Define god/God

[Tuesday Afternoon]

go ahead...

[DS1]

1. Here you go

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=user_profiles&u_id=107431


Anything else you need to know?

[TZ]

2. This thread is over...

:rofl:

[Tuesday Afternoon]

3. god lives in dumbassville

and TZ wants to fellate him.

[no name no slogan]

4. God is Ray Charles

Here's the math:

God is Love
Love is blind
Ray Charles is blind
Therefore, God is Ray Charles

QED

[Tuesday Afternoon]

5. but,

is Ray Charles love?

I love Ray Charles.

[LeftyFingerPop]

6. God is whomever/whatever you want him/her/it to be.

You accept God as a article of faith, or you don't. In my opinion, the existence of God cannot be argued...you either believe or you don't.

[Tuesday Afternoon]

8. I want to believe

that god lives in dumbassville and TZ wants to fellate him. I like it so much I may put it in my sigline. a+b=c.

[Deep13]

16. Could you be a little more vague please?

Does this pretty much make it depend on human conception. Doesn't that define god out of existence?

[LeftyFingerPop]

19. Like I said...

I'm not going to argue the topic.

[Deep13]

20. Fine, but I never made such a promise.

Real things have a real existence in the outside world/universe.

[LeftyFingerPop]

21. DONE!!! Take it up with someone else. n/t

[Deep13]

29. You might want to ask why a mere difference of opinion...

...is so irksome to you.

[rug]

41. Would you like to measure God?

http://etext.virginia.edu/etcbin/toccer-new2?id=Mel2Mob.sgm&images=images/modeng&data=/texts/english/modeng/parsed&tag=public&part=102&division=div1

[Deep13]

115. What does Herman Melville have to do with what we are talking about? nt

[rug]

125. Your post about vagueness reminds me of this passage.

"Cutting me a green measuring-rod, I once more dived within the skeleton. From their arrow-slit in the skull, the priests perceived me taking the altitude of the final rib. 'How now!' they shouted; 'Dar'st thou measure this our god! That's for us.' 'Aye, priests -- well, how long do ye make him, then?' But hereupon a fierce contest rose among them, concerning feet and inches; they cracked each other's sconces with their yard-sticks -- the great skull echoed -- and seizing that lucky chance, I quickly concluded my own admeasurements."

You can't discuss theology with a ruler.

[Deep13]

126. I see. I didn't have time to really read it through.

No, perhaps not a ruler, but clarity in definition anyway. My impression is that most religious arguments take advantage of maliable definitions of words so that words like "god" become so expansive in definition that it can mean anything.

[JitterbugPerfume]

7. oh GAWD!

[Tuesday Afternoon]

9. gawdamn!

[Lucian]

10. I am God.

[Tuesday Afternoon]

11. Do you bring me hell fire?

[Arugula Latte]

13. You and DS1 will have to duke it out, then. It will be like Zeus vs. Thor

[Deep13]

15. You're Eric Clapton!

:evilgrin:

[mr blur]

12. The answer:

http://www.400monkeys.com/God/

[LostInAnomie]

22. +1

[Tuesday Afternoon]

34. -1

[Deep13]

30. +1

[Tuesday Afternoon]

35. -1

[Deep13]

123. + 2

:P

[Tuesday Afternoon]

33. damn...

I was hoping that site would take me to the 400 monkey experiment.

[Deep13]

14. That purposefully created the universe...

...but is not bound by its rules. That which created life or at least directed its development, who cares about that life, who cares about humans especially, listens to their prayers, defines and punishes sin and who answers prayers.

So, in short, an impossibility.

[Arugula Latte]

73. But why would a creator care about humans especially?

There are likely millions/billions of planets in the universe capable of supporting life. Isn't it sort of Earth-centric/wishful thinking to conclude that this deity thinks we're the most special thing in the universe, particularly because modern humans didn't appear until VERY recently by universe standards.

Just asking -- not trying to start a flame thing. These questions always intrigue me.

[Deep13]

114. That is how humans have always defined god(s).

An when most people talk about god, that is what they have in mind. It seems to be an assumption that goes along with our solipsim. Now a deistic creator would not care about humans or anything else for that matter. That kind of a creator is not the god of the big three or any other major, organized religion including extinct ones.

[WilliamPitt]

17. OK

I Am Who I Am.

