Moderator Margee Posted February 10, 2011 Moderator Share Posted February 10, 2011 Humanism contends that instead of the gods creating the cosmos, the cosmos, in the individualized form of thinking human beings, giving ‘guesstimates’ to their imaginations - created the gods. Therefore, God did not make us – We made ‘god’. We made up the ‘image’ and ‘representation’ of God. God is just a label and description the ancient people gave it a long time ago in the past. Humans back then, painted the picture of the cranky old man in the sky who screwed up in a garden, and had to use a human sacrifice to make us feel guilty for even being born. This was their story How ludicrous! How preposterous! How absurd! How stupid! It gets more unintelligent to me more everyday! Humanists believe there is no supernatural, cranky man in the atmosphere. We have come to that conclusion. So, if the ancient people had the right to tell us who they thought god was – then we ‘new agers’ have the right to re-define the word – G-O-D. Definitions of god on the Web: Deity: any supernatural being worshipped as controlling some part of the world or some aspect of life or who is the personification of a force. My new definition of god: (not in the dictionary yet!) God: A moral description that is a respectable ‘aim’, righteous and honoured as the chief good; an object of supreme regard, literally applied to a ‘way’ that puts into practice a great or moralistic approach. If we use the same initials of G –O –D, how would you define the new G-O-D? My version would be Good Orderly Direction. What would your new definition be? 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Legion Posted February 10, 2011 Share Posted February 10, 2011 I think causality has a grain. And it would be easy to attribute intent to it, and call it God. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kyle Posted February 10, 2011 Share Posted February 10, 2011 So why do we need the word? I'm comfortable without it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chosendarkness Posted February 10, 2011 Share Posted February 10, 2011 God is an imaginary character that we assign to the 'good' part of ourselves, or the intuitive part, or the conscience. We have instincts and intuitions beyond our comprehension, our relationship to others and our surroundings are sometimes strange and feel spiritual.. so many people attribute that to a god as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator Margee Posted February 10, 2011 Author Moderator Share Posted February 10, 2011 So why do we need the word? I'm comfortable without it. You are absolutely right Kyle We don't need that word! I am just playing, 'Let's pretend' we can make a new definition for the dictionary (as a humanist), and if we could - what would yours be? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kyle Posted February 10, 2011 Share Posted February 10, 2011 So why do we need the word? I'm comfortable without it. You are absolutely right Kyle We don't need that word! I am just playing, 'Let's pretend' we can make a new definition for the dictionary (as a humanist), and if we could - what would yours be? O I C I'll play along. God: Hmmmmm... God: Uhhhh... Oh well, I got nothing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator Margee Posted February 10, 2011 Author Moderator Share Posted February 10, 2011 So why do we need the word? I'm comfortable without it. You are absolutely right Kyle We don't need that word! I am just playing, 'Let's pretend' we can make a new definition for the dictionary (as a humanist), and if we could - what would yours be? O I C I'll play along. God: Hmmmmm... God: Uhhhh... Oh well, I got nothing It's o.k - it's just a silly post anyway! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kyle Posted February 10, 2011 Share Posted February 10, 2011 Nah, keep em coming. You just completely stumped me on this one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ouroboros Posted February 10, 2011 Share Posted February 10, 2011 "Reality," with capitalized R to indicate it's a proper noun, works for me. Sometimes I call it Universe, sometimes Nature, all as proper nouns. Together they make RUN, URN, or NUR maybe? Praise NUR! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eugene39 Posted February 10, 2011 Share Posted February 10, 2011 I'm to the point that I don't like the word "god". It means something different to anyone you talk to. A person almost needs to take the "ignostic" stance first until you figure out what "god" is to the person you're talking to, and then proceed from there. Did see "transcendent mystery" in a UU prayer the other day, and sort of liked that. