The Concept of God

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Comments

  • brianlux
    brianlux Moving through All Kinds of Terrain. Posts: 43,662
    edited August 2017
    ^^^
    My humble apologies for misinterpreting your post.  I am ashamed of myself for being off by two words in bold that was making your point.  I apologize.

    Two words too many!  No excuse!  Ha ha, just kidding. 

    Now about that, " I can remember the day I knew the Easter bunny, Santa and the tooth fairy were false"...

    OMG, I can't believe I posted that picture.  Funny but UGLY!  Let's try again:



    Awwwwwwww, see, ral as can be!






    Post edited by brianlux on
    "It's a sad and beautiful world"
    -Roberto Benigni

  • Shyner
    Shyner Posts: 1,226
    If you don't believe in god yet your good natured don't the believers think that god will take care of them. 
    I'm against religion that condemns good people
    Fly your flag of sincerity

    I believe in god. I love jesus. Books don't do a spirit justice. 
  • Annafalk
    Annafalk Sweden Posts: 4,004
    I wonder if atheists would "recommend" their way of believing (not believing) i mean what does it give you? 
  • oftenreading
    oftenreading Victoria, BC Posts: 12,856
    Annafalk said:
    I wonder if atheists would "recommend" their way of believing (not believing) i mean what does it give you? 

    The knowledge that you're dealing with the world as it is, and basing decisions about your actions accordingly.
    my small self... like a book amongst the many on a shelf
  • Annafalk
    Annafalk Sweden Posts: 4,004
    Annafalk said:
    I wonder if atheists would "recommend" their way of believing (not believing) i mean what does it give you? 

    The knowledge that you're dealing with the world as it is, and basing decisions about your actions accordingly.

    Thank you for responding and I appreciate your answer. I can somewhat understand what you are saying here and to me that is life, I live my own life and make my own decisions. For me to be honest, I need God, he supports me through life and I cant be without his presence.
  • rgambs
    rgambs Posts: 13,576
    Annafalk said:
    I wonder if atheists would "recommend" their way of believing (not believing) i mean what does it give you? 
    The power to think critically.
    The ability to appreciate the world much more deeply.
    The hope that someday people will stop killing and hurting each other due to their self-delusions.
    Monkey Driven, Call this Living?
  • Thoughts_Arrive
    Thoughts_Arrive Melbourne, Australia Posts: 15,165
    God is dead. 
    Adelaide 17/11/2009, Melbourne 20/11/2009, Sydney 22/11/2009, Melbourne (Big Day Out Festival) 24/01/2014
  • Annafalk
    Annafalk Sweden Posts: 4,004
    rgambs said:
    Annafalk said:
    I wonder if atheists would "recommend" their way of believing (not believing) i mean what does it give you? 
    The power to think critically.
    The ability to appreciate the world much more deeply.
    The hope that someday people will stop killing and hurting each other due to their self-delusions.


    Faith doesn't limit the abality to think critically.

    I appreciate the world very much and deeply.

    I agree and also hope people will stop hurting and kill each other. People won't stop killing each other even if lets say, religion was forbidden.

    People will always find reasons to kill each other sadly.

  • HughFreakingDillon
    HughFreakingDillon Winnipeg Posts: 39,455
    Annafalk said:
    rgambs said:
    Annafalk said:
    I wonder if atheists would "recommend" their way of believing (not believing) i mean what does it give you? 
    The power to think critically.
    The ability to appreciate the world much more deeply.
    The hope that someday people will stop killing and hurting each other due to their self-delusions.


    Faith doesn't limit the abality to think critically.

    I appreciate the world very much and deeply.

    I agree and also hope people will stop hurting and kill each other. People won't stop killing each other even if lets say, religion was forbidden.

    People will always find reasons to kill each other sadly.

    in some ways, it can. look at that evangelical leader who said "god has given trump the authority to take out kim jong un". 

    I disagree with gambs saying atheists appreciate the world more deeply. I think a lot of theists believe in god for the very reason of their appreciation of the wonders around them. some of them even cite that as proof of god in and of itself. 
    Hugh Freaking Dillon is currently out of the office, returning sometime in the fall




  • oftenreading
    oftenreading Victoria, BC Posts: 12,856
    Annafalk said:
    rgambs said:
    Annafalk said:
    I wonder if atheists would "recommend" their way of believing (not believing) i mean what does it give you? 
    The power to think critically.
    The ability to appreciate the world much more deeply.
    The hope that someday people will stop killing and hurting each other due to their self-delusions.


