How do Christians view God?

[LogicalFallacy]

Well he looks a lot like them of course!

 

https://www.livescience.com/62798-how-american-christians-perceive-god.html?utm_source=notification 

 

This should be no surprise: "So God made man in his own image, in the image of God created he him, male and female created he them" Of course the reality is that humans make Gods in their image - look at Greeks, Romans, Egyptians, Scandinavian peoples etc. All have images of Gods in eerily human form.

[Justus]

On 6/13/2018 at 3:08 AM, LogicalFallacy said:

Of course the reality is that humans make Gods in their image - look at Greeks, Romans, Egyptians, Scandinavian peoples etc. All have images of Gods in eerily human form.

 

Of course, the reality is that the scriptures are pretty specific about the image of the Gods.  In case you never read what is written, it begins with the warning:

 

Lest man corrupts himself and makes any graven image,  or any likeness of any thing that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the waters beneath the earth:

• the similitude of any figure,
• the likeness of male or female,
• the likeness of any beast that is on the earth,
• the likeness of any winged fowl that flieth in the air,
• the likeness of any thing that creepeth on the ground,
• the likeness of any fish that is in the waters beneath the earth:
• or look up to the heaven, and worship the sun, the moon or the stars.

Deut 4:16-18

 

 

[LogicalFallacy]

27 minutes ago, Justus said:

 

Of course, the reality is that the scriptures are pretty specific about the image of the Gods.  In case you never read what is written, it begins with the warning:

 

Lest man corrupts himself and makes any graven image,  or any likeness of any thing that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the waters beneath the earth:

• the similitude of any figure,
• the likeness of male or female,
• the likeness of any beast that is on the earth,
• the likeness of any winged fowl that flieth in the air,
• the likeness of any thing that creepeth on the ground,
• the likeness of any fish that is in the waters beneath the earth:
• or look up to the heaven, and worship the sun, the moon or the stars.

Deut 4:16-18

 

 

 

Of course you've completely missed my point. I was referring to Genesis where God said "Let us make man in our image" and I was pointing out that is actually man making Gods in their image. God is simply in peoples minds. Ask two people from the same Church what god is and you'll get three answers. "God is love" "God is the firey judge" Whatever the person happens to fixate on that's God to them. Meanwhile no sufficient evidence is provided of an actual God.

 

I was not, as you seem to think, criticizing the 2nd commandment.

[mwc]

     No need to create a physical model of your god when describing a human will suffice.  That's not idolatry is it?  If I say that god is masculine?  Or if god has a beard?  Or hands?  Or feet?  Or that god walks around with humans?  Like humans?  That god has emotions like us?

 

     Where is the line?  I can create this god in my mind and that's not a graven image?  But if I (have the ability to) draw or carve what I perceive given all these "clues" (and there are many) then that's a graven image?  Then there's the very question of the idol of jesus that shouldn't exist at all but I won't even bother going there.

 

          mwc

 

[midniterider]

The cross is an idol, right?

[Castiel233]

What does god "look" like....

 

We can infer He has a nose to smell burnt animal offerings.......

 

And ears so He can hear the prayers of millionaire sports stars to help them get that win

[Justus]

1 hour ago, Castiel233 said:

What does god "look" like....

 

The phasma (c²) who is the image of the invisible Light (E) who says "I and my Father are one."  

[TheRedneckProfessor]

33 minutes ago, Justus said:

 

The phasma (c²) who is the image of the invisible Light (E) who says "I and my Father are one."  

Oh good, you're bringing science into the discussion.  This must mean you have some scientific evidence for the existence of God and not just bald assertions.  I am eager to read your peer reviewed research.

