How Can Theology Really Study the "Nature of God?" An AI answer.

[DNB]

I do not equate being religious with being spiritual. Being religious is a external practice. Being spiritual is a internal state.

Of course animals are not "religious" in the sense that they erect altars to their gods and offer berries and twigs and whatnot, like humans do. But this does not mean that they aren't spiritual. Just being religious does not at all mean that someone is spiritual. "By their fruits you shall know them", not by their temples or by how religious they are. Quite the opposite may be true.

You've heard the term "spiritual but not religious", before haven't you? That seems the growing category these days, since religion itself has failed to help translate spiritual meaning into people's lives these days. People are doing better spiritually without religion getting in the way of love through its insistence on forms and clinging to the past and outdated ideas.

It indicates very clearly the same behaviors you see in humans expressing emotions. It very clearly, undeniably indicates that. Now spirituality is another level underneath or beyond emotions, which is what we were talking about, as opposed to just emotions.

So again, I ask you, what do you think Jesus meant when he said "Except you become as a little child you will not see the kingdom of God"? To me that means just simply "being" and not being consumed by all our ideas about things. Just see the world, be present in the world, and see God. Now little children and animals have a lot more in common that way than us mentally overactive adults who can't see the forest for the trees.

Didn't God create everything? Isn't God in everything? Besides, what does in God's image actually mean? Why do you assume that means a spiritual nature for humans and not for animals? If God is Spirit, and God creates anything, that that Spirit is infused in everything. I has to be.

So what does "image" really mean then? I don't think it means having a spiritual nature in contrast to the animal kingdom. Humans are animals themselves, of course. It's all spiritual as it comes from Spirit. I think it points more to conscious awareness than simply a spiritual nature.

We can have a conscious awareness of the Divine and make choices regarding it. Animals from what we know can't 'think' about it, the way we can. But that doesn't mean they don't have it, just like we do but may never think about it or develop it either. It many regards being spiritual for the animal may be much simpler, as they don't have as many obstacles to it created by their minds. This my point about being as a little child.

Animals are beasts of instinct. Maybe you should own a pet one day to find that out?
I haven't a clue how you can say what you said - animals are brutal killers, every single one of them. Even a cow will kill another beast or human without thinking twice, if it is annoyed enough, and not lose an ounce of sleep over it.

Animals do not pray to God, nor does God talk to them, obviously.
Rocks and tress are not spiritual - just because God created something doesn't mean He created it within His image.
Only man is spiritual - I can't believe that you would even dare to think otherwise?
I don't believe that you're grasping the meaning of spiritual - it pertains to the non-secular, the transcendent from the earthly or material realm?

 

[Windwalker]

Animals are beasts of instinct. Maybe you should own a pet one day to find that out?

Why would you assume I've never owned an animal? You may not have ever owned a dog yourself, since you imagine that animals cannot be trained to not just follow their impulses. Such as training a dog not to lift its leg on your furniture and poop on your rug. Additional things you can train your dog to do is things like healing, rather than just dragging you around on the leash. Sitting. Laying down, fetching, and so forth. All of these things mean that they are capable of more than just following their impulses, exactly the same way humans can be trained to not just follow their impulses either.

You know that humans are beasts of instinct too, don't you? Why else would you need to "train up a child in the way he should go"? It means if we don't, people just run on their impulses and have no control. Humans who do that are said to have an "impulse control" problem. I mean, this is almost silly to have to detail all this. It's really common sense.

I haven't a clue how you can say what you said - animals are brutal killers, every single one of them.

First, humans are animals. Period. They are just a human animal. And humans can be very brutal killers. Ever heard of the atomic bomb? Ever hear of machine guns? Ever hear of swords? People beat others to death with stones too. They even legally sanction it sometimes.

But I would like to ask you, when have you ever seen a brutal killing bunny rabbit?

Even a cow will kill another beast or human without thinking twice, if it is annoyed enough, and not lose an ounce of sleep over it.

