How Did You Decide?

[MjaneGibson]

Can you honestly answer these questions:

1. How did you become aware of your God?
When I realized there were far too many questions about this life that my parents and those around me couldn't answer.

2. How did you become aware of your God's expectations and rules?
By knowing what actions made me feel good, and which ones made me feel lousy.

3. How did you decide that God is perfect?
I have not decided that. I think, if anything, God is the all knowing because he has made every choice, good and bad.

4. How did you decide God is omnipotent?
I'm not sure God is. I think whatever force created this world as we know it is all knowing...I suppose that by possessing that gift, I would consider God to be omnipotent...but I don't think God is going to strike us down, or use silly tactics to get us to follow. I feel God gives us the ability to know what He knows, and we do what we want with that knowledge what we will.

5. How did you decide you owe God your allegiance?
I simply feel it is my duty as a human, first and foremost, to lead a life of purpose. I owe my species that, and in turn, God.

6. How did you decide that God demands obedience and especially worship? That is what church says as they collect your donations?
I feel God's very "presence" shows that it is demanded. Again, it's up to us what we do with it.

6. How did you decide you don't have the right to question God?
I didn't. I feel that questioning God's existence is what allows us to believe in Him. If we don't question what is preached, we cannot really have a full grasp on what it means to believe.

 

[Greatest I am]

Can you honestly answer these questions:

1. How did you become aware of your God?
When I realized there were far too many questions about this life that my parents and those around me couldn't answer.

How does lack of knowledge mean that there is a God? All you have ended with is a God of the gaps.

2. How did you become aware of your God's expectations and rules?
By knowing what actions made me feel good, and which ones made me feel lousy.

Sin is gratifying or we would not do it.Right?

People tend to do what is good for themselves and not whatis bad.

3. How did you decide that God is perfect?
I have not decided that. I think, if anything, God is the all knowing because he has made every choice, good and bad.

Name a few of his bad choices please.

4. How did you decide God is omnipotent?
I'm not sure God is. I think whatever force created this world as we know it is all knowing...I suppose that by possessing that gift, I would consider God to be omnipotent...but I don't think God is going to strike us down, or use silly tactics to get us to follow. I feel God gives us the ability to know what He knows, and we do what we want with that knowledge what we will.

5. How did you decide you owe God your allegiance?
I simply feel it is my duty as a human, first and foremost, to lead a life of purpose. I owe my species that, and in turn, God.

God is not of our species. He is an alien. Do we owe allalien species something?Or do you think there are no other alien species?

6. How did you decide that God demands obedience and especially worship? That is what church says as they collect your donations?
I feel God's very "presence" shows that it is demanded. Again, it's up to us what we do with it.

If God is eternal and unchanging as scriptures indicate,when did he somehow develop this need to be obeyed?
Or did he always have it but could not fill that need till he created us as slaves.
We know we are to be slaves as the first time Adam and Eve showed they were autonomous being and did their will and not God's, he threw a sissy fit and murdered them by denying them what would keep them alive. The tree of life.

6. How did you decide you don't have the right to question God?
I didn't. I feel that questioning God's existence is what allows us to believe in Him. If we don't question what is preached, we cannot really have a full grasp on what it means to believe.

I do not understand this at all.

I question whether or not the flying spaghetti monster isreal or not. Questioning it’s existence did not make it real.
Why or how does your questioning make your God real?

Regards
DL

 

[Kakapo Dundee]

I can answer this with just two questions.

1. How did such a biased list of questions survive for two years without anyone questioning its source, or validity?

2. Why are there two "question 6."s?:24:

 

[Minor Axis]

Can you honestly answer these questions:

1. How did you become aware of your God?
When I realized there were far too many questions about this life that my parents and those around me couldn't answer.

IMO unanswered questions may point to something not understood, but I would agree with GIA, that is not the basis to determine God's existence. It would be better to say you feel God's presence.

2. How did you become aware of your God's expectations and rules?
By knowing what actions made me feel good, and which ones made me feel lousy.

If you first get over the hurtle of knowing there is a God, I could see this.

6. How did you decide that God demands obedience and especially worship? That is what church says as they collect your donations?
I feel God's very "presence" shows that it is demanded. Again, it's up to us what we do with it.

