The Million Dollar Question

[Fidel_Castronaut]

Why? According to who? You? What about people, theists, who disagree with you? Does creating a universe qualify you to be a god? Why? And how do you know?

No, according to the dictionary which is where we get our definitions of terms from. Creating the Universe goes with being a supreme being, any being that did not create the Universe would itself be a contingent being and would by definition not be supreme and therefore not be a god.

Creating the universe seems like a small and pitiful thing compared to a being that can supposedly do anything/everything.

What about people who define god as simply an element, such as rainfall, or sunlight.

Why is your definition more worthy than theirs? I've seen nothing to sway me that you're right and they're wrong. Indeed, I've even seen rain, and felt the warmth of the sun in my skin.

Tangible.

You said too that there is a correct definition of a god. But I haven't seen one conducive to me reaching that conclusion. I don't think equating the definition of a square, or an integer, two very real and arguably tangible concepts, can be equated to that of a 'god', which I argue is the antithesis.

Squares and integers are abstract mathematical concepts and are not tangible at all.

Much more tangible than a personal definition of a god. I can work with the philosophical concept and results of an integer.

I have no concept or understanding of what a god is. Never have, and it's likely to stay that way.

I still stick with my point; a god is whatever a believer wants it to be.

Well allow me to push this point then. You claim to be an atheist; so this means you do not believe in the existence of anything at all right? Since you are asserting that a god could be defined as anything, by believing in the non-existence of all gods you’d have to therefore claim to not believe anything exists. The Earth, the Sun, you, me, dogs, cats, atoms, energy, the Universe, mosquitos, trees, and so on; you believe that none of it exists because any of it could fit the definition of a god correct?

No.

I'm not saying a god can't be defined as anything. Quite the opposite. I'm saying a god can, and indeed is described as everything. It depends entirely on the believer.

There is no such thing as a universally defined god.

And you're also wrong. I believe that lots of things exist as an atheist. I've just never been convinced that a 'god' (whatever that is) is one of those things.

Atheism = lack of belief in a deity. I've been an atheist since the second I was born. I don't believe in the non-existance of all gods. That doesn't make any sense. I don't even know what 'all gods' there are.