God, defined.

[sexobon]

Originally Posted by DanaC

So...the cosmic equivalent of 'Just Because'.

Hehhehheh, cosmic message for Dani - What else could it stand for?

The cosmos moves in mysterious ways.

[BigV]

Originally Posted by sexobon

Actually, you got the attention grabber methodology right; however, not the goal. As with others who have passed through here, this is not a venue for effecting long term results. It was simply delivering a short term attention fix, at a controlled level that would hold a short attention span, so the recipient could chill for a little while afterwards. It was a viable outlet for his less desirable behaviors since I don't take it personally or hold grudges. He had multiple avenues of egress; yet, chose not to avail himself of them because the interaction was cathartic for him. No guarantees, results are highly variable. The recipient won't remember the content; but, perhaps the duration. I just happened to have the time this weekend which is why it hasn't happened before and may or may not happen again.

tl;dr

You Can't Always Get What You Want. (But if you try, sometimes, you get what you need.)

[SamIam]

Originally Posted by JBKlyde

just another day in paradise... still can't sleep

I hear ya, JB. Those long 3:00 am's of the soul suck. Think I'm in for one tonight myself.

Originally Posted by Lamplighter

So it looks as though the exchange between JBK and Sexobon is winding down.
It went on for quite while without interruption by other Dwellars.

How do you feel about that exchange ?

I agree with sexobon. He (sexobon) was just being an attention whore at JBK's expense. Sexobon may have a clever vocabulary and a certain sort of wit he shares in common with bullies everywhere. But it was sexobon who acted the part of the troll that he accuses JBK of being.

I believe that JBK is sincere in his effort to convert even one of us heathens and thus spare that individual the wrath of the god JBK believes in. It's actually pretty altruistic on his part, although I still feel that JBK would be better received and get a better discussion if he cruised on over to the Internet Infidels Forums.

Originally Posted by footfootfoot

I am disappoint. So few actually took the time to define god, and instead used this as another opportunity to discuss whether or not an undefined god exists.

As has been mentioned, I too feel the irony is that "god" is not a term that I can use to describe or define that which is the spirit of the universe. And "spirit of the universe" is just my short hand for how I think of a Greater Intelligence which infuses all sentient beings everywhere. I am "god." You are "god." The cats and the dogs and the mice and the rats are "god." We all inter-be. We all have the power to act like the angels or take on the role of the devil. And I use the terms "angels" and "devil" metaphorically here because I don't believe there actually are such things until they are called into power by individual human beings. Think Mother Theresa versus Adolf Hitler.

When it comes to a spiritual path - NOT a religous one - Buddhism works for me. When asked if there was a "god" or not, the Buddha replied, "God exists and god does not exist. If you spend your time trying to understand about the possibility of god and setting forth doctrine, you are straying from the true path - the eight fold noble path which leads to the end of suffering.

I doubt if JBK would be pleased with this comparison, but I actually view him as someone very similiar to a Buddhist who has taken the Bodisattva Vow. One who does this vows to never attain perfect enlightenment and thus go to Nirvana where suffering ceases to exist. Instead, the person - usually called a "stream entrant," vows to return life time after life time to this world until all sentient beings have attained enlightenment at long last and all suffering is at end.

This is an act of deep compassion for one's fellows just as JBK is concerned about the unbelievers here on the Cellar. I think JBK is doing the best he can despite great difficulties. It is easy to mock, but far harder to attain understanding.

[sexobon]

Originally Posted by SamIam

... I agree with sexobon. ...

[Flint]

Originally Posted by Brianna

flint had a beautiful metaphor about how Jesus chops up the broccoli of our sin and crams it down the disposal of god's love. Or something like that.

Ha! I had forgotten about that...

[regular.joe]

To understand the Casimir Effect, one first has to understand something about a vacuum in space as it is viewed in quantum field theory. Far from being empty, modern physics assumes that a vacuum is full of fluctuating electromagnetic waves that can never be completely eliminated, like an ocean with waves that are always present and can never be stopped. These waves come in all possible wavelengths, and their presence implies that empty space contains a certain amount of energy--an energy that we can't tap, but that is always there. (http://www.scientificamerican.com/ar...-casimir-effec)

What interests me is that the smartest, most intelligent and brightest of our society today will readily accept the idea that empty space may indeed be filled with an infinite amount of energy, of all wavelengths..like an ocean of waves that can never be stopped, an energy that we can't tap but is always there...and instantly rebel at the idea that God exists.

[Griff]

Could it be that they reject the idea of god as it has been handed down from primitive desert dwellers but may be open to a less pre-packaged god. One which fills the needs of a modern mind?

[sexobon]

There's an idea, God should have a sockpuppet. But what to call it?

[ZenGum]

Well, I guess it's time I owned up, eh?

[Griff]

slang used to speak for God here.

[Happy Monkey]

Originally Posted by regular.joe

What interests me is that the smartest, most intelligent and brightest of our society today will readily accept the idea that empty space may indeed be filled with an infinite amount of energy, of all wavelengths..like an ocean of waves that can never be stopped, an energy that we can't tap but is always there...and instantly rebel at the idea that God exists.

If scientists claimed that the energy was intelligent and didn't want people to masturbate, I'd be skeptical.

[regular.joe]

I am not a Christian, Muslim, Nor a Jew, I claim to know nothing of the desert dwellers and their religious practices and how they tell people not to masturbate. I prefer to leave discussion of religion out of discussion about God. I'm not a religious man, so it seems only fair. I can't talk about something I know nothing about, nor participate in.

Masturbate all you wish, I'm not hanging about to tell anyone what God would have them do.

[Happy Monkey]

That's another reason a scientist might have trouble accepting a god. It's a word without any particular meaning, and whenever a silly but commonly accepted aspect of it is brought up, one can just say "I'm not talking about THAT kind of god!"

That's sort of the whole point this thread was created for.

[DanaC]

Well said that cheerful monkey.

[Griff]

Originally Posted by Happy Monkey

If scientists claimed that the energy was intelligent and didn't want people to masturbate, I'd be skeptical.

Originally Posted by regular.joe

I am not a Christian, Muslim, Nor a Jew, I claim to know nothing of the desert dwellers and their religious practices and how they tell people not to masturbate. I prefer to leave discussion of religion out of discussion about God. I'm not a religious man, so it seems only fair. I can't talk about something I know nothing about, nor participate in.

The problem for scientists is that religion has so often opposed progress in science this forces people into camps based on their training and individual wiring/ brain functioning. Joe's God could be amenable to science but once groups start defining "him" we're putting structures in place that will lead to conflict. In religion there is value placed in faith, believing what their is no evidence for. I've heard very intelligent people defend that. They get something from that cognitive dissonance and believe society gains something from it as well. I'm open to the idea of God but I'm not able to construct one sufficiently durable.