Philosophy Now Forum

In my beginning, there was emptiness, despair, and loneliness. From there I moved on to philosophy, only to find out that philosophy had no answers. Then I tried religion only to learn that God belonged to others and wasn't mine.

As far as I can tell, God favors the arrogant, the successful, the intelligent, the humble, the penitent, and the worshipful. And as far as I'm concerned, you all can have this world. It's a dumpster. So to all the blessed, successful, intelligent, humble, penitent, and worshipful, out there, enjoy the dumpster you've been blessed with. Cherish it and honor it. And leave me alone if you don't like me. I'm tired of taking shit because of who I am.

Gary Childress wrote: ↑Mon Jun 26, 2023 9:59 pm In my beginning, there was emptiness, despair, and loneliness.

Who does the 'my' refer to here?

And, what do you mean by 'beginning' here?

Conception, birth, somewhere in between, somewhere after, somewhere else, or ...?

Gary Childress wrote: ↑Mon Jun 26, 2023 9:59 pm From there I moved on to philosophy,

From 'where', exactly? And, what do you mean by 'philosophy'?

Gary Childress wrote: ↑Mon Jun 26, 2023 9:59 pm only to find out that philosophy had no answers.

'Philosophy' was NEVER meant to 'have answers, AND, NEVER will 'have answers'.

Answers are FOUND, through 'philosophy'.

BUT, what you mean by 'philosophy' could well be VERY, VERY DIFFERENT.

Gary Childress wrote: ↑Mon Jun 26, 2023 9:59 pm Then I tried religion only to learn that God belonged to others and wasn't mine.

Well 'this' is completely and utterly Wrong what you, call, 'learned' here.

Gary Childress wrote: ↑Mon Jun 26, 2023 9:59 pm As far as I can tell, God favors the arrogant, the successful, the intelligent, the humble, the penitent, and the worshipful.

AND, what are 'you' if you are NONE of these?

Also, what on earth would have even LED you to A CONCLUSION like 'this' one, which you have here?

Gary Childress wrote: ↑Mon Jun 26, 2023 9:59 pm And as far as I'm concerned, you all can have this world. It's a dumpster.

This here is a GREAT example of the adult human being in the days when this was being written, and it is EXACTLY this kind of attitude WHY 'this, human being, created world' was SUCH A DUMP, as 'it' WAS, back then.

Gary Childress wrote: ↑Mon Jun 26, 2023 9:59 pm So to all the blessed, successful, intelligent, humble, penitent, and worshipful, out there, enjoy the dumpster you've been blessed with.

BUT 'the dumpster' WAS CREATED BY 'you', adult human beings. So, 'blessed' is what WAS CREATED BY 'you'.

Gary Childress wrote: ↑Mon Jun 26, 2023 9:59 pm Cherish it and honor it.

'you', personally, will NOT be 'around' for much longer so 'you', REALLY, do NOT care what happens, hey?

Gary Childress wrote: ↑Mon Jun 26, 2023 9:59 pm And leave me alone if you don't like me.

WHO would NOT like 'you', "gary childress"?

Or, in other words, what kind of human being would NOT like "ANOTHER" human being?

Gary Childress wrote: ↑Mon Jun 26, 2023 9:59 pm I'm tired of taking shit because of who I am.

WHO or WHAT is, supposedly, 'giving you shit'?

WHY would you even 'take shit'?

AND,

WHO are 'you', which LEADS 'you' to 'take shit'?

Gary Childress wrote: ↑Mon Jun 26, 2023 9:59 pm As far as I can tell, God favors the arrogant, the successful, the intelligent, the humble, the penitent, and the worshipful.

'As far as I can tell' implies some process of finding out. How did you find out the stuff after the first comma?

Iwannaplato wrote: ↑Tue Jun 27, 2023 8:37 amHow did you find out the stuff after the first comma?

From reading and listening to what others say.

How can God favor both the arrogant and the humble?

And there are lots of passages in the NT where God appears to favor the poor, failed and unsuccessful.

phyllo wrote: ↑Tue Jun 27, 2023 2:22 pm How can God favor both the arrogant and the humble?

And there are lots of passages in the NT where God appears to favor the poor, failed and unsuccessful.

or everyone who repents (in the NT)
or everyone eventually (many forms of Hinduism)
or everyone (various animisms/shamanisms, some pagan type panspiritisms)

Also participating in practices might be more telling than reading and listening.

Gary Childress wrote: ↑Mon Jun 26, 2023 9:59 pmIn my beginning, there was emptiness, despair, and loneliness. From there I moved on to philosophy, only to find out that philosophy had no answers. Then I tried religion only to learn that God belonged to others and wasn't mine.

As far as I can tell, God favors the arrogant, the successful, the intelligent, the humble, the penitent, and the worshipful. And as far as I'm concerned, you all can have this world. It's a dumpster. So to all the blessed, successful, intelligent, humble, penitent, and worshipful, out there, enjoy the dumpster you've been blessed with. Cherish it and honor it. And leave me alone if you don't like me. I'm tired of taking shit because of who I am.

