There is more than one way to heaven.

[LukeMC]

Is it just me or is "worshipping a giant photon emitting energy-ball god" just a fancy way of saying that you worship the sun?

Rhizo

I was leaning more along the lines of "worshipping a giant photon emitting energy-ball god is just a fancy way of saying IMCRAZY :|"

I really ought to read the thread this idea originated from. I genuinely don't wish to sound condescending when I say "this should be interesting".

[Rhizomorph13]

That thread started with tackattack asking what the atheist version of god was. It is an interesting thread!

[LukeMC]

Awww I miss so much these days! I'd have loved to get sucked into that little gem.

[tackattack]

(I answered 'No' BTW... as your question was to me, and this is my belief)

Your god is truly a bastard

Cite cause

Well, just why we are on topic:

Your God would allow someone to be born, raised and die under the faith of another religion, of which the standard of evidence is exactly the same as your own, with no reasoning that can possibly be applied to make one religion more valid than any other, only to sentence them to an eternity of suffering for not being born into the right religion!

That is why i think your God is a bastard, amongst many other reasons.

I know you guys were just joking around and I didn't mean to jump in. Don't think I was offended, if anything I was just fishing for some conversation to keep me awake. However ...

Religion is a man-made construct based on something imperceptable and thus is falible to human standards. I feel all religions are equally in-valid. An eternity of suffering could be as simple as the nothingness prescribed by many people's beliefs here. If cold is the absence of heat. If light is the absence of dark then hell could be right here where we make it, it could be nothing or it could be the absence of God's love (in whichever form you get it).

So what god do you believe in. Tell us a bit about him, give us an idea of what you think god is.

see http://atheistforums.org/thread-2461-page-2.html

So where does love, life, morality, Jesus and the afterlife fit into your photon emitting energy-ball god idea?

I would say morality is a construct deriving from the natural instincts of communal, upwardly mobile creatures that evolved into us. The need for survival when you lose your claws logicaly leads to development of other resources.
I would surmise life comes from an occurance that created matter in the universe and set into motion the events that led to our evolution.
I could reason that love is just another communal construct but I don't love that way, so I'm not sure where love comes from other than an outside source. I'm sure you'll love to tear that one up.

Is it just me or is "worshipping a giant photon emitting energy-ball god" just a fancy way of saying that you worship the sun?

Rhizo

I was leaning more along the lines of "worshipping a giant photon emitting energy-ball god is just a fancy way of saying IMCRAZY :|"

I really ought to read the thread this idea originated from. I genuinely don't wish to sound condescending when I say "this should be interesting".

I've never studied sun worship so I'll have to look into that. However if sun worship is the worshiping of our sun it isn't compatible with my current belief. God by my definition is a non-physical representation of something outside the universe and that jump would not be possible by that definition. I might be crazy, but I'm ok with that.

[Rhizomorph13]

Tackattack,

I was mostly just makin' a funny, but your idea made me try to figure out how you would arrive at your trancendant ball of energy and the easiest path would be to create a model of god that was similar to the sun.

By sun worship I do mean worshipping the sun, sol, the big flaming thingy!

By the way, I like your approach to these forums. This is what I believe too, with an addition in bold:

I would surmise life comes from an occurance that created matter and time in the universe and set into motion the events that led to our evolution.

Nothing can come from nothing is a concept that kept me theist for a very long time but, if the universe can't come from nothing why wouldn't we apply that same rule to God?

In other words if you believe that God CAN have always been, why not remove a step and just apply that standard to the universe.

Well, it has been written better than that, but hopefully you get my point.

Rhizo

[tackattack]

Tackattack,

I was mostly just makin' a funny, but your idea made me try to figure out how you would arrive at your trancendant ball of energy and the easiest path would be to create a model of god that was similar to the sun.

By sun worship I do mean worshipping the sun, sol, the big flaming thingy!

By the way, I like your approach to these forums. This is what I believe too, with an addition in bold:

I would surmise life comes from an occurance that created matter and time in the universe and set into motion the events that led to our evolution.

Nothing can come from nothing is a concept that kept me theist for a very long time but, if the universe can't come from nothing why wouldn't we apply that same rule to God?

In other words if you believe that God CAN have always been, why not remove a step and just apply that standard to the universe.

Well, it has been written better than that, but hopefully you get my point.

Rhizo

I would agree with your embolden statement and I think I'll add that to my definition. In answer to your question in our universe nothing can come from nothing. God by my definition is outside the universe and time, space, moral constructs of right and wrong don't apply.If God is outside the universe then he is distinctly seperate from the universe. What logic follows (as it was put to me) that because something has an end it doesn't necessarily have to have a begiining. Why would the rules we apply in our universe have any correlation to God?

[theVOID]

I would say morality is a construct deriving from the natural instincts of communal, upwardly mobile creatures that evolved into us. The need for survival when you lose your claws logicaly leads to development of other resources.

Best answer a Christian has ever given

I would surmise life comes from an occurance that created matter in the universe and set into motion the events that led to our evolution.

Cool, we're in agreement.

I could reason that love is just another communal construct but I don't love that way, so I'm not sure where love comes from other than an outside source. I'm sure you'll love to tear that one up.

How do you know love comes from outside? I would say to the contrary it appears to be a very building-block style emotion that leads to the complex emotional states we experience.

[Rhizomorph13]

I would agree with your embolden statement and I think I'll add that to my definition. In answer to your question in our universe nothing can come from nothing. God by my definition is outside the universe and time, space, moral constructs of right and wrong don't apply.If God is outside the universe then he is distinctly seperate from the universe. What logic follows (as it was put to me) that because something has an end it doesn't necessarily have to have a begiining. Why would the rules we apply in our universe have any correlation to God?

They wouldn't, given that definition, but why do you believe there is a god and why do you believe he doesn't follow the rules we apply to every other existent thing?

Rhizo

[Amphora]

Maybe bribing a priest could get you into heaven, or take you out of pergertory or hell.

[theVOID]

Maybe bribing a priest could get you into heaven, or take you out of pergertory or hell.

I can see the ad campaign now:

"Unsure if you are going to heaven? Want to make sure you can be rescued from purgatory or even hell if the unthinkable happens? Well now you can! With the afterlife+ insurance program you can eliminate the worry of meeting god's standard for living! After your tragic passing a team of experts will assess your situation through divine revelation and in the event of you not being where you want int he afterlife will negotiate with god the terms of your admittance to heaven, for the same price as a cup of coffee each week! But wait, there's more! Sign up with a partner and save 10%! Sign up the entire family for a %20 discount or an entire community or organisation for up to %50 off the advertised price! Now you never have to worry about yourself, your friends, your family or community suffering in hell for all eternity! Perfect Christmas gift for all of your Atheist, Gay and liberal loved-ones who are destined to an eternity of suffering - pick up the phone right now and never worry again about the prospect of an eternity of suffering!"

---

with no reasoning that can possibly be applied to make one religion more valid than any other

Wrong

Ok, so give us a demonstration. Which is more Valid, YHWH or Allah?