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Topic: Can You define God?
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ringo
Member (Idle past 432 days) Posts: 20940 From: frozen wasteland Joined: 03-23-2005
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Message 7 of 318 (584716)
10-03-2010 6:37 PM
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Reply to: Message 1 by 2ndReign 10-03-2010 1:24 AM
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Attempting to define God, or even describe God, is what's called "idolatry" in the Bible. If God is as great as He (supposedly) is, any attempt to define or describe Him diminishes Him. It's like using one word to define another - e.g. "dog" = "animal". You lose a lot of the original meaning. It takes a big description to define a small thing, so no human definition of God (if there was a God) could ever be be big enough.
"It appears that many of you turn to Hebrew to escape the English...." -- Joseppi
This message is a reply to: | | Message 1 by 2ndReign, posted 10-03-2010 1:24 AM | | 2ndReign has replied |
Replies to this message: | | Message 8 by crashfrog, posted 10-03-2010 6:39 PM | | ringo has replied | | Message 15 by 2ndReign, posted 10-03-2010 8:20 PM | | ringo has seen this message but not replied | | Message 79 by Phat, posted 10-03-2012 3:51 PM | | ringo has replied |
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ringo
Member (Idle past 432 days) Posts: 20940 From: frozen wasteland Joined: 03-23-2005
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Message 9 of 318 (584719)
10-03-2010 6:47 PM
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Reply to: Message 8 by crashfrog 10-03-2010 6:39 PM
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crashfrog writes: Isn't that evidence there's no such thing, though?
I'd say it's an indicator, yes.
"It appears that many of you turn to Hebrew to escape the English...." -- Joseppi
This message is a reply to: | | Message 8 by crashfrog, posted 10-03-2010 6:39 PM | | crashfrog has not replied |
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ringo
Member (Idle past 432 days) Posts: 20940 From: frozen wasteland Joined: 03-23-2005
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Message 34 of 318 (660187)
04-21-2012 5:37 PM
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Reply to: Message 33 by Buzsaw 04-21-2012 4:35 PM
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Re: Defing God
Buzsaw writes: It was not his given name, he being an eternal entity. He was never given anything pertaining to his definition or description.
Why would He need a name at all? Names are generally used to distinguish one from another. Within the family, James is distinguished from John. In the general population, John of Winchester is distinguished from John of Remington. If there is only one God, what does a name distinguish Him from?
This message is a reply to: | | Message 33 by Buzsaw, posted 04-21-2012 4:35 PM | | Buzsaw has replied |
Replies to this message: | | Message 35 by jar, posted 04-21-2012 5:45 PM | | ringo has seen this message but not replied | | Message 37 by Buzsaw, posted 04-21-2012 9:47 PM | | ringo has replied | | Message 149 by Phat, posted 10-09-2012 2:48 PM | | ringo has not replied |
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ringo
Member (Idle past 432 days) Posts: 20940 From: frozen wasteland Joined: 03-23-2005
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Message 46 of 318 (660240)
04-22-2012 4:03 PM
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Reply to: Message 37 by Buzsaw 04-21-2012 9:47 PM
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Re: Defing God
Buzsaw writes: He would need a name to distinguish him from the thousands of other alleged gods. The name, Jehovah has a meaning, i.e. the one existing. quote: Exodus 3:13-14 And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I say unto them? And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.
You seem to have missed the joke. Moses asked God, "Which God shall I say sent me?" and God answered, "The one that exists." It isn't a name so much as a punchline.
Buzsaw writes: Though he is the only god supported by visible corroborative and correlated evidence....
And you still don't understand what evidence is.
This message is a reply to: | | Message 37 by Buzsaw, posted 04-21-2012 9:47 PM | | Buzsaw has not replied |
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ringo
Member (Idle past 432 days) Posts: 20940 From: frozen wasteland Joined: 03-23-2005
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Message 64 of 318 (667562)
07-09-2012 3:19 PM
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Reply to: Message 56 by Phat 07-07-2012 9:53 PM
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Re: If Intelligence Exists....
Phat writes: IF intelligence exists, I propose that it is logical for a supreme intelligence to exist.
