Do you talk to GOD?
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Are you admitting you don't understand what it means?
I have a understanding of MY definition of "what it means to be human"
Question becomes, does it match yours?
Ok, let's go with you having a definition. Why do you have a definition or think you need one?
Or is it that defining what it means is important to humans, even though they already know they're human? Knowing isn't enough for some reason, so definitions become important?
I have a definition from my Registered Nurse/Midwife training
Not needed now but it hangs around
You appear to be evasive
But if you are not going to give a (your) definition so be it
Nice. But are you sure it's relevant to understanding what it means to be human?
Yeah, perhaps. However I could say you're being evasive too. Instead, I'll say that a clinical or medical definition of a human evades the question, "what does it mean to be human?".
I don't need a definition. I'm sure there are plenty though. As I infer, a definition isn't really relevant--do you need a definition of breathing to be able to understand why you breathe or what it means? I bet you don't.
And yes, typically with this kind of subject matter it's hard not to appear like you're being dismissive or patronising, or something.
This is not my intent. I'm just trying to, ah, understand something about why people think certain things.
Well it is in the law books so it has that going for it. Guessing you are considering more the spiritual aspects
Bottom line for me there is NO meaning. LIFE (capitals indicating the fundamental form) came into existence, because it was able to. It could have been able to and not happen, but it did
Our life form has no more relevance than any other life form
Belief in Santa is OK as a child. As an adult weird
Belief in god even weirder, but it is what it is
Agreed definitions serve a purpose of ensuring effective communication
I bet you don't. It helped during sitting exams. Not needed now
No, you didn't.
Seriously, James, it was a pretty simple question.
Still, yeah, sure, whatever; I get it. Never mind.
Ok, that's all very cosmological and everything, and sure, maybe the universe itself has no inherent meaning.
But humans want meaning; humans need to understand what being human means. I'd say most people can accept that in terms of cosmological implications, why would there be any? On the other hand, humans and other forms of life are a part of the cosmos, so, y'know, maybe . . .
Again, that's a global or cosmological perspective; it certainly isn't true for us humans, unique among the animals 'coz of our big inquisitive brains. Perhaps the search for meaning is just some consequence of this human evolution which, as you say, is no different than evolution among the other forms of life we know about.
But of course, evolution isn't unique, lifeforms are. We humans see ourselves as different; animals, we believe, don't look for meaning because they don't need to.
Quite. But that might not be relevant when it's just you who wants to understand something about yourself; talking to other people might be some help but in the end surely, it's your mission, should you decide to accept it?
My 2c worth, it doesn't
I'll go with WANT, NEED not really. Those who get taken with with impossible stories, mine started with Dan Dare comics moving through Captain Marvel, Superman, Batman
Never went to, these are real people / stories
Well again the the Comos is what it is in its totality. No other hand
Again because physics allows, and again physics allowing did / does not mean it would happen, but it did
I would go more for lack of capability. Our capability comes out from thinking ABOUT thinking
Ummmmm not sure about any entity being able to understand "about themselves"
To much pulling yourself off the ground by your boot laces
An unfortunate byproduct.
We can think about better ways to hunt, which helps the species survive. But we can also think about better ways to kill in general, including our own species.
And we can think about "why", which has no obvious evolutionary advantage.
Too bad we can't turn it off when it isn't helping.
I don't talk to strangers, so I gave a read to the Bible to know the god of such a religion, before trying to say a prayer or just talk to him.
In order to know that god took me years, because the several translations were so contradictory is some aspects that I went to the Hebrew version, which is assumed to preserve some originality.
Reviewing the Hebrew and ignoring the traditional interpretation of these scriptures, I found things that made me think a lot about the biblical god.
Then, I attempted to follow the words given in some part of the scriptures and I can express the result of this attempt saying "my eyes were opened".
Aha! I said to myself, there is something here in the scriptures that really provide something more than belieiving in a god and worshiping.
So, I still don't talk or pray to a god yet, but in my experience, by being interested in knowing those scriptures provides a reward in your life, it is not magic, but acquiring wisdom.
In order to know that god took me years, because the several translations were so contradictory is some aspects that I went to the Hebrew version, which is assumed to preserve some originality.
Reviewing the Hebrew and ignoring the traditional interpretation of these scriptures, I found things that made me think a lot about the biblical god.
Then, I attempted to follow the words given in some part of the scriptures and I can express the result of this attempt saying "my eyes were opened".
Aha! I said to myself, there is something here in the scriptures that really provide something more than belieiving in a god and worshiping.
So, I still don't talk or pray to a god yet, but in my experience, by being interested in knowing those scriptures provides a reward in your life, it is not magic, but acquiring wisdom.
Those people aren't doing critical thinking properly. Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence, the saying goes. Good critical thinkers know this.
You'd think, though, that if God really did exist, as lots of believers claim, then some believers would have found at least some evidence for that proposition by now, wouldn't you?
Please tell us what or who God is. It sounds like you think you know.
I notice you tried to deflect that question when michael asked it, by the way. We can get to whether you're right about us atheists after you have explained what your God is, and how you came to know it. Please go right ahead.
Perhaps. But that seems to be a subsidiary issue. Let's talk about your understanding of God first, shall we?
I bet you think that's clever.
It sounds like you think you don't know who or what God is. But wait, you do know something about God after all; well, actually you believe something even though you don't know it's true, something like "God is probably a myth". Brilliant.
I bet you think you're pretty damn smart, eh James? No self delusion in your little world, huh?
I just answered your question about who or what I think God is, even if you don't think so!
See this:
And say some believers did find evidence, why would they tell you or anyone else about it? If no true believer claims any such thing because they of course realise they don't have to (unless maybe they also felt some need to help or save people from ignorance), how would someone like you who admits they don't know, um . . . know about it?James R said:
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Write4U
Valued Senior Member
If they had evidence they would be obligated to share this. It is called "witnessing".
WITNESS, CHRISTIAN
https://www.encyclopedia.com/religion/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/witness-christian#
Obligated by what? Are you saying something compels people who know what the word "God" means, to tell people what they know? Like, as many people as possible?
I wonder what it could be, this thing-that-compels . . .
One possibility I think can't be excluded, is hubris. Another might be genuine, honest belief in one's knowledge of . . . something or other.
Neither of these shows up here, though \sarcasm.
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Write4U
Valued Senior Member
I am an atheist and I don't give a damn what anyone has to say about god. I was quoting from religious text that "witnessing" is expected from the faithful.
Whatever you have to say about that, don't tell me, tell them!
I'll repeat it here to clear up any confusion you may have about what I posted in response to your question; "And say some believers did find evidence, why would they tell you or anyone else about it?"
WITNESS, CHRISTIAN
https://www.encyclopedia.com/religion/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/witness-christian#
I guess you missed the tongue-in-cheek part; I did tell "them".
Write4U
Valued Senior Member
I heard a question about being obligated and compelled to spread the word. I tried to explain why....