How an atheist can believe in 'God'

[Nakosis]

If extraterrestrials were the original source of the God concept, I'd expect the concept to be more homogenous and more concrete rather than reveletory.
Why did these LGM leave no tangible evidence of their visit? Why did they apparently visit each culture and civilization over thousands of years then disappear?

But "the Ground of All Being" Isn't a personage, is it? "God" is generally used to denote an actual living, willful, opinionated being.
Ground of all being sounds like a string theory brane or something.

Yes, the idea is really for atheist Christians or I suppose any member of a theistic religion who no longer finds the concept of a deity necessary. The word God becomes a symbol or place holder so the other religious concepts can remain in place.

People who have become essentially atheist but find comfort in religious ritual, moral ideals, self-betterment etc...

 

[Milton Platt]

How an atheist can believe in God
(and save face doing it)


For those that don't want to read the long version (in blue bold) MrMrM has mercy on you! I have condensed the OT down to a paragraph. Please if you have a question make sure I haven't covered it in the long version? Is it probable or possible that a race of beings so advanced they created this universe? In several articles scientists have speculated that we humans will learn to exist in an non-corporal body that never dies will become super intelligent via computer to brain interface. So why couldn't a race million of years older than ours already accomplished that feat?



Not only can Theists believe in God I can show a way that agnostics and atheists with open minds can believe in God too. This belief is both rational and logical. My idea is not new but a lot of the evidences and observations are, some are emerging as I write this. I am going to make this as brief and painless as possible. With each passing week NASA finds another batch of planets. It seems planets orbiting most stars is the new normal*. Scientists agree that there is scientific evidence to support the age of the universe is 13 billion years + or - a billion years or two. That is an nearly unimaginable span of time. Its enough time for many 1st generation stars to burn out to a nuclear cinder or maybe super Nova depending on its size. Its enough time for new stars called 2nd generation stars to form from the dust and debris of those first stars that exploded and spread their nuclear synthesized elements through out space. Our sun is such a star, and we, our planet and solar system is made from first generation star dust. According to science life supposedly arose nearly as soon as earth cooled enough to stop glowing**. So even considering the most pessimistic odds there should be millions of planets supporting life***, some should be intelligent life if you evolutionary biologists believe what you preach. If such a planet formed intelligent life a million years before our planet did that race of beings would be far advanced, as much as we humans are more advanced than an insect****. I was reading that soon computers would be able to directly interface with our brains*****. After that happens those who study these things say humans will become a cloud mentality with the ability to communicate telepathically******. The next step of human machine evolution would be our entire population acting as ONE. Lol we are the borg! No worries humans advanced to that level would create anything they wanted, no assimilation needed. It seems obvious to me that super advanced humans could create universes******* given enough time.In fact a fairly new theory is that we live in a TWO DIMENSIONAL universe that mimics a three D universe, its called the holographic universe********. In other words our universe is a program running in an unbelievably advanced computer like system. So these super advanced beings or ONE being would be the same thing as an old testament God. In fact it would solve many cryptic messages found in the bible and major religions. So now atheists can believe in God with out fear of being 'backwards' etc. I have included foot notes to support my claims if anyone is interested in doing more research.

So discuss, is the advanced race idea plausible possible probable? If not why? Even you do not agree with this version of advanced races there are other scenarios based on the same core idea. Anyway thanks for replies, if any.


I did not have time to install the footnotes however I will source any information especially those with the star (asterisk).

: {>

You can call a potted plant god if you want to. But neither that definition or the one you are trying to use are within the commonly understood definition of a deity.

 

[Nakosis]

It's amazing how popular this has become. atheists open to the idea of ID in some form, as long as they don't have to call it 'God'

The distinction seems very vague, but God is the next logical step when you think it through all the way

Or it could be religious folks, folks who still see value in religion, but becoming open to the idea there is no supernatural supreme being.

 

[Desert Snake]

If extraterrestrials were the original source of the God concept, I'd expect the concept to be more homogenous and more concrete rather than reveletory.
Why did these LGM leave no tangible evidence of their visit? Why did they apparently visit each culture and civilization over thousands of years then disappear?

