Originally posted by howardgeeDescribe the Flying Spagetti monster.
That's all I ask.
If I believed in the Flying Spaghetti monster, then in order for you to dispute my claim, I would have to define what I thought it was.
Please be as specific as you can; try and avoid vagueness.
So come on all ye faithful - describe for me what it is you worship.
I don't worship, more's the pity, but I will try to describe my concept of God. I only have words to work with here, so please excuse me when I find it impossible to get it right.
God is the image of the ultimate, the image of perfection. God is home to the idea that even when you are capable of doing anything, you still only do what is right (not exclusively in a moral sense here--let's not get confused by narrowing definitions). God is who you can have faith in when you find you don't have faith in anything, especially yourself. God is that force that those people who are always trying to be the best are trying to defeat, trying to surpass.
God is holy when nothing of the world created by human perception can be.
God is the quintessential parent who will never reject, always help with open arms, yet never let you forget that there are consquenses for your actions.
God very well may be a metaphor, but if He is, then He is a strong one, and He is only because humans either are incapable or refuse to stand next to the God that is always by our side.
Open up your heart and hear the angels. Forget religion if you must--mere trappings made from the stuff of this world that is often full of an over-inflated sense of its own importence. Once you hear, then you won't be asking for such definitions anymore.
Originally posted by thesonofsaulSo God is "an image", "a metaphor". "a force".
I don't worship, more's the pity, but I will try to describe my concept of God. I only have words to work with here, so please excuse me when I find it impossible to get it right.
God is the image of the ultimate, the image of perfection. God is home to the idea that even when you are capable of doing anything, you still only do what is right (not ...[text shortened]... its own importence. Once you hear, then you won't be asking for such definitions anymore.
Images can be illusions.
Metaphors do not exist, that is why they are metaphors.
Gravity is a force; so is a push.
Is that all you can come up with?
In your entire paragraph, you have not managed to list one single concrete property of God.
Perhaps this is not surprising, as you believe in the preposterous statement that "world (is) created by human perception ".
Of course the world already exists before we percieve it. We do not bring the world into existence by viewing it.
It is interesting that not one single other Xstian has even attempted to better this feeble effort.
Do you lot have any idea what it is you are devoting your lives to?
Originally posted by howardgeeDefine "concrete property".
So God is "an image", "a metaphor". "a force".
Images can be illusions.
Metaphors do not exist, that is why they are metaphors.
Gravity is a force; so is a push.
Is that all you can come up with?
In your entire paragraph, you have not managed to list one single concrete property of God.
Perhaps this is not surprising, as you believe in the prepos ...[text shortened]... this feeble effort.
Do you lot have any idea what it is you are devoting your lives to?
Originally posted by howardgeeWhat are you looking for the physical description of God?
So God is "an image", "a metaphor". "a force".
Images can be illusions.
Metaphors do not exist, that is why they are metaphors.
Gravity is a force; so is a push.
Is that all you can come up with?
In your entire paragraph, you have not managed to list one single concrete property of God.
Perhaps this is not surprising, as you believe in the prepos ...[text shortened]... this feeble effort.
Do you lot have any idea what it is you are devoting your lives to?
Kelly
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Originally posted by KellyJayLogicians have a term for such machination as HG's loaded questions: circulus in probando. Since materialism is one of his premises, he assumes the very thing he is trying to prove: the non-existence of the Transcendent.
What are you looking for the physical description of God?
Kelly
Originally posted by howardgeeImages can be illusions.
So God is "an image", "a metaphor". "a force".
Metaphors do not exist, that is why they are metaphors.
Gravity is a force; so is a push.
Is that all you can come up with?
In your entire paragraph, you have not managed to list one single concrete property of God.
Perhaps this is not surprising, as you believe in the preposterous statement that "w ...[text shortened]... this feeble effort.
Do you lot have any idea what it is you are devoting your lives to?
Very true. A great many things are images, and all of them can be illusions. Love is an image. So is victory, so is culture. Should these things be disbanded?
Metaphors do not exist, that is why they are metaphors.
Absolutely not true. Metaphors exist to bring understanding of something that is otherwise beyond our scope, past our ability to percieve.
Gravity is a force; so is a push.
So? Should we create another thread just to list all the forces we can have? Here you're the one who couldn't come up with something better.
Oh, and "perfection" is a concrete property. Or were you looking for the color of God's eyes? Or maybe his shoe size? Perhaps you need to step away from your Zeus on the mountaintop conception of God.
Originally posted by thesonofsaulA very eloquent post 🙂
I don't worship, more's the pity, but I will try to describe my concept of God. I only have words to work with here, so please excuse me when I find it impossible to get it right.
God is the image of the ultimate, the image of perfection. God is home to the idea that even when you are capable of doing anything, you still only do what is right (not ...[text shortened]... its own importence. Once you hear, then you won't be asking for such definitions anymore.
Originally posted by thesonofsaulThanks. I appreciate the offer but I remain an atheist. I simply thought your description of god a cut above the usual ramblings. May He keep you safe.
That means a lot, truly, especially coming from a Freethinker. If you're ever looking for another clan I'll clear a spot right next to the Labrador for you.
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Originally posted by howardgeeHere's my conception of God:
That's all I ask.
If I believed in the Flying Spaghetti monster, then in order for you to dispute my claim, I would have to define what I thought it was.
Please be as specific as you can; try and avoid vagueness.
So come on all ye faithful - describe for me what it is you worship.
-God is the creator of all spirits/souls (or whatever name you want to give it). All those souls/spirits are identical to God in every sense with one exception: God created everything but 'everything' did not create God.
All those souls/spirits have complete freedom to be and/or to do whatever they want.
-God does not condemn anything
-God (as well as all other souls/spirits) lives forever
-God is love
These are only words, it describes only a bit of how I think of God
Otto
PS, forgive my English, Dutch is my native language
Originally posted by ShallowBlueActually, most likely all the members of my clan minus me are probably atheists, though I've not recieved any confirmation along those lines. Whatever--thanks for the compliment, I hope I helped more than hindered.
Thanks. I appreciate the offer but I remain an atheist. I simply thought your description of god a cut above the usual ramblings. May He keep you safe.