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phanta Posted February 10, 2011 Share Posted February 10, 2011 A person almost needs to take the "ignostic" stance first until you figure out what "god" is to the person you're talking to, and then proceed from there. I once asked someone who asked me if I believed in God, "Which on?" They responded, "THE God! The ONLY ONE." Derr. She was a brainwashed youngster, so I was extremely gentle and civil in return. But oof! Phanta Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deva Posted February 11, 2011 Share Posted February 11, 2011 God is a word that ought to be separated from notions of morality. IMO this word is something that refers to the whole. God is not a person. What is a person, after all? God is something like the space in which things or events arise, pass away, and arise again. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Overcame Faith Posted February 11, 2011 Share Posted February 11, 2011 General Onward Direction. G.O.D., then, is generally the forward direction in which all things move. Some might call it time, but time is nothing more than a measurement of change. Let's call this thing that seems to propel us ever forward G.O.D. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator Margee Posted February 11, 2011 Author Moderator Share Posted February 11, 2011 General Onward Direction. G.O.D., then, is generally the forward direction in which all things move. Some might call it time, but time is nothing more than a measurement of change. Let's call this thing that seems to propel us ever forward G.O.D. Right on 'Overcame'! I love it! By the way - did anyone like my new definition for this word,G-O-D: My new definition of god: (not in the dictionary yet!) G-o-d: A moral description that is a respectable ‘aim’, righteous and honored as the chief good; an object of supreme regard, literally applied to a ‘way’ that puts into practice a great or moralistic approach. I don't want to brag, but I thought it was pretty good myself! I think I sound like a lawyer! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Antlerman Posted February 11, 2011 Share Posted February 11, 2011 I'm to the point that I don't like the word "god". It means something different to anyone you talk to. A person almost needs to take the "ignostic" stance first until you figure out what "god" is to the person you're talking to, and then proceed from there. Did see "transcendent mystery" in a UU prayer the other day, and sort of liked that. If you said the word love. Imagine how many understandings of what that is; to a two year old, a 12 year old, and old lecher drooling in his beer, to a new mother, to an old mother, to a father, to a son, to a priest, to a hobo, to a prostitute, to a starving man, to a widow, to an orphan, to a dying man, to an enlightened soul... Love exists and is experienced differently by everyone in different ways, processed and understood though the context of their lives and experiences. Should the word love be rejected, or recognized as understood differently depending on where people are at? Is God an invalid word because some imagine "it" like Santa? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eugene39 Posted February 11, 2011 Share Posted February 11, 2011 I'm to the point that I don't like the word "god". It means something different to anyone you talk to. A person almost needs to take the "ignostic" stance first until you figure out what "god" is to the person you're talking to, and then proceed from there. Did see "transcendent mystery" in a UU prayer the other day, and sort of liked that. If you said the word love. Imagine how many understandings of what that is; to a two year old, a 12 year old, and old lecher drooling in his beer, to a new mother, to an old mother, to a father, to a son, to a priest, to a hobo, to a prostitute, to a starving man, to a widow, to an orphan, to a dying man, to an enlightened soul... Love exists and is experienced differently by everyone in different ways, processed and understood though the context of their lives and experiences. Should the word love be rejected, or recognized as understood differently depending on where people are at? Is God an invalid word because some imagine "it" like Santa? Typically, when the word "love" is used, it can easily be figured out and understood what angle they are coming from. You gave very good examples. As far as the word "god", if you know the person or see something that identifies their religious group, then it can easily be assumed what "god" means to them. Otherwise, it's back to the "ignostic" stance, let's get a definition worked out because we might be talking about two different things. Of course, if I mentioned "transcendent mystery" to a "Santa" god believer, it probably would have them scratching their head - are you talking about god? You have a point - most people who would even bring up god in the first place, are probably "Santa" god people, or "he" is their Saviour. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Legion Posted February 11, 2011 Share Posted February 11, 2011 time is nothing more than a measurement of change. You sure about that? You say it with such certainty. I don't know what time is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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