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It's been a long time since I have started a thread, but this thought just occurred to me.
It seems to me that everyone who believes in a god in the western world, in their adult life at least, has made some sort of choice about the kind of god they believe in.
For example, many people these days reject the judgemental, vengeful god as found in the old testament and opt for a more 'god is love' type of god. Why?
If god does actually exist, the type of god it is, wouldn't be a matter of choice.
So you could very possibly be believing in the wrong type of god.
Maybe the Native Americans had it right and there are many gods; of thunder, music, fire, wind and so on.
Many cultures in history have been similarly polytheistic.
So why nail your mast to believing in one type of god, that could be the wrong one?
I'm curious if any of you ever question the type of god you believe in?
Does it even matter? None of us know, so in that sense we are all agnostic.
And if it doesn't matter, why does everyone defend their belief so stridently?
Your thoughts.
How would we know if it mattered? If God or gods exist, how would we know how they think?
Last edited by Harry Diogenes; 09-09-2021 at 02:59 AM..
If I were God and I was the only one that existed I'd be bothered by people worshiping others
So when you die and are standing before Ahura Mazda, you would naturally expect Him to be bothered by the fact that you worshiped another God and entirely ignored Him?
What will I say when I am standing before Ahura Mazda and He asks me why I never once worshiped him? I will say: "Well at least I didn't worship the wrong God like that BaptistFundie guy."
How would we know if it mattered? If God or gods exist, how would we know how they think?
My point is:
Assuming a god DOES actually exist
Then whatever type of god that is, is irrelevant to whether people believe in it or not as it exists anyway.
However,
Let's exchange god for 'round red teapot'.
All these years people have been believing in all kinds and shapes and sizes of teapots.
Some people as it turns out have been believing in round red teapots all these years. They got it right.
But some people have been believing in green, blue, yellow or purple teapots. They believed in a teapot all this time, but they got the wrong teapot.
It doesn't matter to the teapot. The teapot cares not that you worshipped other teapots. He's got other things to do.
But does it matter to the believer that they got the wrong teapot? They bought all these books and went to worship the square blue teapot every week. Turns out it was the wrong teapot.
It's really a question about faith, belief and doubt.
I'm asking if anybody questions themselves about their beliefs and what matters to them.
Maybe you've been following an inaccurate faith all these years, but maybe that doesn't matter because of what your faith brought into your life. You worshipped the wrong teapot, but so what?, the belief in the non existent blue teapot brought you joy anyway.
I'm asking people to think about their faith and if they ask questions about it.
As an atheist I could be wrong as well.
To me of course it doesn't matter which kind of god anybody follows.
I suppose what got me thinking about all of this, after reading through the many threads on here, it occurred to me that most people HAVE in fact invented their own god.
A lot of people for example using Christianity reject much of the OT because they don't like it and don't want to believe it. Some of them reject bits of the NT as well.
Or some people have come up with their own ideas about what they think god is.
And some people follow a strict dogma.
But even then, it's often open to personal interpretation.
With so many thousands of personal interpretations of god, how can you possibly know what god is? Especially since in all likelihood, the one you believe in, is one you invented yourself?
Does it really matter whether you believe Santa Claus was a white man or a black man?
It doesn't matter to me no but its not relevant to me. I'm not a theist so I believe in no gods or Santa's.
This thread is a question for those that believe in a version of god.
Then whatever type of god that is, is irrelevant to whether people believe in it or not as it exists anyway.
Interesting. I know your question is really aimed at believers, which I am no longer, but you've given me food for thought (.... so I'll regurgitate here).
Quote:
However,
Let's exchange god for 'round red teapot'.
All these years people have been believing in all kinds and shapes and sizes of teapots.
Some people as it turns out have been believing in round red teapots all these years. They got it right.
But some people have been believing in green, blue, yellow or purple teapots. They believed in a teapot all this time, but they got the wrong teapot. It doesn't matter to the teapot. The teapot cares not that you worshipped other teapots. He's got other things to do.