Do you believe that only the Abrahamic God, is a God? That there aren't more than One? Why or why not?

Wizard22 wrote: ↑Wed Jun 28, 2023 8:11 am

Gary Childress wrote: ↑Mon Jun 26, 2023 9:59 pmIn my beginning, there was emptiness, despair, and loneliness. From there I moved on to philosophy, only to find out that philosophy had no answers. Then I tried religion only to learn that God belonged to others and wasn't mine.

As far as I can tell, God favors the arrogant, the successful, the intelligent, the humble, the penitent, and the worshipful. And as far as I'm concerned, you all can have this world. It's a dumpster. So to all the blessed, successful, intelligent, humble, penitent, and worshipful, out there, enjoy the dumpster you've been blessed with. Cherish it and honor it. And leave me alone if you don't like me. I'm tired of taking shit because of who I am.

Do you believe that only the Abrahamic God, is a God? That there aren't more than One? Why or why not?

I'm agnostic concerning religious matters. I couldn't answer any of the underlined questions above.

Gary Childress wrote: ↑Thu Jun 29, 2023 5:19 am

Wizard22 wrote: ↑Wed Jun 28, 2023 8:11 am

Gary Childress wrote: ↑Mon Jun 26, 2023 9:59 pmIn my beginning, there was emptiness, despair, and loneliness. From there I moved on to philosophy, only to find out that philosophy had no answers. Then I tried religion only to learn that God belonged to others and wasn't mine.

As far as I can tell, God favors the arrogant, the successful, the intelligent, the humble, the penitent, and the worshipful. And as far as I'm concerned, you all can have this world. It's a dumpster. So to all the blessed, successful, intelligent, humble, penitent, and worshipful, out there, enjoy the dumpster you've been blessed with. Cherish it and honor it. And leave me alone if you don't like me. I'm tired of taking shit because of who I am.

Do you believe that only the Abrahamic God, is a God? That there aren't more than One? Why or why not?

I'm agnostic concerning religious matters. I couldn't answer any of the underlined questions above.

Often when people are agnostic or not sure or disbelievers, in the West, they think of the issue in terms of the Abrahamic God.

Iwannaplato wrote: ↑Thu Jun 29, 2023 5:31 am

Gary Childress wrote: ↑Thu Jun 29, 2023 5:19 am

Wizard22 wrote: ↑Wed Jun 28, 2023 8:11 am
Do you believe that only the Abrahamic God, is a God? That there aren't more than One? Why or why not?

I'm agnostic concerning religious matters. I couldn't answer any of the underlined questions above.

Often when people are agnostic or not sure or disbelievers, in the West, they think of the issue in terms of the Abrahamic God.

I don't think in terms of the Abrahamic God. I'm agnostic. If I thought in terms of the Abrahamic God, then I wouldn't be agnostic.

Gary Childress wrote: ↑Thu Jun 29, 2023 5:32 am I don't think in terms of the Abrahamic God. I'm agnostic. If I thought in terms of the Abrahamic God, then I wouldn't be agnostic.

You said God favors....and the list reads as very Abrahamic.

Iwannaplato wrote: ↑Thu Jun 29, 2023 5:37 am

Gary Childress wrote: ↑Thu Jun 29, 2023 5:32 am I don't think in terms of the Abrahamic God. I'm agnostic. If I thought in terms of the Abrahamic God, then I wouldn't be agnostic.

You said God favors....and the list reads as very Abrahamic.

I posted this thread after a considerable amount of time I've spent in discussion with IC in the Christianity thread. It gets frustrating. As I've made clear many times, I view the Abrahamic God as not my God because I cannot believe in the Abrahamic God who favors some over others. I'm not going to prostrate myself to any mortal. However, being agnostic, I also have to deal with people who think they are favored by God (or a favorite of gods--or whatever). I would like to think that God is available to all in whatever manner. Of course, I can't prove it. I can only hope it is the case. Otherwise, the "Christian" God is not for me because I see no reason to believe Christ was any more the creator of the universe than any other human being who has ever lived, let alone even any tremendously influential one.

Ultimately, we are all confined by what can be communicated and how much can be communicated in a finite period of time or a finite string of words and sentences.

Gary Childress wrote: ↑Thu Jun 29, 2023 5:47 amI cannot believe in the Abrahamic God who favors some over others.

Gary Childress wrote: ↑Thu Jun 29, 2023 5:47 amI'm not going to prostrate myself to any mortal.

How does your second sentence follow from the first? That doesn't make any sense to me. I don't recall the Abrahamic God requiring you to prostrate yourself to any mortal...?

