Science a GoGo's Home Page Forums General Discussion Not-Quite-Science Forum Philosophy of Religions--all religions, including,

Kallog: Ignore the above post. Read the following one better organized.

Good! And your gracious thought gives me the opportunity to define what I mean by 'GOD'--what, BTW, 1 John 4 means when John writes, "God is love"--agape in Greek. Trying to do what is good is what it means to be GOD-like.

GOD-like
This also gives me the opportunity to say: You are forgiven. If I were not a GOD-like person I would try to think up ways to get even--the kind of thinking that causes inner stress, family stress, community stress often leading to vicious crimes of passion including civil and international wars.

And DOG-like
IMO, all wars, past and present, including all the current wars in the Middle East, and elsewhere, are rooted in what I call DOG-like thinking (D stands for diabolic, divisive, and damning thinking; O stands for odious, ominous, oppressive thinking and G stand for garrulous, gruesome, gloomy, graceless and gluttonous thinking.

Of course I acknowledge that there are dog-lovers and good dogs. Therefore, I am thankful that there are good masters and good dogs who are obviously GOD-like.

You say, "...but just saying what irritates me. You seem to want to share this idea about GOD..." I like sharing GOD-like ideas like: It is better to light a candle than curse the darkness. If you don't like my ideas, just say so. Then give us your ideas.

PICTURING GOD
You add "I asked many times but you never quite put the picture together, or properly defended criticism." And now I am trying to answer.

You say, "How about being honest enough to acknowledge it as a fantasy? Plenty of fiction authors have done the same, and people enjoy their work, even getting inspiration from them to guide their real lives."

If this is what atheists believe god IS--a mental idol created by the imagination--no wonder there are atheists. If god is just a fantasy, count me as an atheist, too!

Gods, no matter how pretty to look at, created with the mind and the imagination, are idols. Idol worship happens when we create gods in our own image. Having said this, I am willing to accept that what we experience with the senses--the cosmos, physical reality, which I feel is very malleable--can be looked on as the body of GOD.

But let us not forget the human and divine mental and spiritual dimensions. The mind and the spirit have played, do play, and will continue to play an important role in the whole process we call evolution.

Of course there are people who say they believe in God, who go to church and do all mostly useless praying and ritual that goes with it. But unless they live GOD-like lives, they are hypocrites.

Let all good people join together and attack the hypocrisies--This is why Jesus, who really lived a GOD-like life, taught that it is best even to love our enemies. Nameste! That is, GOD around, in and through all that is, including us.