What is God?

[Lonestar_logic]

First comes the rhetoric, then comes the actions. There is nothing holy about war.

You don't read the Bible much do you? Fact is God himself commanded Israel to go to war. One could argue that God introduced Israel to war so that they would be less fearful of war. He would be with them in battle. Had they not seen God destroy Egypt's army (in reference to the Red Sea, where God miraculously drowned the entire Egyptian army that Pharaoh had sent to reenslave Israel )? With faith in God, Israel would conquer her enemies. From this perspective, the knowledge and experience Israel gained in fighting Amalek would be invaluable preparation for Israel's coming invasion of the Promised Land.

So I'd argue there is a holiness in certain wars.

I would argue that killing in the name of God is blashphemy. It breaks the commandment 'do not kill'. I reiterate that there is nothing holy about war.

What religion do you subscribe to?

 

[Truthspeaker]

The only evidence I have is the evidence of the scriptures which talk about God's "face" hands" "feet" "eyes" "hair". Plus the eyewitnesses of the risen Christ, and other accounts which include Moses, Jesus, Stephen, Jared, Joseph Smith and others. To me it makes sense that if we are created in his "image" that means we look like him.

You don't believe it's possible that those passages were meant to be interpreted metaphorically? Jews do not believe in an anthropomorphic god, and they wrote those passages. So it is with Islam; the Qur'an metaphorically mentions the "hands" of God, but associating God with anything physical is a sin.

As for the irreverent remark about his "balls". Yes I believe he has those too.

Serious question, how can mentioning God's balls be irreverent if he was evidently fond enough of them to give a pair to each human male?

Additionally, if your god resembles man, that implies that there is some sort of rhyme and reason to his physical form. Since he couldn't have created himself and could not have existed forever in his physical form according to the laws that govern physical entities, did he choose at some point in his non-physical existence to take on his human-like physical form? Why?

The best proof I can offer is proven individually through meditation, study, fasting and prayer on the subject. It's not going to be an episode on National Geographic proving the appearance of God.

It would be wrong of me to tell you that you're incorrect, but I'm sure you understand that these things can only prove the existence of your god to you. If spreading your message to Jews and Christians etc. is important, what good is proof that can't be observed by someone else?

I do believe that the those scriptures were meant to be interpreted literally when written by the original writers. If Moses saw the face of God, I understand that to mean literally. Of course todays Judaism has evolved to the point where they don't believe in that. but of course as a Christian i believe Israel has strayed from the Lord in their understanding of Him.

It's not irreverent to say God has all body parts. It is irreverent to say"balls" so casually. The more important question is the one you brought up after: It's not that God resembles man. It's that we resemble Him. We believe in an Eternal God and that some things have always been. It is hard for us to conceive of an Eternal Physical God who has always just been because our experience in this life has stigmatized us that there must be a beginning and an end to everything. Well that's true in this earthly phase, but it's just a phase. We do not end just because we die. There are other phases to go through in my belief. I actually say that we are all co-eternal with God since we will never cease to exist either. The reason we are eternal is because the elements that make up our spirits are eternal. Eventually our bodies will be renewed after death and be resurrected the way Jesus' body was; to never perish again.

As for proof:
that's the great secret. Nobody can prove anything to anybody because none of us are perfect and we can explain away all evidences if we really want to. The ONLY way to know for sure is to experience something yourself. As for religion. God is the only one who can present proof to an individual because he is perfect and his answers can't be explained away. That's why it's so important to know who God is and how can he be communicated with.

 

[HUGGY]

To diamond dave ..first thanks for the neg rep...secondly in response to your neg rep message...yes believing in "something" is not neccesarily psycotic. Believing in invisible all powerfull entities is.

 

[Truthspeaker]

To diamond dave ..first thanks for the neg rep...secondly in response to your neg rep message...yes believing in "something" is not neccesarily psycotic. Believing in invisible all powerfull entities is.

And posting David Hasselhoff for an avatar isn't?

 

[LOki]

As for proof:
that's the great secret. Nobody can prove anything to anybody . . .

Wrong. I'm pretty sure I can prove to somebody that the sum of any two radii on a circle is equal that circle's diameter.

. . . because none of us are perfect . . .

Irrelevent. Primarily because reality is perfectly real.

. . . and we can explain away all evidences if we really want to.

