Defining God

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   Sooner28posted 11 years ago

   I am currently reading an old logic textbook by Stanley Jevons.  It's quite good.  In any event, the passage I want to emphasize is one concerning definitions.
   
   "A definition must not be expressed in obscure,figurative
   or ambiguous language. In other words, the terms
   employed in the definition must be all exactly known,
   otherwise the purpose of the definition, to make us acquainted
   with the sufficient marks of the species, is
   obviously defeated. There is no worse logical fault than
   to define ignotum per ignotius (italics, since the formatting wouldn't carry over), the unknown by the still more unknown. Aristotle's definition of the soul as 'The Entelechy, or first form of an organized body which has
   potential life,' certainly seems subject to this objection."
   
   God is omnipotent, omnibenevolent, omniscient, personal, and morally perfect.  If that doesn't fit ignotum per ignotious, I don't know what does!

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      nonto21posted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Man's version of God could never be perfect, because man thought of it.

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      jah1zposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Then if the attempt to define God should be taboo, unspoken because of the brain's unyielding capacity to broach the subject matter of defining God, then I know of no greater foolishness than Man's own egotistical superiority to teach us mere mortal, peasants to void the definition of God and keep it as "nothing."
      
      Smh........

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         nonto21posted 11 years agoin reply to this

         the notion of God started with man or, are you too indoctrinated to see it.

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            pennyofheavenposted 11 years agoin reply to this

            Well how else would it start?

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         Sooner28posted 11 years agoin reply to this

         This helps with NOTHING regarding clarification of the term.  If you cannot define something, it's hard to meaningfully talk about it.  There's no extension of God whatsoever we can point to in aiding our understanding.  It's purely intensional.  And when the intensional is obscure, the definition of whatever we are trying to define will thus be obscure as well.
         
         I also don't know how I can possibly know or not know the existence of something I can't even define.

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            jah1zposted 11 years agoin reply to this

            The sight of thundering gives me insight of God. The force of nature does as well. Volcano eruptions is another. Don't say His creation is lacking of anything for the brain to acknowledge/define: God.

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            jah1zposted 11 years agoin reply to this

            ......after a show of thundering, comes a boisterous and deafening sound.
            
            
            God!

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               Sooner28posted 11 years agoin reply to this

               God is nature.  Okay.  Fair enough.  That doesn't make you a Theist though.

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      Cagsilposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      What God?
      
      The God of religion is nothing more than a mere hoax created by dishonest people in the hopes to prevent humanity from living in chaos.
      
      God the word itself is an invention by man to better control people by making the inference that they must be made to answer to a higher authority/power other than self.
      
      The highest authority for any individual human is self. If you live honestly, then you have no need or requirement for Laws made by anyone else.

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      pennyofheavenposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Seems to fit.

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   knolyourselfposted 11 years ago

   God as a universal definition would in theory be all things to all people.

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      Sooner28posted 11 years agoin reply to this

      If God can be defined as anything to anyone, then there ultimately is no definition beyond subjective preferences.  It's vague enough to be meaningless.

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   knolyourselfposted 11 years ago

   If I am God and I am all people I got a shot.

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      pennyofheavenposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Or part thereof for sure you have.

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   knolyourselfposted 11 years ago

   If it were more a matter of sentience than notion, they any sentient creature could feel it.

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      nonto21posted 11 years agoin reply to this

      If God put the notion in your head, then what is free will?
      
      If we were created to etify God, then why think autonomously?
      
      If God thinks us so unworthy, why spare Noah?

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   knolyourselfposted 11 years ago

   If I define God then the definition defines me to which I may have to conform (God being what God is) and thus I have negated my free will. Whereas as if God has no

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   knolyourselfposted 11 years ago

   Part and Parcel.

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      pennyofheavenposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Huh?

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   nonto21posted 11 years ago

   Divine inspiration?
   
   If it was inspired by God, there was no free will in which to inject opinion.
   
   The bible is far too contradictory in too many ways.
   
   It doesn't fly with me.

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      pennyofheavenposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      You would first need man to receive this divine inspiration wouldn't you?

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         nonto21posted 11 years agoin reply to this

         But what omniscient, omnipresent, omnipotent being would care?

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            pennyofheavenposted 11 years agoin reply to this

            Since all those descriptions are inventive words to describe what is not known I don't know.

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               nonto21posted 11 years agoin reply to this

               See the conudrum?
               
               If logic and reasoning can't be applied, then it's rubbish.
               
               It definitely worked in the day, now is a different story.
               
               Now we know better, for the most part.
               
               Religions are fading the world over, people see life for what it is now. A journey from birth to death.

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                  pennyofheavenposted 11 years agoin reply to this

                  Logic and reasoning cannot be applied to the sentience of our being-ness either does that make our sentience rubbish or just simply unknown.

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                     nonto21posted 11 years agoin reply to this

                     I never said sentience was rubbish. I did say however, biblical logic is rubbish.

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                        pennyofheavenposted 11 years agoin reply to this

                        Oh ok

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   knolyourselfposted 11 years ago

   "part and parcel
   if something is part and parcel of an experience, it is a necessary part of that experience which cannot be avoided. Being recognized in the street is all part and parcel of being famous."

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      nonto21posted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Still doesn't define God.

