If there were a god, but he or she bore no resemblance to any of the world's established religions would he or she accept the rituals and practices of other religions as attempts to communicate with him/her? Or be offended by them, and wish someone had gotten it right?

Interesting question!  Imagine a god that set some parameters and then let the program run autonomously...like some cosmic, self-manipulating "game of life".  That sort of god would have no idea what would happen and so may look at how things are going later.

I fear his mouse cursor would be hovering over "Quit Game and Try Again?"

Well, for a few thousand years Mother has been called "he;" and She has been demeaned as being a witch or worse. She been declared "a vale of tears" and an abomination.

No apocalypse so far. Although it does begin to look as if we will bring it on ourselves with our Judeo-Xtian-based science and technology, materialism ueber alles society in the West.

Just a guess as She hasn't told me specifically, but I'd say She still has such people as part and parcel of Her body. Nothing escapes that net of jewels and nothing is left out. 

What if there were religions which bore no resemblance to universal reality. He/she already assumes a belief.

Well there are no religions about me.  Maybe I'm god?  And you're all naughty little imps in need of a gentle spanking!  Now let's see some of those nice peaches...muwahaha

Quote from: Nichole on July 20, 2009, 03:36:26 PM
And how would your girlfriend/partner feel about you spanking those peaches, god?

I'm not a jealous god, I can share.  I'd hand her a spatula!

fwap...fwap...fwap... oooh giggle!  fwap...fwap...fwap...

Good god, god. Can't you do better than a spatula? In your all-knowinghood you should know that their are commercial ventures that provide so much better and more exotic means of discipline!

There are but I prefer the intimacy of the all natural, organic wood-on-buttock approach.  Those new fangled spank-o-matics are blasphemy! Blasphemy, I say!

(At last, a form of blasphemy that isn't a victimless crime!)

Quote from: finewine on July 20, 2009, 03:44:01 PM
There are but I prefer the intimacy of the all natural, organic wood-on-buttock approach.  Those new fangled spank-o-matics are blasphemy! Blasphemy, I say!

(At last, a form of blasphemy that isn't a victimless crime!)

Why didn't you indicate a wooden spatula, god? Darn, you really make it tough on someone to decide whether you know what you're about or not! Brits!!

Besides crops leave such nice lil welts on a peachy peach. That should be Brit enough even for a deity!!

I'm not sure a god would do either.

If there is a god, I think they're laughing at us in the same way we laugh at a kitten chasing a laser pointer. We feel sort of bad for them when they bump into walls or fall off the sofa, but when it happens we're laughing too hard at how silly they're being to do anything about it.

Given that people who are over emotional never get "to the top" - I'd have to say that a god would have to be a pretty chill being. I think it'd have to be the first option out of the two. At least, that's what I'd prefer... I'd hate to spend an afterlife trapped with a clingy narcissist   .

Quote from: Nero on July 20, 2009, 02:23:59 PM
If there were a god, but he or she bore no resemblance to any of the world's established religions would he or she accept the rituals and practices of other religions as attempts to communicate with him/her? Or be offended by them, and wish someone had gotten it right?

Isn't it a given that any god that fits the description of "transcendent" would be so far beyond our comprehension that our ideas about him/her/it have to be wrong? And would such a god even care what we did in worship?

Quote from: Nichole on July 20, 2009, 03:51:08 PM
Why didn't you indicate a wooden spatula, god?

I recommend wooden kitchen spoons, but be sure to wrap the handles in electrical tape so they don't break.

And would such a god even care what we did in worship?

Perhaps they are insecure, it's lonely at the top after all.

From my eyes, religion is man made, designed to create an environment suitable to those in power.

God can be so many things but I like to think God is love. I really don't see all that much love coming from people who condemn, criticize, ostracize, stigmatize or in any other way hurt their fellow human being.

Julie

Quote from: Lisbeth on July 21, 2009, 12:25:14 PM
I recommend wooden kitchen spoons, but be sure to wrap the handles in electrical tape so they don't break.

I just knew you might well provide some good instruction in this regard, Lisbeth! Now we wait for Syne to post a comment as well!

What if God speaks and people are not listening.

What if?.....



Then this why prayer doesn't work....

Even in the Ancient Greek some philosopher thought that in case horses could think they would think that the God is a horse.

QuoteWhat if God speaks and people are not listening.

What facts do you have that if there is a God it speaks? Plenty of people hear voices in their heads society puts them in a hospital.

The God speaks was not to be taken literally

Quote from: lisagurl on July 21, 2009, 02:41:02 PM
What facts do you have that if there is a God it speaks? Plenty of people hear voices in their heads society puts them in a hospital.

Good point, we should at least drill inside and have a listen.

"Voices again eh, Mrs Nelson?  Righto - a short course of trepanning will do the trick!"