'God'/'Jesus' - Invisible/Imaginary Friends For Adults

[I AM ALL I AM]

Imaginary friend

Imaginary friends and imaginary companions are a psychological and social phenomenon where a friendship or other interpersonal relationship takes place in the imagination rather than external physical reality. Imaginary friends are fictional characters created for improvisational role-playing. They often have elaborate personalities and behaviors. They may seem real to their creators, though they are ultimately unreal, as shown by studies.

Imaginary friends are made often in childhood, sometimes in adolescence, and rarely in adulthood. They often function as tutelaries when played with by a child. They reveal, according to several theories of psychology, a child's anxieties, fears, goals and perceptions of the world through that child's conversations. They are, according to some children, physically indistinguishable from real people, while others say they see their imaginary friends only in their heads. There's even a third category of imaginary friend recognition: when the child doesn't see the imaginary friend at all, but can only feel his/her presence.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imaginary_friend

G'day.

1. Are 'God' and 'Jesus' invisible/imaginary friends ? Please present your reasoning with your answer.

2. What difference is there between children with imaginary friends and adults that believe in 'God'/'Jesus' ? Please present your reasoning with your answer.

3. Should those that have invisible/imaginary friends be stopped from being in charge of countries and making decisions for the nation, including international relationships ? Please present your reasoning with your answer.

4. "Some child development professionals still believe that the presence of imaginary friends past early childhood signals a serious psychiatric disorder." Does a belief in invisible/imaginary friends as an adult show "a serious psychiatric disorder" ? Please present your reasoning with your answer.

5. Are those that do not have invisible/imaginary friends the ones with "a serious psychiatric disorder" ? Please present your reasoning with your answer.

[Goat]

Since you can't prove that the people around you, and yourself, exist I suggest that we start assuming they are all imaginary. After all, there is only one difference between Jesus and my friend Bill. I "think" I can see my friend Bill, and I can't see my friend Jesus. That is the only difference between the 2.

And a big difference that is. You can SHOW me your friend Bill, and Bill can show himself to others. Jesus, on the other hand, you can't demonstrate is anything more than existing in your head.

[Moses Yoder]

Since you can't prove that the people around you, and yourself, exist I suggest that we start assuming they are all imaginary. After all, there is only one difference between Jesus and my friend Bill. I "think" I can see my friend Bill, and I can't see my friend Jesus. That is the only difference between the 2.

And a big difference that is. You can SHOW me your friend Bill, and Bill can show himself to others. Jesus, on the other hand, you can't demonstrate is anything more than existing in your head.

I think my grandfather was buried in '88. I believe I am the current owner of an anvil that supposedly, according to his son and my mother, belonged to my grandfather. What you are saying is since I can't show you my grandfather, he also would be considered imaginary. In fact, now that I think about it, there is very little evidence he ever lived. There were no books written about him. I went so far in the belief of my imaginary grandfather that I had a brass plaque engraved for the anvil. I guess I should turn myself in to the nearest mental hospital.

[Goat]

Since you can't prove that the people around you, and yourself, exist I suggest that we start assuming they are all imaginary. After all, there is only one difference between Jesus and my friend Bill. I "think" I can see my friend Bill, and I can't see my friend Jesus. That is the only difference between the 2.

And a big difference that is. You can SHOW me your friend Bill, and Bill can show himself to others. Jesus, on the other hand, you can't demonstrate is anything more than existing in your head.

I think my grandfather was buried in '88. I believe I am the current owner of an anvil that supposedly, according to his son and my mother, belonged to my grandfather. What you are saying is since I can't show you my grandfather, he also would be considered imaginary. In fact, now that I think about it, there is very little evidence he ever lived. There were no books written about him. I went so far in the belief of my imaginary grandfather that I had a brass plaque engraved for the anvil. I guess I should turn myself in to the nearest mental hospital.

Nonsense. We can show people have grandfathers.. we can show people have graves.. that is part of every day, common experience. We could even go to his grave, or look up his death certificate, or find his birth certificate from Kenya.

