What Makes A God?

[cardero]

A frog would qualify for this one.

I believe that we are all gods (even the frog) but for the intelligent entitiy who has the means to describe and conceptualize GOD (the first existing entity) it would have to be in a form or a description that would not describe human nature. We often hear of God who is vengeful, who is angry, who is wrathful. A God who is loving but requires attention, a God who is Truthful but requires faith. A God who is justice and bestows judgment. This sounds a lot like human nature than GODly nature. With ideas like these, humankind seems to be describing, judging, reflecting, worshipping themselves, not GOD.

 

[Storm]

I believe that we are all gods (even the frog) but for the intelligent entitiy who has the means to describe and conceptualize GOD (the first existing entity) it would have to be in a form or a description that would not describe human nature. We often hear of God who is vengeful, who is angry, who is wrathful. A God who is loving but requires attention, a God who is Truthful but requires faith. A God who is justice and bestows judgment. This sounds a lot like human nature than GODly nature. With ideas like these, humankind seems to be describing, judging, reflecting, worshipping themselves, not GOD.

"God looks astonishingly like we do!" ~ J. Michael Straczynski, Babylon 5

I agree with you.

 

[michel]

"A God is....."

A being that can create the emergence of life, with the needed catalysts, from scratch.

Therefore, the day a scientist can create all the basic needs to create life (not from materials that are here on Earth that are essential to life, but from scratch with the "coding" built in for the procreation of new lives from that life), then the scientist = God............

 

[3.14]

So, what are your standards for Godhood?

godhood 101, blackhole 23 classroom 666

achieving skill to create mater from nothing
achieving skill to compile all knowlage in a way you can use it
achieving skill to survive everything
achieving skill abilatie to do as you want with everything

and its just in 4 easy lessons you can achieve godhood for only 95,99 a lesson exluding taxes
no money back if you fail to find the place or compleet the course, when undertaking this course do not opperate heavy machinery

 

[Riverwolf]

Well, for me, there are different "levels" of Godhood. I suppose now is the time where I can, for the first time, write them all down in a list, descending.

1. One. (sig)
2. Star (one who can create its own light, its own life, and through its death spawns new life; Grandmother Solis)
3. Celestial God (Mother Gaia, Father Nebul, etc)
4. Lesser God (children of Celestial gods; could be called "Cherubim"; the gods of mythologies. YHWH, guardian of modern-day "Middle-East" is a Lesser God)
5. Demi-God (the first of many animals; "Karkar, God of the Sea, Mother of the Shark; Pan, God of the Forest, no children, later confused with a devil, etc...)

I know it's a bit confusing, but that's kind of my list of gods and who they are.

A God is above human emotions, understanding, and for the most part, reach. As I demonstrated by what I believe is a God, they are mortal and will die. Karkar, for example, has probably died long ago. This I took from Japanese Shintoism, in which the gods do die eventually.

I don't worship any of them, mind you.

Sorry if my list is a bit confusing, but I just woke up and I'm tired. :thud:

 

[logician]

"A God is....."

A being that can create the emergence of life, with the needed catalysts, from scratch.

Therefore, the day a scientist can create all the basic needs to create life (not from materials that are here on Earth that are essential to life, but from scratch with the "coding" built in for the procreation of new lives from that life), then the scientist = God............

This is recursively impossible, because said being would first have to create itself.

 

[Riverwolf]

This is recursively impossible, because said being would first have to create itself.

Only if said being were to exist on our three dimensions; that is, our physical plane of existence. As I said before, quantum physics are proving that other planes of existence exist, which if the "creation" gods were real, they would exist there. Whoever said that the "creator" would be huge; why can't it be the very smallest thing that exists and before existence existed in the absolute center of gravitational pull; that is, the point that we can't comprehend or even fathom that would according to theory explode in a big bang.

 

[Father Heathen]

Frequently, when explaining non-theistic God-concepts, I have encountered the opinion that "that's not really a God."

So, what are your standards for Godhood?

Well, I guess what I would consider a "god" would be an entity or force with a power that reaches beyond the material realm to change and manipulate things by will alone. It doesn't necessarily have to be anthropomorphic or a supreme creator being. There could also be varying degrees of godhood, like the pantheons of old (Greek, Norse, Egyptian, etc.). In other words; omnipotence, omniscience and omnipresence definitely make a god, but are not necessarily requisites.

Perhaps the human mind will eventually evolve enough to reach a state of godhood.

 

[logician]

Only if said being were to exist on our three dimensions; that is, our physical plane of existence. As I said before, quantum physics are proving that other planes of existence exist, which if the "creation" gods were real, they would exist there. Whoever said that the "creator" would be huge; why can't it be the very smallest thing that exists and before existence existed in the absolute center of gravitational pull; that is, the point that we can't comprehend or even fathom that would according to theory explode in a big bang.

According to the latest multivers theories, the "big bang" may just be one of many or an infinite number that have occured. To posit a supposed god as a "singularity" really answers nothing.

 

[lilithu]

Logician, if you will read the OP, you'll see that this thread is not about debating whether certain god concepts are plausible to you. It's about what people consider the criterion to be whereby they recognize "God."

 

[Riverwolf]

According to the latest multivers theories, the "big bang" may just be one of many or an infinite number that have occured. To posit a supposed god as a "singularity" really answers nothing.

