What does God want?

[James R]

This is a companion thread to my popular What does God do? thread. Surprisingly, so far very few theists have ventured to describe what God does in the world, here and now. I'm not sure whether that is because they aren't sure what God does, or because they've never considered the question, or because they feel embarrassed about answering it for some reason. Maybe there'll be some more informative answers later. The question sounds to me like one a good theist should have a ready answer to.

So, to the current thread, which has a similar theme. Again, I address this question to the theists who are reading.

Most of you describe God as a Being, like a person. Many of you describe relating to God as if God is a person. For example, you might pray to God, and God might choose to respond in various ways to your prayers.

Given that God is like a person (or at least has person-like traits), and given the kinds of things that major religions tell us about God, it seems that God has desires, plans, and emotions that are recognisably comparable to those of human beings.

My straightforward question this time around is: based on your own understanding, what does God want? I'd also like to know: how do you know what God wants?

I look forward to your responses.

 

[Seattle]

God wants us not to be gay and to not use condoms. That's about it.

 

[Bowser]

What do you want, James? Money, power, more life? What is it that makes most of us happy?

 

[Xelasnave.1947]

What do you want, James? Money, power, more life? What is it that makes most of us happy?

Probably like most decent folk I expect what he (James who like everything and everyone is God) would like when he asks a question is the curtesy of an honest reply which is not a series of evasive questions.

What has become of honesty such that it is the enemy of crazy believers.


Evasiveness is the manner of Satan and his prime tool to spread his deception, so I bet God wants folk to be direct and honest...hang on I just picked that idea out of thin air...the madness is contageous...I must take a bath in that special water priests drown babies in.

So what does God want.

No Gay sex.
No condoms.

Let me add to the list.

He wants you to kill your neighbour if you find him working on a Sunday.

And personally I can understand that one.

I like to lay in bed until late on Sundays (well most days given I enjoy astronomy which is mostly a night time hobby) and these folk who start mowing their lawn early really deserve to die.

And if you did kill your neighbour when you find him working and offerred the authority of the bible you would get off the murder charge....not guilty by reason of insanity.

However these days God does not want anything as he has not called in for a long long time to ask.

Of course the evangelists say God wants your money but they are just lieing blood sucking scum bags who take advantage of the dumb and the stupid who fill their venues hoping to max out their credit cards to fund that particular blood sucker into yet another personal jet.


God wants stupid people it could be argued as they certainly are attracted to God.

God wants insane people it seems.

What a pity these faith healers can not cure madness and delussion.

God wants murders for Sunday clean ups and seems rather tolerant of child molesters.
How can any believer stay on board a ship where the crew molests the children of the passengers.

Answer ...unthinking boundless stupidity.

Hang on this God cant want anything...he does not exist except in the imagination of crazy folk.


Alex

 

[DaveC426913]

What do you want, James? Money, power, more life? What is it that makes most of us happy?

Not sure how you intend this to apply to the question.

How does what James wants have any bearing on what God wants?

Are you saying:
1] God could give JamesR money, power, life to make him happy.
or
2] God probably wants what anyone like JamesR wants - he wants money power and life.

 

[Bowser]

Not sure how you intend this to apply to the question.

How does what James wants have any bearing on what God wants?

Are you saying:
1] God could give JamesR money, power, life to make him happy.
or
2] God probably wants what anyone like JamesR wants - he wants money power and life.

No, you missed the point.

 

[Bowser]

Probably like most decent folk I expect what he (James who like everything and everyone is God) would like when he asks a question is the curtesy of an honest reply which is not a series of evasive questions.

What has become of honesty such that it is the enemy of crazy believers.


Evasiveness is the manner of Satan and his prime tool to spread his deception, so I bet God wants folk to be direct and honest...hang on I just picked that idea out of thin air...the madness is contageous...I must take a bath in that special water priests drown babies in.

So what does God want.

No Gay sex.
No condoms.

Let me add to the list.

He wants you to kill your neighbour if you find him working on a Sunday.

And personally I can understand that one.

