Knowing There's No God Vs. Believing There's No God

Maybe the universe is the mind of God and we live inside of it as it evolves,humanity is the way God comes to experience himself,and there is no ulterior and exterior God who can effect or change elements within his own mind.As such we are God-conscious beings,without having to explain "where" he is or how he moves.

 

Maybe the universe is like this crystal clean bathroom and we're just one spec of filthy mould in the corner?

 

How did God become a he?


We could probably go on and on (and we have in other threads) about different speculative imaginings of our place in the cosmos, maybe the Universe is a gigantic computer simulation, maybe Ancient Aliens put us here, etc. While some of these notions are pretty interesting and definitely can make one ponder, moreover I think they point to something significantly flawed in the way God(s) are represented in religion.

 

You know, even Oden would never represent himself in any way or form than what he was. Even Oden didn't know what was beyond his realms. He was a mortal God.

The Norse/Saxon cosmology is very interesting. A lot of folk simply believe there's a lot of strong gods running around with hammers, but when you really read the actual cosmology behind it all, in terms of the creation of the universe/earth its actually quite intriguing. And also like I said, the chief god knew he was nothing more than a mortal god with always the possibility of a higher God above him. Oden accepted this, he didn't shake his head and say it was all nonsense, he accepted the possibility. He opened his mind. Oden is very wise.

 

I used "he" for the sake of convenience.Of course I'm not positing that God has male attributes any more than female or transgender harumph.I guess I'm trying to envisage a God that transcends religious divide and that is more palatable to atheists and gross materialists.A God that isn't bounded by form,intention or duality.

 

Man The Trenches............."Exit Mould" To The Rescue......



Cheers Glen.

 

Do you find you're really saying anything at that point then though?

I don't really follow what the point is in ascribing to a formless entity that doesn't do anything...

 

I find not careing if there is or isn't works for me.

So in answer to the OP.... Who gives a fuck!

 

Yeah I was just banging on about how maybe there isn't just one God or maybe there's very many gods. like big gods. Bigger gods than the gods we know.

 

while i am not unaware of this, what is more important to me, is that there is more and better then ourselves.
this means two things, one that we can be better ourselves,
and also that not everything else, is limited by our own limitations.

this is the real magic. that there is a beyond, of the box that is our collective selves.
and again, the more we try to define it, the more we limit ourselves from experiencing it.

 

I think this is well put, and remarkable for this Forum. Most folks I know who call themselves atheists simply don't believe there's a good reason for thinking there's a God. This is a little different from the agnostic, who thinks God is a serious possibility. Or as Dawkins puts it, won't take a position on whether there is or isn't a teapot orbiting the earth. I happen to believe in God--the ultimate meaning of my existence. In this age of general relativity theory and quantum physics, I don't think it's possible to "know" anything for sure. There are reputable scholars who accept the Matrix vesion of our reality. I think it's all a gamble based on faith, which Luther defined as a "joyful bet". I try to make educated bets based on reason, intuition,experience and the weight of the available empirical evidence, but I always recognize that I'm probably wrong about most of what I believe.

 

I basically feel the same way. I feel that's what the trajectory of Evolution is. And we could still be here from Ancient Aliens, and it could all still be a simulation too.

 

i believe i may have at least tried to explain the point of the possibility of such a thing existing.
also that rather we find some point in it or not, has no direct involvement in the possibility that it may
and again, the real magic is this universality of the wonder of strangeness,
that we can only experience, and end up experiencing less, the more we try to pin it down and define it.

there doesn't even have to be a specific god-thing, nor does there have to not be,
just that we are only robbing ourselves of something that is better then any drug,
when we insist of feeling that we have to be able to name or describe something
for that rewarding sense of wonder to exist.

 

"Doesn't do anything" can be taken in two ways: (1) the "formless entity" doesn't take any action in the universe ; (2) the idea of a "formless entity" doesn't serve a useful function in our lives. I disagree. The idea of God historically described an entity that acts in the universe, as its originator and/or its shaper. The idea of God serves as an expression of ultimate meaning; If Viktor Frankl is right, the quest for meaning is the most fundamental human drive, so the ultimate expression of it is understandably important. I think of God as having three aspects: (1) Originator: a designtion for whatever is responsible for the laws of physics (creator, sustainer, destroyer) (2) Logos: a designation for Ultimate Meaning; and (3) Spirit :the the summation of human idealism (God is Love). For me, the utility is in structuring and focusing my total self:mind, will and affections.

 

At this point, I find a lifetime's worth of wonder in the natural universe. I don't feel I need to speculate to something supernatural to feel a sense of wonder or awe about what can be experienced in the Universe. With the vast expanse of the cosmos and our increasing advancements with technology, I got enough on my plate to keep me exploring, satisfied and in awe of the Universe. I get the impression that this point is lost on a lot of theists or those who tend to have eccentric viewpoints, that they view atheists as having the mundane perceptions of reality that we go by on the standard day to day.

Regarding the drug thing, I appreciate the direct interface with certain drugs and I think the perceptions they can elicit can be just as every bit as profound a peak experience as any other means.

 

I was responding to Gangster Guru

 

To each his/her own. If it works for you in giving meaning to life and keeping you on the right track, go for it! But realize others have other paths to meaning.

 

Thanks for the encouragement... The OP (and forum) appears to be directed towards atheists so I feel I'm in right spot.

 

But what about Magick?

 

I think god refers to something in particular, as trustworthy sources have reported a feeling of being in the presence of god. I'm not saying what this thing is, but that something is causing a novel sensation in humans that they are in the presence of something beyond our normal understanding. Where this stems from I do not know. I don't think the brain is capable of creating sensations that have no correlation to any reality whatsoever, though.