What is God?

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Mr.Badham
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What is God?

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Post by Mr.Badham »

As an atheist, I have a hard time understanding what a god might look like. Please help.

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JehovahsWitness
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Re: What is God?

Post #71

Post by JehovahsWitness »

[Replying to post 69 by FWI]

Well I base my faith on the bible not the gospel according to FWI, so forgive me if I dont believe what anyghing you have to say about God.

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Re: What is God?

Post #72

Post by FWI »

[Replying to post 71 by JehovahsWitness]
JehovahsWitness wrote:Well I base my faith on the bible


Which, bible is that: the Judeo-Christian bible, NWT bible or any other set of religious writings that are available?

About 600 B.C., God inspired the prophet Jeremiah to record that the old covenant was broken and that a new one was required and would be implemented in the future. Yet, this new covenant would be quite different from the old one. God would write His ways into a man heart and mind. Thus, teachers and man's writings would be effectively unreliable, as a whole. Mainly, because lies were being recorded…Hence, worshipping any bible is against God's will.

But, this doesn't mean that certain recorded writings can't be helpful, as long as, caution is taken. It just means that God and/or the Christ will teach the chosen and help them to discern the truth.
JehovahsWitness wrote:Not the gospel according to FWI


This label is inaccurate…The term "gospel" simply means: good news. However, my supplied information isn't "good news" at all! It's the opposite for those who try to confine God.
JehovahsWitness wrote: So forgive me if I don't believe what anything you have to say about God.


It is not important that you believe me, I didn't expect others to do so. However, it is clear that a few, do agree in principal, but not in all of the details. So, I cannot forgive you, because (it seems) you really aren't sincere…

No offense.

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Re: What is God?

Post #73

Post by JehovahsWitness »

FWI wrote: [Replying to post 71 by JehovahsWitness]
JehovahsWitness wrote:Well I base my faith on the bible


Which, bible is that: the Judeo-Christian bible, NWT bible or any other set of religious writings that are available?
Judeo-Christian bible (any translation). I'm not saying I believe all translations are equal, some are in my opinion better than others but one can use any bible to find the truth in my opinion.




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INDEX: More bible based ANSWERS
http://debatingchristianity.com/forum/v ... 81#p826681


"For if we live, we live to Jehovah, and if we die, we die to Jehovah. So both if we live and if we die, we belong to Jehovah" -
Romans 14:8

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Post #74

Post by otseng »

FWI wrote:
JehovahsWitness wrote: So forgive me if I don't believe what anything you have to say about God.


It is not important that you believe me, I didn't expect others to do so. However, it is clear that a few, do agree in principal, but not in all of the details. So, I cannot forgive you, because (it seems) you really aren't sincere…

No offense.
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Re: What is God?

Post #75

Post by FWI »

[Replying to post 70 by shnarkle]
shnarkle wrote:I would also point out that an omniscient deity cannot, by definition; be known. As soon as anyone claims to know anything about their god, they are presenting a god of their own imagination.


Omniscience means all-knowing. God being all-knowing is aware of the past, present, and future (if He desires to know such things, especially the future). Nothing takes Him by surprise. His knowledge is total. He knows all that there is to know and all that can be known. However, God wants a relationship with his created and He gives angels/humans certain understandings of His reality, we/they can't know all aspects of God's reality! But, we can understand some…

Written materials can be beneficial in several different way. Thus, from my perspective, God can use whatever means He desires to let His created beings understand how He exists. This is understood by humans knowing the past, present and future. Where, the past is known by history books, the present by current actions and the future by planning or not planning.
shnarkle wrote:The only other alternative is transcendence, and transcendence can't be understood, known, felt, experienced or articulated. Transcendence must also transcend existence, therefore the "God" of the bible can't exist.


In religion, transcendence refers to the aspect of God's nature and power which is wholly independent of the material universe and beyond all physical laws. Today, God's nature is not known by humans, mainly because our brains cannot comprehend it, but that doesn't mean that God won't enhance our brain power (in the future) to understand such knowledge. Yet, we can understand His power. We only need to look into the sky on a clear night to get just a glimpse of it. Thus, I disagree with your comment that the God of the bible can't exist…
shnarkle wrote:Paul says as much in 1 Corinthians 8:6, when he points out that God is the origin of everything that exists while Christ is the means of all that exists.


The idea that is interjected by 1Corinthians 8:6 is a clear example of the Trinity belief system, which I reject. I personally doubt that the apostle Paul wrote this verse, in the way it is now recorded. The Christ came to be by the means of the New Covenant, which was promised by God and occurred about 4-6 B.C., yet was technically implemented, when the temple was destroyed and animal sacrifices ended. The exceptions to this occurred at Pentecost, which is recorded in Acts 2.
shnarkle wrote:Paul's claim negates an infinite regression. It also agrees with the introduction to John's gospel, e.g. "in the beginning was the word". John knows that God cannot exist "in the beginning" because God transcends existence. Therefore only the word exists eternally. God can only exist in, with and through the word. There can be no referent for God. To worship God objectively is to ignore the commandment and become an idolater.
The problem with this comment is that it suggests that humans can know God or at the least, John or whoever wrote the fourth gospel did…Where, in other statements, it is suggested that this ability is nonexistent.

Again, John 1:1 is just another example of the Trinity doctrine and has no bearing on the truth of God's interactions with His created or the actual meaning of John 1 and other related bible verses or opinions.

However, to worship God objectively or as a "material" object would be wrong. Yet, to ignore that God's "existence is actual" would be blasphemy…

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Re: What is God?

Post #76

Post by EarthScienceguy »

[Replying to post 1 by Mr.Badham]

Colossians 1:15

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.

John 1:18

No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is Himself God and is at the Father's side, has made Him known.

God is invisible. This is why the the second great commandment is:
“You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth."

God is invisible. He is also at every point in space and at every point in time all at the same time.

Jeremiah 23:24
"Can a man hide himself in hiding places So I do not see him?" declares the LORD "Do I not fill the heavens and the earth?" declares the LORD.

God is invisible like the wind. And also like the wind you may not see the wind but you can see the effects of the wind. So you do not see God you see the effects of God.

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