God and Humans

(Pretzel's, Pantheism and Beer)

Yuri Gregarious

God: that which is referred to when people say 'god'. The end.

John Dishwasher

Your definition: Pretzel: That which is referred to when people say "pretzel." Alternative definition: Pretzel: A glazed, brittle bicsuit that is salted on the outside and usually baked in the form of a loose knot or a stick.

Pinball

God = pretzel.

John Dishwasher

According to the ideas in the essay it's not really that "pretzel" = god, but that the "craving for the pretzel" = god.

Pinball

Having a large sack of pretzels where you might become hungry could provide considerable peace of mind.

John Dishwasher

Just snacking on some on the couch provides peace of mind, too. Snacking counts!

Bagowan

Pinball is a pantheist apparently.

Texarkana Blues

God = Source

John Dishwasher

"Source" is a pretty good definition. I'm pretty sure every group on that list would agree with that definition, except....the atheists. They don't believe in God. So, strictly speaking, they cannot define god. He or she is not there to be defined. The definition in the essay only succeeds in defining "god" for believers and still being acceptable for atheists because it is a sort of non-definition. It defines what it is that all humans need, and then says you can accept this inescapable need as the definition of "god" if you want, or you can accept it simply as a human need, if you want. Ultimately, though, you have to accept that it is there. What you call it is really beside the point. Both believers and non-believers will have a hard time denying this. You could take it one step further, I guess, and say this human need is "the source." I agree it is the source of human activity. But a lot of people won't accept it as the source of the universe. Well done. I had to really think about that one.

Texarkana Blues

well then for the atheists we will substitute Imagination for God in the equation... Imagination = Source

John Dishwasher

Alright, your inclination to boil everything down to essentials is appealing. And the Imagation = source equation is an interesting one to ponder. But I'm afraid it steers us somewhat away from the question. One guy says: God exists. Another guy says. God does not exist. I say: Whether God exists or not is beside the point because something more fundamental than a debate about language is going on here. You say: Imagation = source. And then Bagowan says: Someone give Texarkana Blues another beer. :)

Texarkana Blues

haha... I meet so many Bagowan's by the end of the day im shmangled. Thats drunkenese for smashed and mangled at the same time.