About Time God Did Something Isn't It?

[joko]

a question for the theists. (for ' god' read 'any and all gods')

If there is a god, he's certainly had a good innings - he's has almost total devotion for centuries.

well now, he hasn't any more... billions of people are losing faith, people are doubting, people are starting to turn away - so why doesn't he do anything about it?

if a businessman is losing loyal customers interest, he doesn't just clam up and hide, he steps it up a notch, he comes out all guns blazing with a new plan to win back his followers. he tries hard to prove himself worthy again.

why doesn't god think - 'Oh eck, i'm losing them, i best give them something to reaffirm their faith in me'?

not small wishy-washy seemingly inconsequential things, but something big - you know like all those 'WOW' things he has apparently done in the past that prove his existence - anything would do really - it'd only take one totally convincing and undeniable thing for many to go back to him

so why is he seemingly content to just lose his flock?
what is he going to do when majority of the world no longer believes? because thats the way its heading.

i know many will say he cannot prove it, because proof denies faith and without faith he is nothing - but supposedly lots of things already prove he exists don't they?
well according to him they do -

Us, for start...we are so amazing we MUST be made by god - therefore that is him giving 'proof' ... then there's the earth - making a planet in 7 days is a pretty big deal and proves he exists too - doesn't it?

and also animals, good deeds, well everything, as well as all the other showy things hes done - surely doing stuff like that was proving his existence?

[jim360]

It might be being a tad simplistic to believe that if God showed up everyone would suddenly believe in him. There's always going to be a large number of doubters, who won't believe what they see, that sort of thing. Even in the Bible, when God's visits were infrequent but apparently fairly spectacular, it seemed that it didn't take long for people to stop caring, or even not to pay attention at the time.

Playing "God's Advocate" again... to some extent. But arguably little would be achieved by yet another demonstration of His power and then nothing for several generations, other than yet another bounce up in the number of people who worship Him, followed by another lingering decline.

Not that this really supports the idea of God much, for me, because then -- what can He actually do? It's like a street performer, who can be as wonderful as anything but most people just aren't interested.

I've recently taken to wondering how Heaven can possibly work if we're in it.

[chrisgel]

If he turned up tomorrow and cured all the amputees in the world and ended starvation and so on. I still wouldn't worship him. I don't worship anyone and besides he just doesn't sound like my kind of people.

[joko]

...

i didn't say everyone would suddenly believe it him.
i didn't say everyone would suddenly worship him.

of course they wouldn't - and i wouldn't say that because i cannot speak for the whole world.

but a hell of a lot more would than do now.

[Alston]

If there is a God, he/she has created a strange world in which we live....Hell on earth for lots of good folk.!!

Al.

[LazyGun]

Terry Pratchett wrote a stand alone book within the Discworld series, called "Small Gods"; Anyone read it?

Central thesis was that human belief/faith was to gods what spinach was to popeye x 100 - faith =supernatural power, and the measure of a gods strength relative to the other gods boiled down to the number of worshippers.

Problem for most gods was that they took their followers for granted, neglected them, and before they knew it their own power had dwindled to nothing as their worshippers stopped believing.Maybe that whats happened to the abrahamic god? Atrophied through lack of believers? :)

Its a nice conceit and made for an interesting read :)

[keyplus90]

No one need to worry about the reason why I believe. Because that reason might not be good enough for others. And that is the reason I asked an individual that what reason he would feel good enough? By the way even when God sent his messengers or appeared himself (according to few) still not all of the people believed in him.

And anyone who believes that I believe only because my parents did then let me ask that person a simple question. why does he not believe in what his parents might have believed in?

Finally as OG said, time in this world is nothing more than a blink of an eye. Few believe they have enough proof by having believed in whatever they have and few others will never have enough proof to believe in it. Then common sense tells me that wait and see. I am willing to do that. Are you?

[jomifl]

Keyplus, the reason you believe is the lack of reason, as for someone not believing in what their parents might have believed in..their parents MIGHT have believed in anything. If proof exists, belief is unnecessary, the very fact that you believe means that you don't have proof. Is really is that simple.

[seadogg]

Like the resume of Small Gods L.G. Most of my friends who are Pratchett readers have common sense as a central tenet of their belief systems.

[joko]

Believing in something so life encompassing, just because your parents did, has to be THE most stupid reason I have ever heard to believe!

that doesn't sound very convincing - that you believe just because your folks do!
surely you should believe because, quite simply - YOU BELIEVE... not because someone else does!
thats just copying ... and is kind of puerile.


you also say you will "wait and see" ...and then add what you presumably think is an enigmatic and thought provoking "will you?"

... but actually that is just another meaningless comment ...
what does that even mean?

and it also confirms that you admit you are in fact just believing because you are scared not to - you are hedging your bets.

you are also not just 'waiting' at all though are you ... you actually spend an awful lot of time on this subject - it runs your life ... that is not 'waiting'.

'wait and see', does show much faith in your apparent faith!


you make me laugh keyplus, so often you spout off with what you clearly think are deep, thought provoking and intelligent words - and so often they actually prove the OPPOSITE of what you intend them to ... and you don't even seem to realise it!

[vulcan42]

keyplus, contrary to what you say, I am not worried about what you believe, I just asked you to tell us what it is. You should be a politician, incapable of answering a direct question.

[naomi24]

Keyplus, the reason you are Muslim is because you were born in Pakistan to Muslim parents. You have never investigated any other religion, you have never considered abandoning Islam, and fear of eternal damnation is your motivator. Reasoned choice has never been on your agenda. Let’s not pretend otherwise.

[keyplus90]

////you make me laugh keyplus, so often you spout off with what you clearly think are deep, thought provoking and intelligent words - and so often they actually prove the OPPOSITE of what you intend them to ... and you don't even seem to realise it!////

Have I heard all that before? of course I have. But the reality is that all of the posts after my posts have been addressed to me. So there is something there in my post that people can't ignore it, although they wish they could. So for now, once again why can't you just wait and see? Why keep on going round and round in circles?

[Alston]

Pity folk don't stick to the question.

Al.

[vetuste_ennemi]

Naomi, Birdie etc. You really shouldn't allow the sneering Wahabee to manipulate you this way. Son appétit vient en mangeant.

[jomifl]

V_E, He sneers because it is the only recourse left to him, but he can't see that, unlike almost everybody else.

[Khandro]

Having spent a tumultuous sojourn in the UK for the past two weeks, it is comforting on my return, to tune in and find nothing changed here.
I now realise what I have been missing; the missionary fervour and passionate desire of the AB atheist 'Sharks' to convert everyone to their bleak outlook.
I'm an unapologetic 'Jet', and "when you're a Jet, you're a Jet all the way!"
(exits drunk and disorderly, stage left)

[maggiebee]

Maybe it's just time WE started doing something. God gave us free will.