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Do we ask our self the wrong questions about God?

Windwalker

Veteran Member
Premium Member
You asume Trump and those who support him could have been someone they are not. Can you be other than who you are. Can you be a denier? Let me know when you have chosen to be a Trump supporter.
I think we are back to our earlier discussions regarding whether or not one actually has choice. I very much believe in agency, and I have personally made radical changes in how I chose to be in my life. I know the power of will and choice. While I certainly believe we are programmed, no doubt at all, unlike you I do not believe that everything is deterministically guided, and no real choice exists. That is not something my personal experience allows me to believe.

I don't buy into reductionstic views of reality, which are a matter of faith. We have far more freedom than that. I know that, because I choose that Freedom every day.
 

amorphous_constellation

Well-Known Member
Question:2

Can it be that what we see as God is more of the universal law, that what we as humans think, say or do affect what we experience because, if we do not follow the law of the universe it is when we experience suffering?

Generally, yes. And I might add that the 'laws of the universe' are often far more tangible than spiritual people might often expect. Through the medium of science, we can generally find out what the laws of the species are to be. Sense experience is there to allow for people to make proper connections - the black death connects to an overpopulation of rats, disease can occur from under-cooked food, bad storms are predicted by earlier weather patterns, and so on. This extends even into morality a good deal: as with a clear and natural intuition, many can discern much of what is good from much of what is evil. I'd argue that we can't really get to a recognition of more esoteric spiritual knowledge until we have a better recognition of tangible law
 

blü 2

Veteran Member
Premium Member
I understand that when someone reads the Bible and maybe especially the Old testament they can think God is something evil or want to harm people.
I found I wasn't left with a choice.
So example the Coronavirus is not because God punishes us, but because we as human beings do not follow the law of the universe, but we follow the law made by human beings? or even worse.
A god who sits on [his] hands while a plague kills people is a malicious god. [His] unambiguous message is, "Let 'em die! Guilty, innocent, who cares?"

Incidentally, on those occasions when I stop to help someone, I don't enquire whether they worship me before I get on with it.

By my standards, I'm morally superior to God in that I actually DO decent things, however infrequently. If I see a kid in danger, I do what I can. If I had omnipotent fingers, I'd have snapped them long ago and cleared out the Corona virus before it became a problem.

Have you noticed how the world behaves exactly as it would if gods only existed as concepts in the minds of individuals?
 

Spirit of Light

Be who ever you want
I found I wasn't left with a choice.
A god who sits on [his] hands while a plague kills people is a malicious god. [His] unambiguous message is, "Let 'em die! Guilty, innocent, who cares?"

Incidentally, on those occasions when I stop to help someone, I don't enquire whether they worship me before I get on with it.

By my standards, I'm morally superior to God in that I actually DO decent things, however infrequently. If I see a kid in danger, I do what I can. If I had omnipotent fingers, I'd have snapped them long ago and cleared out the Corona virus before it became a problem.

Have you noticed how the world behaves exactly as it would if gods only existed as concepts in the minds of individuals?
I have noticed that the world is full of ignorant bafoons. Who do not understand spiritual thinking, ergo they can not understand God.
 

blü 2

Veteran Member
Premium Member
I have noticed that the world is full of ignorant bafoons. Who do not understand spiritual thinking, ergo they can not understand God.
I confess that I have no idea what a real god is. All the gods I've encountered exist (as I said) solely as concepts in individual brains. They're never seen in reality, they neither say nor do. The good work is done by people of goodwill, regardless of whether they're believers.

What do you say would be the moral thing for a real god to do in the face of the Corona virus? Sit on [his] hand while people die?
 

pearl

Well-Known Member
It's true that English lacks the vocabulary of the word 'love' compared to Greek which has agape, eros, philia, storge as well as philautia and xenia.

I think Agape is distinguished from eros which is a love that seeks fulfillment in that which is loved, or philia a companionable love or friendship. Agape is often described as a purely other-directed love, a gift of oneself to the other without any regard to whether the gift is accepted or returned, God's gift of self.
 
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