I like to lay in bed until late on Sundays (well most days given I enjoy astronomy which is mostly a night time hobby) and these folk who start mowing their lawn early really deserve to die.

And if you did kill your neighbour when you find him working and offerred the authority of the bible you would get off the murder charge....not guilty by reason of insanity.

However these days God does not want anything as he has not called in for a long long time to ask.

Of course the evangelists say God wants your money but they are just lieing blood sucking scum bags who take advantage of the dumb and the stupid who fill their venues hoping to max out their credit cards to fund that particular blood sucker into yet another personal jet.


God wants stupid people it could be argued as they certainly are attracted to God.

God wants insane people it seems.

What a pity these faith healers can not cure madness and delussion.

God wants murders for Sunday clean ups and seems rather tolerant of child molesters.
How can any believer stay on board a ship where the crew molests the children of the passengers.

Answer ...unthinking boundless stupidity.

Hang on this God cant want anything...he does not exist except in the imagination of crazy folk.


Alex

You missed the point too. The answer is very easy.

 

[Xelasnave.1947]

You missed the point too. The answer is very easy.

How did I miss the point?

Opps the dishonesty of evasivness makes me think twice about asking an honest question and add to that you dont answer direct questions there is little point in asking you a question.

However even with that in mind I will ask...no I will make an honest observation ... if the answer is so easy one must wonder why it was avoided.

Alex

 

[Bowser]

How did I miss the point?

Opps the dishonesty of evasivness makes me think twice about asking an honest question and add to that you dont answer direct questions there is little point in asking you a question.

However even with that in mind I will ask...no I will make an honest observation ... if the answer is so easy one must wonder why it was avoided.

Alex

X, what do people really want, and if they want that more than anything, what might God also want? It has the power to fill any hole in your heart that money and power can't.

 

[Xelasnave.1947]

X, what do people really want, and if they want that more than anything, what might God also want? It has the power to fill any hole in your heart that money and power can't.

It is my impression people really want sex...its why they buy a car a house etc.

Sex is the prime motivator.
You ask what is the reason for us being here...well its sex.
Just ask yourself what you like doing most of all...sex..
And if not you have a very big problem.

Are you trying to lead me to the conclusion God wants sex? Certainly his last interaction with the world contains a hint of such a proposition.

Bowser I dont get why folk want so hard...I dont work that way...I am always content..I have been poor I have been rich ... wealth is an illusion ... success is contentment with what you have today and being honest and kind and plenty of sex..and you can have sex without money or power if you have the gift of the gab.....and it does not matter what others have or think...in my view...if you are getting your share and someone elses share of sex you are a sucess...

The best thing in life is free..sex..its a case of being able to have yoir cake and eat it...and its always available...plenty of sex equals success ...not hole in the heart if you are getting plenty of sex.

Your heart is not going to work if it has a hole in it and it is not relevant to emotion...that is nonsence that has been bebunked long ago.

What you speak of is no doubt the emptiness folk feel in their lives ... that emptiness is due to ignorance and will not be filled with more ignorance.
Sex helps but there needs to be more than sex...sometimes.

My suggestion for emptiness is education ...science education such that superstition has no where to hide.

Imagine how good your life could be if you really embraced the concept of honesty and realised you wont find meaningful truth in the handed down stories from the bronze age.

For a start you could really enjoy sex.

I think that "hole in the heart" as you call it is what I call lack of self esteem.

I have a high self esteem because I know that I am honest and I know that I dont have to feel guilty about once being preoccupied with sex and having fun.

I was not crushed as a child to believe I was in any way bad or sinful.

My mind was allowed to grow without being confused with religious crap...further I was never near crazy religious leaders who could have molested.
What scum bags...what hypocrites...what miserable excuses for humans.

Its all about having high self esteem Bowser. ..win back your self esteem and you wont need the delussion of religion.

Alex

 

[DaveC426913]

No, you missed the point.

And, like Jan, you are getting coy.
Like its gotta be all shrouded in mysteriousism.

