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God is My Superpower

T

T.G.G. Moogly

Traditional Atheist
Joined
Mar 18, 2001
Messages
11,343
Location
PA USA
Basic Beliefs
egalitarian
The thought occurred to me today that this is precisely what people are doing when they say they believe in god and go on about it. They're telling me they have a superpower. It's the same thing we did as kids when we pretended to have guns and shoot the bad guys. I'm going to have to use this in the future, casually of course, when someone gives me some god bullshit.

Always gotta know the audience and have an idea of the person's likely reaction. I wouldn't tell a kid who venerates Santa that there isn't one but an adult is different. And some adults are still kids in how they think about these things. I'll have to be careful.

But the fact is that humans love to pretend. We love pretending so much that we actually pay people to pretend for us so we can enjoy watching them pretend. I think this is what is happening with religion primarily, pretending there are answers and getting together with people who like to pretend in the same thing, their shared superpower they call god.
 
T.G.G. Moogly said:
They're telling me they have a superpower. It's the same thing we did as kids when we pretended to have guns and shoot the bad guys. I'm going to have to use this in the future, casually of course, when someone gives me some god bullshit.
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Next time the JWs knock on my door, I am so going to point my fingers at them and say "BANG! Lie down, you're dead!" and then run off calling "Mom! They aren't playing pretend properly! Make them play properly!", when they don't lie down.
 
We seem to live in a world of make believe, religion, politics, ideology, business, advertising seeks to sell us things we don't need or really want....so what's one more in the mix, let's have an invisible magical friend to take care of our needs and wants.
 
It's a superpower to become hysterical whenever someone blasphemes against the religion? Huh.
 
DBT said:
We seem to live in a world of make believe, religion, politics, ideology, business, advertising seeks to sell us things we don't need or really want....so what's one more in the mix, let's have an invisible magical friend to take care of our needs and wants.
Click to expand...
I can agree with the above to some extent.

Christianity (according to Jesus) wants to "sell us" the idea that we should 'love our neighbours and our enemies', feed the poor and hungry, tend to the sick, etc...blah blah blah. It warns of other "rival salesmen" who plagiarize the Christian "sales pitch" creating an altered version, making it their own unique "scam"- lying about themselves being the originators of the idea.

I would imagine Jesus saying in that scenario: Get your own 'sales pitch' for the deeds that you do...and STOP using my name! Whoever you are...I won't know you!
 
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Learner said:
DBT said:
We seem to live in a world of make believe, religion, politics, ideology, business, advertising seeks to sell us things we don't need or really want....so what's one more in the mix, let's have an invisible magical friend to take care of our needs and wants.
Click to expand...
I can agree with the above to some extent.

Christianity (according to Jesus) wants to "sell us" the idea that we should 'love our neighbours and our enemies', feed the poor and hungry, tend to the sick, etc...blah blah blah. It warns of other "rival salesmen" who plagiarize the Christian "sales pitch" creating an altered version, making it their own unique "scam"- lying about themselves being the originators of the idea.

I would imagine Jesus saying in that scenario: Get your own 'sales pitch' for the deeds that you do...and STOP using my name! Whoever you are...I won't know you!
Click to expand...

The idea of civilized society and caring for others may precede Christianity.
 
DBT said:
Learner said:
DBT said:
We seem to live in a world of make believe, religion, politics, ideology, business, advertising seeks to sell us things we don't need or really want....so what's one more in the mix, let's have an invisible magical friend to take care of our needs and wants.
Click to expand...
I can agree with the above to some extent.

Christianity (according to Jesus) wants to "sell us" the idea that we should 'love our neighbours and our enemies', feed the poor and hungry, tend to the sick, etc...blah blah blah. It warns of other "rival salesmen" who plagiarize the Christian "sales pitch" creating an altered version, making it their own unique "scam"- lying about themselves being the originators of the idea.

I would imagine Jesus saying in that scenario: Get your own 'sales pitch' for the deeds that you do...and STOP using my name! Whoever you are...I won't know you!
Click to expand...

The idea of civilized society and caring for others may precede Christianity.
Click to expand...
It did precede Christianity. In fact, as you may know, most of the nicer Christian values are human universals, found in all known past and current societies, Things like sharing food, caring for the sick or your neighbor etc. These have nothing to do with Christianity in and of itself. They are simply moral values practiced in all cultures. Too bad, more Christians don't live by these values but instead condemn those who don't believe what they do. I'm primarily referring to the evangelicals, not the more moderate or liberal Christians. The ones who shout, be "saved" or spend eternity being tortured in hell. Such a loving god! /s. That was the most horrific thing I was taught as a child of evangelical parents, who were swept up in that cult in early adulthood.
 
