Now I'm sure alot of people have thought about or heard of this. I'm just tossing it out there for discussion.

Whatever religion you are, if your God is all knowing and all encompassing, then it allready knows how everything is going to play out, including it's own actions. Considering that, doesn't it sort of cancel out it's own existence. When I say that, all I mean is it would be the same if God didn't exist.

This argument really just stresses the idea that God is just a Metaphor for everything around you, including you. A la, Illusion of self.

[This message has been edited by great_sage=heaven (edited 11-13-2004).]

Allah?

Terrorist!

http://www.totse.com/bbs/biggrin.gif (http://www.totse.com/bbs/biggrin.gif)

The key word being 'IF'

If there is a God, is he 'all knowing'? Could it not be that he is perceived as being 'all knowing' since in all things he would be above us evolutionary-wise?

In other words...Does God evolve? Then could this be a reason why God could be omni-[whatever] to US? Because we will not catch up with him????

Just a very loose thought...

I think if god evolved it would suggest imperfection, which would make god something other than a god.

C'mon religious folk, tackle this!!!

C'mon is this just too much for you religious folk out there. Is it really that hard to wrap your brain around this?

God is omnipotent he is forever.

His kingdom will have no end.

don't be retarded.

Anyone have something better than that?

K, He may know his own actions, but that doesn't mean he didn't do them. If you pray your prayers are answered in one way or another. Thus your prayers make a difference, (in my humble mormon opinion) thus god makes a difference, thus his existance counts for a lot.

But god allready knows all the prayers we are going to make and how he is going to respond to them. That is unless it gave us free will and doesn't know what we will do with it (which would make the god status questionable). In that case it would be our actions that give god relevance, which is a bizarre concept.

Notice I call god it, not he or she.

"The only good thing ever to come out of religion was the music."

--george carlin

Bump.

The word "God" is a subjective term. To place objective definition on the term is useless. You either have a belief in a God or you don't. It's all a matter of faith. The importance of God is, in my opinion, that some people need to to believe in one for hope .. somewhat like a crutch to lean on. Those people, too, have questions as to the nature of God. There are too many holes in any definition of God. My definition of God is far different from anything that you'd hear from a theist. I believe that God is a human invention. A basically meaningless term to explain that which science has yet to explain. Man hates to admit ignorance. Man needs a means by which to "fill the holes" left by the science of his day. Notice how, as times move forward, and man's knowledge of the world he inhabits increases, God's hand plays an increasingly lesser role in daily life? Where Man used to attribute almost every occurance to God, most of these things have been explained away. "God" has become, more or less, a novelty. An imaginary friend. Man invented God, and is slowly killing him.

Edit: Might I add another importance of God. For many people, a belief in God allows them to overcome the fear of death. A little self-psychology for mankind.

[This message has been edited by BattleTested (edited 12-04-2004).]

quote:Originally posted by great_sage=heaven:

But god allready knows all the prayers we are going to make and how he is going to respond to them. That is unless it gave us free will and doesn't know what we will do with it (which would make the god status questionable). In that case it would be our actions that give god relevance, which is a bizarre concept.

Notice I call god it, not he or she.

just because God knows were gona do something dosent mean he controls us

^but then he's completely impotent, and not the creator, just the perceiver.

if he knows everything, AND created us, then he completely controls us.

you only don't see it because you're practicing cognitive dissonance. you're trying to hold two contradictory thoughts as true.

it can't be done.

god is very simple. only one thought can be held in mind at any point in the mental process.

I have to point out that this is such a random stab at god, the all mighty, whatever. We're taking great leaps calling god he, or saying that he 'knows', or 'thinks', in terms we can understand. I think the conversation is still nescessary, even though we are very limited by our languages. Especially when I say gods actions, I am being extremely vague, because I'm wading into waters that are beyond certain aspects of my comprehension.

So let's agree that when we talk about things like action, knowledge, thought, in relation to god, we understand that these concepts might not be able to describe how "god", functions.

Now to me it makes sense that God doesn't exist in linear time, rather he see's it (or IS it) as one. I make this conclusion because I assume god is anything and everything, everywhere and forever. I think any religion would agree with me.

So if God has this total omni presence and potence, then it really doesn't matter if he exists or not. God's importance is narrowed down to his position as creator and, and through you're connection to everything around (god).

His position as creator is an odd one though, because it sort of implies time itself actually started at some point. The idea of the infinite makes alot more sense to me. Blah I'm rambling now.





[This message has been edited by great_sage=heaven (edited 12-04-2004).]

quote:Originally posted by Eil:

^but then he's completely impotent, and not the creator, just the perceiver.

if he knows everything, AND created us, then he completely controls us.



I dnt think God controls the way we react, therefor hes nt controling us. God may have decided what were naturaly good at but everthing else devalops from ur reactions