What, God can't put out a press release?

[originalpckelly]

Think about it:
The creator of the entire universe, the Earth, the human race and all other animals and plants and everything cannot put out a press release, though he created the idea.

Why do you have to take it on faith, can't s/he/it just prove s/he/it exists? Why even fuck with people like that? Is it a game to s/he/it?

It could be this simple:
Heaven -- Hi, I'm God. Reports of my demise are greatly exaggerated. I exist. And more importantly, here is the religion you should follow. (Or if all of them are not accurate, s/he/it could simply give us a new religion.)

S/He/It wouldn't even need to put it out on the news, no s/he/it's omnipotent, right, so s/he/it could just magically pop into existence the document in the language of the person it was intended for. And then underneath a new code of religious law could be provided.

How hard would that be for an omnipotent being?

[spin]

1. We can't understand a being powerful enough to create the universe ...

any more than a bed bug can comprehend a human.

It's quite possible that the creator (if indeed there is one) has little interest in mankind. Of course, we may be no more than an ant farm that belongs to the son of a family in an advanced civilization in a adjacent universe. Perhaps this teen age boy has discovered girls and has lost concern about us.

[originalpckelly]

4. And the universe could be a big teapot.

There are a lot of possibilities, but this is a question formed to challenge the viewpoint there is a God, or a caring loving God you should even spend time praying to. Your idea basically invalidates their viewpoint as well.

[spin]

8. I tend toward Deism ...

Deism

Deism (Listeni /ˈdiːɪzəm/ US dict: dē′·ĭzm)<1><2> in the philosophy of religion is the standpoint that reason and observation of the natural world, without the need for organized religion, can determine that a supreme being created the universe. Further the term often implies that this supreme being does not intervene in human affairs or suspend the natural laws of the universe. Deists typically reject supernatural events such as prophecy and miracles, tending to assert that God (or "The Supreme Architect") has a plan for the universe that is not to be altered by intervention in the affairs of human life. Deists believe in the existence of God without any reliance on revealed religion, religious authority or holy books. This idea is also known as the Clockwork universe theory, in which God designs and builds the universe, but steps aside to let it run on its own. Two main forms of deism currently exist: classical deism and modern deism.

So far, the first-found usage in print of the English term "deist" is 1621,<3> and "deism" is first-found in a 1675 dictionary.<4> Deism became more prominent in the 17th and 18th centuries during the Age of Enlightenment — especially in Britain, France, United States and Ireland — mostly among those raised as Christians who found they could not believe in supernatural miracles or the inerrancy of scriptures, but who did believe in one God. The Founding Fathers of the United States were heavily influenced by Enlightenment philosophies, and it is generally believed that many of them were deists.<5>
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deism

I'm personally not fond of organized religion. All too often throughout history some people have misused religion for their own gain. Still religion has a good side and I feel that it can contribute to a better society.

I have no problems with praying. I don't always attribute the "power of prayer" to intervention by a supreme being as I feel we have little understanding of the power of our own minds. If we wish for a result and believe it will happen our minds may produce the result we want. This may explain many of the "miraculous" cures from disease that people often site as examples of how well prayer works.

[ZombieHorde]

10. If people don't understand god, then people aren't worshiping god.

They are worshiping their own idea of god.

[AlecBGreen]

11. i agree with half

believers DO worship something they dont fully comprehend. That doesn't lessen or cheapen it.

[ZombieHorde]

15. I think both our arguments depend on the degree of non-comprehension of God.

Spin claimed: We can't understand a being powerful enough to create the universe any more than a bed bug can comprehend a human.

This is the level of comprehension I was referring to. Bed bugs know nothing of our thoughts, motivations, culture, etc.

You may feel humans are able to understand God better than a bed bug understands humans.

[spin]

12. Does a dog understand his owner ...

Can the dog understand why his owner takes him to a vet for yearly shots or why his owner puts evil smelling flea drops on his back? Does he comprehend what happens when his owner turns on a light switch?

Understanding God is more impossible for us than it is for a dog to understand his owner. Most of us find it difficult to understand the theories of Albert Einstein or Stephen Hawking. How can we understand God.

[ZombieHorde]

14. I am not saying God is easy to understand, I am saying since he can not be understood,

then people are worshiping their misunderstandings of God, as opposed to any actual God, if there is one.

[spin]

16. I definitely will agree with that.

I think many people believe God is an old bearded man sitting on a cloud.


The Creation of Adam by Michelangelo

That concept can lead to beautiful art but I suspect God is far more than that.

[ZombieHorde]

17. I never realized God had a throne of nude men and young boys.

That's interesting.

[pscot]

2. Mene mene tekel upharsin

[originalpckelly]

6. Yeah, I really believe that was written by God.

And why can't God do something like that today, eh?

It's like the game of telephone, only across the centuries.

[cleanhippie]

3. You stop that right now!

Applying logic and reason to religion gets one branded as an intolerant, militant atheist, don't ya know!

[originalpckelly]

5. And not one has a real answer.

Not one.

Crickets are chirping.

[darkstar3]

7. According to my old pastor, "because then you wouldn't need faith."

Apologists generally use the phrases "faith" and "free will" loosely to cover all the confusion about deities and correct religions. If God issues a press release, it violates our free will, as if you would somehow have less choice after said release. If God issues a press release, it eliminates the need for faith, even though faith in the Bible is generally used to refer to faith in God's power and not faith in God's existence.

It's funny when you think about it.

He scoured the world with a flood when he didn't like how things were going.
He razed Sodom and Gomorrah to the ground when he didn't like their sin and decadence.
He guided chosen people to victory against heathens time and time again.
He guided chosen people through the desert by appearing as fire or smoke.
He sent his own son as a dramatic messenger boy to tell people what he thought they should do.
And a whole lot more in between.

He certainly never cared about faith or free will back then.

[originalpckelly]

9. Indeed.

Very true indeed.

[dimbear]

13. One little point you missed. God doesn't want you to believe.

Salvation is for the elite, not the rabble. Ask yourself why Jesus spoke in parables, and notice it was so that people wouldn't understand Him and be saved.