God loves atheists. Their skepticism and search for truth shows a deep respect for the gift of reason.
@godpod There's no such thing as "atheism" or "theism." If you can't say what this "god" thing is, then you can't say what it is that exists or doesn't exist. No one I've asked, so far, can say what they think this "god" thing is. Not one single person.
@flyhigh @godpod As for what the definition says about the nature of God, how would you define something that cannot be observed? We know the universe is expanding and we have enough evidence to believe that it began from a singularity. Does that mean the universe was created? Not necessarily, but if it wasn't then how do you explain the fact that the big bang is literally the reverse of entropy? If it was created, on what basis do you deny a creator?
@flyhigh @godpod It's a shame you didn't answer my questions because it would help me understand why you reject the definition I've given you.
In any case, your conclusions are completely backwards. The idea of an objective god guards against ideological possession because it forbids a person from projecting his own ideology as an absolute value. In old fashioned parlance, it forbids idol worship.
As for truth being subjective, subjective truth didn't send men to the moon.
@marrs @godpod I didn't say truth was subjective. What I said was people are subjective. But those who say they believe in "god" are trying to get you to believe that they themselves are "god," a superhuman, and this means anything they say is objective truth while anything you say is subjective, merely your opinion. They place themselves "above" you, which they are not. When they do this, it is wrong because all of us, when we speak, are subjective, even if what we say turns out to be true. Again, this is a very subtle con, it took me a long time to see it. But, once I understood it, that was the end of all this "god," "atheism," and "theism" stuff. It just vanished and I now know it was never really there in the first place.
@flyhigh @godpod What is "god"? Are you referring to the Abrahamic god or some other god? Genuine question because I'm quite confused by your claims. It's as though we're talking about fundamentally different things.
The Abrahamic god, aka God with a capital G, is superordinate over all things. There is no "becoming God" in these faiths. It is not possible. In fact it is blasphemous to suppose it is. I simply cannot imagine how you've come to the opposite conclusion.
@marrs @godpod Your question shows what the problem is. What is an "Abrahamic god?" You haven't said and I'm fairly sure you won't be able to, either. The question is simple: When you say you believe in something, what, exactly, are you talking about? When people tell me they believe in "god," I have nothing to go on, no idea, no picture of what they are talking about. What I find is they don't have any idea either. So, again: What are you even talking about? This is not a complex philosophical question. I think the reason most people have trouble with it is because it is astonishingly simple and, also, no one has ever asked them about this. That's why you are having trouble with it yourself. PS "Blasphemy" is unintelligible. I have no idea what this is, either. Are you saying I can't ask questions about certain things? Yes, I can, and I will. That is my right--and yours--as a human being.
@flyhigh @godpod As for your broader question it's a very old conundrum that perplexed Christians in particular. They devised the doctrine of the Holy Trinity to take on the issue directly. For Christians, Jesus is God, or at least his word, made flesh. In other words, he acts as a conduit thorough which Christians can commune with God.
For Moslems the Quran provides a similar role, only they believe that it is the word of God and so their relationship is more direct.
@flyhigh @godpod I don't know enough about Jewish theology to speak for them but I think the Torah serves a similar role. In any case, all three faiths would agree that God will remain opaque to you unless you choose to engage with him.
Perhaps this is why you struggle to understand them. You want some neat definition that will fit in a tweet, but when I give you one you aren't satisfied with it. Nor should you be, but don't be thinking they don't know what God is just because you don't get it
@marrs @godpod People claim that this "god" thing is an authority from which or who issues objective truth. But they can't say what this "authority" is or would be. So, that authority is really them, those people are really saying they're "god," or superhuman, therefore what they say is not just their opinion, it is objective truth. But we are all subjective, no one is above or beyond that. It's a con. It's subtle, it's clever, but it all comes down to a con job and nothing else.