The Athiest and the Christian (my story)

[Chlorine]

Donut---But with polytheism it'll be even more confusing. Who is the greatest?

Frasbee----I prefered your original statement.

OpticalIllusion----Are you okay? Recovering?

[bohemiandonut]

Who is the greatest? Well, I think we all know the answer to that question.

As far as polytheism, you do not necessarily have to see it as some sort of heirarchy; if you do that you're back at square one, seeing the divine as having some sort of political structure.

The kind of monotheism I think most of us resent occurs in the Western religions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. These all see God as some sort of divine ruler and judge, a seperate entity that "knows" all.

I see God in everything, whether that makes me polytheistic I'm not sure. Because since nothing is outside of God, everything must be God. Even us, though this life does a pretty good job of making us forget that.

In fact, I see this life as a big game of hide-and-seek, where we are God, hiding from ourselves (for fun.) Eastern philosophy deals a lot with this whole duality/monotheism/polytheism problem. A simple summary is that since EVERYTHING is God, God is neither many nor one, because if God were "one" that would imply that God is not "nothing," which must exist if one is to exist at all. But God is in fact this "nothing" as well.

So, God is not one, nor two, nor everything. God is. So where are we now, hmm?

Peace.

[yoshikuni]

Bohemiandonut, I believe you could blow down an entire army just by making their brains hurt...

[bohemiandonut]

And I will.

An entire army, or two entire armies, or none, or every army, or...

[OpticalIllusion]

Yeah... my head hurts.

Anyways, I'm happy to say that after my girlfriend broke up with me, I got a nice fresh reminder of how desired I am among the girls in my little social group. I've got more girls flirting with me, and begging for me to take them to prom than I can account for. I don't know if that makes up for loss of a significant other... but it sure helps!

[Junket]

My experience has been that God is not "on call" in the way that you imply, like
if I ask for him he will suddenly "show up." I feel rather that God is something eternal and everpresent, something essential to the root of my own being.

I wouldn't say he is "on call" but it's just the idea that God might exist can help me emotionally through situations.

For me it's a bit of a last resort if you will. If all else fails, pray.

Afterall, it couldn't hurt.

But I completely understand your idea of God existing everywhere in everything and everybody. I've thought about that before too.

[bohemiandonut]

The thing is, the word "God" is so misrepresented. Before I make any serious argument, I will have to investigate the semantics of the word. But I'll be back!

I will, however, say this: In spanish, the word for God is "Dios," a latin word that roughly translated means "He gave." Not exactly on the level of a zen buddhist definition of God, but the point is this: God exists. Simply because God is an abstract term! "God" doesn't even really mean anything if you have an even somewhat educated view of what God is... Get it? Saying God does not exist is the same as saying the universe doesn't exist because it's not mapped out.

We came from somewhere, right? That somewhere (or something) is God. And guess what? That somewhere is right here. The center of the universe didn't dissappear, it expanded, and we are part of that expansion. We are the universe experiencing itself.

[Junket]

I am the universe.

[bohemiandonut]

Actually, you're right. You are. Trippy, huh?

[Chlorine]

yoshikuni----"Bohemiandonut, I believe you could blow down an entire army just by making their brains hurt..."

HAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAH!!!!!!!!! My exact sentiments.

Well, I got the point, but I think I'll stop short of trying to quantify God.

[Junket]

Actually, you're right. You are. Trippy, huh?

Actually I prefer the idea that I am a representative of all mankind. And that my actions are a reflection all mankind.

[bohemiandonut]

And mankind is not simply an extension of the universe and (dare I say it?) God ?

You are an expression of the universe. You are it. As am I. Only, you're experiencing yourself subjectively. As am I.

[misombra]

i am too! woo hoo!

[yoshikuni]

I believe...we will never truly know the answers until we die...

For an Atheist, they will never know, cause they just die and fade into nothingness, but for the rest of us, we will never know the answers until we cross into the beyond...

That statement may be a bit hypocritacle, but I'll accept the consequences for it.

[Chlorine]

Yoshikuni-----Live now, live now! Life is happening to you here, now, this very second. Let us not plague ourselves with thoughts that can't be answered at present. Think not of the future, at least not beyond dinner time.