What is your take on God?

a reply to: Ghost147

So in your opinion, can life exist without some reason?

without purpose life would exterminate itself... even our existence seems to lean towards destruction

Yet we believe there is a point in living

Even past this life

originally posted by: hutch622
a reply to: gggilll

Genesis 1:26-27
Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth." God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.

Where does this passage talks about Jesus? I'm confused.

Also this is the old testament, the creation myth of the Jews. You have to read it in that context. As a creation myth it clearly says that man was created in the likeness of the divine universe, yet at a smaller scale.

It doesn't mean that god/the universe looks like a giant human. It means that humans are made of animated and somehow conscious matter. Also it is dual male/female. It gives a very good idea of what god is:

Matter self-organising into a more complex being giving birth to self-consciousness, attaining motion through the attraction/repulsion movement of polar opposites.

The mechanism in play to create men is the same as the mechanism in play to create the universe in general.

Man was made in god's image. I know it's not always easy to understand symbolic talk but if you give it a try it's not so complicated.

I have a good graph of this if you are more of a visual person but I have to find it first. I'll post it when I find it.

originally posted by: hutch622
a reply to: gggilll

Sorry i got man mixed up with jesus . So if i am the image of god , would he not vaguelly look like me then . So how can he be everywhere , i am not . UNLESS , i am god .

Since you edited you post, I'll answer this too.

What you say is half correct. Remember you have to look at this symbolically, not from a materialistic perspective. Spirituality is not about materialism.

You are made in god's image so YOU look vaguely like him, not the other way around (following the basic rules of logic; you are a subset of god so yes a part of you looks like god, the opposite is incorrect). So no you can't be everywhere despite god being everywhere. BUT you have a CONNECTION to everything THROUGH god. Like you can access the internet through a computer, but the computer ISN'T the internet.

What it means in detail was explained in my post above.

originally posted by: Akragon
a reply to: Ghost147

So in your opinion, can life exist without some reason?

Yes. Exclusively so.

There is no reason for life other than the reasons we individually place upon ourselves. If you have a child and you decide "my reason for living now is to care for this child" then you instill it upon yourself. I do not believe there is any pre-written reason for life; if that's what you were trying to get at.

originally posted by: Akragon
a reply to: Ghost147
without purpose life would exterminate itself... even our existence seems to lean towards destruction

Actually, our existence leans towards passing on genetics. There are varying levels of this need to pass on genetics, as biology is ever varying, but the basic concept of life is to pass on genetics. Life certainly doesn't lean towards self destruction, it's just that a lot of traits that are ingrained in the instincts of life, such as wanting food, pleasure, more and more, just seem to be destructive because humans cannot seem to shake these instincts in a modern world, thus we over-abuse everything at a species-wide level.

originally posted by: Akragon
a reply to: Ghost147
Yet we believe there is a point in living

No, there is no point to it. As I stated before, purpose, reason, and points in regards to why we, as an individual, are alive is subjective to that individual alone.

originally posted by: Akragon
a reply to: Ghost147
Even past this life

Without any concrete evidence of what really occurs after death, this claim is impossible to say with any sort of accuracy.

a reply to: gggilll

1 Corinthians 11:7
Verse Concepts
For a man ought not to have his head covered, since he is the image and glory of God; but the woman is the glory of man.

Genesis 9:6
Verse Concepts
"Whoever sheds man's blood, By man his blood shall be shed, For in the image of God He made man.

1 Corinthians 11:7
Verse Concepts
For a man ought not to have his head covered, since he is the image and glory of God; but the woman is the glory of man.

Blah blah , so are you saying the bible is misleading . Yes or no will be fine .

a reply to: gggilll

The kind of God you seem to be talking about is like the Tao. In my opinion anyway.

originally posted by: hutch622
Blah blah , so are you saying the bible is misleading . Yes or no will be fine .

I'll give you my answer.

YES, YES and HELL YES!!!

originally posted by: hutch622
a reply to: gggilll

1 Corinthians 11:7
Verse Concepts
For a man ought not to have his head covered, since he is the image and glory of God; but the woman is the glory of man.

Genesis 9:6
Verse Concepts
"Whoever sheds man's blood, By man his blood shall be shed, For in the image of God He made man.

1 Corinthians 11:7
Verse Concepts
For a man ought not to have his head covered, since he is the image and glory of God; but the woman is the glory of man.

Blah blah , so are you saying the bible is misleading . Yes or no will be fine .

Nothing you quoted contradicts what I posted.

It's only you getting stuck at interpreting symbolic things literally. The bible is a misleading as you make it to be.

If you refuse to take the time to understand these things symbolically you can only blame yourself.

Yes I wish the Bible was more clear but remember it was written long ago in different languages and talks about spiritual stuff. Of course this kind of text is hard to parse. Even modern philosophy and theology today is subject to misunderstanding.


As most people, you prefer to blame the bible or the religion while neither are responsible for what YOU do. Unless you shift your perspective and start taking responsibility for your thoughts and actions you can't expect to GET the bible and other spiritual texts.

a reply to: Ghost147

Yes. Exclusively so.

