Searching for GOD...

[torridon]

I think there is plenty of evidence on this forum that people are either aware of a Creator or in conscious denial of His existence.

Mostly, we are in conscious denial of irrational and unjustified beliefs, to be more accurate. Nothing wrong in hoisting a flag for reason and truthfulness.

[Gordon]

I think there is plenty of evidence on this forum that people are either aware of a Creator or in conscious denial of His existence.

There is some for the former, but the latter sees you both begging the question and misrepresenting those of us who are atheists.

[Stranger]

I think there is plenty of evidence on this forum that people are either aware of a Creator or in conscious denial of His existence.

    Just when you thought AB couldn't possibly get less credible....

[bluehillside Retd.]

AB,

Me:

Your only way out of that would be to re-define consciousness to exclude the orang utan in such an idiosyncratic way that even you would blush at the attempt.

You:

Awareness of our Creator (or conscious denial of our Creator) would be a definitive feature of our conscious awareness.

Can we take a moment here to mark the very moment Alan Burns finally gave up any last vestige of credibility he may once have had?

So there we have it – turns out that all along “consciousness” meant believing in the same god that AB believes in. Who’d have thought it eh? Well, it’s an idiosyncratic definition all right I’ll give him that.

Note the circularity here too – only we are conscious, therefore god made us that way/what does “conscious” mean? Believing in god!

[wigginhall]

I think there is plenty of evidence on this forum that people are either aware of a Creator or in conscious denial of His existence.

Now AB is shifting from wrong, wrong, and wrong on various topics, to just plain dagenham, (i.e. barking). 

[bluehillside Retd.]

Wiggs,

Now AB is shifting from wrong, wrong, and wrong on various topics, to just plain dagenham, (i.e. barking).

I'd say Upminster - he's beyond Barking...

[Rhiannon]

I am sure Rhi will understand the significance.

What Rhi sees is platitudinous cobblers.

[Rhiannon]

Wiggs,

I'd say Upminster - he's beyond Barking...

A District Line joke!

[bluehillside Retd.]

Rhi,

Dunno why, but AB's "look how the light comes through the window" drivel reminds me a bit of Ray Comfort's infamous, "look how the banana is designed to fit my hand" daftness.

[Rhiannon]

Rhi,

Dunno why, but AB's "look how the light comes through the window" drivel reminds me a bit of Ray Comfort's infamous, "look how the banana is designed to fit my hand" daftness.

It reminded me of the late, lovely Thora Hird and her 'it's times like this that I realise that God is a bit like a Garibaldi biscuit' tea-cosy religion from Praise Be.

[bluehillside Retd.]

Rhi,

It reminded me of the late, lovely Thora Hird and her 'it's times like this that I realise that God is a bit like a Garibaldi biscuit' tea-cosy religion from Praise Be.

But can’t you see, God is like a garibaldi biscuit! Think of the currants as us, his special creation and how it’d be if we were adrift in the universe, lost fruit in a sea of indifference. But no – God has enfolded us in the biscuit of his love!

And not any old biscuit mind you, oh no. Golden biscuit that glows in the light of His infinite wisdom! No co-incidence there I think you’ll agree. And as the crumbs fall from the plate, so He reveals to us His message – you may think the baked goods are finished as you eat them, but truly they are resurrected as the crumbs in your trousers reveal themselves to nourish you again!

Do you know, I think I might give this preaching malarkey a go. I wonder if there are any vacancies at AB’s church?

[Enki]

Yes. Well, AB's thoughts on those who do not believe in his version of the creator does really seem to 'take the biscuit'.

[Rhiannon]

Rhi,

But can’t you see, God is like a garibaldi biscuit! Think of the currants as us, his special creation and how it’d be if we were adrift in the universe, lost fruit in a sea of indifference. But no – God has enfolded us in the biscuit of his love!

And not any old biscuit mind you, oh no. Golden biscuit that glows in the light of His infinite wisdom! No co-incidence there I think you’ll agree. And as the crumbs fall from the plate, so He reveals to us His message – you may think the baked goods are finished as you eat them, but truly they are resurrected as the crumbs in your trousers reveal themselves to nourish you again!

Do you know, I think I might give this preaching malarkey a go. I wonder if there are any vacancies at AB’s church?

But what about the triple chocolate chip cookies? God can't be like those, they are just too tempting, sinful even.

I suspect that the Tesco's Finest ones are a deception by you-know-who...

[SusanDoris]

Rhi,

But can’t you see, God is like a garibaldi biscuit! Think of the currants as us, his special creation and how it’d be if we were adrift in the universe, lost fruit in a sea of indifference. But no – God has enfolded us in the biscuit of his love!