If there is a supreme God, who is really supreme, all knowing, loving, superior in every way, I don't think it demands anything of you. My guess as a "loving parent" that it would want you to find your way to a higher plane, that it might provide some help, but would allow you to accomplish that on your own merits. I'm not implying this is your position, but my impression of an ideal God would be that it would expect you to understand your choices, to develop your beliefs and not simply be a good follower, doing what you are told to gain acceptance. This is precisely what many do. They are the "hedge their bets" followers.

I do not understand this at all.

I question whether or not the flying spaghetti monster isreal or not. Questioning it’s existence did not make it real.
Why or how does your questioning make your God real?

Regards
DL

God is not of our species. He is an alien. Do we owe all alien species something? Or do you think there are no other alien species?

Mentioned only for discussion... If you go with the premise that we are God's creations, and in actuality we are spirits who occupy physical bodies for a brief period, we are closer to God than our human forms based on science and evidence would imagine. I could not say what exactly God is though. But based on the premise of "God", it's an assumption to call it an alien species made from a human perspective.

 

[teh_fuzz]

1. How did you become aware of your God?
2. How did you become aware of your God's expectations and rules?
3. How did you decide that God is perfect?
4. How did you decide God is omnipotent?
5. How did you decide you owe God your allegiance?
6. How did you decide that God demands obedience and especially worship?
6. How did you decide you don't have the right to question God?

My answers:
1. I was raised in a very religious home. Going to church was not an option, it was just something we did because I was taught that from the get-go
2. Catechism - as a young child i was put into catechism classes in order to have my first communion, again it wasnt an option in my family, it was just done.
3. I was told that by the elders in my family and church, therefor it was true (Do i believe it now? Hell no!)
4. I was told that by the elders in my family and church, therefor it was true (I have no opinion on this)
5. I was told that by the elders in my family and church, therefor it was true (i know better now )
6. I was told that by the elders in my family and church, therefor it was true (i know better now )

 

[Greatest I am]

Mentioned only for discussion... If you go with the premise that we are God's creations, and in actuality we are spirits who occupy physical bodies for a brief period, we are closer to God than our human forms based on science and evidence would imagine. I could not say what exactly God is though. But based on the premise of "God", it's an assumption to call it an alien species made from a human perspective.

True. But the human perspective is all that I have.

From that, I see that man is an animal that can reproduce and God is not.
That makes him an alien.

The fact that he can only reproduce through humans indicates that humans are in fact more powerful than he is as we have abilities that he does not possess.

Regards
DL

 

[Greatest I am]

teh fuzz

What are your thoughts on being lied to for so long?

Did you ever "believe" or did you always recognize that you were being lied to?

Regards
DL

 

[teh_fuzz]

teh fuzz

What are your thoughts on being lied to for so long?

Did you ever "believe" or did you always recognize that you were being lied to?

Regards
DL

Honestly, I have no real feelings towards that... My family did it because that is the way it had been done for generations and in their eyes they were doing nothing wrong but merely following a righteous path and "raising a child the way they thought it to be best"

I never really thought of myself as being lied to, i see it as i just didn't know any better.

 

[Greatest I am]

Honestly, I have no real feelings towards that... My family did it because that is the way it had been done for generations and in their eyes they were doing nothing wrong but merely following a righteous path and "raising a child the way they thought it to be best"

I never really thought of myself as being lied to, i see it as i just didn't know any better.

Thanks.

Regards
DL

 

[Minor Axis]

1. How did you become aware of your God?
2. How did you become aware of your God's expectations and rules?
3. How did you decide that God is perfect?
4. How did you decide God is omnipotent?
5. How did you decide you owe God your allegiance?
6. How did you decide that God demands obedience and especially worship?
6. How did you decide you don't have the right to question God?

My answers:
1. I was raised in a very religious home. Going to church was not an option, it was just something we did because I was taught that from the get-go
2. Catechism - as a young child i was put into catechism classes in order to have my first communion, again it wasnt an option in my family, it was just done.
3. I was told that by the elders in my family and church, therefor it was true (Do i believe it now? Hell no!)
4. I was told that by the elders in my family and church, therefor it was true (I have no opinion on this)
5. I was told that by the elders in my family and church, therefor it was true (i know better now

)
6. I was told that by the elders in my family and church, therefor it was true (i know better now

)

I believe this a typical experience growing up in a religious home. After all the indoc, you must question, to step away from it or decide an alternative to the status quo.

True. But the human perspective is all that I have.

From that, I see that man is an animal that can reproduce and God is not.
That makes him an alien.