There is a big difference between the claim 'someone had a grandfather', and 'I have a relationship with a supernatural diety that I can't show you'.

You are using the rather bad argument of 'we can't prove anything, so my belief in a supernatural entity is equal to any other common experience'. That's not so. It's a bad rational for choosing on what or what not to believe.

[Moses Yoder]

OK, I will try a couple different tacks.

I believe I am a better woodworker than most of the people here, but I would be hard pressed to prove it. I suppose that is more evidence that I belong in a loony bin.

Two, my religion makes me feel good about myself, and makes me want to help others. I see it as a good thing. I can understand if religion is making people do bad things, we should punish the people for doing bad things. But if my religion is good for me, and makes me want to do good things, why would I be punished for it?

Three, please provide proof that I had a grandfather.

[TheJackelantern]

OK, I will try a couple different tacks.

I believe I am a better woodworker than most of the people here, but I would be hard pressed to prove it. I suppose that is more evidence that I belong in a loony bin.

Two, my religion makes me feel good about myself, and makes me want to help others. I see it as a good thing. I can understand if religion is making people do bad things, we should punish the people for doing bad things. But if my religion is good for me, and makes me want to do good things, why would I be punished for it?

Three, please provide proof that I had a grandfather.

Your religion makes you? So if forces you to be nice as if you can't do that all on your own accord? I don't recall religion being necessary for people to be nice, and if you need it to be nice, well, there is a problem there. And religion influences people to do bad things when they take it seriously to the point of teaching hate. You know, GOD hates fags? Yes, that sort of teaching is in the bible.

However, none of this has to do with the subject of the OP... And yes we can prove you had a Grandfather just by simple means of investigation and genetics. But it seems you need the appeal to ignorance argument to rationalize the fact that you really aren't talking to anyone but yourself when you sit down and pray while others actually do something constructive.. I don't recall the act of praying ever coming down and handing a starving man a sandwich. I don't recall some magical deity coming down and helping out at the soup kitchen either.. And then you go and visit someplace like Sudan and get a reality check that praying to the imaginary friend in the sky does absolutely nothing.

And if you are going to do something out of kindness, you ought to do it because you actually care and not because you believe some imaginary being is watching you in the sky.. If you need direction for this, you might need help addressing why you feel you need direction in caring for others. If you give a man a sandwich for religious purposes, and the hope to convert them, you aren't doing it because you actually care. You are doing it with strings attached with an agenda.

[Moses Yoder]

OK, I will try a couple different tacks.

I believe I am a better woodworker than most of the people here, but I would be hard pressed to prove it. I suppose that is more evidence that I belong in a loony bin.

Two, my religion makes me feel good about myself, and makes me want to help others. I see it as a good thing. I can understand if religion is making people do bad things, we should punish the people for doing bad things. But if my religion is good for me, and makes me want to do good things, why would I be punished for it?

Three, please provide proof that I had a grandfather.

Your religion makes you? So if forces you to be nice as if you can't do that all on your own accord? I don't recall religion being necessary for people to be nice, and if you need it to be nice, well, there is a problem there. And religion influences people to do bad things when they take it seriously to the point of teaching hate. You know, GOD hates fags? Yes, that sort of teaching is in the bible.

However, none of this has to do with the subject of the OP... And yes we can prove you had a Grandfather just by simple means of investigation and genetics. But it seems you need the appeal to ignorance argument to rationalize the fact that you really aren't talking to anyone but yourself when you sit down and pray while others actually do something constructive.. I don't recall the act of praying ever coming down and handing a starving man a sandwich. I don't recall some magical deity coming down and helping out at the soup kitchen either.. And then you go and visit someplace like Sudan and get a reality check that praying to the imaginary friend in the sky does absolutely nothing.

And if you are going to do something out of kindness, you ought to do it because you actually care and not because you believe some imaginary being is watching you in the sky.. If you need direction for this, you might need help addressing why you feel you need direction in caring for others. If you give a man a sandwich for religious purposes, and the hope to convert them, you aren't doing it because you actually care. You are doing it with strings attached with an agenda.

