What do you REALLY believe?

[hooplala]

If you identify "God" as "something that has lots of special powers and intervenes in events," and then "God" doesn't do that, then yeah that's the same as having no God. But if you define "God" as something that has nothing to do with intervention or super powers, then your argument doesn't really apply.

Granted, but if it has nothing to do with intervention or super powers what makes it a god?  By that definition I could be a god.

[The Good Reverend Roger]

Your view could be right, but in the end, what would it matter?  If a god can't or won't intervene in any manner for any reason, it might as well not exist, so sayeth Hoopla.

kind of like saying "we can't see quarks, so who cares?"

Not really, because we can tell quarks exist based on experimentation.

It would be like this:  say the President of the USA was never seen, nobody knew his (or her) name, he didn't do anything, didn't change anything, didn't comment on anything, never did anything at all.  What would be the difference between THAT and having no president at all?  From my view, there would be no difference.

Maybe God's just being nice for once.  I mean, do you really want the Old Testament God stomping around again?

Hi, Roger, how are you doing?

Just fine, thanks.

[LMNO]

Wait.  Why would a Malevolent God want to be nice?

[hooplala]

Your view could be right, but in the end, what would it matter?  If a god can't or won't intervene in any manner for any reason, it might as well not exist, so sayeth Hoopla.

kind of like saying "we can't see quarks, so who cares?"

Not really, because we can tell quarks exist based on experimentation.

It would be like this:  say the President of the USA was never seen, nobody knew his (or her) name, he didn't do anything, didn't change anything, didn't comment on anything, never did anything at all.  What would be the difference between THAT and having no president at all?  From my view, there would be no difference.

Maybe God's just being nice for once.  I mean, do you really want the Old Testament God stomping around again?

Hi, Roger, how are you doing?

Just fine, thanks.

Hey now, people ignore my comments all the time and I don't get my panties in a twist... I missed your comment because I assumed only one comment had been made while I was posting.

Please don't misconstrue my argument as implying that I want a god at all.  I don't.

[Cramulus]

If you identify "God" as "something that has lots of special powers and intervenes in events," and then "God" doesn't do that, then yeah that's the same as having no God. But if you define "God" as something that has nothing to do with intervention or super powers, then your argument doesn't really apply.

Granted, but if it has nothing to do with intervention or super powers what makes it a god?  By that definition I could be a god.

God is the name I might use for the intelligence present in the whole shebang, the Om, the entire cosmic jazz band playing at once, moving forward through time


I would say that you are a part of God



I think the word "systemic intelligence" would be appropriate too, or perhaps "metaphysical dynamism", though I only just learned that word


as I said, I resist using the word God because it doesn't connote the thing I'm trying to describe. But God is one of the closest words to it, and it makes it easier to communicate with Christians and other theists. I can say "Oh yeah, I believe in a higher power", except for that he's talking about the novelist and I'm talking about the novel itself.

[The Good Reverend Roger]

Wait.  Why would a Malevolent God want to be nice?

For further shock effect when you die.

Amazingly enough, the afterlife looks a whole lot like being in a hotdog bun.

[The Good Reverend Roger]

Your view could be right, but in the end, what would it matter?  If a god can't or won't intervene in any manner for any reason, it might as well not exist, so sayeth Hoopla.

kind of like saying "we can't see quarks, so who cares?"

Not really, because we can tell quarks exist based on experimentation.

It would be like this:  say the President of the USA was never seen, nobody knew his (or her) name, he didn't do anything, didn't change anything, didn't comment on anything, never did anything at all.  What would be the difference between THAT and having no president at all?  From my view, there would be no difference.

Maybe God's just being nice for once.  I mean, do you really want the Old Testament God stomping around again?

Hi, Roger, how are you doing?

Just fine, thanks.

Hey now, people ignore my comments all the time and I don't get my panties in a twist... I missed your comment because I assumed only one comment had been made while I was posting.

Please don't misconstrue my argument as implying that I want a god at all.  I don't.

My panties are perfectly untwisted, Hoops.  I was just having a giggle about being talked around for a page.

In any case, wanting or not wanting a God is pretty much irrelevant.  God(s) exist or do not exist outside of our wants...I highly doubt the issue is up for a vote.

And many sects believe that there is a God, he doesn't intervene, and simply judges you when you die.  These people are of course hopeless optimists.  You see, I know there's a God, because in 1996, I got my tongue stuck in an Epson tractor feed printer, and that doesn't happen in a purely random universe.

And I think I've spelled out my rather dismal version of the afterlife.  If anyone's interested, I can repost...But, in short, there is no hell, because there's no need for it.  God just eats you (unless you're unlucky enough to be an atheist), and that's that.

[Cramulus]

And many sects believe that there is a God, he doesn't intervene, and simply judges you when you die.  These people are of course hopeless optimists.  You see, I know there's a God, because in 1996, I got my tongue stuck in an Epson tractor feed printer, and that doesn't happen in a purely random universe.