Humans do the same thing. Who do you think we put behind bars in our prisons? You're not giving any examples of things that humans aren't doing themselves.

Animals do not pray to God, nor does God talk to them, obviously.

How on earth do you know that God doesn't speak to animals? And furthermore, you really don't know what relationship animals have with God, aside from your own animal species that you are as a human. Human animals have relationships with God, so why not elephants too? Who are you to say? How would you know if they were or they weren't? Do you speak whale???

Rocks and tress are not spiritual - just because God created something doesn't mean He created it within His image.

Again, how do you know? I'd say your wrong. I think trees are quite spiritual. Have you ever spent time in a forest? I find all living things to be spiritual. We all came from the same Source, didn't we?

Only man is spiritual - I can't believe that you would even dare to think otherwise?

Again, how can you say this? What does spiritual mean to you? Being religious? Adopting a belief system about God? What does being spiritual mean to you, using your own words?

I don't believe that you're grasping the meaning of spiritual - it pertains to the non-secular, the transcendent from the earthly or material realm?

I understand the meaning of spiritual quite well. And I disagree with you that it is removed from earth. "Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven". "Christ in you, the hope of glory". And so forth. A spirituality that is not present in the world, inside of you, in your life, is not spirituality at all. That's just a religious belief.

 

[Evangelicalhumanist]

Animals are beasts of instinct. Maybe you should own a pet one day to find that out?
I haven't a clue how you can say what you said - animals are brutal killers, every single one of them. Even a cow will kill another beast or human without thinking twice, if it is annoyed enough, and not lose an ounce of sleep over it.

Animals do not pray to God, nor does God talk to them, obviously.
Rocks and tress are not spiritual - just because God created something doesn't mean He created it within His image.
Only man is spiritual - I can't believe that you would even dare to think otherwise?
I don't believe that you're grasping the meaning of spiritual - it pertains to the non-secular, the transcendent from the earthly or material realm?

How do you get to be so shallow? Do you not even see anything outside of your own prejudices?

I've owned many pets -- and I know that other members have, too -- and we can all tell you that animals have very distinct personalities, they have emotions, they experience grief and know when they're guilty, and they know when they're loved and forgiven.

And thousands and thousands of years of history will tell you something you don't seem to know at all -- that tons of humans, millions of humans, almost all of whom thought they prayed and talked to God, have killed in the most hideous ways and not lost a second of sleep over it. We've designed and executed pogroms and inquisitions specially for the purpose!

And they all thought they were "spiritual!" I frankly don't think you have even the vaguest idea of what "spiritual" means, other than some comforting notion that you are special because your "God" thinks you are.

 

[Brickjectivity]

recently asked ChatGPT this question:

I don't know if you ever played the game Deus Ex, but it was pretty interesting when it investigated theology, History and AI. The game was one of the early 3D stealth games from the late 1990's. Here is a brief 3 minute conversation about an AI designed to become a deity and control humanity.

Spoiler: video

It says "You will soon have your God, and you will make it with your own hands." Ominous!
This page contains the quotes from what the AI says about itself and humankind:

Morpheus

Morpheus is an AI prototype in Morgan Everett's residence created sometime after 2027 by the collaboration of Morgan Everett and Bob Page. Morpheus was developed by Everett as part of the "Morpheus Initiative." Its predecessor was an earlier AI program, Eliza Cassan. When Eliza Cassan went rogue...

deusex.fandom.com

 

[Heyo]

Have you ever observed animals before - owned a pet

I've never owned a pet. I'm currently living together with eleven cats - but I don't own them.

They're not religious, man is religious - 90% of man has spent billions of dollars, hours, prayers, literature and study, on religious endeavors.
There's a religious edifice on every street corner in the world, a religion for every country, and a denomination for every man.

In comparison to that, do you really believe that animals believe in a divine and holy Being that created them, and who resides in heaven?
Does God in return speak to them, and advise them on behaviour and morality, and about salvation?

