If God Were Real...

In answer to the first question, absolutely not.

it wouldn't be enough for me that the god in question was more intelligent and the creator of all. what would matter to me would be the use to which it puts that intelligence and power.

for example, if this god were the type to allow free-will to the extent that innocent people would suffer, when its intervention could prevent it, for example the abuse of children, who are probably the most innocent in this world, being as though they are not able to understand fully the concept of a god, then I would question if a god like that was worthy of my worship.
 
Flavus Aquila said:
If 'god' asked to me to follow Islam, I would doubt whether it were God - Islam is internally contradictory, which is inconsistent with two things: either a religion based upon God's revelation; or the notion that a perfect God would ask something so obviously contradictory.

In other words, for me to follow religion it must be consistent intellectually with the notion of God. In still other words, religion is not a matter of obedience, but something which engages both the intellect and will.
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If you can somehow look past the contradictions within the Bible and criticize Islam, then you have not researched either religion critically and without bias. Islam is logically consistent in its doctrine. Women are not equal to men. Blasphemers are allowed to be killed, but forgiveness is superior. All sovereignty lies with Allah. Etc. You may disagree with it (I do), but calling it contradictory is a misinformed assumption.

bickelz said:
If God (of any sort) revealed itself to humanity, showing without a shred of doubt that it exists, would you follow it without questioning it's motives?
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No.

I despise authority figures, much less ones that demands to be worshiped unconditionally.
 
No I would not follow a theoretical god who had made themselves known without questioning their motives. It doesn't mean I wouldn't follow, it means I would question their motives. I don't think you can have true faith and belief without questioning--I think you have to believe despite your doubts, you have to question to do that.
 
Flavus Aquila said:
If 'god' asked to me to follow Islam, I would doubt whether it were God - Islam is internally contradictory, which is inconsistent with two things: either a religion based upon God's revelation; or the notion that a perfect God would ask something so obviously contradictory.

In other words, for me to follow religion it must be consistent intellectually with the notion of God. In still other words, religion is not a matter of obedience, but something which engages both the intellect and will.
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How does it engage your will?
 
Hoggle said:
How does it engage your will?
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The basis for belief is not firsthand knowledge, but the assent of the intellect, which is and act of the will, that the propositions of faith are true.

However, the will is most engaged in religion by the choice to follow the moral and religious observances of the religion. (eg. Keeping the commandments, frequenting the sacraments, doing penance, giving alms to the poor and praying).

Many people seem to get caught up in the observance of religion without an understanding of the religion - this seems to be prone to causing frustration and resentment, instead of cultivating the life of grace, peace and mercy.
 
I would face him and ask him about why he let so many innocent suffer, that is, if it is indeed God, the creator and the responsible one.
 
bickelz said:
So the worst happened to this thread and I was totally afraid it would happen, everybody with their religious ideology couldn't go along with it and claimed to "know" that god exists and that their beliefs are correct. So, instead of going along with a philosophical question, people ask "what if this or that". Those that did this and claim to have Ni or are Ni doms (infjs) get to turn in their Ni badge. I'm serious.

I should close this thread.
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Your problem was that you asked a question with the expectation of getting answers, any philosophers worth their salt know that asking a questions will only get you another question.

By the vary definition of Who and What God is, of course I would follow him unquestioningly. That's the thing about God, people always look at the notion of God as a being that could do anything, but the reality is that even God has limits, it just so happen that those limits are self imposed. Anything less and good becomes less of being and more of a force of nature and therefore stops being God.
 
Barnabas said:
Your problem was that you asked a question with the expectation of getting answers, any philosophers worth their salt know that asking a questions will only get you another question.
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You can answer the question and ask other questions at the same time. People were just asking questions, not answering the op.
 
bickelz said:
If God (of any sort) revealed itself to humanity, showing without a shred of doubt that it exists, would you follow it without questioning it's motives?
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To me he already has on numerous occasions. However... Nothing goes without question, not even God. The amazing thing is that God tolerates it.

bickelz said:
Would it matter what doctrine it aligned with (i.e. Christianity or Islam is actually the most accurate)?
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Yes, because I want to know the truth. I would be pretty peeved off if I had been a Christian all these years just to discover I was wrong about what I identified with. Though considering what I seen, been and gone through, it would surprise me.
 
