God and existence

coluber2001 wrote:

I think that in ordinary consciousness we see everything as having an opposition: up/down, good/bad, light/dark, etc. In the altered state of mind or "cosmic consciousness," as Alan Watts would say, the eternal or absolute principle comes into play. Time has no meaning and all opposites are resolved, as ego is dissolved. However, the absolute or eternity without the manifestation of the world into opposites is nothing. It's just empty space, not even that. So the absolute or eternal is beyond conception, but it underlies everything in the here and now.

Good and bad? Now there's another topic altogether.

0 Replies

I believe that people created their Gods.
This means I have a feeling of greater personal responsibility than I would have if I believed in a God.

I believe that things can exist whether there is an observer or not (except for Gods).

Is this common sense?

No, I don't think so.

0 Replies

rhymer wrote:

I believe that people created their Gods.
This means I have a feeling of greater personal responsibility than I would have if I believed in a God.

I believe that things can exist whether there is an observer or not (except for Gods).

Is this common sense?

No, I don't think so.

Yes, gods and other supernatural entities are created by people. No, gods do not exist outside peoples minds.

0 Replies

aperson wrote:

rhymer wrote:
I believe that people created their Gods.
This means I have a feeling of greater personal responsibility than I would have if I believed in a God.

I believe that things can exist whether there is an observer or not (except for Gods).

Is this common sense?

No, I don't think so.

Yes, gods and other supernatural entities are created by people. No, gods do not exist outside peoples minds.

How do you know?

0 Replies

I don't. It's what I believe.

0 Replies

snood wrote:

aperson wrote:
rhymer wrote:
I believe that people created their Gods.
This means I have a feeling of greater personal responsibility than I would have if I believed in a God.

I believe that things can exist whether there is an observer or not (except for Gods).

Is this common sense?

No, I don't think so.

Yes, gods and other supernatural entities are created by people. No, gods do not exist outside peoples minds.

How do you know?

I don't know! If you re-read my post you will see that for every statement I say "I think......"

I do believe my thoughts represent the Truth, but I do not KNOW so.

Everyone is entitled to their own beliefs !!!!

0 Replies

Exacatickley

0 Replies

that's fine rhymer, but I wasn't asking you, though...

0 Replies

...my apologies Snood !!!

0 Replies

SPECULATIONS

Speculation: 1 Is God necessary?

Yes!

There has to be a Source from which the "big bang" sprang forth Creating the universe.

Speculation: 2 What is God?

God is the ultimate Cause.

God is the Creative Entity, Energy or Force from which all is derived.

Speculation: 3 Where is God?

God is in a state of awareness that is outside the universe.

God has morphed part of Itself into those entities (spirits) that inhabit the universe and the physical bodies within.

Speculation: 4 Why is God?

God Is because God Is.

God is eternal, existing independent of time or the universe.

Speculation: 5 Is God concerned?

No!

God is not concerned with the daily functioning of the universe or matters within it. That is our domain and subject to our whim.

Speculation: 6 What are we?

We are the spirits (entities) of God.

God morphed into Us and we continue to create according to God's purpose.

Our physical bodies are simply the means we use to experience and function in the physical dimension.

Speculation: 7 Why are we?

We are for the purpose of gaining knowledge and experience.

In the end, we gravitate back into the Oneness of God allowing for the fulfillment of God.

Speculation: 8 Evolution

Evolution is simply a tool of Creation.

The entities often influence the direction of evolution along desired paths.

0 Replies

Ethmer wrote:

SPECULATIONS

Speculation: 1 Is God necessary?
Yes!
There has to be a Source from which the "big bang" sprang forth Creating the universe.
[no; chaos doe not require a cause]

Speculation: 2 What is God?
God is the ultimate Cause.
God is the Creative Entity, Energy or Force from which all is derived.
[it is an invention, created to fend of the night]

Speculation: 3 Where is God?
God is in a state of awareness that is outside the universe.
[in the mind of the inventor/believer/cult member; outside the universe is the 'Ultiverse']

God has morphed part of Itself into those entities (spirits) that inhabit the universe and the physical bodies within.
[eh?]

Speculation: 4 Why is God?
God Is because God Is.
God is eternal, existing independent of time or the universe.
[brilliant; and so convincingly backed by 'evidence'!]