 

[Bowser]

Its all about having high self esteem Bowser. ..win back your self esteem and you wont need the delussion of religion.

Okay, I will spell it out for you, X. It's about L.O.V.E. Without it we become machines. Ask me again what God wants.

 

[Bowser]

And, like Jan, you are getting coy.
Like its gotta be all shrouded in mysteriousism.

It shouldn't be shrouded. The answer should have come out of you spontaneously. Yet I spelled it out for X above.

 

[DaveC426913]

Okay, I will spell it out for you, X. It's about L.O.V.E. Without it we become machines.

Wait. We can't have love without God?

This is what kills me about theists. They seem to think humans are weak and useless.
Atheists are far ore optimistic about their capabilities.

 

[Musika]

This is a companion thread to my popular What does God do? thread. Surprisingly, so far very few theists have ventured to describe what God does in the world, here and now. I'm not sure whether that is because they aren't sure what God does, or because they've never considered the question, or because they feel embarrassed about answering it for some reason.


Maybe there'll be some more informative answers later. The question sounds to me like one a good theist should have a ready answer to.

From my input in that thread, it seems that the problem is that atheists insist on asking philosophical questions while being bereft of the stamina to neither properly ask q's nor hear answers. It seems defaulting not only religion but also philosophy to the realm of "a load of crap" sets the bar to funny one-liners and exchanging memes. Judging from the responses to this thread, it also seems to be beating down the same worn path.

So, to the current thread, which has a similar theme. Again, I address this question to the theists who are reading.

Most of you describe God as a Being, like a person. Many of you describe relating to God as if God is a person. For example, you might pray to God, and God might choose to respond in various ways to your prayers.

Given that God is like a person (or at least has person-like traits), and given the kinds of things that major religions tell us about God, it seems that God has desires, plans, and emotions that are recognisably comparable to those of human beings.

My straightforward question this time around is: based on your own understanding, what does God want? I'd also like to know: how do you know what God wants?

I look forward to your responses.

In short, God wants us to be happy. The main obstacle to this goal is our desire to be happy in ways or mediums that don't grant ultimate happiness. In one sense, its simply a struggle between prioritizing long term goals over short term ones.

In regards to how to know these things, such information comes ultimately from scripture but also from practitioners who can provide more specific guidelines according to circumstance. A lot of the "revealed" aspects of this knowledge comes as a consequence of establishing priorities and acting accordingly .... as opposed to simply reading a book.

IOW there is no scope to properly understanding what does and doesn't work in this regard unless one brings an element of properly motivated action.

 

[DaveC426913]

It shouldn't be shrouded. The answer should have come out of you spontaneously. Yet I spelled it out for X above.

Now you're preaching.

It is not enough to have your viewpoint, other must have the same viewpoint or they are inferior in your eyes.

This is a discussion board. You assert things and back them up. You don;t tell other people they're supposed to think the same way you are.

 

[Bowser]

Wait. We can't have love without God?

Did I say that? Loving each other is also loving God. But why would you leave him out of your affection?

 

[DaveC426913]

From my input in that thread, it seems that the problem is that atheists insist on asking philosophical questions while being bereft of the stamina to neither properly ask q's nor hear answers.

Heh. And of course, the theists get to decide what constitutes "proper"for them.

Up here in the GWN, he had a crack-smoking mayor for a while.
He was once asked by a reporter: "Do you smoke crack, Mr. Mayor?"
To which his response was "Wait, You didn't ask the right question. The question is Am I addicted to crack. No."

Seriously though, this is a discussion forum. You don't get to complain that people don't ask "the right questions".

 

[Bowser]

Now you're preaching.

It is not enough to have your viewpoint, other must have the same viewpoint or they are inferior in your eyes.

This is a discussion board. You assert things and back them up. You don;t tell other people they're supposed to think the same way you are.

We're all equal, Dave. God loves you too. And, no, you're not required to agree with me.

 

[DaveC426913]

Did I say that? Loving each other is also loving God. But why would you leave him out of your affection?

This is begging the question.

God would have to exist for me to love him. That has not been granted yet.