There is no reason for life other than the reasons we individually place upon ourselves. If you have a child and you decide "my reason for living now is to care for this child" then you instill it upon yourself. I do not believe there is any pre-written reason for life; if that's what you were trying to get at.

yeah that explains a bit..

No, there is no point to it. As I stated before, purpose, reason, and points in regards to why we, as an individual, are alive is subjective to that individual alone.

so... life has no point...

No reason or purpose... learning means nothing in the end because we will all end the same way...

nothingness...

Actually, our existence leans towards passing on genetics. There are varying levels of this need to pass on genetics, as biology is ever varying, but the basic concept of life is to pass on genetics. Life certainly doesn't lean towards self destruction, it's just that a lot of traits that are ingrained in the instincts of life, such as wanting food, pleasure, more and more, just seem to be destructive because humans cannot seem to shake these instincts in a modern world, thus we over-abuse everything at a species-wide level.

sounds like theres a purpose... and reason for it

no?

Without any concrete evidence of what really occurs after death, this claim is impossible to say with any sort of accuracy.

Well, until someone pops out of their grave and slams down testimony... that isn't gonna happen...

of course there is reincarnation... but nothing can prove what one person has experienced

Just as no man can prove God to another

originally posted by: mOjOm
a reply to: gggilll

The kind of God you seem to be talking about is like the Tao. In my opinion anyway.

That's exactly the graph I was looking for. Yes in my understanding all traditions have a common inner teaching which is pantheistic so it's not surprising if you find similarities like that. You'll find the same concept in western mysticism too.

originally posted by: scorpio84
For theists: Do you believe God is something which is separate or part of creation? If you would answer "both" could you explain that?

For atheists: When you reject God/ say that you do not believe in God, could you specify exactly which notions of God you do not believe in? Would there be a notion of God you could believe in - and what is that notion?

This isn't a debate thread, but more a simple collection of opinions. All viewpoints are welcomed - and for any Muslim visitors, "God" does not exclude "Allah" nor does it exclude "Shiva," Hindus. It's just English.

God is illusion. God is all we fear here, in this repetitive place we think is real. How many Gods have ruled history while demanding its populace to bow down and worship him alone? Too many i say.. Far too many.

This World is Hell, and there is no God here who Rules Mankind save, The god of Evil.

Outside of Hell 'here' There is no God, only Freedom and Peace and Self Rule.

for the sake of being pulled into a huge argument...

My take on God is EXACTLY what it says in the New Testament ~! Period. Read it and find out. Starting with the Sermon on the Mount ...if you don't know where that is...just start reading Matthew and go through the 4 Gospels .. like 10 times... if you still don't get it.. keep reading and pray for understanding...

if you got the guts to read it at all ..and the guts to pray ...

a reply to: gggilll

Nothing you quoted contradicts what I posted.

It's only you getting stuck at interpreting symbolic things literally. The bible is a misleading as you make it to be.

Same sort of logic that has Isis lopping off heads . Stick to what is written , interpretation is not needed .

originally posted by: awareness10
This World is Hell

I'm sorry your life sucks and I hope you'll find hope, joy and love someday. Sincerely

originally posted by: hutch622
interpretation is not needed .

That has to be one of the most short sighted thing ever posted on this thread.

Interpretation is INEVITABLE.

You interpreting literally is still interpretation.

I wish you were more open to ideas you are not familiar with but it seems you simply DO NOT WANT to explore these concepts. Even hypothetically. It's like you are afraid that your current beliefs could be less solid than you think they are.


And actually ISIS chopping heads off is exactly because they read the sacred texts literally instead of symbolically. So basically you read these texts like ISIS or Christian extremists: literalism.

a reply to: gggilll

Yes at their core they all seem to pointing toward a universal common truth. They all just tend to get lost in detailing that truth. Even Taoism lost it's way over time and their first principle was about how the true Tao couldn't be explained. Yet the Religion of Taoism then spent all it's time trying to explain it in more detail. Go figure?!?!?

a reply to: gggilll

My life started sucking when i read your assinine post. I hope you can live knowing you're a donkey's 'bleep'. Too Bad So Sad..

a reply to: scorpio84

I don't believe in God / supernatural being / metaphysical energy because there is no evidence for it/he/she. In fact, the 'power' of God has been diminishing with time: the more knowledge we acquire about natural occurrences, the less God seems to be part of it or responsible for it.... for example floods, we know why floods happen and we now know it's not God causing it.

So basically I don't believe God exists because there is absolutely no evidence to prove his existence.

a reply to: gggilll

Interpretation is INEVITABLE.

No its not , i was made in gods image , end of story .

originally posted by: awareness10

This World is Hell,

The world is screwed up for sure. Mostly because of humans too. But Hell??? Hell would have to much worse if there was such a place. I mean if this was hell I doubt there would be cute puppies, orgasms or yummy yummy bacon. Those three things would have to be gone at the very least.