What would you do if you were God?

[The Happy Humanist]

Imagine one night you're roused out of bed, and swept through time and space to a magnificent room full of angelic-looking beings. You stand before a trio of them behind a golden podium. The one in the center informs you that "You have been chosen by the Council of Deities to create a new universe. You will be given the position of 'God,' and provided with all you need."

With that, you are escorted to a room in which there is a computer terminal and a large 3-D viewscreen. The terminal has a standard QWERTY keyboard, along with a whole array of macro buttons, with labels like "Create universe", "Let There Be Light", "Create sentient race," "Create Hell," "Populate Hell," "Reboot Sentient Race" (which destroys your creation in a flood, or the natural disaster of your choosing)", "Send Saviour," "Initiate Rapture Routine," etc. (There's even one marked "Create Rock So Big You Can't Lift It," but it seems to be stuck. )

You are free to push buttons and/or design code to your liking; the Council has informed you that there are no consequences for "right" or "wrong" actions on your part.

Now, with the example of what Jehovah did with his universe cemented in your mind, what would you do differently in yours - if anything?

For example, would you create your beings with free will, refuse to show your face (there is a macro button labeled "Interact"), and then throw them into the lake of fire for eternity for "rejecting" you? Would your scriptures contain pronouncements against homosexuality? Would there even be homosexuality?

There is probably a temptation on the part of some Christians to answer "no changes, God's world is perfect." The question remains, do you really think its perfect, or are you just mimicking what you've heard? This exercise is to get you to try to think outside that box.

[achilles12604]

I simply think that life was much better before people became trapped by such a fast paced life.

I think you need to be more specific about what aspects of life are better and/or worse given certain technological innovations.
I assume you would not trade any of the medical knowledge or technology of today for that of the 1800s - especially if your daughter was injured or became ill. But that technology is dependent upon all sorts of technologies that you would likely shun. Next time you take your kid to the doctor to for an ear infection do an inventory of everything you see that supports the effort. Absolutely everything from the vinyl on the hospital bed to the CRT in the monitor to the capacitors in the defibrillator to all the medicines and sterile bandages to the on-call radios the doctors wear. If you chose to remove only a few technologies that you did not feel comfortable with, the whole medical establishment would cease to exist as you know it.

I think it is useful (for everyone) to do a careful evaluation of just how dependent you are upon modern technology - even for a low-tech horse saddle. Your list of of modern technologies you couldn't live without would probably get longer and longer if you knew more about what you would be giving up if certain ones no longer existed. (I have done many technological interdependency exercises in the course of my work and am always surprised at just how far the rabbit hole goes..).

Like you and many, many other people I have struggled with how to make life less complicated. I have found some tranquility by building my house near a stream on the side of a mountain. (BTW: I too cut my own wood for winter heat. I go through 10 cords for a 4k sqft house that uses a huge blower from the wood stove to distribute the heat) but I also cheat: I have 2 sizes of chain saws and a 20 ton hydraulic wood splitter.)
But ultimately, I have arrived at the conclusion that I will have to follow Mother Teresa's advice and make my own internal world peaceful. Keeping out some of the noise and wandering the wilderness definitely helps but it is ultimately up to me to be at peace.....and to control the technology and not let the technology control me....(So give me the friggin' remote!)

You forget . . . I'm God. I can apply whatever technology I wish while taking away the rest.



Oh yea!

[Cmass]

You forget . . . I'm God. I can apply whatever technology I wish while taking away the rest.

True!

But then perhaps you could just simplify things and replace hospitals with miraculous healing centers?

[achilles12604]

You forget . . . I'm God. I can apply whatever technology I wish while taking away the rest.

True!

But then perhaps you could just simplify things and replace hospitals with miraculous healing centers?

Na. Remember I have to be sufficiantly vague or else people will accept me simply because I am so powerful instead of truely caring about me or what I did for them.

[Cmass]

You forget . . . I'm God. I can apply whatever technology I wish while taking away the rest.

True!

But then perhaps you could just simplify things and replace hospitals with miraculous healing centers? icon_dance


Na. Remember I have to be sufficiantly vague or else people will accept me simply because I am so powerful instead of truely caring about me or what I did for them.

I left Corporate America partly because I had too many bosses who were extremely vague and far too enamored with their power for me to truly care about them or what they were attempting to achieve (usually more power).

This is an interesting point though...so let me ask it directly:

Would followers love you more if they knew you better? Or would they love you more if they knew less of you???
Hmmm.
And as a God with no needs or wants, why do you need or want their love?