Hey buddy, you messed up big time there. There is nowhere in the Bible where it says God hates homosexual people, nor does it give us reason to do so. Or, on the other hand, prove me wrong and show me where in the Bible it says "God hates fags." (Your words, not mine.)

[Moses Yoder]

OK, I will try a couple different tacks.

I believe I am a better woodworker than most of the people here, but I would be hard pressed to prove it. I suppose that is more evidence that I belong in a loony bin.

Two, my religion makes me feel good about myself, and makes me want to help others. I see it as a good thing. I can understand if religion is making people do bad things, we should punish the people for doing bad things. But if my religion is good for me, and makes me want to do good things, why would I be punished for it?

Three, please provide proof that I had a grandfather.

Your religion makes you? So if forces you to be nice as if you can't do that all on your own accord? I don't recall religion being necessary for people to be nice, and if you need it to be nice, well, there is a problem there. And religion influences people to do bad things when they take it seriously to the point of teaching hate. You know, GOD hates fags? Yes, that sort of teaching is in the bible.

However, none of this has to do with the subject of the OP... And yes we can prove you had a Grandfather just by simple means of investigation and genetics. But it seems you need the appeal to ignorance argument to rationalize the fact that you really aren't talking to anyone but yourself when you sit down and pray while others actually do something constructive.. I don't recall the act of praying ever coming down and handing a starving man a sandwich. I don't recall some magical deity coming down and helping out at the soup kitchen either.. And then you go and visit someplace like Sudan and get a reality check that praying to the imaginary friend in the sky does absolutely nothing.

And if you are going to do something out of kindness, you ought to do it because you actually care and not because you believe some imaginary being is watching you in the sky.. If you need direction for this, you might need help addressing why you feel you need direction in caring for others. If you give a man a sandwich for religious purposes, and the hope to convert them, you aren't doing it because you actually care. You are doing it with strings attached with an agenda.

I didn't ask if you can prove that I had a grandfather. I asked you to do it. I have even given you my real name to start with. What does Jackelantern mean? Does that have anything to do with your real name?

Before you do that, I want you to go back through your post and tally the assumptions you made about me. I count 7, which incidentally is God's perfect number.

[TheJackelantern]

I didn't ask if you can prove that I had a grandfather. I asked you to do it. I have even given you my real name to start with. What does Jackelantern mean? Does that have anything to do with your real name?

I could do it if I had access to the means of doing so.. However, I am not that stupid and I understand how the human reproductive system works. Your argument would require people to actually ignore understanding how people are actually born. And giving your name could likely not be enough info to investigate with since new names are invented all the time to which cut of lineage links. So do us a favor, if you need to argue for ignorance to make a case of imaginary friends, it just shows how weak of an argument you have. Your argument is equivalent to a flatearther saying you can't prove the Earth is an oblate sphere because you haven't measured it yourself, and that all the evidence, including your own, is evil propaganda from RE fundamentalists. And the wort part of this discussion is the fact that you know you are using a dishonest argument for an appeal to ignorance. Hence you are wasting everyone's time. Yes we understand that Christians need the Carl Sagan Dragon, or the invisible horse that can't speak for itself in the invisible stable. Such religions thrive on intentional ignorance and taught delusion.

And I didn't make any assumptions about you considering I used the term "IF" based on how you wrote your post. And sorry, odd numbers aren't perfect.. However, it can be argued that an odd number is one that believes that their imaginary friend is real...

[earendil]

Imaginary friend

Imaginary friends....

But if the friends were real..then the one who thought they were imaginary...would be insane.

[TheJackelantern]

But if the friends were real..then the one who thought they were imaginary...would be insane.

Giving the context dealt with imaginary friends. And it wouldn't make the person questioning them insane. It would make them wrong but not insane if a friend is provided as evidence to itself. And that really means establishing the reality of said friend in question and not relying on a Carl Sagan Dragon position / appeal to ignorance.