I'm not sure to what degree animals are spiritual. Given that humans are spiritual to different degrees, why not other animals?
And in humans its those who are more instinctual who are also more spiritual ...

Heyo, do you get the point - like I said, the 'experts' are ridiculously in error.

I get the feeling that you have an instinctual need to feel special, even though people who know much more about the topic, who have spent years of study, tell you otherwise. You dismiss all that expertise with a wave of the hand. That looks like denial.

 

[DNB]

Why would you assume I've never owned an animal? You may not have ever owned a dog yourself, since you imagine that animals cannot be trained to not just follow their impulses. Such as training a dog not to lift its leg on your furniture and poop on your rug. Additional things you can train your dog to do is things like healing, rather than just dragging you around on the leash. Sitting. Laying down, fetching, and so forth. All of these things mean that they are capable of more than just following their impulses, exactly the same way humans can be trained to not just follow their impulses either.

You know that humans are beasts of instinct too, don't you? Why else would you need to "train up a child in the way he should go"? It means if we don't, people just run on their impulses and have no control. Humans who do that are said to have an "impulse control" problem. I mean, this is almost silly to have to detail all this. It's really common sense.

First, humans are animals. Period. They are just a human animal. And humans can be very brutal killers. Ever heard of the atomic bomb? Ever hear of machine guns? Ever hear of swords? People beat others to death with stones too. They even legally sanction it sometimes.

But I would like to ask you, when have you ever seen a brutal killing bunny rabbit?

Humans do the same thing. Who do you think we put behind bars in our prisons? You're not giving any examples of things that humans aren't doing themselves.

How on earth do you know that God doesn't speak to animals? And furthermore, you really don't know what relationship animals have with God, aside from your own animal species that you are as a human. Human animals have relationships with God, so why not elephants too? Who are you to say? How would you know if they were or they weren't? Do you speak whale???

Again, how do you know? I'd say your wrong. I think trees are quite spiritual. Have you ever spent time in a forest? I find all living things to be spiritual. We all came from the same Source, didn't we?

Again, how can you say this? What does spiritual mean to you? Being religious? Adopting a belief system about God? What does being spiritual mean to you, using your own words?

I understand the meaning of spiritual quite well. And I disagree with you that it is removed from earth. "Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven". "Christ in you, the hope of glory". And so forth. A spirituality that is not present in the world, inside of you, in your life, is not spirituality at all. That's just a religious belief.

How do I know? That's the best that you can do, How can one tell?
I'm sorry Windwalker, if all you can do is make an appeal to 'just because we can't see it, doesn't mean that it's not there', then I give up.
Maybe you're not spiritual or religious yourself, and are unaware of the insights and perception required to ascertain the transcendent realm.
Not every human is religious despite being endowed with a spiritual constitution. But there are absolutely no non-humans, including trees and bumble bees, that are either spiritual or religious.

 

[DNB]

How do you get to be so shallow? Do you not even see anything outside of your own prejudices?

I've owned many pets -- and I know that other members have, too -- and we can all tell you that animals have very distinct personalities, they have emotions, they experience grief and know when they're guilty, and they know when they're loved and forgiven.

And thousands and thousands of years of history will tell you something you don't seem to know at all -- that tons of humans, millions of humans, almost all of whom thought they prayed and talked to God, have killed in the most hideous ways and not lost a second of sleep over it. We've designed and executed pogroms and inquisitions specially for the purpose!

And they all thought they were "spiritual!" I frankly don't think you have even the vaguest idea of what "spiritual" means, other than some comforting notion that you are special because your "God" thinks you are.

Not every human has empathy or a spiritual awareness - there are extremely superficial and pretentious people in this world, despite being capable of discerning the unseen realm - they are created with a spiritual endowment.
So, the demography that you continuously cite as an example to either defame religion or ascribe inhumanity to humans, are only a small contingency of people. We can go on ever more laboriously as to how many men have discussed, debated, lectured on, published treatises about, legislated and litigated over, etc, the virtues of morality and spiritual attainment.