In my universe, I made the assumption that the more my creatures knew me, the calmer and happier they would be. Conflict, struggle and change all have to still be there but I thought it important for them to have a very real, very basic connection to me as their God.

[Cmass]

And Achilles, what are you doing up so late answering posts? I have an excuse: I do a lot of work on the computer and I am awaiting Internet responses from China, Taiwan and Cambodia regarding material I need to order. They are awake now.
But you! Unless you work the night shift, I hate to think of what might happen to a sleepy COP when confronted by some of them mean old Colorado hillbillies and their squirrel guns! "Go git 'em Jed!"

[achilles12604]

You forget . . . I'm God. I can apply whatever technology I wish while taking away the rest.

True!

But then perhaps you could just simplify things and replace hospitals with miraculous healing centers? icon_dance


Na. Remember I have to be sufficiantly vague or else people will accept me simply because I am so powerful instead of truely caring about me or what I did for them.

I left Corporate America partly because I had too many bosses who were extremely vague and far too enamored with their power for me to truly care about them or what they were attempting to achieve (usually more power).

This is an interesting point though...so let me ask it directly:

Would followers love you more if they knew you better? Or would they love you more if they knew less of you???
Hmmm.
And as a God with no needs or wants, why do you need or want their love?

In my universe, I made the assumption that the more my creatures knew me, the calmer and happier they would be. Conflict, struggle and change all have to still be there but I thought it important for them to have a very real, very basic connection to me as their God.

I can understand your viewpoint on this.

I think my viewpoint is different simply because I had a different upbringing than you. While I was growing up, I noticed that mst people would hang around the "cool" kids simply because they were cool. Then they would lie and backstab everyone else around them so long as it increased whatever they wanted.

This still holds true for adults. Now I work with inmates and i find it increadible how these guys will play real nice so long as they get what they are wanting at that particular time. The second you say no, they yell and get violent and turn into the selfish person they really are.

I think most people are this way at heart. They are looking out for number one. This is why I would want seperation. I would probably give more frequest reminders of my continued existence than the real God does, but still I would keep my distance and see who was willing to put themselves aside and truely seek me out. Then I would know who to accept and who to reject. They would have decided for themselves.

[Cmass]

Hey, I have a cousin who works the night shift as a prison guard and is a religious wingnut too....Kendall is that you man!?!

[Cmass]

While I was growing up, I noticed that mst people would hang around the "cool" kids simply because they were cool. Then they would lie and backstab everyone else around them so long as it increased whatever they wanted.

My father was a school principal his entire career, my mother was a special education teacher, my sister is biology teacher and 2 of my friends have wives that are teachers - one of them at a local Catholic school. I can assure you that what you describe is par for the course at ALL schools including the Catholic school. School kids are not very mature and not always very nice to each other. Most grow up, but some don't and end up on the other side of the door you are guarding. I went to a very competitive school in an upscale neighborhood with a fair percentage of snotty brat kids who were obsessed with being cool. I thought it was obnoxious so spent as much time as I could in outdoor pursuits where I was free of it.

I think most people are this way at heart.

I don't think so. You sound just like my cousin. Dealing with nasty people every day made him fairly dour about all people's motives after a couple of years. I could understand how that would happen....but I don't think it is accurate. You might want to limit your time in that job....

They are looking out for number one.

Yes, I believe this is absolutely correct. And the subconscious plays a huge role in how this is manifested. However, being self-interested does not mean you will act badly. Biologists have established that Altruism is built-in and is an important part of our species survival tactics. I would also submit that your own belief in a ghost and devil inspire your behavior.....it is in your self interest to behave. If you don't you will be tortured by the devil and if you do, you will be pleasured by the ghost. It is self-interested behavior.

I would hope, however, that with ME as your God, you would be free to love or hate me as you chose. I would not have an ego that necessitated your approval or acknowledgement of me. I would give you the tools you needed to succeed, set up the rules and then step back. But if you called and wanted support or advice, I would appear immediately before you in the most comforting form for you.

[achilles12604]

I would hope, however, that with ME as your God, you would be free to love or hate me as you chose. I would not have an ego that necessitated your approval or acknowledgement of me. I would give you the tools you needed to succeed, set up the rules and then step back. But if you called and wanted support or advice, I would appear immediately before you in the most comforting form for you.

You sound like you're running for office here.

[Cmass]

Yes, the office of God In Chief.