God Empathy Imitation

[GrowingSmaller]

If we conceive of God as a being with an exalted mental state and perfect moral character, then maybe there are benifits from believing. He would be the perfect role model and thinking of Him would cause is to become like Him through empathy. Mystical extacy has to be explained somehow.

It has been said that man makes God in his own image, but perhaps it is more like his "ideal self" rather than his eveyday ego. Then we can see religion as -in part - a form of benign psychological exercise (depending on the benignity of that initial conception). Maybe theism is a transformitive meditation.

 

[quatona]

If we conceive of God as a being with an exalted mental state and perfect moral character, then maybe there are benifits from believing. He would be the perfect role model and thinking of Him would cause is to become like Him through empathy.

Yes, I guess some people find it helpful to project their ideals on a hypothetically existing entity.
Others don´t find it helpful.
Again others will rather be intimidated by a perfect father figure who manages (due to greater abilities and conditions) to incorporate unreachable excellence.

Mystical extacy has to be explained somehow.

It has been said that man makes God in his own image, but perhaps it is more like his "ideal self" rather than his eveyday ego.

Of course. And makes Satan in the image of his worst ideas of his self.
The whole bible thing makes a lot more sense when you understand it as a drama in which different aspects within man are represented by different persons.

Then we can see religion as -in part - a form of benign psychological exercise (depending on the benignity of that initial conception).

Sure. Unfortunately though, a lot of people tend to mistake the method for the content.

 

[GrowingSmaller]

Thanks for the thoughtful responses quatona.

Yes, I guess some people find it helpful to project their ideals on a hypothetically existing entity.

Ah I remember Freud.

Others don´t find it helpful.

True.

Again others will rather be intimidated by a perfect father figure who manages (due to greater abilities and conditions) to incorporate unreachable excellence.

Sounds like yu have a balanced psyche.

I just thought that if our conception of God is that He is extatic, that feeling might be contagious.

Of course. And makes Satan in the image of his worst ideas of his self.
The whole bible thing makes a lot more sense when you understand it as a drama in which different aspects within man are represented by different persons.

There was a famous theologian who said something similar, but I can't remember his name.

Sure. Unfortunately though, a lot of people tend to mistake the method for the content.

Look on the bright siide, at least once in a while.

 

[GrowingSmaller]

The theologian I was thinking of is Feuerbach who said "theology is anthropology".

 

[Lord Emsworth]

If we conceive of God as a being with an exalted mental state and perfect moral character, then maybe there are benifits from believing. He would be the perfect role model and thinking of Him would cause is to become like Him through empathy. Mystical extacy has to be explained somehow.

It has been said that man makes God in his own image, but perhaps it is more like his "ideal self" rather than his eveyday ego. Then we can see religion as -in part - a form of benign psychological exercise (depending on the benignity of that initial conception). Maybe theism is a transformitive meditation.

In Christianity you even have a trinity. And what you are describing here would fit Christ best, I think, leaving you open to speculate on the father and the holy spirit in similar fashion.

 

[The Paul]

If we conceive of God as a being with an exalted mental state and perfect moral character, then maybe there are benifits from believing. He would be the perfect role model and thinking of Him would cause is to become like Him through empathy. Mystical extacy has to be explained somehow.

It has been said that man makes God in his own image, but perhaps it is more like his "ideal self" rather than his eveyday ego. Then we can see religion as -in part - a form of benign psychological exercise (depending on the benignity of that initial conception). Maybe theism is a transformitive meditation.

Well sure, that could be the case in a hypothetical kind of way. But in a look at the world and see if that holds up kind of way, it isn't.

The God described in the Bible is just not a very moral character. There are vast collections of apologetics attempting to excuse the behavior described in the Bible as just, but the fact of the matter remains: A human who behaved analogously would be arrested for his wide variety of horrifying crimes.

We make God in our image, but it's not an "ideal self." Its a morally bankrupt power-fantasy.

 

[Mr. Pedantic]

If we conceive of God as a being with an exalted mental state and perfect moral character, then maybe there are benifits from believing. He would be the perfect role model and thinking of Him would cause is to become like Him through empathy. Mystical extacy has to be explained somehow.

It has been said that man makes God in his own image, but perhaps it is more like his "ideal self" rather than his eveyday ego. Then we can see religion as -in part - a form of benign psychological exercise (depending on the benignity of that initial conception). Maybe theism is a transformitive meditation.

So...you are saying, that in order to improve our critical thinking skills and our humanity, we should abandon what we can reason out and judge ethically for ourselves, and instead listen blindly to what God says? Because that shows real critical thinking, right there.

 

[GrowingSmaller]

So...you are saying, that in order to improve our critical thinking skills and our humanity, we should abandon what we can reason out and judge ethically for ourselves, and instead listen blindly to what God says? Because that shows real critical thinking, right there.

Thats exactly the point I was not trying to make. God help us.

 

[ToddNotTodd]

If we conceive of God as a being with an exalted mental state and perfect moral character, then maybe there are benifits from believing.

Benefits to the individual? I can see someone believing in a god who's "perfect moral character" would entail some pretty horrendous things from society's point of view...

 

[GrowingSmaller]

Benefits to the individual? I can see someone believing in a god who's "perfect moral character" would entail some pretty horrendous things from society's point of view...

So you can imagine no benifits whatsoever? That was the question.

 

[Nooj]

The God described in the Bible is just not a very moral character. There are vast collections of apologetics attempting to excuse the behavior described in the Bible as just, but the fact of the matter remains: A human who behaved analogously would be arrested for his wide variety of horrifying crimes.

Then throw away the Bible. God is a bigger concept than the Bible or Christianity.

If GrowingSmaller is right, the God described in the Bible is just a reflection of man as he was thousands of years ago. So the horrible stories in the Bible wouldn't be God's fault, it'd be our fault for thinking of them as the ideal actions of an ideal God. Besides, they're just stories. Real horror stories are done not by God, who may or may not be fictional, but by humans.

 

[The Paul]

Then throw away the Bible. God is a bigger concept than the Bible or Christianity.

Sure.

But then what are we talking about, exactly, and what about it justifies the use of the world "God."?

A concept of idealized human morality shouldn't be called God. "God" implies many thing which a concept of idealized human morality isn't. It should be called idealized human morality.