There is not a single non-human that has ever done anything remotely close. All the examples that you gave of your pets, and maybe other's, have all been misconstrued - you're not discerning the motives behind your dog, cat or reptile.

 

[DNB]

I've never owned a pet. I'm currently living together with eleven cats - but I don't own them.

I'm not sure to what degree animals are spiritual. Given that humans are spiritual to different degrees, why not other animals?
And in humans its those who are more instinctual who are also more spiritual ...


I get the feeling that you have an instinctual need to feel special, even though people who know much more about the topic, who have spent years of study, tell you otherwise. You dismiss all that expertise with a wave of the hand. That looks like denial.

Animals are beasts of the earth, they don't pray, contemplate their existence, or inquire about the transcendent.
All that they do is: eat, sleep, play, defecate, procreate and sniff people in inappropriate areas, and that's it.

 

[Windwalker]

How do I know? That's the best that you can do, How can one tell?

If you can't know for sure, then why are you declaring it cannot be so? I thought of you this afternoon as I just watched this fantastic new documentary on Netflix called, Unknown: Cave of the Bones. Watch Unknown: Cave of Bones | Netflix Official Site

In this they have discovered a non-human species, of the homo genus, but quite non-human, who lived 250,000 years ago. They discovered that they were very clearly ritually burying their dead, with writings on the cave walls, and sending them to the great beyond with stone tools in their hands! That is very strong indication that they not only had a deeply spiritual life, but that they likely believed in an afterlife, sending their loved one in the next life with a cherished hand tool.

You see this exact same pattern of behavior in humans that lived many years after they did. And this was not one simple burial, but a burial spot in a cave deep underground where they found at least 15 full remains of this non-human species.

Now, you tell me. Is this nothing? Are you still right, despite strong compelling evidence to the contrary? And your only support is your particular, peculiar reading of Genesis in how you choose to interpret it? Evidence be damned, you're right anyhow?

I'm sorry Windwalker, if all you can do is make an appeal to 'just because we can't see it, doesn't mean that it's not there', then I give up.

Well, I did offer proof by pointing to other species which mourn their dead, but you seem to have chosen to ignore that. Now maybe you can try to answer how another non-human species had burial rituals 250,000 - 275,000 years ago, with clear signs of a spiritual life and belief? Answer that, if you can?

Maybe you're not spiritual or religious yourself, and are unaware of the insights and perception required to ascertain the transcendent realm.

I consider myself in the SBNR camp, the "spiritual but not religious" category. I consider my spiritual life to be central to everything in life. So absolutely, I am very aware of the insights and perceptions required to ascertain, and realize the transcendent. Others have describe me as a mystic, actually.

Out of curiosity, what spiritual practices do you do? Do you meditate? Have you had any sorts of mystical experiences? Can you describe what that was like and how if affected your perceptions of truth and reality?

Not every human is religious despite being endowed with a spiritual constitution.

Correct. And not every religious person is spiritual. In fact, I'd say that's more the case than not.

But there are absolutely no non-humans, including trees and bumble bees, that are either spiritual or religious.

So certain are you? Based on what?

 

[Aupmanyav]

"They discovered that they were very clearly ritually burying their dead, with writings on the cave walls, and sending them to the great beyond with stone tools in their hands! That is very strong indication that they not only had a deeply spiritual life, but that they likely believed in an afterlife, sending their loved one in the next life with a cherished hand tool."

What are you trying to prove, Wellwisher? Did not we believe that earth was the center of universe till 16th Century?