Besides, I posted a question. I asked "why not?" I didn't say, "This is the way it is." I personally believe the "big bang" was simply the death of a super-duper-massive star. Or maybe what happens when a black hole absorbs an entire galaxy. I'm no scientist, but I have my opinions, and keep in mind I don't claim them to be "the way it is" but simply my own opinions of what might have happened.

...What does the word "god" mean to you? Not hte idea, but the word itself? I get the feeling that you don't quite realize that literally hundreds of different words could be applied to the same idea, especially in modern American English.

 

[Storm]

According to the latest multivers theories, the "big bang" may just be one of many or an infinite number that have occured. To posit a supposed god as a "singularity" really answers nothing.

Logician, if you will read the OP, you'll see that this thread is not about debating whether certain god concepts are plausible to you. It's about what people consider the criterion to be whereby they recognize "God."

What she said. Thanks, lil.

 

[logician]

Besides, I posted a question. I asked "why not?" I didn't say, "This is the way it is." I personally believe the "big bang" was simply the death of a super-duper-massive star. Or maybe what happens when a black hole absorbs an entire galaxy. I'm no scientist, but I have my opinions, and keep in mind I don't claim them to be "the way it is" but simply my own opinions of what might have happened.

...What does the word "god" mean to you? Not hte idea, but the word itself? I get the feeling that you don't quite realize that literally hundreds of different words could be applied to the same idea, especially in modern American English.

I think the term "god" loses all meaning when you try to let it mean almost anything.

TO narrow it down, It could be ''the one Supreme Being, the creator and ruler of the universe" or "any deified person or object" for dictionary like definitions.

 

[Riverwolf]

I think the term "god" loses all meaning when you try to let it mean almost anything.

How do you mean?

 

[kerrythekiwi]

What makes a God?

Human emotions - and probably our tendency towards deism in childhood. We give things meaning, and I guess some don't grow out of it - not that that's a bad thing. A few theists I have encountered have rebutted my ideas of God's improbability by saying that life has no meaning so I should just go kill myself since life doesn't matter (even though personally I think theists see life as less meaningful - just a test in order to get to the TRUE life experience of heaven, or paradise or whatever reward-system their religion has offered them).

Likely fear and sorrow helped the invention of 'God'. When scared, or upset, you naturally want to be comforted, right? Feel protected? If no one is around, or humans can't supply the comfort you need, then a belevolent being looking over you at all times no matter where you are is always a nice thing to go with.

(I think.)

 

[DallasApple]

Likely fear and sorrow helped the invention of 'God'. When scared, or upset, you naturally want to be comforted, right? Feel protected? If no one is around, or humans can't supply the comfort you need, then a belevolent being looking over you at all times no matter where you are is always a nice thing to go with.

Its also nice to give thanks when you dont feel sorrow...when you arent upset or scared..when humans are "supplying" the comfort you need..When in fact you are protected..Its nice to give thanks...Thats also a nice thing to go with..

Not only desperate ,destitute,rejected,lonely, afraid,discarded people believe or call on or praise God....

Love

Dallas

 

[kerrythekiwi]

Its also nice to give thanks when you dont feel sorrow...when you arent upset or scared..when humans are "supplying" the comfort you need..When in fact you are protected..Its nice to give thanks...Thats also a nice thing to go with..

Not only desperate ,destitute,rejected,lonely, afraid,discarded people believe or call on or praise God....

Oh, sorry. I didn't mean it to sound like I only thought sad people believe in God. I meant that these emotions probably helped spawn the God idea.

If there is poor crop-yield, or no rain, or a family member is sick, I suspect one would like to imagine that asking an all-powerful being to help them would be thought of as a good answer to their situation. When my granddad died when I was ten, I wondered what God wanted with him - I don't know if this was a natural reaction to the shock, or I simply wanted to believe there was some superior meaning beyond my comprehension behind it - but it kind of shattered any flimsy grasp on faith I had. I didn't pray to God to bring him back, but I certainly considered it, and I think this could have been what I said above - that asking an all-powerful being to help seemed the best answer.

Not that that necessarily means anything when it comes to the actual argument, of course...

 

[Magic Man]

What makes a God?

Human emotions - and probably our tendency towards deism in childhood. We give things meaning, and I guess some don't grow out of it - not that that's a bad thing. A few theists I have encountered have rebutted my ideas of God's improbability by saying that life has no meaning so I should just go kill myself since life doesn't matter (even though personally I think theists see life as less meaningful - just a test in order to get to the TRUE life experience of heaven, or paradise or whatever reward-system their religion has offered them).

Likely fear and sorrow helped the invention of 'God'. When scared, or upset, you naturally want to be comforted, right? Feel protected? If no one is around, or humans can't supply the comfort you need, then a belevolent being looking over you at all times no matter where you are is always a nice thing to go with.

(I think.)

I don't mean to disregard anything you've said, but the question is more "What qualities does "God" or "a god" have in your opinion". As in, when someone says "God" or "a god" to you, what would be an acceptable definition, and what wouldn't. For instance, I think that the term "God" should refer to an intelligent being. My definition excludes things like equating God with nature. What do you think?

 

[Sunstone]

What makes a god? I'd say one requirement was the notion of agency.

 

[Storm]

What do you mean by that, Phil?