[Geezer]

On June 22, 2018 at 3:19 AM, Justus said:

 

Of course, the reality is that the scriptures are pretty specific about the image of the Gods.  In case you never read what is written, it begins with the warning:

 

Lest man corrupts himself and makes any graven image,  or any likeness of any thing that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the waters beneath the earth:

• the similitude of any figure,
• the likeness of male or female,
• the likeness of any beast that is on the earth,
• the likeness of any winged fowl that flieth in the air,
• the likeness of any thing that creepeth on the ground,
• the likeness of any fish that is in the waters beneath the earth:
• or look up to the heaven, and worship the sun, the moon or the stars.

Deut 4:16-18

 

 

 

If scripture was true then your posts would have meaning, but scripture isn't true in any literal or historic sense. It is well documented that humans create God's in their image and have been doing this for thousands of years. Believers that interpret the Bible literally have totally missed the boat, because they have been so deeply brainwashed they are unable to think logically or rationally. 

 

The Bible is a collection of (fictional) stories with fictional characters. Religion is basically a collection of  historized myths but believers have been exposed to intense indoctrination that has convinced them the Bible is an accurate record of historical events. And that is sad. 

 

 

[Castiel233]

7 hours ago, Justus said:

 

The phasma (c²) who is the image of the invisible Light (E) who says "I and my Father are one."  

"Why do you call me good?" Jesus answered. "No one is good--except God alone.

 

Matt 10:18.....

 

Highly suggestive they are not one

 

: )

[Joshpantera]

There's some odd things going on with consciousness here in a NDE state. But what's clear to me is that this man completely projected what he thought god "ought" to look and sound like during his near death experience: 

 

 

This guy likely experienced something. But his experience is so colored with human preconceived projections (from christian mythology) that it's beyond obvious that he conjured up this experience in his own mind. And it was touching. And it brings tears to his eyes and he's flooded and overwhelmed with emotion. But he clearly did all of this to himself all the while. 

[LogicalFallacy]

Yes, I think what is interesting is that (And I haven't checked this out) but if you got NDE's from say Muslim, Christian, Jew, Hindu, and Buddhist followers the NDE's would all relate to their religions. That would be my hypothesis.

 

Which it would then indicate that NDE is a function of the brain/consciousness not of any external experience. In other words I'd posit there is no supernatural or classic spiritual experience going on. 

[Justus]

8 hours ago, Castiel233 said:

"Why do you call me good?" Jesus answered. "No one is good--except God alone.

 

Matt 10:18.....

 

 

That was Jesus response to Gaius who addressed him as Good Master.  

 

Of course you understand the parable of the penny right, where Jesus was asked if it was lawful to pay tribute to Caesar or not.  So Jesus told the hypocrites to bring him a penny.  (While I would be interested if any ex-Christian knows why he asked the hypocrites to bring him a coin, since those who claim to be Christians don't know why, then if you were really wanted to separate yourself from them then try to find out the truth to that question.)  So upon receiving the penny, Jesus asked them whose image and subscription was on the coin?  And they answered  Caesars. 

 

Then Jesus answered them " Render therefore unto Caesar the things which be Caesar's, and unto God the things which be God's."
 

Yet back to your reference to Matthew 10:18, since Gaius was the name held by those of the Roman ruling class, Jesus response to Gaius "Why do you call me good,? there is none good but one and that is Caesar."   (SEE Matt 12:35 )  
 

Quote

Highly suggestive they are not one

 

: )

 

 

Jesus never claims to be the LORD but rather that the LORD raised him up to bring the written  Gospel to go forth and teach men how to read and write the written spoken word.  

[midniterider]

 

7 hours ago, LogicalFallacy said:

Yes, I think what is interesting is that (And I haven't checked this out) but if you got NDE's from say Muslim, Christian, Jew, Hindu, and Buddhist followers the NDE's would all relate to their religions. That would be my hypothesis.

 

Which it would then indicate that NDE is a function of the brain/consciousness not of any external experience. In other words I'd posit there is no supernatural or classic spiritual experience going on. 

 

What kind of NDE experience would a pantheist have?

[TheRedneckProfessor]

4 hours ago, midniterider said:

 

 

What kind of NDE experience would a pantheist have?

