Atheists Define "God," Once Again

[abaddon]

Atheists of the kind who started this Op are the only ones running around using "what do you mean by God" as if it was some kind of counter-apologetic argument against THEISM.

It is, if you cannot make your ideas about God consistent with one another. If God's just a mess of contradictory ideas and abused words, then that helps show the case for God is weak.

This thread's to show if atheists can define the God they don't believe in. Several atheists have clarified their stances about that for you, including an atheist "of the kind who started the OP". So, is it helping or not?

 

[steve_bank]

Kion as most Christians can not answer thr=e question. There is nothing in ascriopture to fall back on.

God is a word that a Christians' learns to use by being around other Christians. Mostly mimicry.

On the other hand god can have specific meaning in Buddhism and Hinduism relating to knuckled and experience. Krishna Consciousness is a state of experience and awareness. A Hindu might say Christ Consiousness and Krishna consiousbess equate to tye same experinc4.

I was on a jet flight when the guy next to me tied a wooden block with symbols on it to his forehead with straps and put a cloth over his head. Turned out he was an orthodox Jew, he said he was communing with or in the presence of god. God as a spiritual experience.

American Christians do not seem to understand the underlying truths of their own faith let alone any others.

 

[bilby]

Atheist - I don't believe in God
Me - What do you mean by God?
Atheist - It's hard to say.
Me - Sounds like you're trying to avoid answering the question.
Atheist - Err, ummm, well...Higher Power etc. etc.

Me - typical atheist. They all seem to have their own definition of God.

Hindus, as theists, have the same definition of God as you?

Gods- plural.
Lots of definitions.
Moreover, I don't accuse Hindus of not knowing what they mean by the word - God.
Nor Muslims. Nor Jews. Nor Christians.

Atheists of the kind who started this Op are the only ones running around using "what do you mean by God" as if it was some kind of counter-apologetic argument against THEISM.

I think you are misinterpreting the question. Atheists are NOT asking "What do you mean by God"; We are asking "What do you mean by 'god'".

I am completely capable of understanding what A god is; But obviously the arguments that show Jehova to be fictional might differ from the arguments that show Thor to be fictional - because these gods have very different descriptions.

I know that Darth Vader is a fictional character, because (for example) 'The Force' as he is described as using it is simply not a characteristic of reality. But while Batman is also a fictional character, arguing that Batman is fictional because 'The Force' is not real would be fucking nuts.

You are, I presume, an a-superheroist - You don't believe that superheroes are real, right?

So if someone were to declare that you need to define which superhero you don't believe is real, you would think they had lost their mind, right? I mean, if someone responded to your statement "All superheroes are fictional" by saying "Well I believe that there is one, and only one, superhero who is real; So you need to tell me which superheros you think are fictional", you should expect them to think you crazy. If you think one of the vast number of superheroes that have ever been described is a real, actual, being, then YOU need to say which one.

If you think Superman is real, then YOU need to tell us whether you believe in the Superman who leaps tall buildings in a single bound, or the Superman who can fly, or both, or neither.

It's completely insane for you in that scenario to expect ME to tell you which Superman I don't believe in - I don't believe in ANY superheroes, including ALL versions of Superman. Or Spiderman, or Iron Man, or The Incredible Hulk, or... we could be here all day without you finding out anything that wasn't already covered by my perfectly reasonable claim that ALL superheroes are fictional.

 

[Rhea]

Indeed. As I have said before for you, Lion, I do not believe in any of the things that any human has called “god”..

But you knew that, Lion, as I and others have said before. Which is what made your pitiable and wretched repeats of this question so monumentally sleazy.

 

[steve_bank]

Oh no you don't. You do not mess with my childhood Superman myth and George Reeve. I based my life on Superman.

 

[Rhea]

I thought it was Christopher Reeve.

 

[bilby]

I thought it was Christopher Reeve.

It was; And it was George Reeves, with an 's'.

George Reeves was an American actor. He is best known for his role as Superman in the 1950s television program Adventures of Superman.

Apparently they are not related, the similarity of their surnames is purely coincidental. Both are American actors best known for their portrayals of Superman, though. Which is why it's important when you are told that someone believes in Superman, to find out exactly which Superman they believe in.

The same with God - is it Morgan Freeman, Graham Chapman, Whoopi Goldberg, Val Kilmer, Rob Zombie, Alanis Morrisette, or any of the dozens of other actors who have played that role? Or is our correspondent a fan of the characters from one of the dozens of books, and derisive of the various big and small screen adaptations? If so, which character, and from which book(s)?

 

[Rhea]

Great Public Service, Bilby. Thanks.

 

[DBT]

Atheist - I don't believe in God
Me - What do you mean by God?
Atheist - It's hard to say.
Me - Sounds like you're trying to avoid answering the question.
Atheist - Err, ummm, well...Higher Power etc. etc.

Me - typical atheist. They all seem to have their own definition of God.

Hindus, as theists, have the same definition of God as you?

Gods- plural.
Lots of definitions.
Moreover, I don't accuse Hindus of not knowing what they mean by the word - God.
Nor Muslims. Nor Jews. Nor Christians.

Atheists of the kind who started this Op are the only ones running around using "what do you mean by God" as if it was some kind of counter-apologetic argument against THEISM.

That just proves my point: theists cannot agree on the nature of God, or gods.

 

[steve_bank]

I thought it was Christopher Reeve.

The original Superman TV show I grew up watching.

Look up in the sky its a bird its a plane...no its superman!!!! Battling for truth, justice, and the American way. More powerful than a locomotive, faster than a speeding bullet, able to leap tall buildings in a single bound...