DBT said:
Learner said:
DBT said:
We seem to live in a world of make believe, religion, politics, ideology, business, advertising seeks to sell us things we don't need or really want....so what's one more in the mix, let's have an invisible magical friend to take care of our needs and wants.
Click to expand...
I can agree with the above to some extent.

Christianity (according to Jesus) wants to "sell us" the idea that we should 'love our neighbours and our enemies', feed the poor and hungry, tend to the sick, etc...blah blah blah. It warns of other "rival salesmen" who plagiarize the Christian "sales pitch" creating an altered version, making it their own unique "scam"- lying about themselves being the originators of the idea.

I would imagine Jesus saying in that scenario: Get your own 'sales pitch' for the deeds that you do...and STOP using my name! Whoever you are...I won't know you!
Click to expand...

The idea of civilized society and caring for others may precede Christianity.
Click to expand...
Yes sure, thall shalt not murder, thall shalt not steal etc.& etc..

Now regarding those who are using the 'sales-pitch' of Jesus for a totally different agenda (hence not being the originators). Oddly but no suprise: they don't actually believe in it.
 
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southernhybrid said:
DBT said:
Learner said:
DBT said:
We seem to live in a world of make believe, religion, politics, ideology, business, advertising seeks to sell us things we don't need or really want....so what's one more in the mix, let's have an invisible magical friend to take care of our needs and wants.
Click to expand...
I can agree with the above to some extent.

Christianity (according to Jesus) wants to "sell us" the idea that we should 'love our neighbours and our enemies', feed the poor and hungry, tend to the sick, etc...blah blah blah. It warns of other "rival salesmen" who plagiarize the Christian "sales pitch" creating an altered version, making it their own unique "scam"- lying about themselves being the originators of the idea.
Click to expand...

The idea of civilized society and caring for others may precede Christianity.
Click to expand...
It did precede Christianity. In fact, as you may know, most of the nicer Christian values are human universals, found in all known past and current societies, Things like sharing food, caring for the sick or your neighbor etc. These have nothing to do with Christianity in and of itself. They are simply moral values practiced in all cultures.
Click to expand...
The bible describes this as the 'conscience' within mankind,existing since the dawn of man, where there is potential for the conscience to be allowed without resistance to govern the course of his/her actions.

southernhybrid said:
Too bad, more Christians don't live by these values but instead condemn those who don't believe what they do. I'm primarily referring to the evangelicals, not the more moderate or liberal Christians. The ones who shout, be "saved" or spend eternity being tortured in hell. Such a loving god! /s. That was the most horrific thing I was taught as a child of evangelical parents, who were swept up in that cult in early adulthood.
Click to expand...
It seems like you suffered a horrific abuse. Where you able to testify in court for the abuse they did ?
 
Learner said:
southernhybrid said:
DBT said:
Learner said:
DBT said:
We seem to live in a world of make believe, religion, politics, ideology, business, advertising seeks to sell us things we don't need or really want....so what's one more in the mix, let's have an invisible magical friend to take care of our needs and wants.
Click to expand...
I can agree with the above to some extent.

Christianity (according to Jesus) wants to "sell us" the idea that we should 'love our neighbours and our enemies', feed the poor and hungry, tend to the sick, etc...blah blah blah. It warns of other "rival salesmen" who plagiarize the Christian "sales pitch" creating an altered version, making it their own unique "scam"- lying about themselves being the originators of the idea.
Click to expand...

The idea of civilized society and caring for others may precede Christianity.
Click to expand...
It did precede Christianity. In fact, as you may know, most of the nicer Christian values are human universals, found in all known past and current societies, Things like sharing food, caring for the sick or your neighbor etc. These have nothing to do with Christianity in and of itself. They are simply moral values practiced in all cultures.
Click to expand...
The bible describes this as the 'conscience' within mankind,existing since the dawn of man, where there is potential for the conscience to be allowed without resistance to govern the course of his/her actions.

southernhybrid said:
Too bad, more Christians don't live by these values but instead condemn those who don't believe what they do. I'm primarily referring to the evangelicals, not the more moderate or liberal Christians. The ones who shout, be "saved" or spend eternity being tortured in hell. Such a loving god! /s. That was the most horrific thing I was taught as a child of evangelical parents, who were swept up in that cult in early adulthood.
Click to expand...
It seems like you suffered a horrific abuse. Where you able to testify in court for the abuse they did ?
Click to expand...

