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God - Is this knowledge the ultimate aim?

Is Knowledge of God the Purpose of our Life?

  • No

    Votes: 9 47.4%
  • Yes

    Votes: 2 10.5%
  • No with explanation

    Votes: 4 21.1%
  • Yes with explanation

    Votes: 4 21.1%
  • I have another view - I will explain in a post.

    Votes: 1 5.3%

  • Total voters
    19
  • Poll closed .

ChristineM

"Be strong", I whispered to my coffee.
Premium Member
I would observe that assumption does not drive this thought from some faith adherents. From certain Faiths, there is guidance that man was created to know and love God. It is also suggested if we come to truly know our own selves, we would know God.

I can understand if a person has not embraced any of these ideologies, then it can be seen naught but assumption.

It will be an interesting future, what will science discover on this subject?

Regards Tony

There is no evidence therefore surely the thought is all assumption?

Chances are science will discover nothing on the subject, it does not concern itself with superstition.
 

TransmutingSoul

Veteran Member
Premium Member
I would "assume" that believers in god or gods have been saying similar for several millennia.

In history, we can choose to note, that God does give us a message about every 1000 or so years, give or take a few centuries.

This is why Faith does not die out. This cycle of renewal, is observable by science in the material world.

Regards Tony
 

ChristineM

"Be strong", I whispered to my coffee.
Premium Member
In history, we can choose to note, that God does give us a message about every 1000 or so years, give or take a few centuries.

This is why Faith does not die out. This cycle of renewal, is observable by science in the material world.

Regards Tony

So where was said message during the cro magnon period? It lasted about 10,000 years, no sign of any message.

I think it is more likely a priest or similar reworks old scripture and adds a little woo to gain followers.
 

TransmutingSoul

Veteran Member
Premium Member
So where was said message during the cro magnon period? It lasted about 10,000 years, no sign of any message.

I think it is more likely a priest or similar reworks old scripture and adds a little woo to gain followers.

Our records only go back around 6000 years, most recorded history beyond that is lost. You will note many structures are found that were used in some way for ritual. The Australian Aboriginal have the dreamtime which dates back further, which was passed down in song and dance.

As we mature as humanity, we are also given more knowledge with each message.
I see that In this day, science and religion must work in harmony.

Regards Tony
 

ChristineM

"Be strong", I whispered to my coffee.
Premium Member
Our records only go back around 6000 years, most recorded history beyond that is lost. You will note many structures are found that were used in some way for ritual. The Australian Aboriginal have the dreamtime which dates back further, which was passed down in song and dance.

As we mature as humanity, we are also given more knowledge with each message.
I see that In this day, science and religion must work in harmony.

Regards Tony



Cro magnon did leave records in cave paintings, some as old as 30,000 years. No god depicted.
 

osgart

Nothing my eye, Something for sure
Created life seems like the great experiment. The earliest conscious life ,like us all, tries to figure out who or what we are, and come hell or high water signify our existence somehow. Maybe all life wants to know is its place in all of this reality.
 

SalixIncendium

अग्निविलोवनन्दः
Staff member
Premium Member


we...our own...we



We...Our...us...Our

we...us...We...us...we...our



With these plural pronouns, who is it that you presume to speak for? I am hoping that you are speaking only for the Baha'i, or that you have a mouse in your pocket.

In the case that you are speaking for all humanity or all worldly beings, I do not presume to speak on your behalf, so please return the favor and do not speak on mine.
 

Vinayaka

devotee
Premium Member
With these plural pronouns, who is it that you presume to speak for? I am hoping that you are speaking only for the Baha'i, or that you have a mouse in your pocket.

In the case that you are speaking for all humanity or all worldly beings, I do not presume to speak on your behalf, so please return the favor and do not speak on mine.

This and capitalizing certain 'important' words can be labelled as Bahaispeak. It's a language all of it's own.
 

SalixIncendium

अग्निविलोवनन्दः
Staff member
Premium Member
Cro magnon did leave records in cave paintings, some as old as 30,000 years. No god depicted.