If intelligence implies an ability to learn, it seems incompatible with omniscience.
This message is a reply to: | | Message 56 by Phat, posted 07-07-2012 9:53 PM | | Phat has seen this message but not replied |
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ringo
Member (Idle past 432 days) Posts: 20940 From: frozen wasteland Joined: 03-23-2005
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Message 71 of 318 (673872)
09-24-2012 12:58 PM
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Reply to: Message 69 by Phat 09-23-2012 6:58 AM
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Re: If Intelligence Exists....
Phat writes: Assuming that ifGod exists that He wants what is best for humanity, what would be the possible motive for "hiding"?
What if His chosen people were the tapeworms? It would be in their interest for Him to protect our interests but He'd have no reason to reveal Himself to us.
This message is a reply to: | | Message 69 by Phat, posted 09-23-2012 6:58 AM | | Phat has seen this message but not replied |
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ringo
Member (Idle past 432 days) Posts: 20940 From: frozen wasteland Joined: 03-23-2005
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Message 80 of 318 (674864)
10-03-2012 4:11 PM
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Reply to: Message 79 by Phat 10-03-2012 3:51 PM
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Re: God did the job for us
Phat writes: Thats why God became man. He did the downsizing for us so that we could conceive of Him being close to us. Why is that concept so hard to grasp?
Jesus was an example of what man can be, not a definition of God. Edited by ringo, : Fixed quote.
This message is a reply to: | | Message 79 by Phat, posted 10-03-2012 3:51 PM | | Phat has replied |
Replies to this message: | | Message 81 by Phat, posted 10-03-2012 4:29 PM | | ringo has replied | | Message 83 by GDR, posted 10-03-2012 5:31 PM | | ringo has seen this message but not replied |
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ringo
Member (Idle past 432 days) Posts: 20940 From: frozen wasteland Joined: 03-23-2005
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Message 84 of 318 (674869)
10-03-2012 5:49 PM
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Reply to: Message 81 by Phat 10-03-2012 4:29 PM
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Re: God did the job for us
Phat writes: So why was He so intimate with this vast all powerful Deity?
You could ask the same question of anybody who claims to have "communion" with God.
This message is a reply to: | | Message 81 by Phat, posted 10-03-2012 4:29 PM | | Phat has replied |
Replies to this message: | | Message 85 by Phat, posted 10-04-2012 3:07 AM | | ringo has replied |
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ringo
Member (Idle past 432 days) Posts: 20940 From: frozen wasteland Joined: 03-23-2005
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Message 86 of 318 (674944)
10-04-2012 12:17 PM
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Reply to: Message 85 by Phat 10-04-2012 3:07 AM
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Re: God did the job for us
Phat writes: My point is that if it was good enough for Jesus...we shouldn't worry about following His example, unless you are prepared to make the assertion that Christ Himself was a bit crazy.
I think we should follow Jesus' example - whether we believe he was the son of God or not - because it was a good example. Thinking he was the son of God might have been a bit crazy but he can still be a good example to us.
Phat writes: To place God on some pedestal as totally unapproachable and forever mysterious and unconfirmed only leaves humans with no Deity at all.
And if you make Him ungodlike, that also leaves you with no deity at all.
This message is a reply to: | | Message 85 by Phat, posted 10-04-2012 3:07 AM | | Phat has replied |
Replies to this message: | | Message 87 by Phat, posted 10-04-2012 6:26 PM | | ringo has replied |
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ringo
Member (Idle past 432 days) Posts: 20940 From: frozen wasteland Joined: 03-23-2005
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Message 111 of 318 (675075)
10-05-2012 2:25 PM
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Reply to: Message 87 by Phat 10-04-2012 6:26 PM
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Re: To define God is to define an Ultimate
Phat writes: Yeah but what good is a religion with no power and no Deity? All we have left is boy scout merit badges...hardly the stuff to follow devoutly.
By their fruits (merit badges) ye shall know them. We can easily define a religion, or a way of life, without making it a fan club to some deity. The question is, why define God in such a way that He needs fans?
This message is a reply to: | | Message 87 by Phat, posted 10-04-2012 6:26 PM | | Phat has not replied |
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