Question for deists: Why is there a Creator?

[Cinjin]

Then what do you mean by god?

Why do I suddenly feel like blood in the water and the sharks are starting to circle?

...And I said I wouldn't do this again...... I hate defining God. How the fuck do I know who God is? It’s not like anyone actually really wants to know anyway.

Well, first of all, in order to even have a chance at seeing my point of view (not agreeing with, just seeing), you have to undo all the “learning” you’ve gained in life about “god”. All the human characteristics assigned to him, all the stories of love and wrath, heaven and hell, good cop – bad cop, all of it has to be erased from your mind. Assumptions about his love for the human race or his roll in it have to be done away with. Otherwise, one is likely to reference my points with that book of fables, the Bible. Seems easy right? Not to many. The characteristics of an almighty god have been ingrained into mankind for thousands and thousands of years and it can be very difficult for some people to come to terms with the fact that NO ONE (certainly including myself) has any real idea of who or what God actually is. For example, at least a dozen times I’ve been asked by atheists, “why do I need God?” That too, is an idea that has been created by thousands of years of men defining a god they've never met. The prevailing thought now is that the only reason a human being creates a god is because they need him. This is a concept I rejected long ago. I need nothing ...... and for whatever reason, that made God plausible to me. "Who says God has to love me?"

This is where I started my belief – and to my credit, it doesn’t go much further. I don’t pretend to know God. I would even say that it’s fair to assume that he may not even know me. I am nothing like a Christian or any person devout in their beliefs of a revealed religion. My “faith” does not run deep and it does not penetrate my existence. I don’t need a god … I like having one. God, however, is a very generalized idea to me. He is admittedly unnecessary in my daily life and yet he holds a place somewhere in the back of my mind.

So what is he to me? Simply put. A creator, not in the concept of what you’re probably thinking. A creator who set in motion a living, changing universe. An entity that may very well still be creating and/or dabbling in that creation. A being that set up the process of life and how it cycles and eventually modifies and transforms (See thread, The Soul). I view him as a genius on every level; putting together the building blocks that we continue to discover. A being that has no interest in awarding or punishing anyone and who’s love for earth/humanity probably only equates to the love of a child’s favorite tree to climb. On the other hand, and MUCH of this I’ve said in previous threads, he may not even care that we’re on the planet. You see what I’m trying to say? I agree with evolution. I agree that the earth is billions of years old. I don’t pray. I don’t think that God is going to save us or damn us. I don’t think that God is the great explanation of all things yet undiscovered. I don’t agree with arguments from incredulity, but I think it would be unfair to ask a believer of any religion not to want to give his particular god credit for something he deems amazing. I don’t believe God is perfect. I don’t believe he’s everywhere or that he knows your thoughts or that he wants to help you find your lost wallet. Again, all the human characteristics assigned to God I automatically assume are ridiculous. That being said, my ideas may be equally ridiculous and that is why I HATE defending my position on God. Any human that assumes to know God can immediately be discounted as a credible source. One CANNOT know.

I prefer the company of atheists and reserve their views as a sort of default setting for my “spirituality”. If I’m wrong and there is no God, that’s completely fine. Unlike revealed religions, my beliefs will not end up being responsible for hate crimes and the deaths of millions of people, or slow the progress of mankind in any way.

I know what many of your follow up posts would’ve been: “What’s the point of having a god?”

That again implies that I need a god. All I can say is, I like the idea of the indefinable God and perhaps my brain has been broken by all the religious nonsense I’ve been forced to endure over the years, but something inside me finds peace in this sentiment.

As a final thought: I certainly expect the fast and true atheists to disagree with me. In no way shape or form was I attempting to sway anyone’s beliefs with this post. I'm reasonably sure that would be impossible anyway. I honestly couldn’t care less about what anyone decides to believe or not believe. I was simply answering a question posed to me.

I would however love to see people stop using their beliefs as an excuse to victimize and murder the rest of humanity. Thus, my pure hatred of Christianity and Islam.