I was going to leave a snarky remark to the effect that God didn't choose to reveal himself until around 6000 years ago, but in doing some digging, I found that there may have been a sculpture of a deity around 38,000 years ago.

"The Aurignacian[9] Löwenmensch figurine, the oldest known zoomorphic (animal-shaped) sculpture in the world and one of the oldest known sculptures in general, was made. The sculpture has also been interpreted as anthropomorphic, giving human characteristics to an animal, although it may have represented a deity.[10]"

240px-Loewenmensch2.jpg
240px-Loewenmensch1.jpg


The rest of the article is pretty interesting as well.

Timeline of religion - Wikipedia
 

PureX

Veteran Member
When i was young i sought God, and i tried to imagine what a perfect being would be like. That gave me ideals and aspirations i would not have otherwise considered.

At this time i see no evidence for a God.
But i maintain the same aspirations i had from youth.
Seems to me that the evidence is that the idea of a God "worked" for you in spite of your inability to know of it's material mechanisms and properties. If faith in God is not somehow connected to truth, why/how would it be such a positive and effective force in our lives?
 

SalixIncendium

अग्निविलोवनन्दः
Staff member
Premium Member
No gods are depicted, today, either; just spirit representations. Same as those cave paintings.

Are you using a different definition of "depicted" than I am? Today, there is a plethora of depictions of gods.
 

PureX

Veteran Member
Are you using a different definition of "depicted" than I am? Today, there is a plethora of depictions of gods.
Most people know that the blue-eyed, honey-haired, white-faced Jesus paintings are representations of a spiritual ideal. Or, well, they SHOULD know this, anyway, because that's what they are. Images and statues and so on are not "depictions" of actual gods so much as they are representations of a god-ideal, or god-spirit. Those cave paintings are representations of life-sustaining animals to the humans that painted them. We think those ancient humans believed that by depicting the image of those animals in just the right way, they could capture it's spirit, honor it, and thereby assure it's cooperation in an upcoming hunt. Images like these have been used to represent the spirit of the things they depict since the dawn of human imagination.
 

osgart

Nothing my eye, Something for sure
Seems to me that the evidence is that the idea of a God "worked" for you in spite of your inability to know of it's material mechanisms and properties. If faith in God is not somehow connected to truth, why/how would it be such a positive and effective force in our lives?

It was more my search for such a truth and then not finding one that made me the way i am. I was raised in an extremely religious house, and i had to keep my mouth shut and accept things i dont believe in. So what worked for me was always trying to find a better way. I had ideals imposed upon me, so i came up with my own ideals to counter that. Then i realized that nobody is perfect and ideals are aspirations. I hypothesized God, and found nothing in reality that fit any of the definitions. But God is an idea ingrained in my thinking because i was forced to reckon with the idea.

Im all for a God being real, but never making it real. Reckoning God, made me search myself, and really explore who i am. Because i was always being judged by standards i didnt agree with. I found no factual basis there.
 
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PureX

Veteran Member
It was more my search for such a truth and then not finding one that made me the way i am. I was raised in an extremely religious house, and i had to keep my mouth shut and accept things i dont believe in. So what worked for me was always trying to find a better way. I had ideals imposed upon me, so i came up with my own ideals to counter that. Then i realized that nobody is perfect and ideals are aspirations. I hypothesized God, and found nothing in reality that fit any of the definitions. But God is an idea ingrained in my thinking because i was forced to reckon with the idea.

Im all for a God being real, but never making it real. Reckoning God, made me search myself, and really explore who i am. Because i was always being judged by standards i didnt agree with.
Why are you assuming that ideas are not real? In your case, the idea of God certainly had a very real effect on your family, and on you. And you were able to use that effect to modify the idea for yourself to make it more positive. How is this any different from what a scientist does, minus the physicality? How is it any different from what a psychologist would help you do? Or what a historian does when sifting through the debris of the past? Are you saying science isn't real, or that psychology isn't? Or history? Because these are all just ideas put into practice, too. Same is 'faith in God'.
 
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