I’d vote for a “minimal” god, a godling, little better than a scientific mastermind, or a supercomputer. Somebody who answered questions and gave good advice, but didn’t go around trying to control everything.
If we did create a super-computer that was a lot smarter than we are, then, without bowing before it, we could still profit hugely from paying attention to what it says.
Aye. Very good choice. Wisdom, intelligence, some real compassion – and looks good in marble.
A being that could demonstrate unambiguously the ability to preserve a human will and identity beyond death of the physical host would be wotth worshipping. The math of eternity is undeniable. Of course, that only holds while said being is morally unasailable. Once the price of eternity becomes abomination, then resistance is the only path worth taking.
That’s pretty much it for me, too. All instances of ‘gods’ I know off seem to share blatantly contradictory traits, so a god I could believe in—a god which is at the very least consistent, and thus, possible—would not be what’s usually called ‘god’.
See, you can’t ask “What kind of god would you believe in an follow”, and then, when you are told that we’d need some concrete evidence (to start), begin to play this coy little game of, “All will be revealed to you in good time.” As if you know something that we poor dumb atheist bastards can’t begin to understand.
God could make Eddie Vedder think I’m the best thing since Rock Music, but that probably wouldn’t work out too well for Eddie.
Where did I say all will be revealed? You are reading things into my post that are not there. Sorry you took offense. No offense intended.
Not offended as much as puzzled by your responses:
Many posts describe a variety of scenarios for your OP but the above comments lead me to think that you are pressing the “God is already among us, you just don’t know it yet” conclusion.
And what is this, “Maybe we just don’t know it yet”, all about? You seem fairly convinced that you are already in posession of that knowledge.
Anyway… don’t want to detract from the OP and the other responses.
Back to the regularly scheduled programming…
My God wouldn’t ask you for money.
And he would have monkey butlers, just because.
If he made it so I could have a chocolate shake and a cheeseburger anytime I snapped my fingers, I may consider worshiping him. Screw faith - I want substance!
Here is what I posted in This similar thread
(1) A being appeared out of thin air in the middle of some live televised public event. Appearing halfway between home base and the pitcher’s mound in the middle of a world series game would be a good way to do it
(2) This being displayed supernatural powers (many possibilities discussed already upthread)
(3) This being was incredibly charismatic. People were drawn to this being, and reported great happiness at being around this being. Everyone liked it. It was funny and kind and caring. But people who had been exposed to this being did not (at least apparently) become mind-controlled robots… debate would still rage, even among those who had been directly exposed to this being’s Apparent Radiant Goodness as to the exact nature of this being
(4) After hearing many people I trusted claim that praying to this being would result in prayers being answered, I prayed to this being, and was answered. That is, I assumed a “prayer-ish” mindset, and then felt that I was communicating with another being… and clear two-way communicating took place. I kind of envision the being as being like some kind of super-therapist… not removing free will by telling me what to do at every moment, and in fact refusing to do so, but rephrasing situations and pointing things out that clarified my own thoughts on the topic, and how I could use my own capabilities and tendencies (which the being knew better than I) to solve these issues
(5) When asked who the being was and why it had only now appeared, it claimed to be God, and showed people (via magic) the creation of the universe, and explained why it had only now appeared.
(6) (here’s the key point) All of the above MADE THE WORLD AND MY LIFE BETTER. The advice that this being gave caused the people of the world to love one another at least somewhat more. The influence of this being was clearly benevolent… and I don’t mean into some kind of theocratic god-worshiping world of clones who do nothing but sing hymns morning and night. I mean, the world was actually better… people were happier, crime was down, disease was down, etc. More people were good and fewer people were evil and there was more happiness and more productive fulfillment of the potential for human greatness.
Basically, I want Aslan to come back 
If all of the above happened and continued for long enough that I was certain I wasn’t dreaming, I see no reason why it would be more logical to define that being as either hallucination or super-advanced-alien than “God”.
I was talking about us when I said: maybe we just don’t know yet. I believe there are many things we don’t know about.
I am a poet and a philosopher, I tend to look at the biggest picture I know of, but that in no way means I am offending anyone..
Faith is a lot like trust, we can’t live without.
That’s nice.
Do you think it is possible that, if a god exists, it might not be the god you wish existed? What if the god that exists is not the god you want?
Nonsense, people can live just fine without faith. Living without faith is better; faith is insane, faith is the denial of reality, it makes a person a danger to themselves and others.
If someone tasked me to make an improved version of humanity, I’d make them neurologically incapable of faith. It’s a defective thought process, an error.
Might I recommend, instead, a tendency against it, as opposed to a complete disability? An antipathy to faith might make us a better kind of people, but a complete kind of “color-blindness” can only be a dangerous limitation.
Mine eye offends me, so I close it, rather than plucking it out!
That would still be an improvement, so yes.
Yes, anything is possible.
I understand you are talking about religious faith, but there are many other kinds of faith also as faith in others. Faith is often defined as trust and without trust everyone would be insane.
An impersonal one, maybe.
I have a “god” in the sense of something I worship, but it’s more like Nature or the Divine Will than some big blond with a hammer.
That said, I can understand “following” a “god” you know is made up–especially if you defined it for yourself–as a symbol. But the true believers might say that doesn’t count.
Faith is not trust. Faith is belief without evidence, or even against evidence. Faith is belief that makes no logical sense, it denies reason as well as truth. Faith is a form of madness, not a protection against madness.
Trust is justifiable belief; belief backed with with evidence and reason, not against them. Trust and faith are if anything opposites, not the same.
What you’re talking about is blind faith, Der Trihs. Haven’t you ever heard of faith as in, “faithful friend”, or “remaining faithful” in your relationship, for example? Same thing. (I’m not talking about religion here, just saying that’s how it’s the same thing as trust. lekatt’s definition’s are something different.)
I’ve always said I’m just kind of a “vague theist”, in that I just believe in “something”, but not any particular god. But whatever YOU believe or don’t believe, meh. I really don’t give a shit. I’m not here to witness, like lekatt.