Speculation: 5 Is God concerned?
No![but i am]
God is not concerned with the daily functioning of the universe or matters within it. That is our domain and subject to our whim.
[finally, we agree; but for the wrong reasons]

Speculation: 6 What are we?
We are the spirits (entities) of God.
[we are the accidents of a long evolutionary trail, full of catastrophies, misturns, and luck (good or bad - who can say?)
God morphed into Us and we continue to create according to God's purpose.[yeah right!]
Our physical bodies are simply the means we use to experience and function in the physical dimension.[fairly obvious]

Speculation: 7 Why are we?
We are for the purpose of gaining knowledge and experience.
In the end, we gravitate back into the Oneness of God allowing for the fulfillment of God.
[absolutely no reason whatever!

Speculation: 8 Evolution
Evolution is simply a tool of Creation.
[evolution is simply a description of what happened; no more, no less]

The entities[?] often influence the direction of evolution along desired paths.
[nothing influences evolution; it is a system that is 'directed' by the testing of errors]

[a little editing goes a long way! Laughing

]

0 Replies

0 Replies

This is a question that seems designed to let a group of intellectually and/or spiritually inclined persons while an evening or longer away in (not so) pleasant discussion without invariably coming to a satisfactory conclusion.

Hence, it's a great A2K topic Smile

I have changed opinion regarding this question several times, but never found a satisfying solution.

MY return question : Does it matter? I think, no I know that there are millions, perhaps billions of people who derive a lot of hope and faith from their belief in a God. For some it is just that believe that helps them make it through the procession of days that make up their lives.
As long as not one side can ever provide definitive proof (and EVEN then!), all we can do is believe in one position or the other. And derive such comfort from it as we can.

Naj.

0 Replies

Thankyou BoGoWo, great points Very Happy

Naj- I think you are right. Technically, it dosn't matter. If there was proof that God didn't exist, (which is most likely the truth) many people wouldn't be ready for it. They would deny it.

0 Replies

Actually, sometimes it does matter. When people start claiming that God wants or is telling them to do something horrible, then you have to raise the question, and you have to raise the question of whether such a "God" takes priority over what is ultimately right or wrong.

0 Replies

Ray wrote:

Actually, sometimes it does matter. When people start claiming that God wants or is telling them to do something horrible, then you have to raise the question, and you have to raise the question of whether such a "God" takes priority over what is ultimately right or wrong.

And also highly religious people may do themselves bad e.g. inflicting pain upon self; there was one case when a baby was severely ill and the parents believed that God would heal it, and therefore did not take it to a hospital or doctor. Guess what happened?

0 Replies

Ray - I doubt for one that proof whether or not God exists would stop said behavior. God is a very amorphous, distant entity with which no tangible relationships can feasibly be accepted. Thus, people claiming they speak on behalve of God, since they did manage to establish said connection, leads to power for those individuals. They will not stop their behavior once the excistence of God is (dis)proved beyond doubt, but they will merely try to find another venue in which to exercise said control. (the aliens told me to do so....) Bear in mind, the principle behind these men and women is the power of believe, and that believe does not have to be in God.

aperson - True. Highly religious people can be prone to such behavior, but this is more the exception then the norm. Whether or not such people are misguided is a discussion reserved for another thread, but society justly frowns on the risk they put innocent lives in by such behavior. However, without claiming that this is the case, it could very well be that if God exists, he would act upon sufficient faith shown. Such as that of those people. Does society have the right to go against the religious ideas of such people, and perhaps in doing so precisely prevent that which they hope is going to happen (eg, the cure of the baby)?

Naj.

0 Replies

Lol, you guys ever hear Billy Connollys quip about god:
"If you go round to a looney bin and yell out "Jesus talks to me" they wont even let you home for your pyjamas"
Funny guy.

0 Replies

Just a personal observation: religionists build some sort of steel wall around the part of their brain that doesn't allow negative ideas to penetrate their beliefs. Once their brain accepts the concept of god, there is nothing that will change it. I read someplace a while ago that their brain is calcified - an apt description.

0 Replies

And that same "steel wall" stops their beliefs getting out as well.

0 Replies

God and existence

Related Topics

Quick Links

My Account

able2know