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Author Topic:   The validity of an Anthropomorphic God
Trump won 
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Message 1 of 29 (351691)
09-23-2006 10:27 PM


An Anthropomorphic God is one that is like us, that kills, thinks, sees, looks. This God is the creation by which human beings envision a deity, a creator that is like themselves. This belief is widely popular with evangelists and most church-goers that I know, this version of God is held within the Bible and in sermons I imagine.
In the book of Genesis it is said that God created man in his image. This can be interpreted various ways and I do not want to direct this topic into what we think this means.
I believe that if God exists it cannot be apart of this system. We are but creatures that exist and we must eat, we must sleep, and to an extent we need to be part of a routine to buy food and to have shelter to sleep in. But God perplexes me. I oft sat and questioned "Why this". I imagined the need for men to be of different cultures, traditions and territory. These men they hurt and kill eachother in the name of ethnocentrism or patriotism, what have you. I asked God why this? What is the point of this?
It was then that I realized there is no reason. God cannot be held within reason or logic, God cannot be defined by man.
For this is my argument against an anthropomorphic God, for when one questions existence, purpose and the various properties of existence one realizes that one cannot logically reason it. God cannot be held within the parameters of human logic, for all we know is that it exists and nothing more.
I have been musing over this subject for the last 2 years. I recently held a discussion with my archaeology professor(Phd from Columbia) in class that came about soon after asking about the moral atheist. I was not attempting to indict her but ask her of her beliefs for she is a moral atheist. She agreed outright with my assertions that I am presenting here, she could offer nothing but praise: "this young man reads books". The impossiblity for an anthropomorphic God was easy to see for us, I raised this discussion in the middle of class mind you and my the majority of the other students had no idea what we were talking about. She had to assure them that it was related to our studies of the day.
I have coined it "God doesn't". In a poem written long ago(no longer have it) outlying this concept that an anthropomorphic God cannot possibly exist.
As in God doesn't hear, God doesn't see, God isn't good, God cannot be reasoned or boxed in, It simply cannot be described, God doesn't exist.
I have reasoned this because we are but humans and our minds are limited, the mobility of our minds are limited. We are essentially damned to think in human terms and likeness. We cannot be anything greater than what we inherently are.
I have always said that all we can know for sure (if one believes in a deity) is that It exists.
The realization that we are but humans, a limited species can often be disheartening to say the least.
(But have you heard the term "ignorance is bliss"? Dylan once said that "if you're not depressed you don't have anything to say.")

To discuss if this view is valid or invalid this is my purpose here. I believe it is invalid, as I've said God cannot be articulated by man, God cannot be described.
This thread is NOT to discuss my personal religious beliefs or to criticize my belief in Christianity. I have already stated why I love and respect the Bible, it is a beautiful composition of men frustrated, reasoning their God, finding their God, it is a deep struggle of the mind and then a story of a man that preached Altruism.I care not to generalize or summarize anymore.
Promoted by AdminJar

Replies to this message:
 Message 2 by kuresu, posted 09-24-2006 1:41 AM Trump won has replied
 Message 16 by mike the wiz, posted 09-24-2006 5:54 PM Trump won has not replied
 Message 17 by Brian, posted 09-24-2006 7:04 PM Trump won has not replied
 Message 18 by Hyroglyphx, posted 09-24-2006 8:58 PM Trump won has replied
 Message 25 by Brian, posted 09-25-2006 2:40 PM Trump won has replied
 Message 29 by Christian7, posted 11-06-2006 6:38 AM Trump won has not replied

  
Trump won 
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Message 3 of 29 (351720)
09-24-2006 2:09 AM
Reply to: Message 2 by kuresu
09-24-2006 1:41 AM


To address "the contradiction": the belief in the existence of a God must be taken as a given. This obviously does not apply to atheists.
quote:
as second contradiction. God can't be articulated, eh? And what is this that you've done? You've stated that he isn't good, doesn't see, hear, cannot be reasoned or boxed in, can't be described. And yet you've described your God.
I was addressing common adjectives attributed to God. My only resignation is that God is. Moses's inquiry into the name of Christ was replied with "I Am".
quote:
If God cannot be anthropomorhpic in any way, much less described, articulated, in anyway, then no one can say anything about any God.
Exactly.
If after reading this reply one is still bothered by my words then one is still taking them in the strictest literal sense which is not how they were intended to be taken.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 2 by kuresu, posted 09-24-2006 1:41 AM kuresu has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 4 by kuresu, posted 09-24-2006 2:16 AM Trump won has replied
 Message 5 by Phat, posted 09-24-2006 2:23 AM Trump won has replied