    Faith doesn't limit the abality to think critically.

    I appreciate the world very much and deeply.

    I agree and also hope people will stop hurting and kill each other. People won't stop killing each other even if lets say, religion was forbidden.

    People will always find reasons to kill each other sadly.

    in some ways, it can. look at that evangelical leader who said "god has given trump the authority to take out kim jong un". 

    I disagree with gambs saying atheists appreciate the world more deeply. I think a lot of theists believe in god for the very reason of their appreciation of the wonders around them. some of them even cite that as proof of god in and of itself. 

    To me, the appreciation part depends on whether they are creationists or not.

    Understanding the enormous, beautiful complexity of evolutionary biology leads, in my opinion, to a far deeper appreciation for the natural world than the simplistic thinking of "it's that way because God made it that way".
    my small self... like a book amongst the many on a shelf
  • HughFreakingDillon
    HughFreakingDillon Winnipeg Posts: 39,455
    Annafalk said:
    rgambs said:
    Annafalk said:
    I wonder if atheists would "recommend" their way of believing (not believing) i mean what does it give you? 
    The power to think critically.
    The ability to appreciate the world much more deeply.
    The hope that someday people will stop killing and hurting each other due to their self-delusions.


    Faith doesn't limit the abality to think critically.

    I appreciate the world very much and deeply.

    I agree and also hope people will stop hurting and kill each other. People won't stop killing each other even if lets say, religion was forbidden.

    People will always find reasons to kill each other sadly.

    in some ways, it can. look at that evangelical leader who said "god has given trump the authority to take out kim jong un". 

    I disagree with gambs saying atheists appreciate the world more deeply. I think a lot of theists believe in god for the very reason of their appreciation of the wonders around them. some of them even cite that as proof of god in and of itself. 

    To me, the appreciation part depends on whether they are creationists or not.

    Understanding the enormous, beautiful complexity of evolutionary biology leads, in my opinion, to a far deeper appreciation for the natural world than the simplistic thinking of "it's that way because God made it that way".
    I think it depends on the person, not their belief system. 
    Hugh Freaking Dillon is currently out of the office, returning sometime in the fall




  • oftenreading
    oftenreading Victoria, BC Posts: 12,856
    Annafalk said:
    rgambs said:
    Annafalk said:
    I wonder if atheists would "recommend" their way of believing (not believing) i mean what does it give you? 
    The power to think critically.
    The ability to appreciate the world much more deeply.
    The hope that someday people will stop killing and hurting each other due to their self-delusions.


    Faith doesn't limit the abality to think critically.

    I appreciate the world very much and deeply.

    I agree and also hope people will stop hurting and kill each other. People won't stop killing each other even if lets say, religion was forbidden.

    People will always find reasons to kill each other sadly.

    in some ways, it can. look at that evangelical leader who said "god has given trump the authority to take out kim jong un". 

    I disagree with gambs saying atheists appreciate the world more deeply. I think a lot of theists believe in god for the very reason of their appreciation of the wonders around them. some of them even cite that as proof of god in and of itself. 

    To me, the appreciation part depends on whether they are creationists or not.

    Understanding the enormous, beautiful complexity of evolutionary biology leads, in my opinion, to a far deeper appreciation for the natural world than the simplistic thinking of "it's that way because God made it that way".
    I think it depends on the person, not their belief system. 
    It could be that we are using terms differently, but I don't believe that one can have a "deep appreciation" for something if one has no understanding of the thing's complexity. You can have a strong appreciation, but not a deep appreciation. That's the scientist in my speaking, though. 
     
    my small self... like a book amongst the many on a shelf
  • HughFreakingDillon
    HughFreakingDillon Winnipeg Posts: 39,455
    Annafalk said:
    rgambs said:
    Annafalk said:
    I wonder if atheists would "recommend" their way of believing (not believing) i mean what does it give you? 
    The power to think critically.
    The ability to appreciate the world much more deeply.
    The hope that someday people will stop killing and hurting each other due to their self-delusions.


    Faith doesn't limit the abality to think critically.

    I appreciate the world very much and deeply.

    I agree and also hope people will stop hurting and kill each other. People won't stop killing each other even if lets say, religion was forbidden.

