What is a "god"?

[I and I]

Most human notions of what a "god" is are not perfect, all knowing or all powerful. These characteristics are mainly attributed to Islam, Judaism and Christianity, they are the exception, not the rule as to what most humans have regarded as "gods".

Most humans throughout human history have had their gods basically be like humans for the most part, maybe a little stronger or smarter, but not like what western religions teach. These past gods could be outsmarted and beat by humans in battles, these gods made mistakes often as well.

How should atheists define what characteristics make up a "god" to determine wether someone is believing in a certain entity?

[frankiej]

Holy shit, howdy!
Didn't know you were here.
You are my favourite crazy person. Well, assuming you are the same I and I that I know.

[Genius Evil]

You can't really define the characteristics of a god, since -- as you said -- no two gods are the same. The only universal god characteristic I can think of is having greater power than a human: many ancient gods (Greek, Egyptian, etc.) were not omnipotent, omniscient or omnibenevolent. As for determining whether a person believes in a certain entity, the best course of action would be to ask him/her.

[GodsRevolt]

This question rocks! Here's my go . . .

We as humans have the literal and the metaphorical. A lot of descriptions of God tend to take the metaphorical route. God is the Father. God is the King. But these, like any metaphor, are limited. God than becomes the ass-hole dad, or the dictator. Angry, shake your fist at the metaphorical heavens in the sky!

So, I started to think of God more as an artist. But not the artist that does art just for arts sake. The artist that does their art because they have something to say.

Try this: take out a piece of paper and draw a stick figure. You are god and the stick figure is your creation. Now, make your stick figure understand you. What does your two dimensional stick figure say about your three dimensional existence? Has it thought of a three demential existence from its two dimensional world? Probably not, but you, being god, can help. Draw a picture of a three dimensional box. Your stick figure starts to get an idea . . . maybe.

God is the one that drew us, but not just drew us, "breathed" life into us. God said, "Paper" and there was His canvas. God said, "Pen" and there was His instrument. Are we created in His image? Yeah, but until we see his "face" we can never completely understand what that means.

So, what I am saying is, God is the coming together of metaphor and literal. We speak and ideas come out. God speaks and reality comes about, as far as understand it.

Now draw another stick figure and have him disagree with the first on the truth of his so called "3D box." Draw them each a computer and let them argue about it in a forum. Ahhhh, now they're happy.

[pineapplebunnybounce]

This question rocks! Here's my go . . .

We as humans have the literal and the metaphorical. A lot of descriptions of God tend to take the metaphorical route. God is the Father. God is the King. But these, like any metaphor, are limited. God than becomes the ass-hole dad, or the dictator. Angry, shake your fist at the metaphorical heavens in the sky!

So, I started to think of God more as an artist. But not the artist that does art just for arts sake. The artist that does their art because they have something to say.

I think this is a good place to bring to your attention that this is still a metaphor. And that you entire post continues in that direction.

Try this: take out a piece of paper and draw a stick figure. You are god and the stick figure is your creation. Now, make your stick figure understand you. What does your two dimensional stick figure say about your three dimensional existence? Has it thought of a three demential existence from its two dimensional world? Probably not, but you, being god, can help. Draw a picture of a three dimensional box. Your stick figure starts to get an idea . . . maybe.

Ok some basics in dimension. Your 2d stick figure can only see a line even if you draw a 3d box. And I'm really being too generous, here's the obvious: your 2d figure isn't alive. it doesn't have eyes.

God is the one that drew us, but not just drew us, "breathed" life into us. God said, "Paper" and there was His canvas. God said, "Pen" and there was His instrument. Are we created in His image? Yeah, but until we see his "face" we can never completely understand what that means.

I don't believe god was around when paper and pen was invented. I think it was all stones and chiselling. I don't think jesus wrote anything at all.

It's also funny that you devote your entire life to something that you "can never completely understand".

So, what I am saying is, God is the coming together of metaphor and literal. We speak and ideas come out. God speaks and reality comes about, as far as understand it.

You only spoke of metaphors. Nothing you said has been literal. And yes, I mean this literally.

This may surprise you, but most people aren't ready to bank their life on something a guy on the internet claims is true "as far as he understands it".

Now draw another stick figure and have him disagree with the first on the truth of his so called "3D box." Draw them each a computer and let them argue about it in a forum. Ahhhh, now they're happy.

They only see straight lines. Even if they can perceive 3d which they cannot, they won't be able to place their hands ON TOP of a keyboard because they're 2D. I just .. they only see lines. I'll stop now.[/quote]

[Sejanus]

Something which there is no evidence for?

[downbeatplumb]

God is a mixture of the anthropmorphism of abstract concepts, lazy explanations and supernatural law enforcer.
Invented by people who didn't know any better.

[CleanShavenJesus]

How should atheists define what characteristics make up a "god" to determine wether someone is believing in a certain entity?

Atheists should not define what characteristics make up a "god", it's the respective believers of the different "gods" that dictate its characteristics. From there, the atheist can decide to believe and/or accept it, or to not believe and/or accept it.

So, I started to think of God more as an artist. But not the artist that does art just for arts sake. The artist that does their art because they have something to say.

Try this: take out a piece of paper and draw a stick figure. You are god and the stick figure is your creation. Now, make your stick figure understand you. What does your two dimensional stick figure say about your three dimensional existence? Has it thought of a three demential existence from its two dimensional world? Probably not, but you, being god, can help. Draw a picture of a three dimensional box. Your stick figure starts to get an idea . . . maybe.

God is the one that drew us, but not just drew us, "breathed" life into us. God said, "Paper" and there was His canvas. God said, "Pen" and there was His instrument. Are we created in His image? Yeah, but until we see his "face" we can never completely understand what that means.

So, what I am saying is, God is the coming together of metaphor and literal. We speak and ideas come out. God speaks and reality comes about, as far as understand it.

Now draw another stick figure and have him disagree with the first on the truth of his so called "3D box." Draw them each a computer and let them argue about it in a forum. Ahhhh, now they're happy.

This analogy does very little for me.

[I and I]

How should atheists define what characteristics make up a "god" to determine wether someone is believing in a certain entity?

Atheists should not define what characteristics make up a "god", it's the respective believers of the different "gods" that dictate its characteristics. From there, the atheist can decide to believe and/or accept it, or to not believe and/or accept it.

So, I started to think of God more as an artist. But not the artist that does art just for arts sake. The artist that does their art because they have something to say.

Try this: take out a piece of paper and draw a stick figure. You are god and the stick figure is your creation. Now, make your stick figure understand you. What does your two dimensional stick figure say about your three dimensional existence? Has it thought of a three demential existence from its two dimensional world? Probably not, but you, being god, can help. Draw a picture of a three dimensional box. Your stick figure starts to get an idea . . . maybe.

God is the one that drew us, but not just drew us, "breathed" life into us. God said, "Paper" and there was His canvas. God said, "Pen" and there was His instrument. Are we created in His image? Yeah, but until we see his "face" we can never completely understand what that means.

So, what I am saying is, God is the coming together of metaphor and literal. We speak and ideas come out. God speaks and reality comes about, as far as understand it.

Now draw another stick figure and have him disagree with the first on the truth of his so called "3D box." Draw them each a computer and let them argue about it in a forum. Ahhhh, now they're happy.

This analogy does very little for me.

So if people believe in something that they can't prove exists it's fine as long as the people believing in that don't call it a god?

[The_Thinking_Theist]

I&I is a sanguine troll.

He was banned from thethinkingatheist.com forums for trolling.

He posted philosobullshit and trolled, used strawmen, and got banned finally for his dickery.

Don't trust him.