Difference between a god (including God) and...

[nobspeople]

Most believe gods (including your God) are immortal 'beings' that have existed 'forever' (even though that isn't a concept humanity can fully grasp, which I find amusing but that's something for another time), created most, if not, everything, and is in control (in a sense) of everything (even things humanity doesn't know about - again: amusing ). Some gods have the power to grant immortality in a special, good place (ie heaven) or punish in a bad place (ie hell), etc (though this isn't a complete list as what gods are and can do can (and does often) vary from culture to culture, location to location, time to time and even person to person).

For discussion:
So what's the difference between a god and a superior, mortal being (or society of beings) that is more advanced than humanity to you?
How does this play into your belief (or non-belief) in your life? Or does it not matter?

[historia]

So what's the difference between a god and a superior, mortal being (or society of beings) that is more advanced than humanity to you?

Not much, really.

But there is a fundamental difference between either of those two things on the one hand and God on the other.

Most believe gods (including your God) are immortal 'beings' that have existed 'forever'

Here you've committed a basic (albeit common) category error, lumping God together with the gods, as if 'God' were just the name of a god.

These are not the same kind of thing. God is not a 'being' in the same way that a rock, a tree, a human, or a god is a 'being'. God is the infinite wellspring of all that exists, transcending the created order, rather than just being one more object within it.

Contrary to your assertion above, the gods were not conceived of as having existed 'forever', but rather each had a creation or origin inside the cosmos. God, on the other hand, is uncreated and thus truly eternal.

To be clear: whether you or I personally believe either God or the gods exist is irrelevant to my point here. We should recognize that these are rather different concepts.

[nobspeople]

So what's the difference between a god and a superior, mortal being (or society of beings) that is more advanced than humanity to you?

Not much, really.

But there is a fundamental difference between either of those two things on the one hand and God on the other.

Most believe gods (including your God) are immortal 'beings' that have existed 'forever'

Here you've committed a basic (albeit common) category error, lumping God together with the gods, as if 'God' were just the name of a god.

These are not the same kind of thing. God is not a 'being' in the same way that a rock, a tree, a human, or a god is a 'being'. God is the infinite wellspring of all that exists, transcending the created order, rather than just being one more object within it.

Contrary to your assertion above, the gods were not conceived of as having existed 'forever', but rather each had a creation or origin inside the cosmos. God, on the other hand, is truly eternal, being uncreated.

To be clear: whether you or I personally believe either God or the gods exist is irrelevant to my point here. We should recognize that these are rather different concepts.

I referred to god and God specifically to differentiate them from each other.

[Tcg]

[Replying to historia in post #31]

Special Pleading doesn't resolve the problem with claiming that God is somehow different from the other gods humans have and do imagine.


Tcg

[historia]

Special Pleading doesn't resolve the problem with claiming that God is somehow different from the other gods humans have and do imagine.

On the contrary, I explained why the two concepts of God an a god are different from each other, so your charge of "special pleading" here is erroneous.

[historia]

I referred to god and God specifically to differentiate them from each other.

Then what in your mind differentiates them?

And why lump them together as "gods (including your God)" if they are different?

[Tcg]

Special Pleading doesn't resolve the problem with claiming that God is somehow different from the other gods humans have and do imagine.

On the contrary, I explained why the two concepts of God an a god are different from each other, so your charge of "special pleading" here is erroneous.

That doesn't change the fact that you are using an argument based on Special Pleading. Your only argument apparently is based on capitalization of the name you Specially Plead is the right name for god/gods/God etc... etc.. etc...


Tcg

[nobspeople]

I referred to god and God specifically to differentiate them from each other.

1) Then what in your mind differentiates them?

2) And why lump them together as "gods (including your God)" if they are different?

1) belief
2) to encompass those that believe in one and not the other in the conversation

[historia]

Special Pleading doesn't resolve the problem with claiming that God is somehow different from the other gods humans have and do imagine.

On the contrary, I explained why the two concepts of God an a god are different from each other, so your charge of "special pleading" here is erroneous.

That doesn't change the fact that you are using an argument based on Special Pleading. Your only argument apparently is based on capitalization of the name you Specially Plead is the right name for god/gods/God etc... etc.. etc...

You need to go back and read post #31 again, my friend, lest you continue to embarrass yourself.

I specifically criticized nobspeople for treating 'God' as if it were the name of a god. But God, as a concept, is different from a god based on the two reasons I gave in that post.

Those reasons justify treating the two concepts differently -- as they have been in various religious traditions since antiquity -- and thus does not make my argument special pleading.

[Tcg]

Special Pleading doesn't resolve the problem with claiming that God is somehow different from the other gods humans have and do imagine.

On the contrary, I explained why the two concepts of God an a god are different from each other, so your charge of "special pleading" here is erroneous.

That doesn't change the fact that you are using an argument based on Special Pleading. Your only argument apparently is based on capitalization of the name you Specially Plead is the right name for god/gods/God etc... etc.. etc...

You need to go back and read post #31 again, my friend, lest you continue to embarrass yourself.

I specifically criticized nobspeople for treating 'God' as if it were the name of a god. But God, as a concept, is different from a god based on the two reasons I gave in that post.

Those reasons justify treating the two concepts differently -- as they have been in various religious traditions since antiquity -- and thus does not make my argument special pleading.

Nah. All concepts of god/gods/God are equal unless one relies on Special Pleading to claim that they aren't.


Tcg

[historia]

[Replying to Tcg in post #39]

Let's be frank here, Tcg: You can't even coherently explain why you think my argument constitutes special pleading. Your assertion that my argument was based "on capitalization of the name you Specially Plead is the right name" is so obviously and demonstrably false that you just silently dropped that explanation and are now just resorting to "nuh-uh" retorts.

Based on this false charge and others you've made on this site, it's clear to me you have a poor grasp of what does and doesn't constitute various logical fallacies.