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God Is An Imaginary Friend For Grown-Ups

Neo-Logic

Reality Checker
I asked cardero earlier but I should really have put it to you - Tell me about one friend you have who is more than an object in your mind.

Every single person I know are more than objects in my mind (except this one guy from work whom I consider him a tool). Each person, and everything else for that matter, would esentially be fragments of my own mind, but does that make them imaginary? Not really.

One important difference. I can have third person confirmation about their existance. More than that, I can quantify their living with many factors ....

But .. what's your point? :eek:
 

ChristineES

Tiggerism
Premium Member
Are you sure we are all really here? I am not even certain of that. For all I know you could all be different programmed responses from a big computer. :D Don't worry, I don't actually believe that but the truth is that I can't prove it or disprove it.

People have to make up their own minds about having religion or not; no one can make it for you or me.
 

Neo-Logic

Reality Checker
How do you know?

I've asserted the claim that my friends are not imaginary, although anything could be considered fragments of my mind. I've backed that up with the premises that my friends are quantifiable with third person (4th, 5th, 6th, many more) confirmation, along with other specifics - date of births, records, etc.

You have asserted a question and shifted the burden of proof. If you wish to claim that they are my imagination, provide some premise or support of some kind.
 

Captain Civic

version 2.0
Please elaborate your question. I'm not following. Had a long day. :rolleyes:

I find it hard for people to call themselves 'open minded' who have no desire to actually be open minded in the case of faith. You may be open minded to the scientific arguments brought to you by people of faith, but not open minded to the faith itself.

It's fine if you don't agree, I just think flat out rejection of the idea due to lack of scientific basis is not what I would call open minded.
 

Charity

Let's go racing boys !
God is like the air, you can't see it but you know it's there.

Hey I'm cool with however you believe, I can respect that, can you do the same for me?

Have a nice evening, Vaya con dios;)
 

blackout

Violet.
And what's wrong with "imaginary" anyway?!

Every great work of art began in the image-in-ation.
or... image-I-nation.

Perhaps... the Nation "I" image in
is the very place where God is found.....
 

Neo-Logic

Reality Checker
I find it hard for people to call themselves 'open minded' who have no desire to actually be open minded in the case of faith. You may be open minded to the scientific arguments brought to you by people of faith, but not open minded to the faith itself.

It's fine if you don't agree, I just think flat out rejection of the idea due to lack of scientific basis is not what I would call open minded.

If by your definition of open minded means one should try to believe in anything on grounds of believing itself, that would be circular logic and of course I'm not open minded in that regards. You can't just redefine the idea of open minded from its looking at ideas and concepts and judging it with supporting elements to just believing because for its sake.

Why should I believe something just because? That is NOT being open minded. That is being willfully ignorant.

If I claim all arabs and muslims are terrorists, would you just try to believe it?

If i was sitting in the seat of a juror and you were being accused of murder, should I just believe it? Or would you rather I looked at evidence?
 

Neo-Logic

Reality Checker
God is like the air, you can't see it but you know it's there.

Hey I'm cool with however you believe, I can respect that, can you do the same for me?

Have a nice evening, Vaya con dios;)

I respect your right to respect anything you want. I respect your right to believe whatever you want. It's not about respect. It's about logic. Judging something on its logical values is not the same thing as disrespecting something.

By the way, air can be proved. Its pressure can be measured. Its speed can be quantified, Its source can be explained via wind and atmosphere.

You have a nice evening too ... :rolleyes:
 

Neo-Logic

Reality Checker
ANYTHING can be(come) a religion.
Even science.

Gods abound.

Definitions of "religion"

[SIZE=-1]"a strong belief in a supernatural power or powers that control human destiny"
"[/SIZE][SIZE=-1]an institution to express belief in a divine power"
"[/SIZE][SIZE=-1]a set of attitudes, beliefs, and practices pertaining to supernatural power"

Science cannot become a religion, unless you redefine the word religion. Science is the quantification of forces, not the promotion of belief to avoid quantification. Science has nothing to do with human destiny, belief in supernatural powers (unless proven), and well, you've heard the rest. :)
[/SIZE]
 

Neo-Logic

Reality Checker
And what's wrong with "imaginary" anyway?!