  
Trump won 
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Message 6 of 29 (351725)
09-24-2006 2:28 AM
Reply to: Message 4 by kuresu
09-24-2006 2:16 AM


I read your reply a few times and I finally caught hold of what idea you were expressing.
You are saying that the existence of God cannot be taken with a grain of salt either because "existence" is human. I did state in my "God doesn't" list that God doesn't exist but I go on to claim that God does exist.
I then said to you that this must be taken as a given for Believers which is not reasoned, whiched supports my claim that God cannot be reasoned.
There is no word to describe God, the closest one is that It "exists".
This is unsatisfactory I know, but that is not my fault.

This message is a reply to:
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Trump won 
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Message 7 of 29 (351726)
09-24-2006 2:31 AM
Reply to: Message 5 by Phat
09-24-2006 2:23 AM


I enjoyed reading your post.
PS: I didn't learn that word in college, I learned it here from someone I'd say 2 or 3 years ago or so.
Edited by -messenjah of one, : 2 or 3

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Trump won 
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Message 10 of 29 (351729)
09-24-2006 2:56 AM
Reply to: Message 9 by kuresu
09-24-2006 2:48 AM


I understand,
I'm glad I finally caught wind of what you were trying to say.
Excellent contribution.

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Trump won 
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Message 19 of 29 (351931)
09-24-2006 10:51 PM
Reply to: Message 18 by Hyroglyphx
09-24-2006 8:58 PM


See there lies the problem Nemesis. To continue with the example made in the OP:
There is no valid explanation for the absurdity that is war.
There is no
nemesis_juggernaut writes:
If God does exist I'm sure it will be one of those, "Oh, so that's why its like!" type of things when its all explained to us.

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Trump won 
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Message 22 of 29 (352117)
09-25-2006 2:07 PM
Reply to: Message 20 by kuresu
09-24-2006 10:56 PM


I am merely stating that there are no logical reasons for this creation.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 20 by kuresu, posted 09-24-2006 10:56 PM kuresu has replied

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Trump won 
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Message 24 of 29 (352131)
09-25-2006 2:38 PM
Reply to: Message 23 by kuresu
09-25-2006 2:20 PM


You are not cutting to the heart of it.
Why would a God create a reality such as this?
There is no reason to this question.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 23 by kuresu, posted 09-25-2006 2:20 PM kuresu has replied

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Trump won 
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Posts: 1928
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Message 27 of 29 (352206)
09-25-2006 5:12 PM
Reply to: Message 25 by Brian
09-25-2006 2:40 PM


Re: Old Hat, drive through.
Don't listen to Dylan after his crash. I never meant it to be something noone has thought of before, it is simply a good topic. I must leave to play a show and I'm very tired.
Edited by -messenjah of one, : sentence structure

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Trump won 
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Posts: 1928
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Message 28 of 29 (352942)
09-28-2006 6:32 PM
Reply to: Message 25 by Brian
09-25-2006 2:40 PM


Advice for you sir
As I have already said, I was not attempting to create something revolutionary here. People here require the very basics of education, for instance: You write in your post that God "eats" and God "tells" etc. Those statements cannot be written by a "critical mind", I suggest reading. I simply thought it would be a good topic. I know my topics are held to a higher if not meaningless scrutiny because of their quality (comma splice here and there) but you must remember my posts are not novels.
quote:
Imagine how perplexed you would be if you had a critical mind and weren’t already brainwashed?
Statements like this incite a general hopelessness in me. I hope you can realize eventually that you exist. I will defer from responding to your posts unless you have something brilliant to share.
If you do reply I will bear with your words and give you the courtesy of reading it. Another minor suggestion would be that you stop signing your name with a period at the end, for obvious reasons.

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