So many people have so many different concepts of what they think God is.
To me, God is truth, wisdom and love. I don't really even need to call it God. Maybe I should stop, because it seems to give people the wrong idea.
"and it's hard for a god to exist when you're a rationalist" What about the question "can something come from nothing?" wouldn't a rationalist say no? Simple law of non-contradiction.
How is it that all these people come up with ethics on their own? Atheists, who do not fear the authority of God, come up with these ideas. And how did Religions all over the world, without any interaction, come up with similar ideas? There seems to be something above us here. What is that truth that seems to govern all those who take the time to dig it out of their minds?
The rejection of the idea of God sitting on a cloud deciding who gets eternal bliss and who gets eternal damnation is a good thing. Inspiring someone to find a truth within themselves is the only real way they'll come up with ethical conclusions. Fear of authority doesn't allow someone understand why they shouldn't do something.
The Bible seems tries to inspire as much or more than it does scare, but fear is the easiest thing for people to understand so they jump immediately to it.
I think a lot of Atheists are on the right track. They're thinking, and that's where God is. I think people need new conceptions of what God is! There is an eternal unchanging law which governs the universe. Science is our way of figuring out what those laws are through observations of things that exist as bodies in the world.
So a lot people won't reject thinking and trying to come to the best conclusion they can on a matter. But without any sort of education in these matters, (as church has attempted to provide, but people not really thinking has skewed this whole purpose) some people will think "there is no God" and they will become their own God in a "what gives me the most instant satisfaction?" kind of way. (Not that people who are Christian or whatever don't do this by misunderstanding or skewing religion right now) They'll eat as much as they want, try to become as powerful or "important" as they can, try to be the most "this" or the most "that".
I think that church was a way of attempting to give these ideas which can be gotten from inside yourself to the general masses. Now that it's dwindling, I think that (some) people who might otherwise have been inspired to be good by church may never find that inspiration anywhere else.
I see the effects of "Godlessness" in North American society in movies, television, music and even childrens toys. Art is the most accurate reflection of a society after all.
Barbies. People ragged on Barbies for giving women an unrealistic body image. Sure, valid argument. But at least (up until pretty recently) they wore relatively modest clothing and not too much make up. (although for the time there were pretty bad I guess.) But look at what we have now. Bratz dolls. I would burn them all were it possible. Rich, spoiled, face painted scantily clad bitches. Just think about kids - this really does affect them. In the 80's, kids in schools dressed modestly, although some were for sure pushing the limits of their times. But look at the tweens sporting Paris Hilton gear? That never would have happened in any time except now, when the idea of God is being rejected. This is a massive and recent change.
A purely Capitalist society is quite Godless.North American society, for the most part, is currently Godless.
To conclude, I think a "Godless" society can be good. I also think a good society can't possibly be Godless. A good society cannot exist unless they contemplate the eternal unchanging rationale of the universe and are guided by wisdom and truth and not their own personal desires. Lots of Atheists do this! They don't even know they're contemplating what religious philosophers have been calling God for centuries!
That's all I'll say for now. Please read this post with charity.
To me, God is truth, wisdom and love. I don't really even need to call it God. Maybe I should stop, because it seems to give people the wrong idea.
"and it's hard for a god to exist when you're a rationalist" What about the question "can something come from nothing?" wouldn't a rationalist say no? Simple law of non-contradiction.
How is it that all these people come up with ethics on their own? Atheists, who do not fear the authority of God, come up with these ideas. And how did Religions all over the world, without any interaction, come up with similar ideas? There seems to be something above us here. What is that truth that seems to govern all those who take the time to dig it out of their minds?
The rejection of the idea of God sitting on a cloud deciding who gets eternal bliss and who gets eternal damnation is a good thing. Inspiring someone to find a truth within themselves is the only real way they'll come up with ethical conclusions. Fear of authority doesn't allow someone understand why they shouldn't do something.
The Bible seems tries to inspire as much or more than it does scare, but fear is the easiest thing for people to understand so they jump immediately to it.
I think a lot of Atheists are on the right track. They're thinking, and that's where God is. I think people need new conceptions of what God is! There is an eternal unchanging law which governs the universe. Science is our way of figuring out what those laws are through observations of things that exist as bodies in the world.
So a lot people won't reject thinking and trying to come to the best conclusion they can on a matter. But without any sort of education in these matters, (as church has attempted to provide, but people not really thinking has skewed this whole purpose) some people will think "there is no God" and they will become their own God in a "what gives me the most instant satisfaction?" kind of way. (Not that people who are Christian or whatever don't do this by misunderstanding or skewing religion right now) They'll eat as much as they want, try to become as powerful or "important" as they can, try to be the most "this" or the most "that".
I think that church was a way of attempting to give these ideas which can be gotten from inside yourself to the general masses. Now that it's dwindling, I think that (some) people who might otherwise have been inspired to be good by church may never find that inspiration anywhere else.
I see the effects of "Godlessness" in North American society in movies, television, music and even childrens toys. Art is the most accurate reflection of a society after all.
Barbies. People ragged on Barbies for giving women an unrealistic body image. Sure, valid argument. But at least (up until pretty recently) they wore relatively modest clothing and not too much make up. (although for the time there were pretty bad I guess.) But look at what we have now. Bratz dolls. I would burn them all were it possible. Rich, spoiled, face painted scantily clad bitches. Just think about kids - this really does affect them. In the 80's, kids in schools dressed modestly, although some were for sure pushing the limits of their times. But look at the tweens sporting Paris Hilton gear? That never would have happened in any time except now, when the idea of God is being rejected. This is a massive and recent change.
A purely Capitalist society is quite Godless.North American society, for the most part, is currently Godless.
To conclude, I think a "Godless" society can be good. I also think a good society can't possibly be Godless. A good society cannot exist unless they contemplate the eternal unchanging rationale of the universe and are guided by wisdom and truth and not their own personal desires. Lots of Atheists do this! They don't even know they're contemplating what religious philosophers have been calling God for centuries!
That's all I'll say for now. Please read this post with charity.