A community doesn't benefit from antisocial behaviour, be it tribal society, family, nation or state. So we develop morals, rules and laws and invent higher powers, God is watching you, to reinforce our values.
 
DBT said:
Learner said:
southernhybrid said:
DBT said:
Learner said:
DBT said:
God is watching you,
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Yeah. What a freaky belief. I cannot grasp what that belief feels like, to the adherents. If they truly swallow the God stuff, in the conventional Christian sense, then they think God is in their head, monitoring every thought, whim, impulse, desire. And he's also inhabiting the heads of 8,200,000,000 other humans. (I guess -- I don't know if they have scriptures that spell that out.) The ultra-KGB of deities. (Although why the Christian god would want to be inside the head of a Muslim or Hindu or any other religionist is anyone's guess.) But that would truly make him omnipotent, because just the sampling of brainless shit I hear people yakking into their smart phones would drive me crazy, if I had to hear it all day. Or imagine God having to listen in on the simperings of some 7th grader with issues about not being invited to Courtney's birthday party. Am I getting close to the reason he decided to drown almost everyone, in the seventh chapter of his love book? Not that we were evil, but that we were boring AF. "Hey, I brought you out of the dust, I gave you brains and the power of speech, and you spend all day on utter bullshit. Signing off on this meaningless drivel. GOD OUT!!" Whooosh with the rain.
 
DBT said:
Learner said:
southernhybrid said:
DBT said:
Learner said:
DBT said:
We seem to live in a world of make believe, religion, politics, ideology, business, advertising seeks to sell us things we don't need or really want....so what's one more in the mix, let's have an invisible magical friend to take care of our needs and wants.
Click to expand...
I can agree with the above to some extent.

Christianity (according to Jesus) wants to "sell us" the idea that we should 'love our neighbours and our enemies', feed the poor and hungry, tend to the sick, etc...blah blah blah. It warns of other "rival salesmen" who plagiarize the Christian "sales pitch" creating an altered version, making it their own unique "scam"- lying about themselves being the originators of the idea.
Click to expand...

The idea of civilized society and caring for others may precede Christianity.
Click to expand...
It did precede Christianity. In fact, as you may know, most of the nicer Christian values are human universals, found in all known past and current societies, Things like sharing food, caring for the sick or your neighbor etc. These have nothing to do with Christianity in and of itself. They are simply moral values practiced in all cultures.
Click to expand...
The bible describes this as the 'conscience' within mankind,existing since the dawn of man, where there is potential for the conscience to be allowed without resistance to govern the course of his/her actions.

southernhybrid said:
Too bad, more Christians don't live by these values but instead condemn those who don't believe what they do. I'm primarily referring to the evangelicals, not the more moderate or liberal Christians. The ones who shout, be "saved" or spend eternity being tortured in hell. Such a loving god! /s. That was the most horrific thing I was taught as a child of evangelical parents, who were swept up in that cult in early adulthood.
Click to expand...
It seems like you suffered a horrific abuse. Where you able to testify in court for the abuse they did ?
Click to expand...

A community doesn't benefit from antisocial behaviour, be it tribal society, family, nation or state. So we develop morals, rules and laws and invent higher powers, God is watching you, to reinforce our values.
Click to expand...
God belief perhaps the lowest bar a community can achieve in terms of civilized behavior. It's only up from there.
 
DBT said:
Learner said:
southernhybrid said:
DBT said:
Learner said:
DBT said:
We seem to live in a world of make believe, religion, politics, ideology, business, advertising seeks to sell us things we don't need or really want....so what's one more in the mix, let's have an invisible magical friend to take care of our needs and wants.
Click to expand...
I can agree with the above to some extent.

Christianity (according to Jesus) wants to "sell us" the idea that we should 'love our neighbours and our enemies', feed the poor and hungry, tend to the sick, etc...blah blah blah. It warns of other "rival salesmen" who plagiarize the Christian "sales pitch" creating an altered version, making it their own unique "scam"- lying about themselves being the originators of the idea.
Click to expand...

