On Wishful Thinking:
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Girlfriends and Gods
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Girlfriends and Gods
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" You don't have to buy the cow to get the milk."
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....Gladys Baydala, circa 1969
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My title is meant to make you think about wishing for something and to think about God creation in the same breath. Wishing is something we do when we want something that may or not be attainable.
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If you have read my Blog you will know that I equate my brand of wishful thinking with that of the Christians and their hope of living forever after they die. They are doing exactly the same things as me; they are engaged in the business of fantasizing.
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No one really knows whether God exists or not; many people have just adapted the idea that he exists and that he is worth believing in. People that believe in God want to know that there is something occurring after death; for the believers it is an eternity living in harmony with their God.
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God exists mostly as an idea in people's minds. If he was real he would not confuse people as to what he is really like. Everyone finds God in their own way and that indicates to me that he is imaginary and is a mental creation rather that a real thing.
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An atheist will tell you that the only thing that matters is matter or material things. This is the stuff out of which everything originates including ideas. For example, the kind of thing that I am writing right now is a function of my brain which is composed of matter and produces ideas for me.
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The Christians believe that God is a spirit or idea that has existed for all time. They believe that he created the universe and is an all-knowing and caring entity.
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I do not believe personally that ideas can exist independently of man. If they existed how would we know them without imagining them? Did the ideas make us think about them? If no one has seen God or talked to him then how can anyone know him?
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The current propaganda of the Christians involves something called ' Intelligent Design ', which is just a comtemporary way of explaining life and existence and the complexities found in nature, i.e. things are so complex sometimes that only an intelligent designer such as God could have thought about them and created them. My argument to the creationists is simple: If eternity exists and all things are possible in the eons of time, then something like earth and the life forms found upon it are possible; anything is likely to occur over the course of an eternity, even a bunch of complexities occuring together. Just look at the beauty of nature and the designs that she creates all on her own.
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Or, if you are not satisfied with this idea of nature then grab a bucket of paint and pour it on a canvass. You will be amazed at the pictures produced and conceived by the human mind and the number of complexities one is liable to encounter; complexities occurring at the hand of chance and circumstance. And, that is life in a nutshell.
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Intelligent Design is a neatly packaged idea to explain reality. Christians are very adept at creating stories and images of God that appeal to our senses and emotions and in presenting ideas that neatly explain God's role in the creation of things.
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I am saying that ideas cannot exist independently of matter and that the God of the Christians who created the universe cannot exist in the way in which they present him. He might exist as an idea, but certainly nothing more than that.
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You really have to wonder if this Christian God exists at all when you start to think hard about it. The only thing I can envision existing permanently is space and the matter contained within it.
If God, the idea, existed in space and caused all things to be as they are then we must accept the notion that something was created out of nothing. This is a great leap of faith, in my opinion. And, if man was created in the image of God then surely man must be capable of producing something out nothing as well. To my mind, however, the only thing that the human can create out of nothing is an idea, and even that is dependent on some matter, namely his brain
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We just don't know certain things, so we make guesses and create beliefs and gods. As humans we are restricted from gaining knowledge about the essential truths and mysteries of the universe and god creation. Maybe something or someone has to present us with a workable idea that will explain things for us once and for all. In the meantime, we are forced to debate and to speculate about the important matters of life; we continue to believe things that work for us as individuals, according to our experiences and the knowledge that we gain from them.
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For me, God creation is too simplistic a philosophy and by my way of thinking is not possible. God is an idea and I have given you my ideas of where ideas originate from.
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My personal fantasies are a function of my brain and nothing else. I engage in wishful thinking just like the Christian does. He creates a God that makes him happy and this God possesses qualities similar to his own and he provides directions and morals that are human-like in nature. The Christian God is like a human for the simple fact that the idea of him was created by humans. If it was the other way around we could not possibly 'know' God because he would be alien to our intelligence and understanding.
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Personally, I am not bothered with these religious debates. The Christian God is just someones way of explaining things and understanding life.
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For me life is just a great big mystery and it is not really explainable in simple terms like the Christians think it is. The Christian is betting that a fantasy will occcur in his favor as a consequence of his belief. He wants his wish to come true. Who am I to deny him this fantasy?
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My being seems more like a consequence of fate or chance; a simple product of the interaction of all forms of matter within the confines of space over time. I am a bunch of matter that is so composed as to be able to formulate a reality out of my brain; I can envision ideas and things like gods. Simply put, God is the child of man and not the other way around.
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Ideas, therefore are dependent upon matter for their existence. So, ideas do exist just like God and take the same form. Indeed, the Christians are correct in saying that God exists. As an idea he is just as viable as any humanly created idea.
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Wishful thinking is one thing, but to maintain through faith and intolerance that such and such a thing will occur is a sign that a man is not willing to learn and accept new ideas; ideas that may cause him to alter his views on life and the future of things.