I've always thought Russell's orbiting teapot was a useful analogy for discussing the burden of proof (i.e., which lies with the person making the claim). I like your teapots as well, for a different reason. Namely, they are clearly inanimate, non-anthropomorphic objects. What we (humans) have almost invariably done with our gods is give them human attributes (with the necessary supernatural powers to do their job(s), but human at their core). Not surprisingly, our gods have very human wants and needs and expectations. "If I was that powerful and in charge of everything, I would certainly expect everyone to bow down and worship me" (thought the early authors, living in the age of kings). Check out the Ten Commandments... the top three are all about those humanized expectations. "I am a jealous God who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods".... acknowledging there ARE other gods, but also providing the answer to your thread title (it matters to the right God, so it had better matter to me!). "In fact, don't even use my name when you curse!"
Quote:
But does it matter to the believer that they got the wrong teapot? They bought all these books and went to worship the square blue teapot every week. Turns out it was the wrong teapot.
Only if they believe the attributes that we humans have bestowed on our gods (errr, teapots). Or if they believe the human-conceived penalties and rewards we have linked to having the right belief (eternal life, heaven, hell, etc). Interesting to see that some of the most strident theists have dismantled Pascal's Wager with their own answers (paraphrasing, "Sure, I'd be peeved if they worshipped someone other than me").
Quote:
It's really a question about faith, belief and doubt.
I'm asking if anybody questions themselves about their beliefs and what matters to them.
Maybe you've been following an inaccurate faith all these years, but maybe that doesn't matter because of what your faith brought into your life. You worshipped the wrong teapot, but so what?, the belief in the non existent blue teapot brought you joy anyway.
That, to me, is one of the few rational reasons left for maintaining religious belief (now that we've figured out that we didn't actually need gods to bring the rain or stop the volcano). Paraphrasing again... Doesn't matter, but made you feel good anyway.
Interesting. I know your question is really aimed at believers, which I am no longer, but you've given me food for thought (.... so I'll regurgitate here).
I've always thought Russell's orbiting teapot was a useful analogy for discussing the burden of proof (i.e., which lies with the person making the claim). I like your teapots as well, for a different reason. Namely, they are clearly inanimate, non-anthropomorphic objects. What we (humans) have almost invariably done with our gods is give them human attributes (with the necessary supernatural powers to do their job(s), but human at their core). Not surprisingly, our gods have very human wants and needs and expectations. "If I was that powerful and in charge of everything, I would certainly expect everyone to bow down and worship me" (thought the early authors, living in the age of kings). Check out the Ten Commandments... the top three are all about those humanized expectations. "I am a jealous God who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods".... acknowledging there ARE other gods, but also providing the answer to your thread title (it matters to the right God, so it had better matter to me!). "In fact, don't even use my name when you curse!"
Only if they believe the attributes that we humans have bestowed on our gods (errr, teapots). Or if they believe the human-conceived penalties and rewards we have linked to having the right belief (eternal life, heaven, hell, etc). Interesting to see that some of the most strident theists have dismantled Pascal's Wager with their own answers (paraphrasing, "Sure, I'd be peeved if they worshipped someone other than me").
That, to me, is one of the few rational reasons left for maintaining religious belief (now that we've figured out that we didn't actually need gods to bring the rain or stop the volcano). Paraphrasing again... Doesn't matter, but made you feel good anyway.
Honestly that's kinda freaky.
I'd never heard of the Russell's orbiting teapot analogy.
I picked teapots completely at random because I drink a lot of tea and have collected a few teapots and it was the first thing that popped into my head!
This cracks me up.
Have I inadvertently stumbled on an actual teapot god?
Haha.
I hope so. Maybe that's why I drink so much tea.
I'd never heard of the Russell's orbiting teapot analogy.
I picked teapots completely at random because I drink a lot of tea and have collected a few teapots and it was the first thing that popped into my head!
This cracks me up.
Have I inadvertently stumbled on an actual teapot god?
Haha.
I hope so. Maybe that's why I drink so much tea.
Seriously?? Wow.... maybe there IS a god after all, and it is guiding this discussion!?
Does it really matter whether you believe Santa Claus was a white man or a black man?
Well, Santa Claus was based on a real person, so yes, I think it does matter if one believes in the reality of who St. Nicholas was.
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