Arsal said:
Women are not equal to men. Blasphemers are allowed to be killed, but forgiveness is superior. All sovereignty lies with Allah. Etc. You may disagree with it (I do), but calling it contradictory is a misinformed assumption.
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Woah. We must be careful of painting any group, any thought system, or any person with broad brush strokes. Islam is a tradition, an entity like any other. There are a thousand voices speaking with one another, drawing inspiration from a thousand different sources and trying to figure out what it means to be Muslim, or just what is this thing we call Islam. I'm sorry but I resent you statement that women are unequal to men in Islam or that blasphemers must be killed. I don't want you to mistake this opinion as denying that these realities exist in communities with Muslim populations. But, there are more sophisticated methods to understand what propels communities to take 'harsher' stances on particular issues. For example trying to understand how economics play a role in shaping the norms of a community, what role demographics play or the influence of literacy. To crudely state that the condition of particular norms and values exists solely because of a monolithic conception of a religion, is inappropriate analyses and belies the complex nuances that design human existence.

I'm sorry Bickelz, but I disagree with the way you frame the question. Your categorization of God as an anthropomorphic entity that somehow exists separate from creation and can be found in a sort of raw state or as an object is (again forgive me) so simplistic. I understand that while there is no objective analysis to be had in the realm of the divine (and it is a creative, imaginative and interpersonal exercise), I think viewing God with those lenses sets people up for failure. Beyond which, only the most juvenile of theologies and mystical cosmologies experience God that way.

AhSver said:
I would face him and ask him about why he let so many innocent suffer, that is, if it is indeed God, the creator and the responsible one.
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If I may; what if he replied, "What did you do to stop it?"

Kmal, dude give the koolaid you're drinking. I love the blurring of the 'real' and the 'imaginative'.
 
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I would only follow a god if it revealed itself to be the god of WAR, and painted me with the blood of my enemies and gave me flaming swords with which to smite non-believers.
 
Depends on the nature of [the] god; and how he revealed himself.
If i could make the general assumption that he is more wise/intelligent and more powerful than any man, then yes, to an extent.

I think a certain amount of questioning is healthy, or at least normal; Job, Habbakuk, Moses, Abraham and Sarah, Peter, all questioned God. Granted, some were disrespectful, but they still questioned.

As a Christian though, yes, i do try to follow him; that doesn't mean i don't wonder/ask what He's doing. But following trustingly (what some would consider blindly) is a key of faith.
 
If I may; what if he replied, "What did you do to stop it?"
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I am a mere mortal, the only thing I can do is not to multiply the evil and try my best to advice others against it..
 
Rite said:
So, the question is whether we're willing to accept the truth or doubt it even if we're shown proof of its existence?
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Basically if you can't accept truth/reality, then you cant accept God, and if you cant Accept god into your life
then you are unwilling to accept general Good into your existance, the truth of the matter is Everything is god therefore everything is good
and what everything is IS the universe, basically the message/expression im getting here from God/universe/everything
is that IT IS "ALL GOOD" and now its time to understand this fact and live life accordingly
Jesus stated his character Was alligned perfectly with God, reality, therefore truth and following way of life
Our part is acceptance, and submission,

its all quite obvious really, we all have an internal connection to this god, or Good, the co-incidences are everywhere
for instance the word Enthusiasum by origin transfered to meaning "The God Within" or Enthios-Seasum.(Greek i think/not sure here)
God translated by origin to mean Good, therefore enthuseasum truely understood means "The Good Within"
We have ALL seen by experience The definition of enthuseasum, We understand that when someone IS enthuseastic he/she has become an expression of that good within there fore ,

Basically if you really want to know if god exists beyoned all doubt, Then Seek him, but first with your heart and mind, then with your body,
Dont we all know by now, . . . God is inside you, AND outside of you, God is everything, Therefore the universe,
If you seek to understand The universe you live in, YOU WILL UNDERSTAND IT, Thereby understanding reality, truth and finally GOD

I have met GOD, and i believe beyoned a doubt that god exists, thereby KNOWING God exists
You may have noticed by now, I am not Intelectually incapable, Nor am i morally Deficient In many ways
My motives here are NOT selfish, and i have a genuine care for any who have had the curtisy of reading these lil blogs
Furthermore i seek no Exalting from either ither persons here for myself.

But Seek GOD and you WILL find god -
But some need physical Manifestations to observe in order to believe, So i'd hope you sought Jesus from that perspective
( Jesus Name basically Means God with us BTW - Which IS a physical expression of the universe Symbolically,
we see harmony, Generation, most importantly LOVE -

So beyoned all this con-text

Enjoy yourself, Encourage yourself, Love yourself, ........FIND your true Self
 
Harpy said:
Drops make an ocean. Is the ocean to blame if the drops are dirty?
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well then we are talking about a different kind of god, as the accumulation of everything, not in a christian sense at all. then it's a different story.
 
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