 

[DNB]

If you can't know for sure, then why are you declaring it cannot be so? I thought of you this afternoon as I just watched this fantastic new documentary on Netflix called, Unknown: Cave of the Bones. Watch Unknown: Cave of Bones | Netflix Official Site

In this they have discovered a non-human species, of the homo genus, but quite non-human, who lived 250,000 years ago. They discovered that they were very clearly ritually burying their dead, with writings on the cave walls, and sending them to the great beyond with stone tools in their hands! That is very strong indication that they not only had a deeply spiritual life, but that they likely believed in an afterlife, sending their loved one in the next life with a cherished hand tool.

You see this exact same pattern of behavior in humans that lived many years after they did. And this was not one simple burial, but a burial spot in a cave deep underground where they found at least 15 full remains of this non-human species.

Now, you tell me. Is this nothing? Are you still right, despite strong compelling evidence to the contrary? And your only support is your particular, peculiar reading of Genesis in how you choose to interpret it? Evidence be damned, you're right anyhow?

Well, I did offer proof by pointing to other species which mourn their dead, but you seem to have chosen to ignore that. Now maybe you can try to answer how another non-human species had burial rituals 250,000 - 275,000 years ago, with clear signs of a spiritual life and belief? Answer that, if you can?

I consider myself in the SBNR camp, the "spiritual but not religious" category. I consider my spiritual life to be central to everything in life. So absolutely, I am very aware of the insights and perceptions required to ascertain, and realize the transcendent. Others have describe me as a mystic, actually.

Out of curiosity, what spiritual practices do you do? Do you meditate? Have you had any sorts of mystical experiences? Can you describe what that was like and how if affected your perceptions of truth and reality?

Correct. And not every religious person is spiritual. In fact, I'd say that's more the case than not.

So certain are you? Based on what?

Ah, you're a mystic - not a very flattering appellation - it's synonymous with flakiness and delusions, I'm afraid.
Those cave men are not what you think that they are, or are not doing what you think that they are doing, or both.
I pray to God, the Father, the only Deity in the entire universe, every night. And, read His word as often as I can (Judeo-Christian Bible). We discuss exegesis, morality and the righteous precepts of God. Salvation and holiness, etc. That's it for spirituality on my part.

 

[Heyo]

Animals are beasts of the earth, they don't pray, contemplate their existence, or inquire about the transcendent.
All that they do is: eat, sleep, play, defecate, procreate and sniff people in inappropriate areas, and that's it.

1. Humans pray, contemplate their existence, and inquire about the transcendent.
2. Humans are animals.
You can see the conclusion, can't you?
If not, have you ever asked your yourself whether homo Neanderthalensis was spiritual? Homo Heidelbergensis? Australopithecus sediba?

 

[Aupmanyav]

1. Humans pray, contemplate their existence, and inquire about the transcendent.

Just a little change - Humans inquire whether there is anything transcendental or is it all humbug?

 

[wellwisher]

I recently asked ChatGPT this question: "How can theology study the nature of God? Is it not constrained to only studying what humans think about God?" Here is it's response:



At the end of the day, I don't think it answered my question -- even seeming (and this would be surprising!) to ignore the last part. For example, the last 5 words "profound questions about the divine" seems to assume that "the divine" actually exists, in a way that isn't in question. So, I asked a followup question: "But doesn't theology assume first that both God and the divine are realities?" Here is the response:


I'd be interested in members' thoughts.

(My own thought, for better or worse, is that theology is actually the study of what humans think about divinity, and not very much more. The study of what might have been wrought by divinity, in my view, winds up in the sciences -- the study of what is, not necessarily why it is.)

The late Psychologist and Psychiatrist Carl Jung, had the thesis of the archetypes of collective unconscious, which can be described as the firmware of the human brain's natural operating system. The archetypes would be like apps. To prove his thesis of these collective human propensities or apps of human nature, Jung relied on patients in therapy as well as collective human symbolism. The best collections of symbolism were often associated with the world's religions and world Alchemy, since these were most likely to be preserved over long periods of time. This data made Jung a target to the Atheists in his field, who had an angry blind spot toward anything religion.