Every great work of art began in the image-in-ation.
or... image-I-nation.

Perhaps... the Nation "I" image in
is the very place where God is found.....

Nothing is wrong with imaginary my friend. We all have imaginations. However, when someone claims something is imaginary one breathe, then claim that imagination to exist or be real the next second with no explanation of its transition from one to the other, some might have problems with that sorta thing.
 

Captain Civic

version 2.0
Why should I believe something just because? That is NOT being open minded. That is being willfully ignorant.

I completely agree. I have reasons for my belief; they are not 'just because' or because I was raised with them (I grew up in an atheist home, btw.) They just aren't empirically unrefutable scientific evidences.
 

blackout

Violet.
Definitions of "religion"

"a strong belief in a supernatural power or powers that control human destiny"
"an institution to express belief in a divine power"
"a set of attitudes, beliefs, and practices pertaining to supernatural power"

Science cannot become a religion, unless you redefine the word religion. Science is the quantification of forces, not the promotion of belief to avoid quantification. Science has nothing to do with human destiny, belief in supernatural powers (unless proven), and well, you've heard the rest. :)

The bold typeface was added in by me.
and this was just my first try...:)
(dictionary.com)

re·li·gion
thinsp.png
Audio Help/rɪˈlɪdʒ
thinsp.png
ən/
Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[ri-lij-uh
thinsp.png
n
]
Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation
–noun 1.a set of beliefs concerning the cause, nature, and purpose of the universe, esp. when considered as the creation of a superhuman agency or agencies, usually involving devotional and ritual observances, and often containing a moral code governing the conduct of human affairs.
2.a specific fundamental set of beliefs and practices generally agreed upon by a number of persons or sects: the Christian religion; the Buddhist religion.
3.the body of persons adhering to a particular set of beliefs and practices: a world council of religions.
4.the life or state of a monk, nun, etc.: to enter religion.
5.the practice of religious beliefs; ritual observance of faith.
6.something one believes in and follows devotedly; a point or matter of ethics or conscience: to make a religion of fighting prejudice. 7.religions, Archaic. religious rites.
8.Archaic. strict faithfulness; devotion: a religion to one's vow. —Idiom
9.get religion, Informal. a.to acquire a deep conviction of the validity of religious beliefs and practices. b.to resolve to mend one's errant ways: The company got religion and stopped making dangerous products.
[Origin: 1150&#8211;1200; ME religioun (< OF religion) < L religi&#333;n- (s. of religi&#333;) conscientiousness, piety, equiv. to relig(&#257;re) to tie, fasten (re- re- + lig&#257;re to bind, tie; cf. ligament) + -i&#333;n- -ion; cf. rely
thinsp.png
]
 

Father Heathen

Veteran Member
God is like the air, you can't see it but you know it's there.

Hey I'm cool with however you believe, I can respect that, can you do the same for me?

Have a nice evening, Vaya con dios;)

Lame analogy. You can feel and hear the wind. There is no sensory reception of god.
 

Neo-Logic

Reality Checker
"a specific fundamental set of beliefs and practices generally agreed upon by a number of persons or sects: "

"something one believes in and follows devotedly; a point or matter of ethics or conscience"

"
the body of persons adhering to a particular set of beliefs and practices"

(dictionary.com)

The 1st & 2nd ones cannot fit science. Science is not "generally agreed upon" - it is tested, and must be repeatable.

Science isn't something that one believes in. The results that science produces are what one has no choice but to accept.

The third one ... well, you got me there. :bow:

1/3 still ain't bad. If only the religious claims could be 1/3 like yours, we would have progressed so much. Thank YOU for supporting your claim. :shout
 

Neo-Logic

Reality Checker
I completely agree. I have reasons for my belief; they are not 'just because' or because I was raised with them (I grew up in an atheist home, btw.) They just aren't empirically unrefutable scientific evidences.

Hey thanks for all your responses. I appreciate a good debate. :yes:

I ask this respectfully because I'm genuinely curious and you can choose not to share, but - outside of faith/belief, what reasons do you have for your belief?
 
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