[Deep13]

18. That IS the universe, not what intentionally created it out of apparently nothing. nt

[omega minimo]

50. implicate/explicate

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=implicate+explicate+order&aq=1&oq=implicate%2Fexplicate

[Deep13]

117. and?

The existence of a universe does not imply a universe-maker. And the apparent order is complicated by a god hypothesis, not explained by it. Anyway, even if there is some intentionality in creating the universe (and since intentionality is a product of animal life--the result of the universe, not the cause--it really can't be) it does not mean that force is god. Beings that don't act like the gods of religions may be creators, but they are not gods within the usual meaning of that word. Anyway, this is an a priori argument that assumes the existence of god to prove there is a god. Anyway, any explanation for the universe, to be helpful, has to be more likely than the universe, not less so. A god capable of making and managing a universe has to be more complex than the universe by orders of magnitude. Consequently, it leaves us with the even bigger problem of what made god?

[hobbit709]

23. Finagle is God

And Murphy is His Prophet.

[NoPasaran]

24. God is like when you're thinking about a plate of shrimp

And then someone says "plate" or "shrimp" or "plate of shrimp".

Mmmm, shrimp.

[Bertha Venation]

25. fantasy/Fantasy n/t

[guitar man]

26. No

Everybody who has tried so far has failed miserably IMO. The writers of the religious texts always wind up making God in their image, to suit their purposes. I'm content to simply let God be whatever he/she/it/them is. ;)

[BeachBaby]

93. Great explanation.

The ONLY reason I believe that there could possibly be a higher power, ie. "God", is based on my observation that everything comes from something. Then again, my head will start spinning when I think to myself "Well, then who created the higher power?"

"The writers of the religious texts always wind up making God in their image, to suit their purposes."

Yes, they do. And it disturbs me, to be honest - especially when they accept it as fact.

"I'm content to simply let God be whatever he/she/it/them is."

Amen. You couldn't have said it any better. ;) :hi:

[guitar man]

101. thanks :)

The main reason I believe in some kind of "god" at all is that I don't believe that we're all here on this earth, in this universe through some kind of "accident" or freak occurrence. As to the particulars of how it all started, who started it or anything else of that nature, I'm content to say that's all way beyond my understanding. ;)

[Tuesday Afternoon]

105. god is a slinkie.

:evilgrin:

[graywarrior]

27. Ask Johnny Cash

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1e0EQlQXoEo

[Pacifist Patriot]

28. God is a linguistic symbol...

just like tree, chair or person. What it means depends upon the individual brain contemplating the symbol. I'm a consciousness relativist. ;)

[Deep13]

31. Well sure, that is true of any word.

Still, to even discuss any subject rationally there has to be some agreement on what words mean and what they do not mean.

[Pacifist Patriot]

32. Well crap, you're right.

Guess that means we consciousness relativists can't discuss anything. ;)

[Tuesday Afternoon]

37. in order to sum up this thread thus far --

I would say that trying to define God in human terminology, that all conscious relativists can agree on, is an impossibility of a most irrational quantity.

My simple attempt:

God is All.
All is God.

:shrug:

[sammythecat]

108. a synonym?

[Tuesday Afternoon]

110. if need be

break it on down.

[mwooldri]

36. Found at this site:

http://www.ihasahotdog.com/

Ooops you meant god not dog. My bad...

[Tuesday Afternoon]

39. oh my!

dog is everywhere:D

poor little one wants to take his teddy bear:o

so cute, thanks

[elshiva]

38. God is dog spelled backwards.

[Tuesday Afternoon]

51. True. --

No denying that, and for good reason, too :) :hug: :hi:

[elshiva]

53. I love you. How are you doing?

:hug: :loveya:

[Tuesday Afternoon]

54. I am fine and loving you right back

:loveya: :hug: :hi:

[elshiva]

57. Thank you, honey. I enjoy threads like this in the Lounge.

Just to be silly about the subject is refreshing. I am an atheist, but I was really religious when I was in college and wanted to be a nun. I still think about religious mythology and see it everywhere because of my upbringing. :hug: :loveya:

Cover your mouth when you cough:

[omega minimo]

84. when you get over fighting an image of God you may realize that's not what god is

:hug:

[Tuesday Afternoon]

98. its okay omega minimo

God can take it ;)

So hard for some people to grasp this concept, language barriers, preconceived notions, upbringing, religions, the rebellious nature, the anger at an unjust world, all play a part.

