@moonbus said
Why would 'we' assume it is one God? Why not many gods?

This thought exercise presupposes "one God", as defined in the OP, in order to see if a poster like KellyJay can philosophize beyond his ad nauseam riff about "intelligence v mindlessness" and contemplate the validity/traction of all the other assertions he then piles up on top of his assertions about a creator entity.

@fmf said
This thought exercise presupposes "one God", as defined in the OP, in order to see if a poster like KellyJay can philosophize beyond his ad nauseam riff about "intelligence v mindlessness" and contemplate the validity/traction of all the other assertions he then piles up on top of his assertions about a creator entity.

Good luck with that.

@moonbus said
Good luck with that.

I am under no illusions as I offer this thread topic to KellyJay so that he can move beyond his riff about "the only meta-narrative that makes sense" and actually get his discursive teeth stuck into why he thinks it does "make sense".

@moonbus said
Am I barred from participating in a thought exercise based on an assumption, when the thread author himself does not make this assumption?

Do you understand the concept of a 'thought exercise'?

You can stipulate anything you want, including beliefs you do not actually hold.

@bigdogg said
Do you understand the concept of a 'thought exercise'?

Yes. However, I shall butt out, as this thread is directed at KJ.

@fmf said
I am under no illusions as I offer this thread topic to KellyJay so that he can move beyond his riff about "the only meta-narrative that makes sense" and actually get his discursive teeth stuck into why he thinks it does "make sense".

I have no doubt that it does make sense to him. It’s the exclusivity that I object to. But not in this thread, so I’ll leave you to it.

@fmf said
Assuming "God" exists, where "God" is defined as an entity of some kind that somehow caused the universe we perceive to exist.

Assuming "God exists" is a fact...

Thought exercise #1
Why would we assume it is a "good" God?

Thought exercise #2
Why would we assume it had communicated with our species?

Thought exercise #3
Why would it follow that we are immortal beings?

BUMP for KellyJay

@fmf said
Assuming "God" exists, where "God" is defined as an entity of some kind that somehow caused the universe we perceive to exist.

Assuming "God exists" is a fact...

Thought exercise #1
Why would we assume it is a "good" God?

Thought exercise #2
Why would we assume it had communicated with our species?

Thought exercise #3
Why would it follow that we are immortal beings?

A little late to the party, here but another idea.

Assuming "God exists" is a fact... OK God exists. It’s a fact of life.

Why would we assume it is a "good" God? Why would we assume it had communicated with our species? Why would it follow that we are immortal beings?

We wouldn’t.

Why would we assume any of those things? Who do we know who has ever assumed any of those things?

The Christian Bible exists. That is a fact. Some people who have read the Bible over the course of the last 2000 years believe the stories and ides within are true. The stories and ideas resonate with them.

Sometimes we read a book and believe it. That does not require any act of assumption. Other than assuming the writer or writers are telling the truth.

The first prayer I learned at 3 or something is “God is great, God is good, let us thank him for our food.”

We don’t assume God is good we know it. We read it a book as children or saw it on the Internet as adults.

@tea said
A little late to the party, here but another idea.

Assuming "God exists" is a fact... OK God exists. It’s a fact of life.

Why would we assume it is a "good" God? Why would we assume it had communicated with our species? Why would it follow that we are immortal beings?

We wouldn’t.

Who do we know who has ever assumed any of those things?

Adherents to innumerable religious traditions, large and small, in all manner of cultures, in widespread geographical locations, and right down through all of human history. That'd be "who".

@tea said
We don’t assume God is good we know it.

Do we "know it"?

@fmf said
Who do we know who has ever assumed any of those things?

Adherents to innumerable religious traditions, large and small, in all manner of cultures, in widespread geographical locations, and right down through all of human history. That'd be "who".

Again agree to disagree. "Assume" just doesn't seem like the right word in this context. If you believe God exists, it is very likely it's because someone or something (a book) you trust told you.

Any "assuming" involved is assuming the source is correct.

@fmf said
Do we "know it"?

Well right. No. No we don't.

@tea said
Again agree to disagree. "Assume" just doesn't seem like the right word in this context.

Hindus assume that they will be reincarnated after this life, for example. "Assume" strikes me as being exactly the right word: far more accurate than "know".

@tea said
If you believe God exists, it is very likely it's because someone or something (a book) you trust told you.

Any "assuming" involved is assuming the source is correct.

This is exactly why religious "faith" is all about assuming something is true, no matter how certain one is

@fmf said
Hindus assume that they will be reincarnated after this life, for example. "Assume" strikes me as being exactly the right word: far more accurate than "know".

It was a specific question (thought experiment) and I tried to give a specific answer.

Why? Why do Hindus assume that they will be reincarnated after this life?

Because someone they trust told them.

Thought exercise #1
Why would we assume it is a "good" God?

Because someone we trust told us.