By chance?

[EgoDeath]

Echoing Heinlein's plaint that theology is a subject with no content, since the core topic (God) isn't well enough defined to be discussed.  Dendrologists might disagree about the finer points, but they pretty much agree about what is or isn't a tree, metallurgists long ago got together on what is meant by 'metal'.  The definition of 'god', conversely, is all over the bleedin' map.

Boru

Ah, interesting. I'll take a look into "Heinlein." I've always felt like: when you have enough definitions of god to cover all bases, it seems you're attempting to do just that - cover all bases, lest it be discovered that you actually do not know what the hell you're talking about. I find it especially entertaining when the New Age types (not sure if that's worth capitalizing) speak of "god" in vague terms like "energy" or "essence" or "vibrations"... or say shit like "god is everywhere" or "god is everything" or "living in the godhead" or "being one with god."

Funny stuff, quite honestly. Especially considering that a lot of the New Age stuff is just watered down Christianity with some Eastern Mysticism sprinkled in for good measure, just to cover all the bases, once again. Cloud a concept in ambiguity and you never have to really defend any hard claims or ideas, and any of your opponents who are challenging you or trying to debate you are "missing the point" or "being too literal" or "not being literal enough" or "need to have a more open mind," or some combination of these nonsensical ideas.