How can God not exist?

[SciWriter]

Back to this old circle (scared to death)

There was no harm in being wrong about a moving bush in the night not being a bear, yet life could come to and end if it were to be a bear. From this kind of thing extended, perhaps nature spirits were born of sounds in the wild, along with the extension of family structure on up into gods and creators. It's only human.

The gods then vanished from nature, and from places like Mt. Olympus and the moon, becoming invisible.

[glaucon]

Only an insane person would take comfort in an illusion or suggest to others to take comfort in something they know to be an illusion.

Really??
Are you so sure?

So, taking comfort in the idea that the sun will rise tomorrow is insane?

hmmm....

[glaucon]

Nobody said it was rational

Precisely!

[drumbeat]

Only an insane person would take comfort in an illusion or suggest to others to take comfort in something they know to be an illusion.

What you are suggesting is that people are basically insane.

Sounds to me like your first paragraph is calling many people insane as that describes what religion mostly is.

[glaucon]

Sounds to me like your first paragraph is calling many people insane as that describes what religion mostly is.

Nice.
You beat me to it....


Seriously though, it's not an excluded middle concept, but rather, (as I hinted at with my reference to Hume..) a question of degree.

Are we insane because we support the notion that, for example, the chair that I presently sit upon is technically more empty space than matter??

What allows us to answer in the affirmative to the consideration of insanity for "those who take comfort in an illusion" (i.e. God ) in this case, is that the spurious addition of a deity to the system of understanding that we now enjoy adds absolutely nothing of utility; it's Ockham's Razor.

Once upon a time perhaps it was the case that the invocation of such a supernatural notion did in fact serve some purpose. That is simply no longer the case.

[Jan Ardena]

YoYoPapya,

You don't know what is reality,

but you nonetheless talk about "waking up from dreamworld and face reality"

and you accuse religious people of "magic thinking"?

I don't have a problem with not knowing everything.
That's reality. We don't know everything, but we can try and figure it out instead of looking for answers in ancient magic books.

Huh!!

jan.

[Jan Ardena]

If i witnessed a divine miracle i would reconsider my stance. That is open minded innit?

As you have set the standard of what constitutes ''a divine miracle'', no.

jan.

[Jan Ardena]

SciWriter,

I suppose some of it evolved, from nature spirits on up to soul, then onto such as what Heaven is like.

What are ''nature spirits''?

They want more, for the last thing a brain wants to consider is its own end; it's function is geared to survival.

And you know this, how?

That was the family structure of the old times, and still is in some places.

And you know this, how?

Any mind, much less an infinite one, can't be first, for systems have parts.

And you know this, how?


jan.

[Enmos]

As you have set the standard of what constitutes ''a divine miracle'', no.

jan.

One has to set a standard, right? How else do you recognize it?

[Jan Ardena]

Back to this old circle:

Please answer the question?

jan.

[Jan Ardena]

Sounds to me like your first paragraph is calling many people insane as that describes what religion mostly is.

We're not talking about religion.

jan.

[YoYoPapaya]

Please answer the question?

jan.

If you don't understand the answer that's your problem Jan. I'm not a kindergarten teacher.

You seem to have a lot of cognitive difficulties. Maybe you should see a doctor.

[SciWriter]

What are ''nature spirits''?

The Indians, for example, had them. See history.

And you know this, how?

Psychology, evolution, natural selection. People don't give up easily.

And you know this, how?

History.

And you know this, how?

The Being has to take in, process, figures what it wants, plan, figure what to do, obtain source material, create specific structures in the universe, add properties, control everything.

[YoYoPapaya]

As you have set the standard of what constitutes ''a divine miracle'', no.

jan.

I didn't set the standard. The Bible did.

[Jan Ardena]

If you don't understand the answer that's your problem Jan. I'm not a kindergarten teacher.

You seem to have a lot of cognitive difficulties. Maybe you should see a doctor.

Your link doesn't explain how you KNOW they are MAGIC books.


jan.

[YoYoPapaya]

Dude the burden of proof is not mine. If somebody claims he can do magic, he's the one that needs to prove it. Not vice versa. And saying that it's true because it says so in the bible doesn't count.

[YoYoPapaya]

Now go wave your magic stick somewhere else

[Jan Ardena]

I didn't set the standard. The Bible did.

That's also how i feel about other claims like magic jews that can part waters or heal wounds by touching them or invisible men in the sky.

and from another thread;

Well it beats "Magic jewish zombie who is his own father"

I think you have set your own standard.


jan.

[Jan Ardena]

Dude the burden of proof is not mine. If somebody claims he can do magic, he's the one that needs to prove it. Not vice versa. And saying that it's true because it says so in the bible doesn't count.

I'm just saying your link was not an answer, that's all.

jan.

[drumbeat]

YoYoPapya,



Huh!!

jan.

What can't you understand there? It seems quite simple what he is saying.