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The Problem of Theism
- Thread starter Fool
- Start date
if your god is omnipresent, why seek elsewhere?
the fruit of the spirit is love
No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.
This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus.
I don't understand the questions. I think by "theists" you meant to put "classical monotheists whose religion teaches particular things about why God created humans and accept a particular interpretation on those teachings." These questions are hardly problems for theism as a whole; the questions don't make sense for many types of theism. 
it is a much broader subject. thanks for reminding us.I don't understand the questions. I think by "theists" you meant to put "classical monotheists whose religion teaches particular things about why God created humans and accept a particular interpretation on those teachings." These questions are hardly problems for theism as a whole; the questions don't make sense for many types of theism.
however the problem can be an issue with polytheism too. how are such spirits, gods, deities, knowable; if the belief is internalized and not observable and separate from self?
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actions are observable. the spirit quickeneth but the form is of no value
I thought the problem was with people. I have never met this theism dude or dudette...
jesus saw the father as inherent in himself. most christians don't. most polytheistic theists don't either. so how does such a god hear without being close?
i think you're referring to abrahamic theists but this is also an issue for theist believers in relation to their gods, or god. can that god of belief ever be realized; if its an internalized belief with no actual observable attributes, or actions?
i am with you always is very near; in fact it's omnipresent.
omnipresent means present in all places at all times. so why look in some other place, outside of self? or some other time?
didn't jesus say to wash the inside of the cup - self being the cup? so why are christians trying to wash other cups?
unfortunately not all people have this issue. the problem lies with the theist in relationship to god and ex-nihilo. we could use the same idea with those who feel alienated from nature, or the universe. the belief seems to be overriding the reality that they are in fact within the universe, tho they believe the universe is out there where they defined it.
kind of like earth isn't in heaven, or east is east and west is west but the twain shall never meet. that is unless you turn around and head in the opposite direction.
jesus isn't present, yes.
the spirit is tho. the spirit quickeneth, enlivens everthing
I don't think this is much of a problem in polytheistic religions, because on the whole they don't put a wedge between "nature" and "gods." The gods are various natural forces (e.g., Helius as sun, Eos as dawn) ... which are self-evidently observable and distinct from human persons. There are types of gods that, while aspects of nature, are more difficult to observe with our limited senses (e.g., Phobos as fear, Eros as love), but I can't say the question really comes up. Relating with the gods on a daily basis and experiencing them directly all the time is kind of a thing for us. That tends to happen when one doesn't insist gods transcend nature or are supernatural.
The Problem of OP:
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I mean it's clearly not a problem for theism as a whole when I can point to things like "O SON OF BEING! With the hands of power I made thee and with the fingers of strength I created thee; and within thee have I placed the essence of My light. Be thou content with it and seek naught else, for My work is perfect and My command is binding. Question it not, nor have a doubt thereof." Which is, oh look, a theist's prohibition from seeking outside of that image.
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I mean it's clearly not a problem for theism as a whole when I can point to things like "O SON OF BEING! With the hands of power I made thee and with the fingers of strength I created thee; and within thee have I placed the essence of My light. Be thou content with it and seek naught else, for My work is perfect and My command is binding. Question it not, nor have a doubt thereof." Which is, oh look, a theist's prohibition from seeking outside of that image.
so it's ex-nihilo?
He's not even referring to just those theists, as the quote in my last post shows.
Desert Snake
Veteran Member
That usually refers to creation, and you must mean an inference that God isn't everything. Thats correct.
I think it is a layered phenomenon.
ex-nihilo isn't god. ex-nihilo is something created from nothing. it isn't possible for something to be present in nothing.
the bible doesn't teach that either. heaven and earth were formed/created from the spirit of God moving upon the water's of God. thus it created something from itself something.
thus this thing god is found in heaven, earth, and hell.
Jeremiah 23:24
Who can hide in secret places so that I cannot see them?” declares the Lord. “Do not I fill heaven and earth?” declares the Lord.
Psalms 139
8 If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.
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