    People will always find reasons to kill each other sadly.

    in some ways, it can. look at that evangelical leader who said "god has given trump the authority to take out kim jong un". 

    I disagree with gambs saying atheists appreciate the world more deeply. I think a lot of theists believe in god for the very reason of their appreciation of the wonders around them. some of them even cite that as proof of god in and of itself. 

    To me, the appreciation part depends on whether they are creationists or not.

    Understanding the enormous, beautiful complexity of evolutionary biology leads, in my opinion, to a far deeper appreciation for the natural world than the simplistic thinking of "it's that way because God made it that way".
    I think it depends on the person, not their belief system. 
    It could be that we are using terms differently, but I don't believe that one can have a "deep appreciation" for something if one has no understanding of the thing's complexity. You can have a strong appreciation, but not a deep appreciation. That's the scientist in my speaking, though. 
     
    being religious doesn't necessarily negate their ability to have both. 
    Hugh Freaking Dillon is currently out of the office, returning sometime in the fall




  • HughFreakingDillon
    HughFreakingDillon Winnipeg Posts: 39,455
    my brother, for example, is deeply religious, but also a very intelligent scientist. I don't fully understand how he can reconcile those, but he does. 
    Hugh Freaking Dillon is currently out of the office, returning sometime in the fall




  • oftenreading
    oftenreading Victoria, BC Posts: 12,856
    Annafalk said:
    rgambs said:
    Annafalk said:
    I wonder if atheists would "recommend" their way of believing (not believing) i mean what does it give you? 
    The power to think critically.
    The ability to appreciate the world much more deeply.
    The hope that someday people will stop killing and hurting each other due to their self-delusions.


    Faith doesn't limit the abality to think critically.

    I appreciate the world very much and deeply.

    I agree and also hope people will stop hurting and kill each other. People won't stop killing each other even if lets say, religion was forbidden.

    People will always find reasons to kill each other sadly.

    in some ways, it can. look at that evangelical leader who said "god has given trump the authority to take out kim jong un". 

    I disagree with gambs saying atheists appreciate the world more deeply. I think a lot of theists believe in god for the very reason of their appreciation of the wonders around them. some of them even cite that as proof of god in and of itself. 

    To me, the appreciation part depends on whether they are creationists or not.

    Understanding the enormous, beautiful complexity of evolutionary biology leads, in my opinion, to a far deeper appreciation for the natural world than the simplistic thinking of "it's that way because God made it that way".
    I think it depends on the person, not their belief system. 
    It could be that we are using terms differently, but I don't believe that one can have a "deep appreciation" for something if one has no understanding of the thing's complexity. You can have a strong appreciation, but not a deep appreciation. That's the scientist in my speaking, though. 
     
    being religious doesn't necessarily negate their ability to have both. 
    Then you missed my part about "depends on whether they are creationists or not"
    my small self... like a book amongst the many on a shelf
  • HughFreakingDillon
    HughFreakingDillon Winnipeg Posts: 39,455
    Annafalk said:
    rgambs said:
    Annafalk said:
    I wonder if atheists would "recommend" their way of believing (not believing) i mean what does it give you? 
    The power to think critically.
    The ability to appreciate the world much more deeply.
    The hope that someday people will stop killing and hurting each other due to their self-delusions.


    Faith doesn't limit the abality to think critically.

    I appreciate the world very much and deeply.

    I agree and also hope people will stop hurting and kill each other. People won't stop killing each other even if lets say, religion was forbidden.

    People will always find reasons to kill each other sadly.

    in some ways, it can. look at that evangelical leader who said "god has given trump the authority to take out kim jong un". 

    I disagree with gambs saying atheists appreciate the world more deeply. I think a lot of theists believe in god for the very reason of their appreciation of the wonders around them. some of them even cite that as proof of god in and of itself. 

    To me, the appreciation part depends on whether they are creationists or not.

