What is required in your opinion to refer to a powerful intelligent entity as a "god"?

smiley said:
we have a range of descriptors for 'things' or 'beings' outside of our own normal realm and use the words Gods: Spirits: Ghosts etc etc - is there possible a hierarchy perhaps from God to Ghosts not forgetting of course the Devil ; Demons etc etc - but we do seem able to draw a distinction in our own minds and others between the positive and negative sides of spiritual domains? And then just to muddy the waters more in Genesis Ch1 v 26 we read let us make man in our image in our likeness?

nb: and who are the "us" referred to?
Click to expand...
Just a thought... Have you never heard of the Royal Plural?
At the time that the Latin text was translated into English ...
 
MACKTEXAS said:
Christian theologians interpret the "us" in Genesis 1:26 is a reference to to the "Trinity," a doctrine which holds that God is one in three persons: God the Father; God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. So, in this verse, God the Father is speaking to the Son and the Holy Spirit.
Click to expand...
.. or could the 'us' be referring to God, and the archangel(s), and maybe the angels.
 

Last edited:
Warrigal said:
Hard science and religious philosophy are completely disjoint fields of study.
Neither confirms, nor disproves, the other.
Click to expand...
:) Right., in fact, Science holds itself above even mentioning Religion, and Religion simply makes the assumption that God exists, and goes on from there.
So, there has been no search for truth in either department.
Both sides dogmatic, admitting no controversy.
 
Warrigal said:
The OT and NT books are full of images of the Divine in everyday terms.

God is like... a mother hen, a potter, fire, a woman weeping, a woman searching for a lost coin, a shepherd, a forgiving father, lawgiver and many more.

All of these images are attempts to explain the inexplicable. For me God is akin to an energy that is everywhere and is in all life in this universe. For me, God is within me and also outside of me. God is strength when I need strength and comfort when I am desolate.

At the end of every Sunday service my congregation departs with the words, "We go in God, and God in us". These are not empty words. They are an affirmation of the imminence and eminence of God.
Click to expand...

I could not agree more strongly. Well said.
 
smiley said:
Ah so we've all turned to guessing now? - well I'm just sorta watchin? - but really just a guessing game or real hard scientific studies - anyone?
Click to expand...

I'm guessing you'd like to give the game some rules. Would you like to limit speculation to what science can support? To me that would be like limiting the fine arts to what science can support. Eventually we would lose every aspect of human life except science.
 
smiley said:
Ah so we've all turned to guessing now? - well I'm just sorta watchin? - but really just a guessing game or real hard scientific studies - anyone?
Click to expand...

Me too just hanging out waiting for another flood of planet earth. Haven't heard mention of someone building a massive boat.

Early human traits Homo erectus (about 1.9 million to 110,000 years ago): Body: Human-like body proportions, an upright stance, and a stockier build than modern humans. They were likely the first hairless hominin. Skull: A prominent brow ridge, a larger face, and a brain size of about \(540\) to \(1,200\) cc.
Google Search

No direct historical evidence: There is no historical or archaeological evidence to support the existence of Adam and Eve as the first human beings. Instead, the figures and events described are understood to be part of a religious narrative rather than a historical record.
Google Search

As for an opinion of the OP.
Back to blind faith that there is a sentient being billions of years old responsible for our daily lives.
 
Knight said:
Me too just hanging out waiting for another flood of planet earth. Haven't heard mention of someone building a massive boat.

Early human traits Homo erectus (about 1.9 million to 110,000 years ago): Body: Human-like body proportions, an upright stance, and a stockier build than modern humans. They were likely the first hairless hominin. Skull: A prominent brow ridge, a larger face, and a brain size of about \(540\) to \(1,200\) cc.
Google Search

No direct historical evidence: There is no historical or archaeological evidence to support the existence of Adam and Eve as the first human beings. Instead, the figures and events described are understood to be part of a religious narrative rather than a historical record.
Google Search

As for an opinion of the OP.
Back to blind faith that there is a sentient being billions of years old responsible for our daily lives.
Click to expand...
Some people trust in the Bible, some trust in Google. It's a fine world is it not?
 
My OP asked:

My basic question for religious believers in this thread, is would you term such an entity with vast though physically limited powers as a "God" like many ancients did, or reserve the term "god" only to entities with unlimited OOO powers and those that do not to something else?

In other words, many religious followers might not call an entity a "god" unless they have magic like OOO powers, being able to do anything imaginable as Christian religions in the Middle Ages began to demand and denominations today proclaim even though such is only vaguely supported by actual scripture where god is called almighty. That is of course self serving for religions that then can claim, their god can do anything a person might conjure up. Ancients obviously didn't believe their gods had powers to that extent.
 
IMO ONLY: We seem of course to be as so often is the case - too narrowly focused? If we are searching for a supreme God or Gods as mere befuddled humans we surely should include all such possible Gods that this planet worships? Gods of Buddhism: Shintoism: Hinduism: and all the other religious- isms there may be. Should we include Satanism? Or is this just big as task for us mere senior-forumists?
 
Knight said:
Certainly is. Imagine what those biblical writers would write if they had the science available to them centuries ago.
Click to expand...
Flip the coin, or if the scientists of today had Godly inspired wisdom instead of setting themselves up as gods.

It's far too easy to be short sighted on either side of the coin, yet many fight to be right and see no other view.

Love wins in the end.
 
Adding to what I wrote on these posts:

What is required in your opinion to refer to a powerful intelligent entity as a "god"?

What is required in your opinion to refer to a powerful intelligent entity as a "god"?

Matthew 26:53 is a verse where Jesus tells Peter, "Do you think that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he will at once supply me with more than twelve legions of angels?"

This verse highlights Jesus' divine power and authority, stating He could call on 12 legions of angels (\(72,000\) beings)

The following New Testament synoptic gospel scripture directly from the mouth of Jesus, further lends evidence to the vague Genesis scripture, that what Christians called "God", was part of an ancient race of entities called angels. If God was actually OOO capable that I consider nonsense, he would not need angels or anything else to actually do anything.
 
I believe the ONLY true GOD is MARS, the God of War. Mankind is obsessed with war ever since the first cave men carried clubs. I play a computer game called Civilization VI whereby one starts with one cave man possessing one club. It evolves to millions of men with thousands of nukes, tanks and aircraft bombers. I play it every day. (Do NOT buy Civilization VII since it has too many bugs.
 
Belief in "god" provides comfort to many in this world torn apart by belief in god. :cool:

Actually, the original quote by Jon Stewart was "Religion has given the world a tremendous amount of comfort... in a world torn apart by religion."

Granted, this thread is about belief in god -- not religion, specifically, but belief in god is the foundation of every religion (unless you consider Buddhism to be a religion instead of a philosophy).
 

You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top