SHEEPEOPLE

[Davian]

What's so wonderful and a true, true blessing is that God's reach is so wide that Billions around the world in a large variety of spiritual paths are able to say the same.

According to a citation on wiki, there are over 4200 religions in the world, before getting into the various denominations and interpretations within those.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_religions_and_spiritual_traditions

Godchecker lists over 4000 individual gods, goddesses and spirits from around the world:

http://www.godchecker.com

That they have been carried to safety by the one they worship who made Himself known to them personally and changed for life. I know I'm one of those who has been carried away and changed. And that says more about God than it does about you and I.

Indeed. It could easily be interpreted as there being no actual unifying force for the religions of the world, hence the wide disparity. It says that gods are only imagined.

 

[Davian]

Awareness as we understand it is sustained by/generated by currents that flow through specific structures of our form/brain, along with chemical reactions inside that form. Ditto for any macroscopic understanding of awareness.

I said, biology of this planet, not brains.

It need not be any fundamentally different at a macroscopic level.

Requiring that the propagation of information exceed the speed of light would make it fundamentally different.

Anything on that philosophy of mind yet?

 

[ScottA]

Atheism is a theological position on the existence of deities. Why must you always conflate them with astrophysicists, or imply that mainstream cosmology is incompatible with beliefs in gods, even the Christian God?

Because the pea is not under every nut.

 

[Davian]

Well put. Science is just an attempt to understand our world, and yet was not always so opposed to understanding our world as it fits into the greater scheme of things. Unfortunately, closing the circuit blocks out MOST of the causes of the effects they study. Their loss.

What is this "greater scheme of things"? Your religion?

 

[Davian]

Of course that speaks well of those of us who do not reject God.

"Reject" implies intent. Believe is not conscious choice. What I am skeptical of is the reasons provided (or not provided) for why one should believe in such things.

But my comment was a lament for those who even go well beyond their own rejection of God, to criticize out of an obvious and expressed hatred.

I have seen no hatred expressed in this thread. Be careful not to project your feelings onto others.

Here we are on a "Christian" forum where it can only be looked at as active aggression. When Christians are aggressive, it is to bring good [news]. Granted, there are bound to be exceptions on both sides, and these few may only be those exceptions.

What is this "good news" that you allude to?

 

[Davian]

Not me, the laws of science like gravity, perpetual motion and stuff like that. My laws would be the laws of Moses. I doubt if I could do any better to explain them then I could explain scientific laws.

Do you think that perpetual machines are possible, that we can have things that are free of entropy?

 

[Davian]

God has a reason and a purpose for everything.

What is that?

 

[Davian]

Truth as represented by Jesus.

You mean, your interpration of the Bible.

 

[Davian]

You imply that it is conjecture, that it is only wishful thinking.

I can only observe what you present here.

"How it works", is not like that at all. First of all, we do not speak of what we "think", but of what we know. We are not throwing up questions in hope that the answers to unanswered questions will be good. That is NOT how it works.

What is missing in that perspective, is that in order to have "spiritual discernment" one has to have first received access to all the answers. When one looks and sees a mathematical or grammatical error, it is because he has learned. Spiritual discernment is no different. We have knowledge that supersedes that of the universe. And when we see error, we are not policing, not judging...we are learned, and have something to offer, something to bring to the table, something MORE.

In the context of this Physical & Life Sciences forum, I expect you to provide evidence that this is not simply an assertion on your part.

But do not confuse that with the multitude of crazies that want in on it, but have NOTHING to offer. We do not apologize for ourselves, nor do we apologize for them. Welcome to the chaos. It is what it is. But don't, as they say, throw the baby out with the bath water.

Then do something to differentiate your claims from the "bathwater" other than to simply assert it.

 

[Davian]

Because the pea is not under every nut.

From where I am standing, all the nuts look the same.

 

[joshua 1 9]

What is that?

I don't know. That is the point, He is smart enough to figure it out. So we just have to trust Him that He knows what He is doing.

 

[Davian]

I don't know. That is the point, He is smart enough to figure it out. So we just have to trust Him that He knows what He is doing.