But "the Ground of All Being" Isn't a personage, is it? "God" is generally used to denote an actual living, willful, opinionated being.
Ground of all being sounds like a string theory brane or something.

god belief means any god belief. Wherever you got the idea that it only means a specific concept, is wrong.

 

[Kilgore Trout]

Why are so many threads on RF these days nothing more than overly-used sci-fi ideas? I think people have a hard time separating television shows and movies from reality.

 

[Valjean]

People who have become essentially atheist but find comfort in religious ritual, moral ideals, self-betterment etc...

They should just join the Kiwanis or Elks...

god belief means any god belief. Wherever you got the idea that it only means a specific concept, is wrong.

But "ground of all being" is not a God belief. it's popular physics. "God" has a specific meaning.

 

[Guy Threepwood]

Or it could be religious folks, folks who still see value in religion, but becoming open to the idea there is no supernatural supreme being.

Sure, as Forrest Gump said 'Maybe it's both!'

 

[Desert Snake]

God as the Ground of all being.

That is a god belief. Perhaps you are mistaken about their beliefs, however the way you described it, is a god belief.

 

[LuisDantas]

Looking forward for the day when more people realize that others are not expected to have some form of god-concept, by any name.

It is such a pointless distraction.

 

[LuisDantas]

That is a god belief. Perhaps you are mistaken about their beliefs, however the way you described it, is a god belief.

How would you know, and why would that mean anything?

 

[Desert Snake]

How would you know, and why would that mean anything?

I don't have to know, that is what he wrote, "their god is etc'

 

[LuisDantas]

I don't have to know, that is what he wrote, "their god is etc'

You don't seem to have much of a grasp of the concept, despite valuing it so much.

 

[Desert Snake]

You don't seem to have much of a grasp of the concept, despite valuing it so much.

That is pretty much meaningless

 

[LuisDantas]

That is pretty much meaningless

Exactly!

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

They can accept a non-theistic idea of God. Atheist just means you don't accept theistic beliefs about God. For example some liberal Christians view God as the Ground of all being.

No; atheism really means not believing in anything that one considers a god. Deists, pantheists, and panentheists are all not atheists.

 

[Deidre]

Why would an atheist care to believe in a god? It’s not that an atheist isn’t capable of believing, or being ‘open minded’ enough. It’s that there is simply no motivation to believe, and their hope doesn’t come from the need to believe.

 

[LuisDantas]

Why would an atheist care to believe in a god? It’s not that an atheist isn’t capable of believing, or being ‘open minded’ enough. It’s that there is simply no motivation to believe, and their hope doesn’t come from the need to believe.

To be fair, there is considerable evidence that some atheists (myself probably included) are literally incapable of believing in any deities.

That means nothing, but is still a fact far as I can tell.

 

[MrMrdevincamus]

Literally anything can "be God". All it takes is someone deciding to consider that object as a deity.

The way I see it God must have the qualities we associate with such a 'being', if it does have those qualities its God no matter what we say. However anything can be worshiped I suppose. An deity according to dictionary is ;
de·i·ty
[ˈdēədē, ˈdāədē]
NOUN

1. a god or goddess (in a polytheistic religion):
   "a deity of ancient Greece"
   synonyms: god · goddess · divine being · supreme being · divinity · immortal · creator · demiurge · godhead
   • divine status, quality, or nature:
     "a ruler driven by delusions of deity"
   • the creator and supreme being (in a monotheistic religion such as Christianity).
   • a representation of a god or goddess, such as a statue or carving.

 

[MrMrdevincamus]

Why would an atheist care to believe in a god? It’s not that an atheist isn’t capable of believing, or being ‘open minded’ enough. It’s that there is simply no motivation to believe, and their hope doesn’t come from the need to believe.

You would have to ask them. As I said there are many different kinds of atheists. And I bet if you were to Google using key words you would find many atheists who say they want to believe in God or words to that effect. I say each individual has a right to define themselves and their world view.

; {>

 

[Desert Snake]

Exactly!

Great, I take it you dont celebrate xmas, or any religious holiday. And that means participation as well.

Hmm