianity has an all powerful god that the others are Avatars of the one God. Brahma is such a God if looking into particular sects of Judaism. El the head god of the Canaanite Pantheon was as close as could be to the all powerful god of Judaism Yahweh for example was a god of the Canaanite Pantheon before he was lifted above El. ---
**Author:** ![Kaviik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f05b48/32.png) [@Kaviik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kaviik)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2013, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-god/655153/186 "2013-04-26T23:08:02Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > A supreme being, Paradise, Hell, an infernal opponent, a savior born of a virgin etc.-Does Christianity have _any_ original ideas at all? Nope, Christianity is nothing but a Greek Mystery Cult with a drop of classic blood cult included. Even the Jesus of the NT simply repeated miracles that OT prophets did. The Eucharist that Christians hold dearly was in use for more than 200 years before the Christian cult formed. Reference Dionysus Eucharist for more information. Jesus is just one of many Dying and Resurrecting God myths. The Trinity of Christianity simply borrowed the Egyptian Trinity The birth story was re-worked Mithra birth stories ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2013, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-god/655153/187 "2013-04-27T00:35:24Z")
> [@Kaviik](#): > > Oh, you want to babble on about NDE, okay I am game > A: NDE refutes your claim, NDE requires a BODY AND BRAIN > B: Do be declared actually dead; a specific doctor in the hospital makes the decision. > C: Simply having a heart stop does not equal DEAD; as in a coroner declares a person DEAD. > D: NED experiences can be explained using the Scientific Method; to argue else wise due to insufficient knowledge on the topic; is simply employing the Argument from Ignorance logical fallacy. > E: You use the word “proven”; I have a problem with that since the scientific method does not PROVE it DISPROVES; Science deals with probabilities not absolutes. This is off topic. If you want to wander off and have a discussion about NDEs, then take it out of this thread, (and, preferably, out of this forum). lekatt has already been told that it was not appropriate to bring it up and you are not helping by trying to continue the discussion. [/Moderating] ---
**Author:** ![Kaviik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f05b48/32.png) [@Kaviik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kaviik)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2013, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-god/655153/188 "2013-04-27T00:50:32Z")
> [@tomndebb](#): > > This is off topic. > > If you want to wander off and have a discussion about NDEs, then take it out of this thread, (and, preferably, out of this forum). lekatt has already been told that it was not appropriate to bring it up and you are not helping by trying to continue the discussion. > > [/Moderating] Message received and I will do my best to stay on topic and not get dragged in to off topic discussion. ---
**Author:** ![pjnlsn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e8c25b/32.png) [@pjnlsn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pjnlsn)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2013, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-god/655153/189 "2013-04-27T02:07:11Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Did you happen to see post #176? What I wrote is still true. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-god/655153.md?page=9)