[rscamp]

Is there a god? Are there several? Which god is the right god? The supernatural is commonly invoked to fill in gaps of knowledge? Why? Is it convenience, intellectual laziness, or what? Many times in our history discovery has negated our need for gods of convenience. Why should this trend suddenly stop?

Is the human mind/brain perfect? Would we really want to convict someone in court based on a "feeling" rather than evidence? Why would we use the "faith" that a human holds to justify or explain anything at all including the existence of non-existence of a god? Thank god (any god you want) we have the scientific method to cut through the crap.

Can a human whose life spans 80 years truly understand what a million years is? Or a billion? I could design a mechanism to lift a 50 metric ton bolder 100 metres in the air with the motor in my MacBook hard drive. It might take 47 years, but it can be done. What can be done in a million years? Or a billion? How about 4.5 billion on Earth? How about 13.4 billion years in the entire universe we can know within the event horizon?

Is there any relationship between religiosity and "goodness" on a micro (individual) scale? How about on a macro (neighbourhood, county, country) scale? If not, why bother invoking the supernatural for a set of morals? We can, and already have improved greatly upon the outdated (and sometimes, truly abysmal) moral standards frozen in time by the documentation of religions.

All we truly know does not point in surety to the existence of a god. Gods created by religion are manifestations of an embarrassingly limited, colloquial and intellectually lazy species.

Rob

 

[Freddie_Biff]

This might be an interesting discussion to revive.

 

[pm-r]

This might be an interesting discussion to revive.

This seems like you were as lost as I was trying to sort out how the new ehMac Forum stuff is laid out and working...

One can encounter some interesting things... 😉

And I wonder where Rob is these days... and only two posts here many many years ago...


- Patrick
=======

 

[Freddie_Biff]

I like discussions of metaphysics, especially when they lead to interesting insights. A friend of mine once compared God to the wind; we can’t see it directly, but we can see and feel it’s effects. I always found that to be a comforting notion.

 

[pm-r]

I like discussions of metaphysics, especially when they lead to interesting insights. A friend of mine once compared God to the wind; we can’t see it directly, but we can see and feel it’s effects. I always found that to be a comforting notion.

That is a fitting analogy.... I hadn't heard that before but I like it.... 😉


- Patrick
=======

 

[Freddie_Biff]

That is a fitting analogy.... I hadn't heard that before but I like it.... 😉


- Patrick
=======

It works well if you're already a believer.

 

[dtaylor]

I like discussions of metaphysics, especially when they lead to interesting insights. A friend of mine once compared God to the wind; we can’t see it directly, but we can see and feel it’s effects. I always found that to be a comforting notion.

In spite of my atheism, this poem gives me the most lovely goosebumps:

Who has seen the wind?​

Neither I nor you:​

But when the leaves hang trembling,​

The wind is passing through.​

​

Who has seen the wind?​

Neither you nor I:​

But when the trees bow down their heads,​

The wind is passing by.​

​

-- Christina Rossetti​

​

 

[Freddie_Biff]

In spite of my atheism, this poem gives me the most lovely goosebumps:

Who has seen the wind?​

Neither I nor you:​

But when the leaves hang trembling,​

The wind is passing through.​

​

Who has seen the wind?​

Neither you nor I:​

But when the trees bow down their heads,​

The wind is passing by.​

​

-- Christina Rossetti​

​

Nice! Maybe God is simply a breath of fresh air.

 

[Freddie_Biff]

Sometimes I wonder if we got God wrong but humanizing Him/Her too much. If God were considered to be a force like magnetism or electricity or gravity, He/She might be more believable even though just as tricky to grasp. It's all the human qualities that we ascribe to God that make Him/Her unbelievable to me. I can buy a world that came into existence through evolution as opposed to a Supreme Being who plays favourites.

 

[Macfury]

Made in His image, your humanity would be a reflection of God's nature, not the reverse.

Sometimes I wonder if we got God wrong but humanizing Him/Her too much. If God were considered to be a force like magnetism or electricity or gravity, He/She might be more believable even though just as tricky to grasp. It's all the human qualities that we ascribe to God that make Him/Her unbelievable to me. I can buy a world that came into existence through evolution as opposed to a Supreme Being who plays favourites.

 

[Freddie_Biff]

Made in His image, your humanity would be a reflection of God's nature, not the reverse.

Yeah, I think man created God in his own image, not the other way around. Why else would God have all the imperfections humans have, like jealousy and a need for attention?

 

[Macfury]

If you believe men created God, then I guess he doesn't exist for you.

 

[Freddie_Biff]

If you believe men created God, then I guess he doesn't exist for you.

Why assume that? Man has created all kinds of things that exist. Why must God take the form of Invisible Man in the sky? Surely the Supreme Creator of all things could take any form He or She wished to. Why limit Himself or Herself to a human form?

 

[Freddie_Biff]

I think - we ourselves are gods because we have the ability to create new life, create and destroy! We are the creators of our destinies!

I like your way of thinking, Veomales! Maybe if we regarded ourselves as gods we’d act more responsibly.

 

[Macfury]

Oh all-seeing, all-knowing Freddie — you're respondiing to a SPAM account.

 

[Freddie_Biff]

Oh all-seeing, all-knowing Freddie — you're respondiing to a SPAM account.

Jeez, Macfury, don’t be so hard on yourself, calling yourself SPAM and everything.

 

[wonderings]

I think - we ourselves are gods because we have the ability to create new life, create and destroy! We are the creators of our destinies!

What new life do we create outside of procreation which is basically just copies of ourselves?

I like your way of thinking, Veomales! Maybe if we regarded ourselves as gods we’d act more responsibly.

I think if we regarded ourselves as gods we might become more and more narcissistic. People find all sorts of reasons to do horrible things, them thinking they are gods will not somehow give them idealistic notions of being good.

 

[Macfury]

I think if we regarded ourselves as gods we might become more and more narcissistic. People find all sorts of reasons to do horrible things, them thinking they are gods will not somehow give them idealistic notions of being good.

But it certainly inspires excessive preening in people like Freddie.

 

[Freddie_Biff]

What new life do we create outside of procreation which is basically just copies of ourselves?



I think if we regarded ourselves as gods we might become more and more narcissistic. People find all sorts of reasons to do horrible things, them thinking they are gods will not somehow give them idealistic notions of being good.

Possibly. But it also may be that people don’t stop themselves from being jerks because they think they’re unimportant. If they considered themselves as more worthwhile, regarded themselves with respect, they might act more responsibly. Just something to consider. Narcissists don’t care about anyone but themselves, like Trump or Macfury.

 

[Macfury]

They will respect themselves because Freddie has convinced that they are gods? Srtick with Trump and MacFury--we can craft a better plan than that!