Flare Sci-Fi Forums: The God paradox

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Posted by Aethelwer (Member # 36) on :

All this talk about Christianity etc. reminded me of something I postulated a while ago...

Let's say God decides to show up one day, and proclaims that he does not exist.

Now, if I said that I didn't exist, you wouldn't believe me, you would think I'm nuts or I just woke up or something. But, in the above situation, it's God speaking. What would the religious people do? Would they decide that God doesn't exist, because he said it (which itself is a paradox)? Or would they use this as evidence that God, despite his now-undeniable presence, is fallible?

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http://frankg.dgne.com/
Megatron: "Waspinator, salvage Inferno."
Waspinator: "Inferno blow up, Waspinator must salvage. Waspinator blow up, nobody salvage. Why universe hate Waspinator?"

Posted by Jay the Obscure (Member # 19) on :

Ever see Monty Python's Life of Brian? Well they had a rather satirical view of that sort of thing.

Brian: I'm not the Messiah! Will you please listen? I am not the Messiah, do you understand?! Honestly!
Girl: Only the true Messiah denies His divinity.
Brian: What?! Well, what sort of chance does that give me? All right! I am the Messiah!
Followers: He is! He is the Messiah!
Brian: Now, f* off!
[silence]
Arthur: How shall we f* off, O Lord?

Anyway, I am not taking sides on this whole Christian thing that's been going on of late. I learned a long time ago not to argue about God or Guns on the net. I just that that that piece was funny.

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To make an apple pie from scratch, we must first invent the universe.

~Carl Sagan

Posted by Montgomery (Member # 23) on :

Well, I'd assume He was having a laugh. This sidesteps the alarming question of whether if God returned, people would believe it was really He.

What would be necessary to prove it? Magic?
But any sufficiently advanced tech has the appearence of magic!

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An unborn scream burst in my stomach,
and spread like cold mercury through my chest.
I covered my face with my hands, but kept looking through my fingers.
"Write that down!", he told the stick.
"Is visibly destroyed, yet unable to turn away".

- Blue Jam

Posted by Curry Monster (Member # 12) on :

Jay - I bow to your superior post.

That's one for the good guys *L*.

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I drink therefore I am.

-Descartes

Posted by First of Two (Member # 16) on :

Most likely, the religious people would say that the person speaking wasn't really God. Or that it was all some sort of test (which is their Xerox explanation for anything bad than happens to non-bad people.)

I, on the other hand, would simply believe what I have always believed: God, if there is one, is either completely off His rocker, or having a huge laugh at our expense.

Life is best explained as a practical joke of very dubious taste.

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*I only SEEM Normal*

[This message was edited by First of Two on April 24, 1999.]

Posted by Curry Monster (Member # 12) on :

Agreed.

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'Sir, you've been ordered not to take Polermo'

'Ring General HQ, ask them if they want me to give it back'.

Posted by Orion Syndicate (Member # 25) on :

The belief in god is a personal thing and should not be knocked by anyone else because the people who do not believe in god could not understand the level of belief. (This is not a dig at the non-believers, just a comment).

There was a line that Kira mentioned in that episode where that other guy claimed to be the Emissary. I can't remember the whole thing, but it ended

"....if you have faith, no explanation is necessary"

This I believe explains the whole thing perfectly. Now I wouldn't claim to be a religious person because I don't follow all the guidelines laid out, but I do understand what it is to believe in a god or a divine form of existance. I simply say that this argument end and each side should just accept each others beliefs and let it be because the conflicts that have arisen over the years as a result of religion are just senseless.

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The public is wonderfully tolerant - it forgives everything except Genius.

Posted by First of Two (Member # 16) on :

I love that line.

Here's the proper response:
"To a schizoid person who thinks giant invisible penguins are invading the ductwork, no explanation is necessary. To someone who knows there's no such thing as giant invisible penguins, no explanation is possible."

Yeah, I'll accept their beliefs as soon as they add "the belief that people who disagree should be left the Hell alone and not bothered" to the list.

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You're just JEALOUS because the little voices talk to ME!

Posted by The Excalibur (Member # 34) on :

I think The Shadow has been reading Hitchhikers Guide again, in which case God would go up in a poof of logic.

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We'rree Baaaccckkk

Posted by Aethelwer (Member # 36) on :

Actually, I haven't, but I think you're right.

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http://frankg.dgne.com/
Rodimus Prime: "No more jokes, Springer. Cybertron's in deadly danger. We're heading back there. Now."
Springer: "Yes sir, Mister Leader, sir."

Posted by Baloo (Member # 5) on :

Actually, I kinda like the religion threads, when they stay civil. It does me good not only to listen and learn what someone else believes, but It also does me good to closely examine my own beliefs as is necessary to post about them.

You never understand anything so well as when you can explain it to another.

--Baloo

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Next: proving that stepping on a crack won't break your mother's back. Nothing against Mom, but sometimes we all have to make sacrifices for the greater good.

Posted by Orion Syndicate (Member # 25) on :

1st of Two: If they believe it, let them believe it. They are their own personal beliefs and although silly to you, they're not silly to them in the same way that you not believing in a god is not silly for you, but they'd consider you silly for it.

Secondly, I do have some beliefs of my own, but I am not one of the people who goes around and tells non-believers that they should believe in god. If you don't believe, that's alright with me, I have no problem with that. In fact, I don't like people who go around preaching be it about religion or atheism. If people want to learn, they'll get a book.

I only talk about it here because it's an open forum and we're discussing. I'm not attempting to convert anyone, nor would I ever try.

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The public is wonderfully tolerant - it forgives everything except Genius.

[This message was edited by Orion Syndicate on April 30, 1999.]