The creation of the idea 'God'

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Interesting paradox Sean. Having said which, the idea that there is no one true way does not negate the beliefs of everyone who disagrees with my own faith.

There has been physical evidence that people, places, and events existed; there have also been many prophesies fulfilled in the Bible, quite a few fulfilled in our day. Many scientists have tried to prove the Bible wrong, but there has been none to prove it wrong.

We are led to believe that:


God made us!

He created us in his image!

If we believe in God we will have everlasting life!


In truth it is the other way around:


We invented God!

At various points in our history we have made God in differing human images ~ i.e. God the Father, God the son, Mother Earth etc.

If we continue to believe in God it is not us who have everlasting life, it is the idea of God that needs our belief in order to live on.

Douglas Adams said that people believing in God was like a puddle thinking that, since the puddle fits exaclty into the dip in the road, the road must have been created especially for the puddle.

Either there is only one way or there are many ways. Both cannot be true. There are a number of belief systems that you can believe in that claim the other like it to be equally valid without any paradox a long as you confine your belief that only those systems are equally vaid. When you try to assert that religions that state there is only one way are equally valid as those in the previous group that state all are equally valid, conflicts start occuring because you have an "equally valid" religion that states that the others are not equally valid. This is where the paradox occurs.




In the case of gods like Shamash, Ashtoreth, Dagon, Zeus, Jupiter, Thor, and one day Allah, you are absolutely right. Yet Jehovah persists through the millenia regardless of whether or not people from various time periods belived in Him or not.

Ooh - that'll get letters..... Aren't Allah and Jehovah supposed to be the same geezer? Am I missing summat?

By the way, Jehovah only came into existence around about 1500-2000 B.C. rendering your statement somewhat meaningless and facile...... I suspect you already knew that anyway, deep-down..... Just thought I'd mention it though..... No need to thank me, old boy - I do it purely for the love and spirit of fellowship.....

Wow, I hope Kitsune doesn't get this thread locked as well.

Something has got to be done about this forum's fundamentalist fringe - Can't we just delete individual invidious posts and ban the Al-Qaeda wannabes instead of locking entire, completely reasonable threads just because of the hate-filled ramblings of a small minority? This is ruining it for everybody

.....and as for the moderators being "biased" ..... Dear Gods, what planet do some people live on? (Quite apt given the site's ethos I suppose)

Last edited by TAFKASH on 12 May 2005, 4:56 am, edited 1 time in total.

There are two problems on this forum, and it is currently causing major problems - posters expressing their views in a belligerent and confrontational manner, and dissenting posters inflaming and taunting such posters.

A working group has been proposed by a member to address this issue - hopefully we can then take steps to restore the harmony *cough* of the PPR forum so that wide ranging debates can take place without flaming, goading and ultimately locking.This is a 'cross-party' issue, and will be addressed without bias against any particular faith/political grouping (excepting fascism obviously )

Stay tuned.

Dunc

Well, look at the creation thread. Everyone was making a big effort to be cordial and understanding, yet it was locked, just as it got interesting.

Can I, as self-appointed figurehead and leader of the "dissenting poster inflaming and taunting the belligerent barmpots" fringe offer you every support in this endeavour. I regret that I am reduced to have to use such tactics, but, sadly, the only way to effectively deal with bellicose, fascist nut-jobs is by acting like a bellicose, fascist nut-job in turn - appeals to their decorum are useless (as has been expansively well-proved in these pages)...... I hope my role will soon be able to become obsolete and that I can concentrate 100% on my alternative, true-calling of "general-purpose, all-round smart arse" instead. The rabid dogs must somehow be prevented from fouling everybody else's furniture, so that "the children of the (Wrong) World can have a good sit dow-wn".

As I explained to another member via PM, the creation thread was locked becasue warnings were issued about attacking mods, and subsequently not followed. And as I said to this member, your more than free to try and continue on with the creation thread by starting a new post.

As this thread shows, it is possible for all of us to have a civil and constructive conversation.

May I offer my services as a moderator for this forum specificly if you require one. I don't actually post here very often, and while I have my views, I have never objected to anyone else's views. Not that I can, debating religion with an American Minister over the internet when he has a scientific knowledge that surpasses mine is a hard job

The topic in question has now been re-opened - hopefully everyone will behave respectfully towards other members in future.

Noone had to be obnoxious and rude in order to express their opinions, expecally when it's the adults disagreeing with children. Hello Tafkash????

Excuse me? What's your point exactly? Are you trying to say I should sit back and let myself be called an "evil sinner who must change his ways" unchallenged in this forum just because it happens to be posted "by children"? It is these "children" who are most in need of "guidance" in such matters by "experienced" people like me while there is still a chance for their lives to be washed clean of this destructive attitude..... And what "children" are you referring to anyway? I'm sorry, but you've completely lost me......

And I'll say it again - I have in the past, and will always in the future meet reasoned, friendly, level-headed argument with reasoned, friendly, level-headed argument..... I will meet screeching, hateful, fascistic diatribe with screeching, hateful, fascistic diatribe..... I respond in kind..... I do not establish the battleground - I merely adapt to it. I know other posters on this site are willing and able to meet distasteful debating tactics by either trying (generally with futility, sadly) to utilise calm reasoning or (more effectively) by completely ignoring them..... I, however, am not.....

You will note that the tone of this post is not friendly..... This is a tone you have established by the above quoted post, and which I am merely responding to in kind.... If a later poster (yes, even you... and yes.... even you-know-who) on this thread wishes to engage me with a friendly, non-confrontationally worded post I will do the same.... Its that simple....