God?

Kevin Solway · Post by **Kevin Solway** » Tue Feb 14, 2006 4:16 am

propellerbeanie wrote:Since we do not know the nature of ... everything.

We do know the nature of "everything". It is not a finite thing. That is its fundamental nature, by definition.

it is a good description of God, and as that, it serve to objectify God and give a point to where we can direct our prayers.

If we define God to be everything, then it is not separate from us. We are part of God, so there is nothing to pray to.

But, in a metaphysical sense, if we had no knowledge of God within us we would not be able to concieve of God outside of us.

I have no idea what you are talking about. What is this "God" of which you speak? What is your definition of "God"? Without knowing your definition, your words can't mean anything.

It is not hard to imagine a God in some sense.

It depends on what you mean by "God".

It is not hard to imagine a superior being capable of caring for all of earth's children.

Yes it is. If such a thing exists, then he's doing a very poor job, in which case he's not very superior.

My God, the unconcievable

"Unconceivable" doesn't give us any idea what you are talking about. In what way is your God unconceivable? And why do you think it exists?

Let me leave you with a terrible thought. What if God willingly or unwillingly destroyed God in the process of making the cosmos. What if we and all life cannot imagine in Good and bad, or in light and darkness anything but the touch of a caring God, but what if God has left us alone, as the only beings in any sort of position to help ouselves or our fellow beings. Are we not then obliged to see God as good, and to be good ourselves?

No. For all we know such a creator God may have been evil, if for some unimaginable reason we thought there was a creator.

propellerbeanie · Post by **propellerbeanie** » Tue Feb 14, 2006 9:38 am

ksolway wrote:
propellerbeanie wrote:Since we do not know the nature of ... everything.

We do know the nature of "everything". It is not a finite thing. That is its fundamental nature, by definition.
Everything is not a definition, it is a word, and as a word, a catch all. What if God is not a thing at all, and, what is it, that we know in detail that we call a -thing? We do not know God, and we do not know everything; and perhaps do not know any thing.

it is a good description of God, and as that, it serve to objectify God and give a point to where we can direct our prayers.

If we define God to be everything, then it is not separate from us. We are part of God, so there is nothing to pray to.
Just as in calling everything definite when you do not know even the extent of human knowledge is a stretch. You do not know we are a part of God, or if God is all. That deffinition implies an infinite knowledge I doubt you possess. Even while I tend to agree with you that we may be a part of God, or God may be a part of us, there is no definitive proof either way, and only endless supposition.

But, in a metaphysical sense, if we had no knowledge of God within us we would not be able to concieve of God outside of us.

I have no idea what you are talking about. What is this "God" of which you speak? What is your definition of "God"? Without knowing your definition, your words can't mean anything.
God is God. God is little more than a word in fact, and a sense more than a substance. If all is a result of God then reasonably I think we must presume God to be beyond all we know or can concieve of; yet it is very comforting to think God is like us, and likes us.

It is not hard to imagine a God in some sense.

It depends on what you mean by "God".
By God, I mean God, without the thought that the word describes perfectly or means directly.

It is not hard to imagine a superior being capable of caring for all of earth's children.

Yes it is. If such a thing exists, then he's doing a very poor job, in which case he's not very superior.
But if God is everything including us then it is ourselves who are falling off the mark.

My God, the unconcievable

"Unconceivable" doesn't give us any idea what you are talking about. In what way is your God unconceivable? And why do you think it exists?
I can't concieve of a star let alone of the power to create a cosmos. God does not exist because I can concieve of God, nor does God exist because I cannot concieve of God. If God exists then God exists apart from my ability to concieve of God which imperfectly if at all.

Let me leave you with a terrible thought. What if God willingly or unwillingly destroyed God in the process of making the cosmos. What if we and all life cannot imagine in Good and bad, or in light and darkness anything but the touch of a caring God, but what if God has left us alone, as the only beings in any sort of position to help ouselves or our fellow beings. Are we not then obliged to see God as good, and to be good ourselves?

No. For all we know such a creator God may have been evil, if for some unimaginable reason we thought there was a creator.[/

quote]

God is perhaps power, and power is neither Good nor bad, but it is rather in the use and effect that power can be judged good or bad.

Kevin Solway · Post by **Kevin Solway** » Tue Feb 14, 2006 12:53 pm

propellerbeanie wrote:What if God is not a thing at all

"Everything" is not a thing, since it includes all things. Things are finite, by definition, but "everything" is necessarily infinite.

and, what is it, that we know in detail that we call a -thing?

Not relevant, since we are talking about "everything". The details don't matter.

We do not know God, and we do not know everything; and perhaps do not know any thing.

You are only speaking for yourself.

You do not know we are a part of God, or if God is all.

If God is All, then we are necessarily part of God. That is a logical necessity.

If there is a being that calls himself "God" who is not the All, then I'm not interested in such a puny thing.

That deffinition implies an infinite knowledge

It doesn't require infinite knowledge to know that things are finite and "everything" is infinite.

God is God. God is little more than a word in fact, and a sense more than a substance. If all is a result of God then reasonably I think we must presume God to be beyond all we know or can concieve of; yet it is very comforting to think God is like us, and likes us.

What you said there is completely meaningless.

But if God is everything including us then it is ourselves who are falling off the mark.

We are exactly what God has determined us to be, and since we are a part of God, we have had a hand in that.

I can't concieve of a star let alone of the power to create a cosmos.

You are conceiving of a star just by talking about it. You don't have to know all the details of how a star works to conceive of it. If the cosmos is a thing (since I don't know what you mean by the word) then it is created in the same way that all other things are created, through cause and effect.

On the other hand, if the cosmos is a synonym for "everything", then it was never created, since it is infinite.

If God exists then God exists apart from my ability to concieve of God which imperfectly if at all.

I don't think you know what you are talking about.