The fact that he can only reproduce through humans indicates that humans are in fact more powerful than he is as we have abilities that he does not possess.

Regards
DL

As an Agnostic, this is a philosophical speculative discussion for me. You've stated many times your belief in the "cosmic consciousness" which as I understand it means you are willing to go with your feelings and do not require traditional scientific proof. So how far is that? Do you believe in or are willing to consider the premise of a spiritual life after physical death? If you would, then you'd be a lot closer to God, than a human locked into what they can prove with science.

Regarding reproduction, that is a real stretch and you have no real facts regarding God. If God in fact, exists and is omnipotent, it can do whatever it wants.

 

[Greatest I am]

As an Agnostic, this is a philosophical speculative discussion for me. You've stated many times your belief in the "cosmic consciousness" which as I understand it means you are willing to go with your feelings and do not require traditional scientific proof.

No. Going with feeling or faith is for fools.

I am going by real life experience even as I cannot prove it to others.
My apotheosis was through or using telepathy.
I have done that twice in my life. The first time with my wife and the second with a cosmic consciousness.
If I did not have confirmation to the veracity of telepathy fro9m my wife, I would not have accepted the reality of my second experience with the cosmic consciousness.
That confirmation is part of the scientific method.


S

o how far is that? Do you believe in or are willing to consider the premise of a spiritual life after physical death? If you would, then you'd be a lot closer to God, than a human locked into what they can prove with science.

Regarding reproduction, that is a real stretch and you have no real facts regarding God. If God in fact, exists and is omnipotent, it can do whatever it wants.

You are right. Everything said about an absentee unproven God is pure speculation and likely to be nonsense.

As to what I found in the Godhead, I do not know if I could term it as spiritual life. It is life for sure but I do not know how much is given over to spiritual thought. Perhaps nothing as most spiritual thinking is wondering what is after death. That is not an issue with the cosmic consciousness. It already knows that. I did glean though from it that it does hope for a God as well but it has not defined it or anthrpomorphised it or have a faith in it. Just a hope.

 

[MjaneGibson]

I will definitely touch on what you said, but just so you realize...I was under the impression these were questions personal to the one responding....I didn't realize my opinions and feelings were going to be questioned.

1. When I was young, I was the kid that always asked why. Why is the sky blue? What color is nothing? What's beyond the stars? Upon not always having the answers to these things, I came to the assumption that there was something out there that created this, maintained it, or helped spark it...clearly I did not leap up and scream, "God exists!" but I think that very feeling of thinking something bigger than myself was out there was proof enough that I believed in, "God."

2. Sin is temporarily satisfying, no doubting that. However, it's the aftermath of your actions that really bring true what is, "right" and what is "wrong." Stealing a car, in the moment, may feel exhilerating and satisfying, but once that wears off, for me at least, I would feel lousy thinking of the people I hurt with my actions.

3. I cannot, "name a few of his bad things." I believe in the collective...I believe that we all exist for a reason, and are allowed to live our lives as we see fit. I feel as though that collective, as a whole, makes choices both good and bad. The only way, again...in my opinion, that anyone can fully grasp that much knowledge, has to know both sides of the coin.

4 & 5. Who says God is an alien...? For someone who is giving off the impression that he doesn't believe in a God, then how can you make a statement like that? In my opinion, we are all energy...that energy starts and ends somewhere, same goes for, "God."

6. I don't really know what to say about you not understanding what was written...as for what you wrote, the question was not asking me how questioning God makes him real. I think because you clearly don't believe, maybe it's hard for you to look at any of the questions that were asked and say, "How does that make God real?"

 

[MjaneGibson]

IMO unanswered questions may point to something not understood, but I would agree with GIA, that is not the basis to determine God's existence. It would be better to say you feel God's presence.

While this may be better to say...that is not what made ME believe that God existed. I simply answered the questions based on how I interpreted them...nothing more, nothing less.

If there is a supreme God, who is really supreme, all knowing, loving, superior in every way, I don't think it demands anything of you. My guess as a "loving parent" that it would want you to find your way to a higher plane, that it might provide some help, but would allow you to accomplish that on your own merits. I'm not implying this is your position, but my impression of an ideal God would be that it would expect you to understand your choices, to develop your beliefs and not simply be a good follower, doing what you are told to gain acceptance. This is precisely what many do. They are the "hedge their bets" followers.