Seeing a giant pan?

[mwc]

13 minutes ago, TheRedneckProfessor said:

Seeing a giant pan?

     But the only true god is a well seasoned cast iron pan.

 

          mwc

 

[TheRedneckProfessor]

20 minutes ago, mwc said:

     But the only true god is a well seasoned cast iron pan.

 

          mwc

 

That would be a skillet.  Skillet is god.

 

 

[Castiel233]

On 6/25/2018 at 3:09 AM, Justus said:

That was Jesus response to Gaius who addressed him as Good Master.  

 

Of course you understand the parable of the penny right, where Jesus was asked if it was lawful to pay tribute to Caesar or not.  So Jesus told the hypocrites to bring him a penny.  (While I would be interested if any ex-Christian knows why he asked the hypocrites to bring him a coin, since those who claim to be Christians don't know why, then if you were really wanted to separate yourself from them then try to find out the truth to that question.)  So upon receiving the penny, Jesus asked them whose image and subscription was on the coin?  And they answered  Caesars. 

 

Then Jesus answered them " Render therefore unto Caesar the things which be Caesar's, and unto God the things which be God's."
 

Yet back to your reference to Matthew 10:18, since Gaius was the name held by those of the Roman ruling class, Jesus response to Gaius "Why do you call me good,? there is none good but one and that is Caesar."   (SEE Matt 12:35 )  
 

 

Jesus never claims to be the LORD but rather that the LORD raised him up to bring the written  Gospel to go forth and teach men how to read and write the written spoken word.  

If you are going to quote the Bible, should the Bible be taken literally, as a Christian should you obey the laws written in it.........

 

If Jesus never claims to be the Lord, why is He worshipped as God?

[quinntar]

This is what God looks like.

 

[SerenelyBlue]

Humans evolved to be in the image of God.  Not literally, but figuratively.  They can think for themselves.  They are aware of God.  They can create.  They can destroy.  They can love.  And so on...  You get the picture.  It doesn't mean God is the spitting image of a human on the outside.

[Joshpantera]

1 hour ago, SerenelyBlue said:

Humans evolved to be in the image of God.  Not literally, but figuratively.  They can think for themselves.  They are aware of God.  They can create.  They can destroy.  They can love.  And so on...  You get the picture.  It doesn't mean God is the spitting image of a human on the outside.

 

Actually, SB, in Genesis where it says, "let US make man in OUR image...," that's the old pantheon of gods, the Elohim (gods) wanting to make human in their image. These gods were something like the Greek and Roman pantheons of "humanoid" gods wanting to create humans in their image and likeness who would work down on the earth. Tending the gardening and so on. It's a mythological tale. Over time and the evolution of the mythological tale, theologians interpreted it in different ways according to day and ages in which they were interpreting. For instance, modern liberal theologians have tried to apply things like the BB Theory and human evolution to the old mythology of Genesis. As if the old tale about a pantheon of gods creating workers in their own image to tend to work down on earth represents human evolution and other things which it never did originally. 

 

So it was about the gods and humans being in the spitting image, basically. 

 

And it doesn't have anything to do with humans evolving in any way. 

 

 

 

 

[SerenelyBlue]

Don't ask me how, but evolution is God's way of creating.

[midniterider]

Looking for something to indicate 'evolution' in the bible. Can you give me a chapter or a verse?

[SerenelyBlue]

4 minutes ago, midniterider said:

Looking for something to indicate 'evolution' in the bible. Can you give me a chapter or a verse?

The ancient people didn't understand how we came to be.  In the present age we know that evolution is a part of the creating process.  You won't find it in the Bible...

[TABA]

4 minutes ago, SerenelyBlue said:

The ancient people didn't understand how we came to be.  In the present age we know that evolution is a part of the creating process.  You won't find it in the Bible...

 

That’s because the people who wrote the Bible had no more knowledge than anybody else at the time. Just people trying to take a stab at explaining the world. No deity involved.