Wow.
But, actions having consequences is true whether or not there's a deity hiding himself away somewhere. So what benefit does God give us?
Books written by unknown persons for unknown reasons? We still have those, we just don't all believe they're worth a shit.
God hasn't done anything to show me that any of the characterizations, or candidate fictions are anything but human invention. Just like the various books and stories of gods fucking with humans, leading humans, creating and killing humans... Feh.
I have to agree with you about the gods you are talking about, those are gods made up in the past, and because of lack knowledge and understanding and could only imagine gods that were like humans and thought like humans and acted like humans. We with our present understanding find that distasteful and so we should.
I do not like using the term God, because it is now associated with acts that are no better than humans and it is done in the name of god.
I would say religion although it may have some good points has been the greatest culprit in dishonouring this god. For it has been used to control the masses, and committed atrocities in the name of god to gain power and control, and more.
The trouble with this is that atheist are basing their decision on what god is based on what so called religion and what religious people think what god is based on past erroneous teachings and then added to more false teachings without question. In fact they were to accept it otherwise they would be displeasing to god.
This is why I say we have to go back to the beginning of any thought, tradition, teaching, or belief and see if it started on a correct foundation if not lets go back to the drawing board.
This is why I will rarely quote so called authorities and only when they have the facts to the best of their knowledge. Free thinkers should be able to reason on the evidence around them and the provable evidence others have discovered, and cut out their personal opinions and theories that do not stand up to scrutiny.
With the knowledge and understanding we have today should get us closer to the truth of the matter, knowledge and understanding is ongoing, we have to move with it or we will end up with falsehood only to be undermined in the future, so lets get it correct now.
I would have thought that is what TALK FREETHOUGHT came into existence for to iron out fact from fiction, so let’s go for it and make this a site with real clout.
I will not use the word god unless it fits the subject and context, therefore the term I will use for this entity is THE UNIVERSAL INTELLIGENCE because the fact is that every thing that we understand as reality smacks of purpose, design and an extremely high intelligence.