Is God Altruistic? Is God Happy?

[Belacqua]

Always good to pass judgment on books you haven't read.

It's the subject matter. I also discount the importance of comic books.

That's an interesting thing to say.

Why do you think Robert Pippin's books, for example, are comic books? Or Elias Canetti's?

Also you didn't answer my question earlier: of the authors I listed earlier, which of them did you find to be "religion lite"?

[brewer]

It's the subject matter. I also discount the importance of comic books.

That's an interesting thing to say.

Why do you think Robert Pippin's books, for example, are comic books? Or Elias Canetti's?

I didn't say that. I said I don't like the subject matter, the same as with comic books. 

If you think they're important, fine. But you're wasting your time if want me to agree.

[Gwaithmir]

A moot topic, since I see no evidence for the existence of God in the first place.

[Rogue]

Is there really someone here trying to argue that Yahweh is emotionless? Wow, just wow. So when the buy-bull says god so loved the world, that was a lie? The important thing to remember about the text is that it says we were made in God's image. Please explain where emotions come from if not from God. Thanks. 

I think it is more plausible that God just does not exist. and man created gods in his image.

If you ignore the OT the NT is null and void because the OT prophecies a Messiah. Is there a Messiah or no?

Most theologians of whom I'm aware say that God has no emotions. This is standard in classical theology. The OT is to be read as parables, fables, puzzling stories.

When they say that God loves the world, it's different from saying a person loves another person. They say that God is goodness itself. God emanates the world as an act of goodness. In this way God is behaving like a person who loves you, because he is giving goodness. 

The way people love is different. People love by desiring. We desire to be with another person, or we desire her happiness, or we desire her health, etc. This is what we do when we love. God lacks nothing, so he desires nothing. Still, by being only good, he is sending goodness to all. 

The main difference is that people are contingent and God is only essence. Contingency means that people are changing, they could be different, they are affected by other things. God, being only essence, is only what he is and has no contingency. Emotions are motions. They are the change of the changeable heart -- but God doesn't move or change. 

When Christians say something like "He so loved the world that he gave his only son," the love here just means that God is so good by his essence. Not that he wants something for the world. 

This is what theologians say. 

I've had trouble getting people to think about God in some way other than the simple Sky-Daddy Tyrant that so many people use, but what I've described here is the theology of Dante and many others.

What do people mean when they say God is jealous as to other gods OR angry over sin? What about Hell? What about the incest (in the beginning)? What about the horrific book of Revelations?

The main point is--> Your description is not biblical. Not. At. All. If the Bible cannot be trusted by it's logos, pathos, and ethos, well, it just cannot be trusted in the claim that Yahweh exists. It cannot be trusted at all. It necessarily follows that Abrahamic religions based on these words cannot be trusted either.

I find it kind of fresh telling me God does not love me but rather is only goodness. That is saying tornadoes are goodness, hurricanes, cancer, evil, incest all of it must be goodness because God can ONLY be goodness and God created those things. See now I'm getting dizzy!

If I trust in my heart/soul to help me discern the attributes of God, He ends up being just like me. What I think is right or wrong so does God. I think religion is bad, so does God. They call that SPAG--> Self Projection As God. I think God is bad, so does God.

If God is "only" goodness, with no emotions, what prompted Him to create this solar system--> with this planet-- with its species--> that kill each other to survive? It is all about survival. Yea I watch a lot of Planet Earth (documentary on BBC) and see creature after creature kill and devour its prey. I see vines choking trees in my forest around my house.

Maybe the problem is theologians are trying to explain the un-explainable. That is probably why the bible makes no sense and why you make no sense, respectfully.

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A moot topic, since I see no evidence for the existence of God in the first place.

That was not helpful at all.  

The OP did not claim that gods exist.

[brewer]

Rogue, I found part of your last post interesting. You indicate that you are spiritual (religious view) and have a soul. (correct me if I'm wrong)

Could you tell me what these mean to you? They seem incongruous with other things you've posted.

[Rogue]

Rogue, I found part of your last post interesting. You indicate that you are spiritual (religious view) and have a soul. (correct me if I'm wrong)

Could you tell me what these mean to you? They seem incongruous with other things you've posted.

If you take into context the post I was replying to, I am saying that if you do not take the buy-bull literally the only other way is soul searching (theist talk). Soul-searching leads to SPAG.

I do not believe in spirits or woo woo of any kind. I have been taught to meet people where they are, so I may speak some theist talk, but I am not a theist at all. I used to be SBNR (spiritual but not religious) then I came to my senses, I am full-blooded atheist.

I hope that clarifies things for you.

[brewer]

Rogue, I found part of your last post interesting. You indicate that you are spiritual (religious view) and have a soul. (correct me if I'm wrong)

Could you tell me what these mean to you? They seem incongruous with other things you've posted.

If you take into context the post I was replying to, I am saying that if you do not take the buy-bull literally the only other way is soul searching (theist talk). Soul-searching leads to SPAG.

I do not believe in spirits or woo woo of any kind. I have been taught to meet people where they are, so I may speak some theist talk, but I am not a theist at all. I used to be SBNR (spiritual but not religious) then I came to my senses, I am full-blooded atheist.

I hope that clarifies things for you.

Cool. Every thing but SPAG?

[Drich]

If god is not altruistic then what was the Jesus on the cross thing about?

After reading the rest of your post let's define altruism as emotion is not a key factor to altruism's execution. 

al·tru·ism
/ˈaltro͞oˌizəm/
noun

1. the belief in or practice of disinterested and selfless concern for the well-being of others.
   "some may choose to work with vulnerable elderly people out of altruism"
   synonyms:
   unselfishness, selflessness, self-sacrifice, self-denial; 
   

Given this definition without falling back to emotion why can't god be altruistic?

Because God is not selfless.  God  demands various things (prayer, sacrifice, belief, approved behavior) in return for his good graces.  If God were truly altruistic, atheistic, baby-roasting killers would always be in God's good graces.

Boru

citation?

Everything you listed is a symptom of a toxic religion.

Prayer is an opportunity to voice your heart felt concerns and to seek out direction from the creator.
God sacrificed Jesus on the cross so nothing more needs be given, anything asked for is religious and not biblical.
God simple asked to put a mustard seeds worth of faith ito him and he woul move mountains of doubt to establish and maintain a relationship
"approved behavior" has been canceled out by again christ on the cross. meaning our judgement when saved is not based on the life we live, but the life Christ lived.

So again, how is God not altruistic?

HE has a direct line of communication made available
God asks for nothing in return for the freedom offered by Christ beside love each other as your selves and him above all else.
God has made a promise to throw mountains of doubt into the ocean to clear you from doubt and disbelief.
Christian is the only religion not based on "morality" as it sole means of judging a follower righteous.

You have confused christian religions,with howthe bible conducts the following ofChrist.

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Do unicorns make it rain?

depends on your definition of unicorns.

[BrianSoddingBoru4]

Because God is not selfless.  God  demands various things (prayer, sacrifice, belief, approved behavior) in return for his good graces.  If God were truly altruistic, atheistic, baby-roasting killers would always be in God's good graces.

Boru

citation?

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Matthew 7:7-8

Romans 6:13

John 3:16

Luke 6:17-49

Boru

[Nay_Sayer]

Further questions to expand on; Is he a duck or is he a speck when he goes in the water does he get wet or does water get him instead?
(Obscure reference)