And not any old biscuit mind you, oh no. Golden biscuit that glows in the light of His infinite wisdom! No co-incidence there I think you’ll agree. And just as the crumbs fall from the plate, so He reveals to us His message – you may think the baked goods are finished as you eat them, but truly they are resurrected as the crumbs in your trousers reveal themselves to nourish you again!

Do you know, I think I might give this preaching malarkey a go. I wonder if there are any vacancies at AB’s church?

Thank you for a laugh with which to end today!

I was just thinking too - I wonder how many falsehood have been preached today, reinforcing those beliefs which rely totally on faith.
And how many people have said the Apostles or Nicene Creeds and really thought about just what they are actually saying.

[bluehillside Retd.]

Rhi,

But what about the triple chocolate chip cookies? God can't be like those, they are just too tempting, sinful even.

I suspect that the Tesco's Finest ones are a deception by you-know-who...

So you're a tribiscuitarian then are you?

Pah! Heretic!

[floo]

When humans evolved enough to try to puzzle out how the universe etc came into being they allowed their imaginations to have a free rein, hence the idea of gods. The Biblical god appears to be an entirely human creation behaving like a character in a fairy tale.

[Étienne d'Angleterre]

I think there is plenty of evidence on this forum that people are either aware of a Creator or in conscious denial of His existence.

Then this is another perfect example of you being wrong.

I am not aware of a creator, or in conscious denial. I KNOW this to be the case.

You are explicitly accusing me of being a liar.

Please provide the evidence of that or retract that statement please.

[Alan Burns]

Then this is another perfect example of you being wrong.

I am not aware of a creator, or in conscious denial. I KNOW this to be the case.

You are explicitly accusing me of being a liar.

Please provide the evidence of that or retract that statement please.

I apologise because I forgot to include the fence sitters who are not in denial, nor believers, but are certainly aware of the possibility or not of God's existence.

The point I was making is that nowhere else in the animal kingdom is there any evidence of a capability of belief in God.  And this capability is a definitive attribute which identifies the unique free thinking attribute in the conscious awareness of the human race.

[Alan Burns]

So all the non believers in your god are lying. Way to go.

Not lying but genuinely mistaken

[Nearly Sane]

Not lying but genuinely mistaken

That's not what 'conscious denial' means. You should correct your earlier post.

Oh and say I die 'genuinely mistaken', what kind if being would punish me for that?

[Gordon]

I apologise because I forgot to include the fence sitters who are not in denial, nor believers, but are certainly aware of the possibility or not of God's existence.

You're still misrepresenting some of us.

The point I was making is that nowhere else in the animal kingdom is there any evidence of a capability of belief in God.

So, I take it you've solved the 'other minds' problem: do tell (then await your certain Nobel).

And this capability is a definitive attribute which identifies the unique free thinking attribute in the conscious awareness of the human race.

It may be an attribute I suppose, provided of course you regard gullibility as an attribute - fortunately some of us don't suffer from this particular attribute.

[Alan Burns]

Oh and say I die 'genuinely mistaken', what kind if being would punish me for that?

Of course there can be no punishment if you are genuinely mistaken.

[Nearly Sane]

Of course there can be no punishment if you are genuinely mistaken.

Are you retracting the 'conscious denial' then?

And what about your fellow believers who think that I am hell bound if I don't believe. Why are they wrong?

[Stranger]

I apologise because I forgot to include the fence sitters who are not in denial, nor believers, but are certainly aware of the possibility or not of God's existence.

Well, many of the thousands of gods that humans have believed in are not strictly impossible, so rationally we have to be 'aware' of the possibility of any of them. We also have to be 'aware' of the possibility of all sorts of other stories; leprechauns, alien abductions, vampires, ghosts, the Invisible Pink Unicorn, and so on, and so on, and so on...

We also have to accept that there is no reason to consider that any of these baseless stories are in the least bit probable.

However we can, with near certainty, dismiss your idea of the soul, because it is logically impossible.

[Alan Burns]

Well, many of the thousands of gods that humans have believed in are not strictly impossible, so rationally we have to be 'aware' of the possibility of any of them. We also have to be 'aware' of the possibility of all sorts of other stories; leprechauns, alien abductions, vampires, ghosts, the Invisible Pink Unicorn, and so on, and so on, and so on...

We also have to accept that there is no reason to consider that any of these baseless stories are in the least bit probable.

However we can, with near certainty, dismiss your idea of the soul, because it is logically impossible.

I think you missed the point I was making. 
Our ability to believe or disbelieve is a major distinguishing feature between humans and other animals.  And the fact that an orang utan can be trained to copy human like traits does not imply that it has the conscious free will of the human soul.