What Jung was able to show; use theology to study the operating system of the brain, was how religious system although different on the surface, had fundamental similarities that aligned with the brain firmware of the collective unconscious. He was also able to show how many thing spontaneously appeared in cultures all over the world, even where there is no proof of any direct contact. The Aborigine, for example, have a great flood mythology even though they were isolated in Australia. It appears as a timed vision from the collective unconscious of human nature.

In that sense, Religious symbolism was like the language of brain information technology. It was projected outward, into the characters of religion, so one could learn and apply it to the firmware development. While the evolution of religion, such as the Titans of Greek mythology changing to the Olympians, reflect an update milestone in the human brain's operating system. The apps of the Titan were cold, dark and bestial, compared to the Olympian apps, which were warmer, lighter and more human. Modern people have no clue how advance such interaction with the firmware made the ancient people; build pyramids.

The dark ages; going from BC to AD, buried much of this capability. This was needed for that update. Modern religion still retain the old systems which document the updates and how the firmware still need to be exercised.

I did my own experiments on myself, to get first hand data, since reading science logic and analysis is one thing while field testing is another. It appears another update is near, which could account for the concern with AI; anticipate projecting firmware altering the way the ego reacts to reality for the uninstall phase. If the concern spreads all over the world then a synchronicity is near. We may test this in isolated cultures.

 

[Windwalker]

Ah, you're a mystic - not a very flattering appellation - it's synonymous with flakiness and delusions, I'm afraid.

Only if you're highly ignorant of what that word means. St. Paul was a mystic. That means, they have transcendent experiences of the Divine in life, through prayer and meditation.

Otherwise, what on earth is prayer and mediation about, if not to try to sense the Presence of God in your life? That is what mysticism is. It has nothing to do with "woo woo" beliefs. Don't be so ignorant.

Mystic: a person who seeks by contemplation and self-surrender to obtain unity with or absorption into the Deity or the absolute, or who believes in the spiritual apprehension of truths that are beyond the intellect.​

​

All Christians should be doing that. Why aren't you?

Those cave men are not what you think that they are, or are not doing what you think that they are doing, or both.

Really? You mean, all those experts who did the work, all the evidence, all the facts, mean nothing, because you just say so? How on earth does that work, pray tell?

I pray to God, the Father, the only Deity in the entire universe, every night. And, read His word as often as I can (Judeo-Christian Bible). We discuss exegesis, morality and the righteous precepts of God. Salvation and holiness, etc. That's it for spirituality on my part.

So, you equate spirituality with religious practices? I don't. Religion is what we do on the outside. Spirituality is what we are on the inside. There is a radical difference between the outside and the inside.

"You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean."​

​

The interior, mystical union with the Divine, is in fact what it means to "clean the inside of the cup". That's what washes it.

I surprised that if you read the Bible as much as you claim, you don't understand any of these things from it.

 

[Windwalker]

The late Psychologist and Psychiatrist Carl Jung, had the thesis of the archetypes of collective unconscious, which can be described as the firmware of the human brain's natural operating system. The archetypes would be like apps. To prove his thesis of these collective human propensities or apps of human nature, Jung relied on patients in therapy as well as collective human symbolism. The best collections of symbolism were often associated with the world's religions and world Alchemy, since these were most likely to be preserved over long periods of time. This data made Jung a target to the Atheists in his field, who had an angry blind spot toward anything religion.

What Jung was able to show; use theology to study the operating system of the brain, was how religious system although different on the surface, had fundamental similarities that aligned with the brain firmware of the collective unconscious. He was also able to show how many thing spontaneously appeared in cultures all over the world, even where there is no proof of any direct contact. The Aborigine, for example, have a great flood mythology even though they were isolated in Australia. It appears as a timed vision from the collective unconscious of human nature.