[Left Is Write]

40. Sorry, I can't.

I think it's probably a made-up concept to comfort the ancient men who had no explanation for the strange things that happened around them.

[omega minimo]

42. God is in us. We are in God.

[Tuesday Afternoon]

46. This is as good an explanation/definition as any. n/t

[omega minimo]

52. interconnectedness of being and

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=105&topic_id=8749993&mesg_id=8751803
:thumbsup:

[Tuesday Afternoon]

56. duality and

paradoxical...

thanks for the links :)

[omega minimo]

59. as Pop Culture as it is

The Holographic Universe is a good read, good overview, good reference for inclusion vs. exclusion

:grouphug:

[Tuesday Afternoon]

62. Thanks for the suggestion --

this one?
The Holographic Universe is a book by Michael Talbot exploring the idea that the universe is a hologram. After examining the work of physicist David Bohm and neurophysiologist Karl Pribram, both of whom independently arrived at holographic theories or models of the universe, the book argues that a holographic model could explain various paranormal and anomalous phenomena, and provide a basis for mystical experience. Melodic death metal band Scar Symmetry based its 2008 album Holographic Universe on this book.

more
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Holographic_Universe

[omega minimo]

64. aye

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=talbot+holographic+universe&btnG=Google+Search&aq=1&oq=talbot+hol

[RagAss]

43. Functioning.

[cherish44]

44. John Lennon said it

God is a concept
By which we measure
Our pain
I'll say it again
God is a concept
By which we measure
Our pain


~John Lennon

[omega minimo]

49. "Suffering is necessary until you realize that it isn't"

Eckhart Tolle

[Tuesday Afternoon]

60. and Arthur Rimbaud said:

The only unbearable thing is that nothing is unbearable.

[kwassa]

45. God is beyond definition.

Greater than our ability to comprehend him.

[elshiva]

47. AHEM! "HIM?"

[kwassa]

94. Sorry, I do apologize ....

[intheflow]

88. God is that which is beyond definition.

Totally gender neutral way to say the same thing! :)

[Tuesday Afternoon]

107. trying to define God

is an exercise in futility. :)

I love it though.

[Xipe Totec]

48. In the beginning there was only the breathing of the One

then, somehow, the Universe was created.

And even the One does not know how.

[Tuesday Afternoon]

55. sort of -- like --

All for One
and
One for All.

:D

[elshiva]

58. God is the Three Musketeers?

Interesting take on the Trinity.

[Tuesday Afternoon]

61. Don't you think

that might have been the intent with the original novel by Dumas...sort of metaphorical, if you will.

[elshiva]

65. I haven't read the books, so I can't say.

:shrug: There are so many metaphors for god. The Book of Hosea, for instance, compares god to a destroying moth and an angry mother bear. :shrug:

[Deep13]

118. What was the one breathing if nothing had been creater? nt

[Xipe Totec]

119. nothing n/t

[Inchworm]

63. wtf is this? God is...

like some dude...

omnipotent or omniscent.. omni some damn thing.

OH! this dude.. evidently can see past, present, and future all on one page like he/she's looking into the bottom of a beer.

Annnyhow...

:*

[elshiva]

66. GOD IS:

:*

[Inchworm]

67. no.. that's want

:hug:

:*

[elshiva]

69. What do you want, Doctor?

:hug: :*

[Inchworm]

71. Peace, happiness, forgiveness.

that's all lol

:*

[elshiva]

74. That's a lot to ask for, Doctor. How about sexual healing?

:*

[Inchworm]

76. dude

I'm trying my best to be analytical and detached. It helps me through the day.

Rose.. and you.. have an effect on me ;)

:hug:

[elshiva]

78. You are so smart, Doctor. You have a HUGE

IQ. :) :hug: :loveya:
May I hold your sonic screwdriver?

[Inchworm]

79. I'm evil and will burn..but

I get tickled easy...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iO_F4oTTTy8#t=00m22s

hep me!!!

:*

[elshiva]

80. My youtube isn't working, but I will help you, Doctor.

Where do you want to be tickled? :* :hug:


You aren't evil, you are wonderful. :loveya:

[Tuesday Afternoon]

99. ~

silly boy :*

[Dark]

68. A loving compassionate, omnipotent entity who doesn't want to infringe on free will

So, he/she/it does not get involved in our world. Instead, the entity leaves us to our own choices. But in the end, God welcomes us into heaven (i.e. harmonious existence alongside God).