Wrong. You can ingnore all valid evidence if you want, but you can't "explain away all" valid evidence. Valid evidence is not subject to the validity of explanations, but rather, valid evidence is validated by reality.

The ONLY way to know for sure is to experience something yourself.

I dont have to experience every circle myself to know that any two radii on every circle is equal each respective circle's diameter.

As for religion. God is the only one who can present proof to an individual. . .

I can present proof . . . so can you. You're wrong again.

. . . because he is perfect . . .

He is clearly not; otherwise he wouldn't have to change His mind; He would NEVER have to intercede on behalf of His creation(s) . . . EVER.

. . . and his answers can't be explained away.

Sure they can. This is primarily because your God is subject to perception.

That's why it's so important to know who God is . . .

An imaginary being . . .at least in so far as your God is concerned.

. . . and how can he be communicated with.

Your God--who resides only in your mind--is easy to communicate with. Just communicate with you.

 

[AllieBaba]

Who says a perfect creature can't change his mind?

Or that God doesn't exist on a variety of planes, past, present, future all at once, and so what seems to us and what he presents as changing his mind is really just part of the big plan...

which of course is what the Bible and God says is true.

 

[LOki]

Who says a perfect creature can't change his mind?

That is the precise nature of perfection.

Or that God doesn't exist on a variety of planes, past, present, future all at once, and so what seems to us and what he presents as changing his mind is really just part of the big plan...

Well, there's not evidence at all for this. Besides, if this true, then the necessarily static nature of your God is self evident.

. . . which of course is what the Bible and God says is true.

Which, of course, is the question begging foundation for the insistent demand that God exists at all.

 

[LOki]

This is still better.

 

[TofuDog]

So truthspeaker, if your god comes from another planet and we're made in his image, then there's another planet out there somewhere with humans on it?
Are they all as dumb as a doorknob too?

 

[KittenKoder]

God is a chihuahua who took a dump and now here we are.

 

[strollingbones]

Heavenly Father and Creator, as well as the ultimate righteous judge.

I have respect for traditions of other Christians inasfar as they are traditions. I think it's nonsense to quibble over traditions...

But if they aren't biblical, I won't pretend they are.

and which version of the bible would that be? there seem to be so many? do you live by all bibical laws? ot and nt? arent you divorced...didnt you date a 10 yr younger man....was there fornication? just how by the book are you?

o and how is that sun rotating around the earth working for ya?

 

[HUGGY]

He does in Mormon theology. He also gets it on with women.

Only his wives. If you must know.

'God' is sio ordinary that he has the form of a man and has sex with his wives. Wonders never cease in our concepts of 'God'. I had no idea that Mormons conceived of God in the way.

I think of 'God' as pure being--consciousness--timeless awareness itself--inconceivable, indescribable and inexpressibile, unborn and unceasing.

God is a horn dog? Interesting.

 

[Truthspeaker]

Is that the technical term?

 

[Inferno]

I see god as something that the minds of humans made up to keep the fear of the unknown away. If humans could not explain it, then whatever it was went into the god did this category. It later turned into a manipulative tool to control the masses. Now it is just brainwashing and delusion for the most part.

 

[TofuDog]

Inferno, which dyke are you on the picture?

 

[AllieBaba]

It doesn't matter what you believe. The fact is, God exists, and he exists as he's described in the bible. You poor lost ppl can theorize on it all you like, and make up pretend Gods in your heads and trick yourself into believing that if you wish hard enough, that will make you right.

It won't. I'm sorry for you.

 

[TofuDog]

"The fact is, God exists, and he exists as he's described in the bible."

prove it with your "fact".

 

[HUGGY]

"The fact is, God exists, and he exists as he's described in the bible."

prove it with your "fact".

OK you are at the beach. Imagine that every grain of sand for a few hundred yards is a galaxy...then imagine that every grain of sand is made up of as many solar systems as the original number of grains of sand. Now imagine the size of a human being compared to the size of our own solar system. We are not only not worthy of a "god" we aren't big enough to get its attention. We are a speck on a speck on a speck on a speck on a speck.

It is rather egotistical to suggest that we are anything more important that our relative size. If "God " talks to you you are delusional. If there was a god all you would ever get is the busy signal.

 

[AllieBaba]

Proof doesn't define reality. Electricity existed before we "proved" it's existence. Viruses existed before we "proved" their existence.

And it's the same with God. He's there whether you believe in him or not.

 

[KittenKoder]

The gods are playing chess, and they only made pawns.