In that sense, Religious symbolism was like the language of brain information technology. It was projected outward, into the characters of religion, so one could learn and apply it to the firmware development. While the evolution of religion, such as the Titans of Greek mythology changing to the Olympians, reflect an update milestone in the human brain's operating system. The apps of the Titan were cold, dark and bestial, compared to the Olympian apps, which were warmer, lighter and more human. Modern people have no clue how advance such interaction with the firmware made the ancient people; build pyramids.

The dark ages; going from BC to AD, buried much of this capability. This was needed for that update. Modern religion still retain the old systems which document the updates and how the firmware still need to be exercised.

I did my own experiments on myself, to get first hand data, since reading science logic and analysis is one thing while field testing is another. It appears another update is near, which could account for the concern with AI; anticipate projecting firmware altering the way the ego reacts to reality for the uninstall phase. If the concern spreads all over the world then a synchronicity is near. We may test this in isolated cultures.

That was a great summary.

 

[Colt]

I recently asked ChatGPT this question: "How can theology study the nature of God? Is it not constrained to only studying what humans think about God?" Here is it's response:



At the end of the day, I don't think it answered my question -- even seeming (and this would be surprising!) to ignore the last part. For example, the last 5 words "profound questions about the divine" seems to assume that "the divine" actually exists, in a way that isn't in question. So, I asked a followup question: "But doesn't theology assume first that both God and the divine are realities?" Here is the response:


I'd be interested in members' thoughts.

(My own thought, for better or worse, is that theology is actually the study of what humans think about divinity, and not very much more. The study of what might have been wrought by divinity, in my view, winds up in the sciences -- the study of what is, not necessarily why it is.)

Even AI assumes the existence of God who is so obvious as to be blinding to some.

 

[Evangelicalhumanist]

Even AI assumes the existence of God who is so obvious as to be blinding to some.

Just as it's so blindingly obvious to so many parents with a kid in prison that, "my child could NEVER do such a thing! It's impossible."

And why is it so "blindingly obvious" to them? Because of their unquenchable desire that it be true.

 

[Colt]

Just as it's so blindingly obvious to so many parents with a kid in prison that, "my child could NEVER do such a thing! It's impossible."

And why is it so "blindingly obvious" to them? Because of their unquenchable desire that it be true.

And your unquenchable desire for a Godless universe. You might have to get over yourself should you ever discover your heavenly Father. A fragment of God is within you, he waits patiently for that glorious day when you truly want to be lead by him.

TO THE unbelieving materialist, man is simply an evolutionary accident. His hopes of survival are strung on a figment of mortal imagination; his fears, loves, longings, and beliefs are but the reaction of the incidental juxtaposition of certain lifeless atoms of matter. No display of energy nor expression of trust can carry him beyond the grave. The devotional labors and inspirational genius of the best of men are doomed to be extinguished by death, the long and lonely night of eternal oblivion and soul extinction. Nameless despair is man’s only reward for living and toiling under the temporal sun of mortal existence. Each day of life slowly and surely tightens the grasp of a pitiless doom which a hostile and relentless universe of matter has decreed shall be the crowning insult to everything in human desire which is beautiful, noble, lofty, and good.

102:0.2 (1118.2) But such is not man’s end and eternal destiny; such a vision is but the cry of despair uttered by some wandering soul who has become lost in spiritual darkness, and who bravely struggles on in the face of the mechanistic sophistries of a material philosophy, blinded by the confusion and distortion of a complex learning. And all this doom of darkness and all this destiny of despair are forever dispelled by one brave stretch of faith on the part of the most humble and unlearned of God’s children on earth.

102:0.3 (1118.3) This saving faith has its birth in the human heart when the moral consciousness of man realizes that human values may be translated in mortal experience from the material to the spiritual, from the human to the divine, from time to eternity." UB 1955

 

[Mock Turtle]

Even AI assumes the existence of God who is so obvious as to be blinding to some.

Which AI would that be - the LLM ones that gets information by trawling the internet and perhaps any reading matter, and where over 80% believe in such - so that what other conclusion would it/they inevitably come to? Given it isn't actually intelligence yet.