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      pennyofheavenposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Oh yep for sure.

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   knolyourselfposted 11 years ago

   Figures I have seen show about 95% of the world's population believe is some sort of God.

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      nonto21posted 11 years agoin reply to this

      And that belief is falling away.
      
      As medical and astronomical sciences progress, biblical logic falls away.

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    knolyourselfposted 11 years ago

    But apparently not the flood.

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       nonto21posted 11 years agoin reply to this

       The flood story...
       
       Too silly for me.

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    peoplepower73posted 11 years ago

    God is gravity. After the big bang, there would have been pure chaos of the universe as it was forming.  However, because of gravity, the universe was sculpted and formed in an orderly manner. Stars, planets, rotation, novas, super novas, and black holes were  all formed and continue to be formed because of gravity. Our planet would be entirely different if it was not for the force of gravity.
    
    The ancients knew nothing about science, so they turned to what they knew which were super-natural forces, like gods.  They say if you want religion just live in a fox hole while you are being bombed. During times of crisis, many of us turn to God, in hopes of things turning out O.K. In this way we hedge our bets.

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       Paul Wingertposted 11 years agoin reply to this

       I do not believe in a god and was always taught the god is a concept. I wouldn't go as far as referring god to gravity. Along with gravity, there were the laws of physics to create something from nothing. A Catholic Priest explained that comparing science to creation is like comparing apples to oranges. The Stories found in the Bible (which the Catholic Church don't believe in anymore. They now stongly believe in evolution and the Big Bang) and other creation stories have been around since humans were able to communicate and started to take interest in their surroundings. Modern Science have only been around for the last 500 years. These ancient stories and myths were the best explanation to explain the world around them since they had no access to powerful telescopes and microscopes.

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          peoplepower73posted 11 years agoin reply to this

          But isn't that would god would do, is create something from nothing?  Graviity is the most unifying force in the universe. If there was or is a god, isn't that the first thing he would do?  The big bang created an enormous amount of light. Isn't that what it says in the bible? "And he said let there be light and it was good."  My post is partly tongue and cheek...don't take it too seriously! I agree with you about modern science.

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       atheistchickposted 11 years agoin reply to this

       @peoplepower73   When you rely on GOD to save you from bombs being dropped on you.....remember      it was all in his plan to have you murdered.   Just like it was in his plan to have my own life ruined by a brain injury. Yeah, that's one helluva loving GOD if you ask me

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          peoplepower73posted 11 years agoin reply to this

          atheistchick: I'm sorry to hear about your misfortune. Here is a little bit of humor:
          
          A woman was in the hospital for a heart attack.  She thought she was going to die, so she asked god not to let her die.  God replied:  "You are not going to die.  You have 20 years, nine months, and 13 hours to live."  Hearing that, and still being in the hospital, she had all kinds of work done on her body: Nose bob, lip work, eye lift, tummy tuck, breast augmentation, and many other enhancements.  She left the hospital and was crossing the street, when a truck ran over her and killed her.  She met god at the pearly gates and she asked: "Why did you do this to me?"  God replied: " I didn't recognize you."

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             Sooner28posted 11 years agoin reply to this

             Hahahahahahaha.  Great joke Peoplepower!
             
             I think we disagree on this topic, but I always enjoy your responses.

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             pennyofheavenposted 11 years agoin reply to this

             Haha this is too funny!

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             Thomas Swanposted 11 years agoin reply to this

             oh my, chuckled at that one! lol

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                mrcheeseposted 11 years agoin reply to this

                Eve was beside herself, she couldn't figure out how to please adam. She tried everything under the sun to please her man. One day, she asks God "what am I missing, what can I do to make him happy". Suddenly a voice booms from the sky " Do I have to show this again? Go grab me a carrot".

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                   peoplepower73posted 11 years agoin reply to this

                   I had to read that twice, but once I got it.  It's a good one.  OMG LMAO.

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                      pennyofheavenposted 11 years agoin reply to this

                      Gees I have read it five times and still don't get it.. very slow today...

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                         mrcheeseposted 11 years agoin reply to this

                         It's a B.J. joke. Sorry for the crassed nature of the joke.

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                            pennyofheavenposted 11 years agoin reply to this

                            Ohhhhh duh haha.

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                               mrcheeseposted 11 years agoin reply to this

                               I almost missed it when I wrote it.

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                               peoplepower73posted 11 years agoin reply to this

                               You should have used a cucumber, it would have been more visually descriptive...and then again maybe not.  I'm just saying!

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                                  mrcheeseposted 11 years agoin reply to this

                                  

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                                  mrcheeseposted 11 years agoin reply to this

                                  Sicko!

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                                  pennyofheavenposted 11 years agoin reply to this

                                  Hahaha yep.

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                      mrcheeseposted 11 years agoin reply to this

                      Just thought of it. Thank you. Thought it was funny too.

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          pennyofheavenposted 11 years agoin reply to this

          What plan?

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    Au faitposted 11 years ago

    Peoplepower73:  That is funny!  I like it.

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       atheistchickposted 11 years agoin reply to this

       funny.............but not sure how that applies to me

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          peoplepower73posted 11 years agoin reply to this

          I was just trying to make you laugh and bring some lightness into your life.  As they "God works in strange ways."

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