I Believe God Exists

[josephpalazzo]

It seems most of you are still confused about what I mean by "God", even after I have provided a definition. Admittedly the definition I provided does require a little bit of deep thought to see what exactly is being said, so because of this I will further expound upon what I believe "God" to be like.

The default conception of God is of some outside entity that exists somewhere "out there" apart from us that has unimaginable attributes and characteristics such as omnipotence, omniscience, and omnipotence, etc. Most people that believe in Gods believe in their conceived God in this way and therefore most Atheists disbelieve in Gods that are conceptualized in that way as well.

I don't believe that God is something separate from what we are. I believe that ultimately, there exists only one thing, and that thing is God, and everything, including us, are parts of it. I believe that the ultimate reality, and the ground of all being, is Mind, and I believe that source of all Mind, is God, which I have defined as "Infinite Mind."

In short: Consciousness is fundamental. We and all life forms are individual units of consciousness. And the term "God" is reserved for the ultimate source of what we are and all that exists. The entire and all encompassing coagulation of all consciousnesses together as one conscious thing is "God."

Let me now point out that in my world view it is not so much important that "God exists" nor that people "believe in God" as it is that the actual nature of reality is such that this conception of God unfolds out of it. Of course if materialism is true than this conception of God is just as fallacious and fictitious as any other. But if Materialism is false, then that changes the whole conversation entirely. So for me, I am much more interested in discovering the true nature of reality, than I am in converting people into Theists.

Perhaps now I have shed sufficient light onto what my conception of "God" is, and I can begin the actual work of debating the evidence.

^^^

pantheism

[Mr.Obvious]

Right, so, if I understand it correctly, you're here to defend a crossbreed of pantheïsm and deïsm.
I think I could hear your case now and catch your general drift.
And evidence you say? Well, we love evidence here, so go for it.

[Casparov]

^^^

pantheism

Right, so, if I understand it correctly, you're here to defend a crossbreed of pantheïsm and deïsm.

Not quite. Pantheism as I understand it is to say that "God is the material objective universe." in which case calling it God will add no further meaning than simply just continuing to call it "the material objective universe." Pantheism is redundant and unnecessary. And Deism as I understand it is the belief that some unknowable god kicked everything off and left, in which case whether or not god exists it would make no difference, because we are still here, in the material objective universe, on our own. Deism is a cop-out.

I am arguing for neither of these two ideologies, nor a mixture of the two.

You seem to have a list of pre-debunked labels in your arsenal, and if you wish to just slap the closest label that fits onto what I am arguing for in order to dismiss it, then you are just straw-manning my argument instead of addressing it directly.

[aitm]

His point, it appears, is god is everything including us which makes us and the trees and ebola parts of god. I have no problem with that, at least in this case god does not require worship, acknowledgement or praise. I swear to tell the truth so help me.

[stromboli]

Proof? Scientific evidence? Scriptures? First Cause babble?

[Contemporary Protestant]

Can you name your ideology, please, it will be less confusing 

[PickelledEggs]

Can you name your ideology, please, it will be less confusing 

x2 on that

[Mr.Obvious]

Let me now point out that in my world view it is not so much important that "God exists" nor that people "believe in God" as it is that the actual nature of reality is such that this conception of God unfolds out of it.

Can you see the source of confusion?
And, dude, yeah of course we're going to link new information to older information. That's how the human mind works. And it's not strawmanning because we're not saying: "pantheïsm, oh fuck off you've got nothing to say". We are just trying to get a grasp of what you're saying so we can evaluate it and adress it properly man, lighten up.
If yours is truly different, then by all means, state your case and show us how.

[aitm]

I don't think he is confusing at all...why back in the late 70's when lousy pot, mescaline, and free sex was the rage we all sat around naked smoking and drinkin and buzzin being god and all. Peace people, love and all dat,,anybody got a tighty?

[stromboli]

Deism may not be specifically defined as a dogmatic religion, BUT a god by definition is supernatural; beyond human explanation. If we postulate an infinite being that yet at some point could be described mathematically scientifically or otherwise, it is not therefore superstition and therefore not god.

[PickelledEggs]

I don't think he is confusing at all...why back in the late 70's when lousy pot, mescaline, and free sex was the rage we all sat around naked smoking and drinkin and buzzin being god and all. Peace people, love and all dat,,anybody got a tighty?

I was born in the late 80s.


The 70s was before I found myself.

[spoiler][/spoiler]

[aileron]

Any personality would only be a reflection of human projections onto that which is other than human.

So the god you believe in does not have a personality?  No love, anger, happiness, thoughts, feelings, emotions?  Christians scholars consider the god of Christianity to be a personal god.  Is the one you believe in a personal god?

[Solitary]

The problem with words, the beginning of a world of nonsense and delusional insanity, instead of a world of reality. What difference would the world of reality have been, or is now, whether a God or gods existed or not, it would be exactly the same as it is as long as we are animals first and intellectual second. Religion, philosophy, and psychiatry, are all human opinions and nothing more. So is science, but at least it is dealing with the world of reality and empirical evidence and not just the imagination with no evidence accept primitive emotional reactions to reality from writings thousands of years old by ignorant people saying God spoke to them. Prefrontal epilepsy or schizophrenia, as well as moldy rye bread and other psychedelics anyone  :fU: Solitary

[aitm]

I was born in the late 80s.


The 70s was before I found myself.
[spoiler][/spoiler]

You should goddamn spoil that shit....man that is indecent...

[PickelledEggs]

You should goddamn spoil that shit....man that is indecent...

It is? I figured it would be fine and I usually get a few good laughs from that one... but I'll delete it if you want.

I don't think there is a spoiler option in this new forum yet...

Sent via your mom