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As I have stated many times in my writing Christians and myself have much in common. We are simply both content about our ideas that make us feel good. I would have to say that love of God is an emotion without personally experiencing the thing in itself.
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We are both positive thinkers, the Christians and myself. If it makes you feel good then do it. When I think about a certain girl I feel very good and that makes life meaningful for me; she provides a sense of purpose for me and makes this whole of business of life worthwhile.
But, she remains an idea and no more. She is out there just like the Christian God, within reach but never touching.
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But, Christians and myself have essential differences; I am not making a bet that my fantasy will materialize. I recognize my faith for what it is. It is a fantasy that may materialize or not depending on what the unpredictable future presents us.
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I suppose, in a nutshell, this is my main criticism against those who practice a faith such as Christianity; they have faith and are determined that this imaginary God will produce everlasting life for them. They spend a lifetime believing that and are totally committed to the idea of God. I suspect that many Christians would not want to run the risk of discovering that God is a myth and that is why they do not engage in realistic debate or bother to consider ideas that criticize their vision of the world.
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Gods are like girlfriends, they are either real or they are not.
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All of the above are my personal thoughts.
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Carl Baydala
.
Here is a series of articles discussing the pros and cons of
Intelligent Design:
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http://www.naturalhistorymag.com/darwinanddesign.html
.
Some related thoughts for you:
.
The following ideas were presented by a Christian psychologist in his attempt to downplay the influence of atheism in our society.
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I quote this author because I think it is important to show the lengths to which Christians will go to combat the influence of atheism on the Christian religion.
Or, if you are not satisfied with this idea of nature then grab a bucket of paint and pour it on a canvass. You will be amazed at the pictures produced and conceived by the human mind and the number of complexities one is liable to encounter; complexities occurring at the hand of chance and circumstance. And, that is life in a nutshell.
.
Intelligent Design is a neatly packaged idea to explain reality. Christians are very adept at creating stories and images of God that appeal to our senses and emotions and in presenting ideas that neatly explain God's role in the creation of things.
.
I am saying that ideas cannot exist independently of matter and that the God of the Christians who created the universe cannot exist in the way in which they present him. He might exist as an idea, but certainly nothing more than that.
.
You really have to wonder if this Christian God exists at all when you start to think hard about it. The only thing I can envision existing permanently is space and the matter contained within it.
If God, the idea, existed in space and caused all things to be as they are then we must accept the notion that something was created out of nothing. This is a great leap of faith, in my opinion. And, if man was created in the image of God then surely man must be capable of producing something out nothing as well. To my mind, however, the only thing that the human can create out of nothing is an idea, and even that is dependent on some matter, namely his brain
.
We just don't know certain things, so we make guesses and create beliefs and gods. As humans we are restricted from gaining knowledge about the essential truths and mysteries of the universe and god creation. Maybe something or someone has to present us with a workable idea that will explain things for us once and for all. In the meantime, we are forced to debate and to speculate about the important matters of life; we continue to believe things that work for us as individuals, according to our experiences and the knowledge that we gain from them.
.
For me, God creation is too simplistic a philosophy and by my way of thinking is not possible. God is an idea and I have given you my ideas of where ideas originate from.
.
My personal fantasies are a function of my brain and nothing else. I engage in wishful thinking just like the Christian does. He creates a God that makes him happy and this God possesses qualities similar to his own and he provides directions and morals that are human-like in nature. The Christian God is like a human for the simple fact that the idea of him was created by humans. If it was the other way around we could not possibly 'know' God because he would be alien to our intelligence and understanding.
.
Personally, I am not bothered with these religious debates. The Christian God is just someones way of explaining things and understanding life.
.
For me life is just a great big mystery and it is not really explainable in simple terms like the Christians think it is. The Christian is betting that a fantasy will occcur in his favor as a consequence of his belief. He wants his wish to come true. Who am I to deny him this fantasy?
.
My being seems more like a consequence of fate or chance; a simple product of the interaction of all forms of matter within the confines of space over time. I am a bunch of matter that is so composed as to be able to formulate a reality out of my brain; I can envision ideas and things like gods. Simply put, God is the child of man and not the other way around.
.
Ideas, therefore are dependent upon matter for their existence. So, ideas do exist just like God and take the same form. Indeed, the Christians are correct in saying that God exists. As an idea he is just as viable as any humanly created idea.
.
Wishful thinking is one thing, but to maintain through faith and intolerance that such and such a thing will occur is a sign that a man is not willing to learn and accept new ideas; ideas that may cause him to alter his views on life and the future of things.
.
As I have stated many times in my writing Christians and myself have much in common. We are simply both content about our ideas that make us feel good. I would have to say that love of God is an emotion without personally experiencing the thing in itself.
.