DIVINE INTERVENTION!

was god saving you or punishing you?

[hooplala]

Your view could be right, but in the end, what would it matter?  If a god can't or won't intervene in any manner for any reason, it might as well not exist, so sayeth Hoopla.

kind of like saying "we can't see quarks, so who cares?"

Not really, because we can tell quarks exist based on experimentation.

It would be like this:  say the President of the USA was never seen, nobody knew his (or her) name, he didn't do anything, didn't change anything, didn't comment on anything, never did anything at all.  What would be the difference between THAT and having no president at all?  From my view, there would be no difference.

Maybe God's just being nice for once.  I mean, do you really want the Old Testament God stomping around again?

Hi, Roger, how are you doing?

Just fine, thanks.

Hey now, people ignore my comments all the time and I don't get my panties in a twist... I missed your comment because I assumed only one comment had been made while I was posting.

Please don't misconstrue my argument as implying that I want a god at all.  I don't.

My panties are perfectly untwisted, Hoops.  I was just having a giggle about being talked around for a page.

In any case, wanting or not wanting a God is pretty much irrelevant.  God(s) exist or do not exist outside of our wants...I highly doubt the issue is up for a vote.

And many sects believe that there is a God, he doesn't intervene, and simply judges you when you die.  These people are of course hopeless optimists.  You see, I know there's a God, because in 1996, I got my tongue stuck in an Epson tractor feed printer, and that doesn't happen in a purely random universe.

And I think I've spelled out my rather dismal version of the afterlife.  If anyone's interested, I can repost...But, in short, there is no hell, because there's no need for it.  God just eats you (unless you're unlucky enough to be an atheist), and that's that.

What happens if you're an atheist?

Also, I got you to admit you are wearing panties.  My work here is done.  Thank you and goodnight folks!

[Elder Iptuous]

I'm a member of the same church as vex and cram.  i stick it under pantheism for a label.
i'm wondering what percentage of the population holds that belief.
i can only speak for myself, but i've been impressed with the level of contentment that this view affords me...

[The Good Reverend Roger]

And many sects believe that there is a God, he doesn't intervene, and simply judges you when you die.  These people are of course hopeless optimists.  You see, I know there's a God, because in 1996, I got my tongue stuck in an Epson tractor feed printer, and that doesn't happen in a purely random universe.

DIVINE INTERVENTION!

was god saving you or punishing you?

Neither,  I think.  He was just poking me with a stick, and saying "Does that hurt?  Does THAT hurt?  TWO FOR FLINCHING!"

[The Good Reverend Roger]

What happens if you're an atheist?

Since Gods can only eat people that believe in them, atheists become these sad pathetic ghosts that shuffle to and from the office every day forever.

Also, I got you to admit you are wearing panties.  My work here is done.  Thank you and goodnight folks!

I've never denied it.  Uday gave them to me as a birthday gift, and I was so touched, I haven't taken them off since.

[hooplala]

I've never denied it.  Uday gave them to me as a birthday gift, and I was so touched, I haven't taken them off since.

Oh christ, I hope you thoroughly boiled them.

[The Good Reverend Roger]

I've never denied it.  Uday gave them to me as a birthday gift, and I was so touched, I haven't taken them off since.

Oh christ, I hope you thoroughly boiled them.

That would ruin the lining of nettles.

[Bebek Sincap Ratatosk]

It seems to me that a lot of people listen to the craziest most illogical and impossible definition of God, given by some half crazed christian fundamentalist and then say... "See, there is no God because he couldn't be omniscient, omnipotent and omnibenevolent and allow EVIL!!!"

The problem is that this isn't an argument against God, its an argument against a half crazed christian fundamentalist's insane ravings. Now, maybe thats worth something... but they think Adam rode on a dinosaur and that it was only 6000 years ago, so they have far more problems than their definition of God.

Zeus wasn't omniscient, omnipotent, at all benevolent or existing outside of creation... the dude lived up on top of a mountain.

Shiva? Nope, he's none of those things.

Ananasi? Loki? Odin? Quetzalcoatl? Again, none of these impossible definitions are listed as part of their Godhood.

We don't know if there is a god, we don't know if he/she/it does or doesn't interact in human affairs. For all we know, god can only deal with one solar system at a time and last time he was here we hung him up on a tree... maybe he was like "Fuck you assholes, I'm gonna go hang out with the Alpha Centaurs"*

You can choose to believe there is no God. You can make the emotional jump if you want. Its a human thing to do, a choice and a choice that is no better or worse than making the emotional choice to believe that there is a God. However, if you claim its based on science, or based on evidence or based on fact... I think your emotions are confusing your logic.



* The dudes who lead the Centaur tribe in the galaxy next door.