What would count as proof of God

[Stephen T-B]

If a god were to demonstrate it exists in a way which made denying its existence impossible, it would have transferred itself from the metaphysical realm to the physical.

And having become part of the natural order, it might be fascinating and intriguing in the way an octopus or slime mould is, but not an object of worship, in which case those humans who require an old-fashioned sort of deity would pretty soon invent one...though more probably a pantheon of gods, and humanity would be back to square one.

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

Steve isn't (to my understanding) talking about Q, but an episode where a woman claims to be a planet's god. Ultimately Picard is able to reenact her god-like abilities. The Q were god like.

The Q were not god-LIKE. They were omnipotent, omniscient petty immortal assholes.

Have you read the Tanakh?! You pretty much explained Yahweh.

I never could understand how Picard could keep looking at Q and flat out telling him, "You're no god!" What the fuck was he (they?) lacking?

Probably branding.

 

[steve_bank]

If a god were to demonstrate it exists in a way which made denying its existence impossible, it would have transferred itself from the metaphysical realm to the physical.

And having become part of the natural order, it might be fascinating and intriguing in the way an octopus or slime mould is, but not an object of worship, in which case those humans who require an old-fashioned sort of deity would pretty soon invent one...though more probably a pantheon of gods, and humanity would be back to square one.

It was a common theme on Star Trek. Is it a god or is it advanced technology?

 

[bilby]

If a god were to demonstrate it exists in a way which made denying its existence impossible, it would have transferred itself from the metaphysical realm to the physical.

And having become part of the natural order, it might be fascinating and intriguing in the way an octopus or slime mould is, but not an object of worship, in which case those humans who require an old-fashioned sort of deity would pretty soon invent one...though more probably a pantheon of gods, and humanity would be back to square one.

It was a common theme on Star Trek. Is it a god or is it advanced technology?

On Scooby Doo, every supposedly supernatural phenomenon turns out to be some asshole trying to scare people for personal gain. Scooby Doo is perhaps one of the best shows ever for teaching kids that vital lesson.

 

[Coleman Smith]

"What would count as proof of God?"

Publication of testable evidence in peer reviewed scientific journals published and reviewed by members of the National Academy of Science and the equivalent organizations in Europe and Asia.

 

[ideologyhunter]

My standards are more stringent. I need more than some dubious claims from a lab. I want to see a message blasted on the surface of the moon, in English, please (unless it can be magical and everyone can read it in his/her native tongue...but otherwise, in English), and visible with ordinary binocs from Target.
Suggested wording (we can tweak this):

Hello. Yes, I'm real.
Thanks for interrupting my weekend. You're welcome.
Dawkins, Harris, Dennett, sorry about your publishing contracts, but you can all go to hell.
Literally.
OK, some stuff in the Bible is crunk-ass. I did not actually tell Ezekiel to lie on his side for 13 months and cook his barley cake over dookie.
Do you peeps believe everything? I mean, Jesus.
Also, it is not true that when deities orgasm they shout, "Me, Me, Me!!" I heard that on a Comedy Central roast.
Yes, I said deities. There are a couple of us, and not just the Big Three. Like Quetzlcoatl. Where did you think tacos came from?
More, later.
Jeeeeeehovah, OUT.

 

[Artemus]

I want to see a message blasted on the surface of the moon, in English, please (unless it can be magical and everyone can read it in his/her native tongue...but otherwise, in English), and visible with ordinary binocs from Target.

I would be far more inclined to believe that was from highly advanced alien (space-type) race with an excellent sense of humor than believe that any sort of "god" that transcends the laws of physic did it. The former is much more plausible.

 

[steve_bank]

Seattle almost broke a record for rainless days.

I prayed for rain to whatever or whoever controls the rain, and yesterday it rained with more on the way.

Absolute proof there is a god of the rain. Prayer works. In order to prevent a drought I will build a temple to the god of the rain and worship.

The god of the rain gave me a revelation, leaky faucets are an opination to the god of the rain.

 

[T.G.G. Moogly]

Seattle almost broke a record for rainless days.

I prayed for rain to whatever or whoever controls the rain, and yesterday it rained with more on the way.

Absolute proof there is a god of the rain. Prayer works. In order to prevent a drought I will build a temple to the god of the rain and worship.

The god of the rain gave me a revelation, leaky faucets are an opination to the god of the rain.

Via its infinite wisdom and power the rain god has brought me plastic, water containers with which I can go to the local spring and bring its rain back to my home when the rain barrels run out. As such my plants are able to continue to grow and live, thanks to the rain god.

We are blessed.

 

[fromderinside]

I used to live near Olympia. Never could find those Artesian wells though. No God. No God whatever.

