ppp
Well-Known Member
It does mean that your god is imaginary. Even were there an actual god that is as you think.
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What does God want from you?
- Thread starter Bird123
- Start date
Trailblazer
Veteran Member
God is what God is, just like I am who I am. The difference is that I know more about who I am than I know about who God is.
The Essence (intrinsic nature) of God is unknowable, but that doesn't be we cannot know 'anything' about God. However, we can know only what has been revealed by prophets and Messengers.
The primary reason that Jesus came into the world was to bear witness unto the truth about God.
John 18:37 Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice.
However Jesus was not the only one who did so. Before that were the prophets and Messengers of the Old Testament, including Moses.The Messengers, who were Manifestations of God, did not perceive anything about God's character. They received a Revelation from God wherein they heard God's Voice through the Holy Spirit. When God spoke to their minds, God revealed His attributes and His will for humanity for the age in which He spoke.
“Know thou of a certainty that the Unseen can in no wise incarnate His Essence and reveal it unto men. He is, and hath ever been, immensely exalted beyond all that can either be recounted or perceived. From His retreat of glory His voice is ever proclaiming: “Verily, I am God; there is none other God besides Me, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. I have manifested Myself unto men, and have sent down Him Who is the Day Spring of the signs of My Revelation. Through Him I have caused all creation to testify that there is none other God except Him, the Incomparable, the All-Informed, the All-Wise.” He Who is everlastingly hidden from the eyes of men can never be known except through His Manifestation, and His Manifestation can adduce no greater proof of the truth of His Mission than the proof of His own Person.” Gleanings From the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, p. 49
You can read about the Messengers/prophets in this book, starting on page 7. The Kitáb-i-Íqán
The Kitáb-i-Íqán, which is one of many books held sacred by followers of the Bahá'í Faith; it is our primary theological work.
Trailblazer
Veteran Member
Trailblazer
Veteran Member
No, the fact that God cannot be subjected to an objective test does not means God is imaginary.
An objective test to prove God exists is just what you want in order to know that God exists, but God does not give people what they want just because they want it.
Humans do not dictate to God what evidence God will provide. What God provides is totally at God's discretion. People can choose to believe on that evidence or not. It is a choice we are all free to make.
ppp
Well-Known Member
Yup. As you just said, you are claiming to know things about your god.
Kelly of the Phoenix
Well-Known Member
As it is a process, video would be better and we can make videos of the brain signals involved in that.
ppp
Well-Known Member
You may think this is a response to what I wrote. But it is not. This is a response to someone saying it means your god does not exist. In no way did I say that, I said that your god is imaginary, even if it so happens that a god of that description happens to exist.
Trailblazer
Veteran Member
ppp
Well-Known Member
Exactly. And so the things that you are claiming, are your posts and your responsibility. Not a book's responsibility. Not some god's responsibility. Not some intermediary agent's responsibility. Yours.
Trailblazer
Veteran Member
God cannot be 'both' imaginary and real since that is a contradiction.
If God is imaginary that would mean God is not real.
Imagined: (of something unreal or untrue) believed to exist or be so.
imagined means - Google Search
Real: actually existing as a thing or occurring in fact; not imagined or supposed.
real means - Google Search
Trailblazer
Veteran Member
I make no 'claims' about God, I only have beliefs about God.
Baha'u'llah made claims about God so He is responsible for His claims.
I believe the claims that Baha'u'llah made about God because I 'believe' that Baha'u'llah received a Revelation from God.
It is not my responsibility to prove that what I 'believe' about God is true. God beliefs are not subject to proof. That is why they are called beliefs and not considered facts.
ppp
Well-Known Member
You said that you did. I quoted you twice. Did you wish to retract it?
ppp
Well-Known Member
You are confusing the map for the territory. Or in this case, thoughts about an existing god, for an existing god.
Trailblazer
Veteran Member
Trailblazer said:
I do not claim to know anything about God except what has been revealed by the prophets and Messengers.
Correction:
I do not believe that I know anything about God except what has been revealed by the prophets and Messengers.
Trailblazer
Veteran Member
ppp
Well-Known Member
There is no functional difference between those two statements.
Trailblazer
Veteran Member
There is a big difference since a belief is not a claim.
But we have been through this before.
Claim: state or assert that something is the case, typically without providing evidence or proof.
claim means - Google Search
Claim: to say that something is true or is a fact, although you cannot prove it and other people might not believe it: claim
Belief:
1. an acceptance that a statement is true or that something exists.
"his belief in the value of hard work"
2. trust, faith, or confidence in someone or something.
"a belief in democratic politics"
https://www.google.com/search
Belief:
the feeling of being certain that something exists or is true:
His belief in God gave him hope during difficult times.
Recent scandals have shaken many people's belief in (= caused people to have doubts about) politicians.
belief
ppp
Well-Known Member
If I look at a alien from another planet, then describe that alien to you, my thoughts are a map of the alien. An incomplete map, but still a map. My description is a less accurate map. Your conception based on my description is a less accurate map still.
If have never seen a alien, I can imagine one and describe it to you. But that alien is entirely imaginary.
If have never seen a alien, I can imagine one and describe it to you. If there happens to also be a real alien somewhere that exactly matches what I describe, the alien I conceived is still entirely imaginary. The fact that said alien exists does not imply knowledge or understanding on my part. I have merely happened to blunder into a coincidence.
No gadget required ... and now completely missing the lesson objective .. into the abyss .. down a circular throught stopping rabbit hole.
Define God - What does it take for an entity to be a God .. in the books of paddy waddy... ? you seem fond of gadgets .. does Godhood include da gadget in your definition ? or do you not have one .. favoring the route of self disingenuous oblivion ?
That's rather charming.