That's my take. Deism.

[elshiva]

70. Nice post Thomas Jefferson.

:thumbsup:

[Dark]

72. That is the one view that made the most sense to me.

Sad part is, we've had this view for more than 200 years and we still believe in ridiculous things.

[elshiva]

75. Yes, and people still think the Founders were Christians when

most of them were Deists. Al Franken is a Deist, too. :)

[Dark]

81. I love it when people say "Jefferson was a devout Christian!"

I just say "Google Thomas Jefferson's Bible."

[elshiva]

83. Yes, Jefferson's Bible. Have you ever read it?

I haven't. And now I'm interested. :)

[Dark]

87. No. I want to though.

It's an intersting version, no doubt.

[intheflow]

89. It's pretty interesting.

Kind of like and early version of the Jesus Seminar. To read the New Testament without miracles but only Jesus' deeds is powerful reading. Jefferson was so ahead of his times in so many ways.

[omega minimo]

77. It's possible to get there without the "entity" that causes all the dissension

same Absolute difference

[Dark]

82. I don't believe the entity is involved at all.

The entity simply wants us to have freedom. Good or bad, it wants us to do as we see fit. Then, when we die, we join it.

It's necessary, but only in the sense that it welcomes us after we move on from this existence. Which, unfortunately, means there's no way to prove or disprove it.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

85. God is what people worship

Sometimes it's some unseen being.
Sometimes it's money.
God can be Nature in all it's beauty and horror
and God can be a woman...in all her beauty and horror.
Cars, guitars, and rock stars
Science, The Arts, Love...
all can be God, even when we swear that we worship no deity.

[Fleshdancer]

86. God is what we create to fill the gaps of our understanding

The more we discover, the less need we need our god creation.

[datasuspect]

90. God is that than which nothing greater can be conceived.

said Gaunilon to the fool.

[PassingFair]

91. Here is the face of God.

Shit, sorry, that's ZEUS....I'll keep looking.

[Tuesday Afternoon]

116. get back to me on that one --

the eternity it will take becomes close to the defining of God ;)

[Deja Q]

92. A spiritual confluex, one which most of us can relate to on a conscious or subconscious level.

The anthropomorphic incorporeal entity representing our collective souls, what we define as the good side of Human existence, if not more.

God is indescribable.

[lazyriver]

95. God is a convenient and comfortable concept accepted by

many as a means to explain that which cannot (for now) be explained within the confines of testable human knowledge (science).

[Wapsie B]

96. Elivs?

:shrug:

[Tuesday Afternoon]

112. yes -

break it down.

[siligut]

97. God is the guy who when you wish for something really, really hard,

god is the guy who ignores you.

[sammythecat]

100. supernatural,

above and beyond the natural and preternatural.

[Tuesday Afternoon]

113. I like your comment --

this one and the one in your profile.

[sammythecat]

120. Thanks,

and that quote rang a bell with me too the moment I heard him say it. It was just an off the cuff remark he threw in at the end of a discussion. Just in case you're not familiar with it, I'll mention and recommend www.bloggingheads.tv. There's a 1 hour diavlog posted everyday. Mostly politics and current events, but Saturday is "Science Saturday" and John Horgan, maybe my favorite, is a regular on that. The comment section is a worthy feature too. Often as good as the diavlogs themselves. In fact, in I'm short on time, I'll just skim through the comments to get a good grasp of what was discussed. "bjkeefe" I think is especially perceptive and insightful.

I always enjoy your posts. You're one of my "automatics". If one of my automatics makes an OP, I check it out.

[Tuesday Afternoon]

121. ~

:blush: :D

that kind of made my day :hug:

[tekisui]

102. _

[GoddessOfGuinness]

103. I like your sig line.

I'd like to have it in view at all times. :hi:

[sammythecat]

111. me too

that's a keeper.

[Tuesday Afternoon]

109. ~

yes.

[Amaya]

104. is non-existent

[Tuesday Afternoon]

106. neither are you.

;)

[LynneSin]

122. God is the message I find in my morning Fried Salami....

http://cbs4.com/watercooler/Salami.GOD.Lunch.2.1002364.html

[cwydro]

124. I'm kind of agnostic

but if I had to define a Great Spirit, I would say God is sunshine and rain, the ocean and the whales, a garden in the morning, animals, flowers; love and kindness, compassion and caring.