I think that what you said is sort of what I was saying just in different words. It kind of goes to what you wrote about a loving parent. Are parents not at times demanding? Does being a good parent not mean that occasionally, when your child strays off path, you do not demand obedience? Of course not...that's how people learn. Without boundaries and without any sort of "rules," we'd all be damned I think.[/QUOTE]

Mentioned only for discussion... If you go with the premise that we are God's creations, and in actuality we are spirits who occupy physical bodies for a brief period, we are closer to God than our human forms based on science and evidence would imagine. I could not say what exactly God is though. But based on the premise of "God", it's an assumption to call it an alien species made from a human perspective.

Not really sure where you were going with this...I am simply trying to get across that far too many people take this life for granted. Whether or not we have a million, or will only be in this body for a limited time, we owe it to each other, ourselves, and in turn, whatever higher being is out there, to treat it with respect and cherish it.

 

[Minor Axis]

You are right. Everything said about an absentee unproven God is pure speculation and likely to be nonsense.

As to what I found in the Godhead, I do not know if I could term it as spiritual life. It is life for sure but I do not know how much is given over to spiritual thought. Perhaps nothing as most spiritual thinking is wondering what is after death. That is not an issue with the cosmic consciousness. It already knows that. I did glean though from it that it does hope for a God as well but it has not defined it or anthrpomorphised it or have a faith in it. Just a hope.

Are you speaking of this cosmic consciousness as the human party line, or something more than a conduit? In other words does contribution to the CC as you call it, continue after physical death or is that an unknown? It seems like your definition if evidence became available, could include 1) something we all share on a conscious or subconscious level, 2) individual awareness & thought processes continues after physical death, and 3) possibly some kind of higher intelligent power involved. But as of today #2 and 3 are undetermined?

I agree we all hope, and the nature of God (if there is one) is not defined although I can ascribe what I call a good vibe that comes from someplace and something unknown. God or brain chemicals? If there is a God with the characteristics we believe God has, then it's not a leap at all to think there could be a spiritual existence. Granted this could be the direct result of good brain chemicals and living a life that is relatively secure. But let me live poor, threatened, and starving for the first 20 years of my life and then ask me what I think about God.

What you "found" in the Godhead, actuality you sensed like MJG senses there is a God in her way. It's just a feeling. Those who feel religious are willing to call it God. My observation is that some people feel these things, in combination with what has been drummed into them as a likely explanation, and they put the two together and adopt the official story. Others feel the same feelings, but what they (me ) read in an old musty book does not add up so they look for alternatives and they recognize there is no true, honest, neutral, knowledgeable, without intent to control, word written by man. Man has corrupted the process from the start.

Not really sure where you were going with this...I am simply trying to get across that far too many people take this life for granted. Whether or not we have a million, or will only be in this body for a limited time, we owe it to each other, ourselves, and in turn, whatever higher being is out there, to treat it with respect and cherish it.

I was just responding to GIA's God is an alien statement... I was not being critical or looking down on your answers, just discussing them.

 

[Greatest I am]

I will definitely touch on what you said, but just so you realize...I was under the impression these were questions personal to the one responding....I didn't realize my opinions and feelings were going to be questioned.

1. When I was young, I was the kid that always asked why. Why is the sky blue? What color is nothing? What's beyond the stars? Upon not always having the answers to these things, I came to the assumption that there was something out there that created this, maintained it, or helped spark it...clearly I did not leap up and scream, "God exists!" but I think that very feeling of thinking something bigger than myself was out there was proof enough that I believed in, "God."

2. Sin is temporarily satisfying, no doubting that. However, it's the aftermath of your actions that really bring true what is, "right" and what is "wrong." Stealing a car, in the moment, may feel exhilerating and satisfying, but once that wears off, for me at least, I would feel lousy thinking of the people I hurt with my actions.

3. I cannot, "name a few of his bad things." I believe in the collective...I believe that we all exist for a reason, and are allowed to live our lives as we see fit. I feel as though that collective, as a whole, makes choices both good and bad. The only way, again...in my opinion, that anyone can fully grasp that much knowledge, has to know both sides of the coin.

4 & 5. Who says God is an alien...? For someone who is giving off the impression that he doesn't believe in a God, then how can you make a statement like that? In my opinion, we are all energy...that energy starts and ends somewhere, same goes for, "God."