 

[Rhea]

I asked my daughter this question and she spake;

DD: Since “god” is just a label, then any other label becomes equally true. So nothing at all would prove a god.
Me: Well, I was thinking, if a god instantly made all infirmaties worldwide disappear, I’d call that pretty convincing.
DD: Except it doesn’t prove it’s a god. Someone does that in front of me, and I’d be, “cool, you’re a magician.”
Me: That’s a fair point. I suppose I define the god-thing as some arbitrarily highly powered magician.
DD: But you can’t tell the difference. I mean, sometimes those christians say, “look at beautiful nature! Isn’t that proof of God?” And I’m all, “wow, the dryads are really killing it out there,”

 

[steve_bank]

I used to live near Olympia. Never could find those Artesian wells though. No God. No God whatever.

Have you tried dowsing?

 

[Learner]

Tried it once as a young fellow out of curiosity for old traditions. As according to the method, I seem to be finding water everywhere I was pointing to, although I didn't dare dig up each place to find out, especially two floors up in an apartment block. Perhaps I wasn't doing it correctly.

 

[FwL]

Tried it once as a young fellow out of curiosity for old traditions. As according to the method, I seem to be finding water everywhere I was pointing to, although I didn't dare dig up each place to find out, especially two floors up in an apartment block. Perhaps I wasn't doing it correctly.

Two floors up in an apartment block there is water everywhere. It's called indoor plumbing.

 

[Learner]

Tried it once as a young fellow out of curiosity for old traditions. As according to the method, I seem to be finding water everywhere I was pointing to, although I didn't dare dig up each place to find out, especially two floors up in an apartment block. Perhaps I wasn't doing it correctly.

Two floors up in an apartment block there is water everywhere. It's called indoor plumbing.

Right you are Fwl. Then it works!

 

[bilby]

Tried it once as a young fellow out of curiosity for old traditions. As according to the method, I seem to be finding water everywhere I was pointing to, although I didn't dare dig up each place to find out, especially two floors up in an apartment block. Perhaps I wasn't doing it correctly.

Two floors up in an apartment block there is water everywhere. It's called indoor plumbing.

Right you are Fwl. Then it works!

In the 1980s the UK Ministry of Defence spent a great deal of time and money studying dowsing, which has potentially huge military applications, from extending the capability of forces in arid regions by making it easier to find water, to the detection of mines, IEDs, and other buried ordnance.

At that time, my father was employed by MoD as an explosives expert, and he had copies of the classified report that resulted from these studies, which I had the opportunity to read. I never signed the Official Secrets Act myself, I no longer live in the UK, and it seems reasonable that these reports are largely now declassified under the thirty year rule, so it's probably not unlawful for me to say that these extensive, expensive, and comprehensive trials, using a large number of dowsers in a large number of double-blinded trials (many configured to specifications written in advance by the dowsers themselves) demonstrated conclusively that dowsing is no more effective than guessing.

 

[steve_bank]

Tried it once as a young fellow out of curiosity for old traditions. As according to the method, I seem to be finding water everywhere I was pointing to, although I didn't dare dig up each place to find out, especially two floors up in an apartment block. Perhaps I wasn't doing it correctly.

In Leviticus the penalty for practicing witchcraft was death.

 

[atrib]

Right you are Fwl. Then it works!

In the 1980s the UK Ministry of Defence spent a great deal of time and money studying dowsing, which has potentially huge military applications, from extending the capability of forces in arid regions by making it easier to find water, to the detection of mines, IEDs, and other buried ordnance.

At that time, my father was employed by MoD as an explosives expert, and he had copies of the classified report that resulted from these studies, which I had the opportunity to read. I never signed the Official Secrets Act myself, I no longer live in the UK, and it seems reasonable that these reports are largely now declassified under the thirty year rule, so it's probably not unlawful for me to say that these extensive, expensive, and comprehensive trials, using a large number of dowsers in a large number of double-blinded trials (many configured to specifications written in advance by the dowsers themselves) demonstrated conclusively that dowsing is no more effective than guessing.

But dowsing works for Learner and many other people, some of whom apparently do this for a living. Are you suggesting that the scientific study should be believed over the anecdotes of so many people that say otherwise?

(Sorry, couldn't resist).

 

[atrib]

Tried it once as a young fellow out of curiosity for old traditions. As according to the method, I seem to be finding water everywhere I was pointing to, although I didn't dare dig up each place to find out, especially two floors up in an apartment block. Perhaps I wasn't doing it correctly.

Sometimes you crack me up

 

[steve_bank]

What will those wild and crazy Brits think of next.