    Understanding the enormous, beautiful complexity of evolutionary biology leads, in my opinion, to a far deeper appreciation for the natural world than the simplistic thinking of "it's that way because God made it that way".
    I think it depends on the person, not their belief system. 
    It could be that we are using terms differently, but I don't believe that one can have a "deep appreciation" for something if one has no understanding of the thing's complexity. You can have a strong appreciation, but not a deep appreciation. That's the scientist in my speaking, though. 
     
    being religious doesn't necessarily negate their ability to have both. 
    Then you missed my part about "depends on whether they are creationists or not"
    why would that have an impact on how they view the world around them? how the world was created and how long ago, in my mind, doesn't make a difference. I might not have a full understanding of creationist beliefs, I'll admit, however. 
    Hugh Freaking Dillon is currently out of the office, returning sometime in the fall




  • oftenreading
    oftenreading Victoria, BC Posts: 12,856
    Annafalk said:
    rgambs said:
    Annafalk said:
    I wonder if atheists would "recommend" their way of believing (not believing) i mean what does it give you? 
    The power to think critically.
    The ability to appreciate the world much more deeply.
    The hope that someday people will stop killing and hurting each other due to their self-delusions.


    Faith doesn't limit the abality to think critically.

    I appreciate the world very much and deeply.

    I agree and also hope people will stop hurting and kill each other. People won't stop killing each other even if lets say, religion was forbidden.

    People will always find reasons to kill each other sadly.

    in some ways, it can. look at that evangelical leader who said "god has given trump the authority to take out kim jong un". 

    I disagree with gambs saying atheists appreciate the world more deeply. I think a lot of theists believe in god for the very reason of their appreciation of the wonders around them. some of them even cite that as proof of god in and of itself. 

    To me, the appreciation part depends on whether they are creationists or not.

    Understanding the enormous, beautiful complexity of evolutionary biology leads, in my opinion, to a far deeper appreciation for the natural world than the simplistic thinking of "it's that way because God made it that way".
    I think it depends on the person, not their belief system. 
    It could be that we are using terms differently, but I don't believe that one can have a "deep appreciation" for something if one has no understanding of the thing's complexity. You can have a strong appreciation, but not a deep appreciation. That's the scientist in my speaking, though. 
     
    being religious doesn't necessarily negate their ability to have both. 
    Then you missed my part about "depends on whether they are creationists or not"
    why would that have an impact on how they view the world around them? how the world was created and how long ago, in my mind, doesn't make a difference. I might not have a full understanding of creationist beliefs, I'll admit, however. 
    If one believes that the world was created as-is by some mystical being, then that's incompatible with a deeper understanding and appreciation for the amazing forces of evolution and the changes they have wrought. 

    I would think rhat we've all had the experience of seeing something (maybe a complex engineering project) and thinking "oh, that's cool", and then having its inner workings explained, and having your mind blown by that. 

    my small self... like a book amongst the many on a shelf
  • HughFreakingDillon
    HughFreakingDillon Winnipeg Posts: 39,455
    I disagree. I think one can have a different belief on how something works yet still have an equal appreciation for it. 
    Hugh Freaking Dillon is currently out of the office, returning sometime in the fall




  • rgambs
    rgambs Posts: 13,576
    Annafalk said:
    rgambs said:
    Annafalk said:
    I wonder if atheists would "recommend" their way of believing (not believing) i mean what does it give you? 
    The power to think critically.
    The ability to appreciate the world much more deeply.
    The hope that someday people will stop killing and hurting each other due to their self-delusions.


    Faith doesn't limit the abality to think critically.

    I appreciate the world very much and deeply.

    I agree and also hope people will stop hurting and kill each other. People won't stop killing each other even if lets say, religion was forbidden.

    People will always find reasons to kill each other sadly.

    in some ways, it can. look at that evangelical leader who said "god has given trump the authority to take out kim jong un". 

    I disagree with gambs saying atheists appreciate the world more deeply. I think a lot of theists believe in god for the very reason of their appreciation of the wonders around them. some of them even cite that as proof of god in and of itself. 

    To me, the appreciation part depends on whether they are creationists or not.

    Understanding the enormous, beautiful complexity of evolutionary biology leads, in my opinion, to a far deeper appreciation for the natural world than the simplistic thinking of "it's that way because God made it that way".
    This, and in addition, belief in afterlife inherently diminishes the current life.

    Monkey Driven, Call this Living?
  • rgambs
    rgambs Posts: 13,576
    I disagree. I think one can have a different belief on how something works yet still have an equal appreciation for it. 
    I disagree.
    Are you telling me that any old Joe can have an equal appreciation for a masterpiece symphony to a composer or performer?
    Can someone who doesn't know how to make Kraft Mac and cheese have an equal appreciation for the finest gourmet meal?
    You have to truly know something to truly appreciate it.
    Monkey Driven, Call this Living?