6. I don't really know what to say about you not understanding what was written...as for what you wrote, the question was not asking me how questioning God makes him real. I think because you clearly don't believe, maybe it's hard for you to look at any of the questions that were asked and say, "How does that make God real?"

As to alien. God is not of our species or of this world so the tern alien applies.

Just so you know, I am not an atheist. I just do not believe in a supernatural being which is what you gave the impression that you believe in.

Do you follow a specific God and if so, who?

If you do not want to be questioned then please simply ignore the post. My intent was not to put you on the defensive but to just get clarification on your answer.

Regards
DL

 

[Minor Axis]

As to alien. God is not of our species or of this world so the tern alien applies.

It's one thing to say there is no God, but if you acknowledge God, don't call it an alien. Honestly based on this insistence, you don't seem to be able connect the premise of God and spirits and how they would link to human beings...if...they...existed. No God, no heaven, no spirits, ok then. But once God is acknowledged as a premise, then the entire ball of wax enlarges and human descriptions of love, treatment, and life in terms of the human perspective within the Earth Simulator are no longer adequate. Of course maybe you made this statement arguing from the human perspective just to make a point about it's limitations?

BTW, I would try to link the concept of God to the concept of the CC... maybe the CC is God's mind of which we only have partial access.

 

[Greatest I am]

Are you speaking of this cosmic consciousness as the human party line, or something more than a conduit? In other words does contribution to the CC as you call it, continue after physical death or is that an unknown?

Our consciousness lives on after death within the cosmic consciousness. Like a program you upload from your P C to a mainframe and then erase from your P C's files. The program you put in the mainframe keeps on running but only in there.

It seems like your definition if evidence became available, could include 1) something we all share on a conscious or subconscious level, 2) individual awareness & thought processes continues after physical death, and 3) possibly some kind of higher intelligent power involved. But as of today #2 and 3 are undetermined?

The cosmic consciousness is definitely more intelligent than we are. Not because it began that way but only because of time and the accumulation of knowledge and wisdom that it gained from our dead ancestors.

Regards
DL

 

[Greatest I am]

It's one thing to say there is no God, but if you acknowledge God, don't call it an alien. Honestly based on this insistence, you don't seem to be able connect the premise of God and spirits and how they would link to human beings...if...they...existed. No God, no heaven, no spirits, ok then. But once God is acknowledged as a premise, then the entire ball of wax enlarges and human descriptions of love, treatment, and life in terms of the human perspective within the Earth Simulator are no longer adequate.

Bible God is who I call alien. I do not acknowledge his existence at all and think he is a creation of man.

Even the cosmic consciouness I would call alien as it may be born from mankind but is not a man any longer.
I see the C C as our next evolutionary step. A tadpole becomes a frog but a frog cannot rightly be called a tadpole nor can the C C be called a man.

Regards
DL

 

[Minor Axis]

Bible God is who I call alien. I do not acknowledge his existence at all and think he is a creation of man.

I can buy that although, imo it would be better to say, odds are the Bible God as describe is in error and the nature of a deity who controls our destiny is unknown. If and when the existence of God can be determined and is connected to our spirits, God is no longer alien to us, but directly related.

Even the cosmic consciousness I would call alien as it may be born from mankind but is not a man any longer.
I see the C C as our next evolutionary step. A tadpole becomes a frog but a frog cannot rightly be called a tadpole nor can the C C be called a man.

Regards
DL

But if we are involved with the CC as an evolutionary step, it serves no meaningful purpose, nor enhances the discussion by describing it as "alien" unless you have thought of a good one.

 

[MjaneGibson]

As to alien. God is not of our species or of this world so the tern alien applies.

Just so you know, I am not an atheist. I just do not believe in a supernatural being which is what you gave the impression that you believe in.

Do you follow a specific God and if so, who?

If you do not want to be questioned then please simply ignore the post. My intent was not to put you on the defensive but to just get clarification on your answer.

Regards
DL

I suppose I understand what you mean by the alien thing. I never really thought of him as not being part of this world though.

I don't believe in the supernatural persay...but I do believe in spirits and souls. I suppose, in a sense, you could consider that as such.

I don't believe in a specific God. I have tried in past to find one out there that fully embraces my thoughts on it, but have yet to find one specific God.

And no worries, I am not defensive...I just found some of your questions to my responses to be a bit critical considering they were very personal the the person answering them.

I would like to ask since you said you aren't an atheist, do you follow a specific God or are you too simply seeking answers like myself?