The show's intro,.Acceding to online info it was conceived by an immigrant as an expression of what was inside immigrants not accepted by society.

 

[T.G.G. Moogly]

I thought it was Christopher Reeve.

It was; And it was George Reeves, with an 's'.

George Reeves was an American actor. He is best known for his role as Superman in the 1950s television program Adventures of Superman.

Apparently they are not related, the similarity of their surnames is purely coincidental. Both are American actors best known for their portrayals of Superman, though. Which is why it's important when you are told that someone believes in Superman, to find out exactly which Superman they believe in.

The same with God - is it Morgan Freeman, Graham Chapman, Whoopi Goldberg, Val Kilmer, Rob Zombie, Alanis Morrisette, or any of the dozens of other actors who have played that role? Or is our correspondent a fan of the characters from one of the dozens of books, and derisive of the various big and small screen adaptations? If so, which character, and from which book(s)?

George Burns for the win. Any god worth its salt must smoke a fine cigar.

 

[hurtinbuckaroo]

It was; And it was George Reeves, with an 's'.



Apparently they are not related, the similarity of their surnames is purely coincidental. Both are American actors best known for their portrayals of Superman, though. Which is why it's important when you are told that someone believes in Superman, to find out exactly which Superman they believe in.

The same with God - is it Morgan Freeman, Graham Chapman, Whoopi Goldberg, Val Kilmer, Rob Zombie, Alanis Morrisette, or any of the dozens of other actors who have played that role? Or is our correspondent a fan of the characters from one of the dozens of books, and derisive of the various big and small screen adaptations? If so, which character, and from which book(s)?

George Burns for the win. Any god worth its salt must smoke a fine cigar.

I’m going to give Steve Buscemi a chance before I decide.

 

[Keith&Co.]

George Burns for the win. Any god worth its salt must smoke a fine cigar.

I’m going to give Steve Buscemi a chance before I decide.

Ralph Richardson.

Supreme Being: I should do something very extroverted and vengeful to you. Honestly, I'm too tired. So, I think I'll transfer you to the undergrowth department, brackens, more shrubs, that sort of thing... with a 19% cut in salary, backdated to the beginning of time.
Randall: Oh, thank you, sir.
Supreme Being: Yes, well, I am the nice one.

 

[atrib]

Atheist - I don't believe in God
Me - What do you mean by God?
Atheist - It's hard to say.
Me - Sounds like you're trying to avoid answering the question.
Atheist - Err, ummm, well...Higher Power etc. etc.

Me - typical atheist. They all seem to have their own definition of God.

God exists because atheists can't define god. What a fucking brilliant argument! You deserve a special prize just for thinking it up.

 

[T.G.G. Moogly]

Atheist - I don't believe in God
Me - What do you mean by God?
Atheist - It's hard to say.
Me - Sounds like you're trying to avoid answering the question.
Atheist - Err, ummm, well...Higher Power etc. etc.

Me - typical atheist. They all seem to have their own definition of God.

God exists because atheists can't define god. What a fucking brilliant argument! You deserve a special prize just for thinking it up.

Defining bible god is like defining heaven. One thing is absolutely certain, that heaven is not the intellectual agora that would be hell. Maybe Flip Wilson was right, the devil makes them do it.

 

[Keith&Co.]

God exists because atheists can't define god. What a fucking brilliant argument! You deserve a special prize just for thinking it up.

I don't think he's trying to prove God by this.
He's just out to insult atheists... By ignoring actual atheist responses, and inventing an easier target.

 

[Cheerful Charlie]

And then there is the peek-a-boo God. I have been debating atheism-theism since the net went public. Many theists really don't define God. And can't. And when the atheist starts pointing out the problems with the naive theist God, the ad hoc rationalizations start. Their God soon becomes incomprehensible, beyond our ability to imagine, though many naive theist claims linger on in a naive theist way, their God hides in a cloud of ineffability and mystery and hand waving only to pop out now and then, Peek-a-boo! The worst of all are the semi-liberal Christians who are the wooliest minded of all. Pinning them down to define what they mean by God is impossible, to them avoiding exactly that is their game.

 

[Keith&Co.]

We could go with the tried and true definition* of divinity:
a 25 in all stats
a level 60 magic user, fighter, and/or bard.
At least 100 followers for every level above 50, for each class


*I forget which edition...

 

[Lion IRC]

God exists because atheists can't define god. What a fucking brilliant argument! You deserve a special prize just for thinking it up.

I don't think he's trying to prove God by this.
He's just out to insult atheists... By ignoring actual atheist responses, and inventing an easier target.

I like getting prizes. But atrib has trouble joining the dots if he thinks there is some sort of argument for God being attempted here.

And I'm sorry you feel insulted by my pointing out that many atheists are unable to define what it is they disbelieve.

Atheists disbelieve ALL gods so you guys have a LOT of work to do. I only have one God to define. You have thousands to define. Better get cracking. Time is short.

 

[abaddon]

... many atheists are unable to define what it is they disbelieve.

Bald-faced lie, after many atheists have defined for you what it is they disbelieve.

Atheists disbelieve ALL gods so you guys have a LOT of work to do. I only have one God to define. You have thousands to define. Better get cracking. Time is short.

There's no work past "disbelieve gods". Defining the class is sufficient. If you don't believe in dragons, you don't have to say why regarding each and every dragon, or even each and every kind of dragon, that doesn't exist.

It's hard to understand why anyone wants to present themselves as an idiot the way you do. You can't "get the atheists" by poorly mimicking their arguments the way you do. You only "get" yourself by refusing to speak forthrightly with people.