Speak for yourself. At this point in the discussion, gods are still just characters in books.

 

[joshua 1 9]

According to a citation on wiki, there are over 4200 religions in the world, before getting into the various denominations and interpretations within those.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_religions_and_spiritual_traditions

Godchecker lists over 4000 individual gods, goddesses and spirits from around the world:

http://www.godchecker.com

Indeed. It could easily be interpreted as there being no actual unifying force for the religions of the world, hence the wide disparity. It says that gods are only imagined.

To bad your not able to figure it out. I guess you have to play the hand that life deals to you.

 

[ScottA]

What is this "greater scheme of things"? Your religion?

I have no religion, so no.

The greater scheme of things is a term that infers there is more at stake. There is. Denying it doesn't change that.

But to answer your question: the greater scheme of things, is the reality outside the bubble of this universe, beyond humanity, beyond space, time, and matter. That reality supersedes this reality, in fact it invented it, brought it into being. And yet "being" is the major point of the confusion. Example: If a higher life form, say a human, created a cyberspace world or an animated movie with millions of bigger than life characters/beings. Would they really be real? Is the higher life form human cruel when blood is spilled and he lets some die horrific deaths, or when children and puppies suffer? Does the human creator know more than his character/beings? Could he give some of them knowledge of himself, like some exclusive club? Could he set some up to believe in rocks and trees and other nonsense? Would that be unfair? Could he pull the plug at any time? Would his character/beings know better? Would that be unfair?

Can you imagine? A created universe where nothing is actually real?

Can you?

 

[Davian]

To bad your not able to figure it out.

I do not claim to have it figured out.

I guess you have to play the hand that life deals to you.

Indeed, as we all do.

 

[Smidlee]

To bad your not able to figure it out. I guess you have to play the hand that life deals to you.

He also assumes all those examples are on the same level with the God of heaven and earth.

 

[Davian]

I have no religion, so no.

Yet your "faith" indicator to the left says "Christian".

The greater scheme of things is a term that infers

[pedant]
..implies...
[/pedant]

there is more at stake. There is. Denying it doesn't change that.

"Denying" implies intent. Belief is not a conscious choice.

But to answer your question: the greater scheme of things, is the reality outside the bubble of this universe, beyond humanity, beyond space, time, and matter. That reality supersedes this reality, in fact it invented it, brought it into being. And yet "being" is the major point of the confusion. Example: If a higher life form, say a human, created a cyberspace world or an animated movie with millions of bigger than life characters/beings. Would they really be real? Is the higher life form human cruel when blood is spilled and he lets some die horrific deaths, or when children and puppies suffer? Does the human creator know more than his character/beings? Could he give some of them knowledge of himself, like some exclusive club? Could he set some up to believe in rocks and trees and other nonsense? Would that be unfair? Could he pull the plug at any time? Would his character/beings know better? Would that be unfair?

Can you imagine? A created universe where nothing is actually real?

Can you?

Imagining it does not make it real. Can you do anything other than assert your beliefs?

 

[Davian]

He also assumes all those examples are on the same level with the God of heaven and earth.

Are you telling me what I think? Can you read minds?

 

[Smidlee]

Are you telling me what I think? Can you read minds?

The fact there is counterfeit money is even evidence of the real thing.

 

[ScottA]

In the context of this Physical & Life Sciences forum, I expect you to provide evidence that this is not simply an assertion on your part.

Then do something to differentiate your claims from the "bathwater" other than to simply assert it.

1. If the context of this forum includes "Life", I expect that I can offer real life, as opposed to created (contrived) life. Unfortunately that [real] life is not the norm here, so there are limits to what can be presented. Here, watch I will provide some evidence: ... Want to see it again? See what I mean? I/we can show you but you can't see it. So...because of YOUR limited sight...we can only "tell" you. But don't blame us for your own short comings. There is indeed more, and you know it, and insisting on visible evidence is just a cop out. Don't bring a gun to a knife fight? Right!
2. The differentiating is on you. I am only pointing out that all are not the same. ... Wanna see it again?