The idea of civilized society and caring for others may precede Christianity.
Click to expand...
It did precede Christianity. In fact, as you may know, most of the nicer Christian values are human universals, found in all known past and current societies, Things like sharing food, caring for the sick or your neighbor etc. These have nothing to do with Christianity in and of itself. They are simply moral values practiced in all cultures.
Click to expand...
The bible describes this as the 'conscience' within mankind,existing since the dawn of man, where there is potential for the conscience to be allowed without resistance to govern the course of his/her actions.

southernhybrid said:
Too bad, more Christians don't live by these values but instead condemn those who don't believe what they do. I'm primarily referring to the evangelicals, not the more moderate or liberal Christians. The ones who shout, be "saved" or spend eternity being tortured in hell. Such a loving god! /s. That was the most horrific thing I was taught as a child of evangelical parents, who were swept up in that cult in early adulthood.
Click to expand...
It seems like you suffered a horrific abuse. Where you able to testify in court for the abuse they did ?
Click to expand...

A community doesn't benefit from antisocial behaviour, be it tribal society, family, nation or state. So we develop morals, rules and laws and invent higher powers, God is watching you, to reinforce our values.
Click to expand...
The world doesn't seem bothered about God watching them.

You see the obvious everyday in news reports with the same ol' usual expectations: people being killed, robbed, raped, starved, living in poverty around the world. The normality of today's communities in the Western world even, where many are struggling to survive, in all it's pitiful forms of human suffering that is today's"morally advanced society" that doesn't need God watching, so to speak.
 
ideologyhunter said:
DBT said:
Learner said:
southernhybrid said:
DBT said:
Learner said:
DBT said:
God is watching you,
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
Yeah. What a freaky belief. I cannot grasp what that belief feels like, to the adherents. If they truly swallow the God stuff, in the conventional Christian sense, then they think God is in their head, monitoring every thought, whim, impulse, desire. And he's also inhabiting the heads of 8,200,000,000 other humans. (I guess -- I don't know if they have scriptures that spell that out.) The ultra-KGB of deities. (Although why the Christian god would want to be inside the head of a Muslim or Hindu or any other religionist is anyone's guess.) But that would truly make him omnipotent, because just the sampling of brainless shit I hear people yakking into their smart phones would drive me crazy, if I had to hear it all day. Or imagine God having to listen in on the simperings of some 7th grader with issues about not being invited to Courtney's birthday party. Am I getting close to the reason he decided to drown almost everyone, in the seventh chapter of his love book? Not that we were evil, but that we were boring AF. "Hey, I brought you out of the dust, I gave you brains and the power of speech, and you spend all day on utter bullshit. Signing off on this meaningless drivel. GOD OUT!!" Whooosh with the rain.
Click to expand...

You put some effort into your post, expressing your personal thoughts. Cheers for the contribution.

As I mentioned in the previous post to DBT...
...No one's bothered with God watching them. Don't you watch the news?
 
If God is watching, why does He do nothing?

Does he not care? Am I more moral than God, as I would intervene to help someone who was being robbed, while God never does?

Or am I cruelly denying the robber his freedom of will?
 
T.G.G. Moogly said:
DBT said:
Learner said:

Click to expand...

A community doesn't benefit from antisocial behaviour, be it tribal society, family, nation or state. So we develop morals, rules and laws and invent higher powers, God is watching you, to reinforce our values.
Click to expand...
God belief perhaps the lowest bar a community can achieve in terms of civilized behavior. It's only up from there.
Click to expand...

As you may tell by now from the two previous post responses before this post: God or god's belief is not necessary to be the lowest bar a community can achieve...
..So the perspective where people are not bothered about any 'God or gods' watching, is evident of what we see everyday in your's and the other posters "ideal" community.
 
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bilby said:
If God is watching, why does He do nothing?
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God has intervened many times as shown in the bible. People still rejected him, as it was rejecting Jesus. It's a different phase now as the bible goes. With our obsession to govern ourselves, you could say, the Gospels are the instructions to live as harmoniously with one another, as humanly as possible, independently ( until the 2nd coming etc.).
bilby said:
Does he not care? Am I more moral than God, as I would intervene to help someone who was being robbed, while God never does?
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You would intervene? Well yes, that is what God instructs everyone to do! You wouldn't be more moral than God (understanding you have a different view of God than I).. but you would be more moral than a lot of people, (more than me even).
bilby said:
Or am I cruelly denying the robber his freedom of will?
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The robbers will is to cause misery and suffering. Your will exceeds his will morally, because it's a will of doing good.
 
Learner said:
Or am I cruelly denying the robber his freedom of will?
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The robbers will is to cause misery and suffering. Your will exceeds his will morally, because it's a will of doing good.
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...and so also exceeds that of God, who will do nothing, if nobody else is around. What an arsehole.
 
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