We are both positive thinkers, the Christians and myself. If it makes you feel good then do it. When I think about a certain girl I feel very good and that makes life meaningful for me; she provides a sense of purpose for me and makes this whole of business of life worthwhile.
But, she remains an idea and no more. She is out there just like the Christian God, within reach but never touching.
.
But, Christians and myself have essential differences; I am not making a bet that my fantasy will materialize. I recognize my faith for what it is. It is a fantasy that may materialize or not depending on what the unpredictable future presents us.
.
I suppose, in a nutshell, this is my main criticism against those who practice a faith such as Christianity; they have faith and are determined that this imaginary God will produce everlasting life for them. They spend a lifetime believing that and are totally committed to the idea of God. I suspect that many Christians would not want to run the risk of discovering that God is a myth and that is why they do not engage in realistic debate or bother to consider ideas that criticize their vision of the world.
.
Gods are like girlfriends, they are either real or they are not.
.
All of the above are my personal thoughts.
.
Carl Baydala
.
Here is a series of articles discussing the pros and cons of
Intelligent Design:
.
http://www.naturalhistorymag.com/darwinanddesign.html
.
Some related thoughts for you:
.
The following ideas were presented by a Christian psychologist in his attempt to downplay the influence of atheism in our society.
.
I quote this author because I think it is important to show the lengths to which Christians will go to combat the influence of atheism on the Christian religion.
.
He cites the Oedipus Complex as well as something called the 'Defective Father' Theory as to why people become atheists. Now, I cannot fault the man for being a psychologist and trying to fit a psychological reason for atheism, but I just think that atheism represents a world view and a form of rationalism based on common sense.
He cites the Oedipus Complex as well as something called the 'Defective Father' Theory as to why people become atheists. Now, I cannot fault the man for being a psychologist and trying to fit a psychological reason for atheism, but I just think that atheism represents a world view and a form of rationalism based on common sense.
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To my mind, if a Christian needs to imply that a man who is lacking a firm father figure in his background as a reason for his atheism, and who is otherwise successful and happy in his relations with others then what is the point of mentioning this aspect of his life? This is a general fault of the Christian attitude in my opinion and is highly represented by the tone of this article.
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Perhaps if God was a girl the author would not be so troubled with the 'father defective ' theories problems.
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Christians are unwilling to accept the fact that people do in fact hold different beliefs and may not be interested in the Christian God as an act of faith. If one believes strongly in something as an article of faith, but yet can provide no proof of its existence except fairy tales and the hope that something magical will occur in the future then what are we really dealing with? Children at an early age are encouraged to believe in fairy tales and Santa Claus and even the Christian God. How is that upon adulthood they are encouraged to continue to believe in the Christian God, but throw the others in the trash can?
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He mentions people like Ludwig Feuerbach, Sigmund Freud, Karl Marx, Voltaire, Bertrand Russell, Jean Paul Sartre, Nietzsche, etc. Some of my favourite people, all condemned in one fell swoop. And, their only sin was being an atheist, just like me.
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The author's name is Paul C. Vitz His article is called:
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" The Psychology of Atheism "
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http://www.origins.org/articles/vitz_psychologyofatheism.html
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I have mentioned the philosopher Ludwig Feuerbachbefore in my post "Philosophy, Christianity, and a girl." Feuerbach had a great influence on the writings of Sigmund Freud ( the Oedipus Complex ) and provided a philosophical backdrop for his theories. You can read " The Essence of Christianity " by Ludwig Feurerbach here:
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http://www.marxists.org/reference/archive/feuerbach/works/essence/index.htm
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.
He mentions people like Ludwig Feuerbach, Sigmund Freud, Karl Marx, Voltaire, Bertrand Russell, Jean Paul Sartre, Nietzsche, etc. Some of my favourite people, all condemned in one fell swoop. And, their only sin was being an atheist, just like me.
.
The author's name is Paul C. Vitz His article is called:
.
" The Psychology of Atheism "
.
http://www.origins.org/articles/vitz_psychologyofatheism.html
.
I have mentioned the philosopher Ludwig Feuerbachbefore in my post "Philosophy, Christianity, and a girl." Feuerbach had a great influence on the writings of Sigmund Freud ( the Oedipus Complex ) and provided a philosophical backdrop for his theories. You can read " The Essence of Christianity " by Ludwig Feurerbach here:
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http://www.marxists.org/reference/archive/feuerbach/works/essence/index.htm
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Other Sources:
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If you want to get involved in a study of philosophy here
is a handy chart with a list of philosophical considerations
and important figures in the field of philosophy
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My Home Page:
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http://carl-baydala-wants-you-to-know.blogspot.com/2006/07/my-home-page_115336233019581745.html
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http://carl-baydala-wants-you-to-know.blogspot.com/2006/07/my-home-page_115336233019581745.html
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