Gary Childress wrote: ↑Thu Jun 29, 2023 5:47 amHowever, being agnostic, I also have to deal with people who think they are favored by God (or a favorite of gods--or whatever). I would like to think that God is available to all in whatever manner. Of course, I can't prove it. I can only hope it is the case. Otherwise, the "Christian" God is not for me because I see no reason to believe Christ was any more the creator of the universe than any other human being who has ever lived, let alone even any tremendously influential one.

Ultimately, we are all confined by what can be communicated and how much can be communicated in a finite period of time or a finite string of words and sentences.

There's a few things here.

Why do you think that "God is available to all in whatever manner"? You basically sound Protestant here. Secondly, you refer to 'Christ' as God. Jews and Moslems do not believe Christ is the Abrahamic God. They have entirely different religious beliefs. So your perspective seems, solidly, Protestant-Christian in your conception of God. Have you considered these differences and where your ideals of God came from originally?

I personally don't believe Divinity or 'Gods' are universal. So I don't understand your interpretation that "God is available to all"...where's this belief come from?

Gary Childress wrote: ↑Thu Jun 29, 2023 5:47 am

Iwannaplato wrote: ↑Thu Jun 29, 2023 5:37 am

Gary Childress wrote: ↑Thu Jun 29, 2023 5:32 am I don't think in terms of the Abrahamic God. I'm agnostic. If I thought in terms of the Abrahamic God, then I wouldn't be agnostic.

You said God favors....and the list reads as very Abrahamic.

I posted this thread after a considerable amount of time I've spent in discussion with IC in the Christianity thread. It gets frustrating. As I've made clear many times, I view the Abrahamic God as not my God because I cannot believe in the Abrahamic God who favors some over others.

Why do you think that 'that God' would favor some over others?

Gary Childress wrote: ↑Thu Jun 29, 2023 5:47 am I'm not going to prostrate myself to any mortal.

Okay, but would you prostrate "your" 'self' to God, Itself?

Gary Childress wrote: ↑Thu Jun 29, 2023 5:47 am However, being agnostic, I also have to deal with people who think they are favored by God (or a favorite of gods--or whatever).

Is it only because you are so-called "agnostic" why you also have to deal with people who think they are favored by God?

Is it only "agnostic" people who have to deal with people who think they are favored by God?

Gary Childress wrote: ↑Thu Jun 29, 2023 5:47 am I would like to think that God is available to all in whatever manner. Of course, I can't prove it. I can only hope it is the case.

One would have to be somewhat 'unstable' to think that God, Itself, is only available to some. To even consider that 'this' could be somewhat true would be to imagine the impossible.

Gary Childress wrote: ↑Thu Jun 29, 2023 5:47 am Otherwise, the "Christian" God is not for me because I see no reason to believe Christ was any more the creator of the universe than any other human being who has ever lived, let alone even any tremendously influential one.

How could a 'thing' create 'the thing' that existed before the 'first thing' here even came into Existence.

Gary Childress wrote: ↑Thu Jun 29, 2023 5:47 am Ultimately, we are all confined by what can be communicated and how much can be communicated in a finite period of time or a finite string of words and sentences.

This may well be true, but ALL of the irrefutable answers to ALL of the meaningful questions, that is; ALL of the previously asked so-called philosophical questions, can be communicated to you, BEFORE your finite time is finished, as well as many OTHER YET to be IMAGINED irrefutable answers and SOLUTIONS could be communicated by the end of 'this week'. That is, OF COURSE, if you were/are Truly INTERESTED in having these 'things' communicated to you.

Wizard22 wrote: ↑Thu Jun 29, 2023 8:12 am

Gary Childress wrote: ↑Thu Jun 29, 2023 5:47 amI cannot believe in the Abrahamic God who favors some over others.

Gary Childress wrote: ↑Thu Jun 29, 2023 5:47 amI'm not going to prostrate myself to any mortal.

How does your second sentence follow from the first? That doesn't make any sense to me. I don't recall the Abrahamic God requiring you to prostrate yourself to any mortal...?

Gary Childress wrote: ↑Thu Jun 29, 2023 5:47 amHowever, being agnostic, I also have to deal with people who think they are favored by God (or a favorite of gods--or whatever). I would like to think that God is available to all in whatever manner. Of course, I can't prove it. I can only hope it is the case. Otherwise, the "Christian" God is not for me because I see no reason to believe Christ was any more the creator of the universe than any other human being who has ever lived, let alone even any tremendously influential one.

Ultimately, we are all confined by what can be communicated and how much can be communicated in a finite period of time or a finite string of words and sentences.

There's a few things here.

Why do you think that "God is available to all in whatever manner"? You basically sound Protestant here. Secondly, you refer to 'Christ' as God. Jews and Moslems do not believe Christ is the Abrahamic God. They have entirely different religious beliefs. So your perspective seems, solidly, Protestant-Christian in your conception of God. Have you considered these differences and where your ideals of God came from originally?

I personally don't believe Divinity or 'Gods' are universal. So I don't understand your interpretation that "God is available to all"...where's this belief come from?

As I stated above to iwannaplato, this thread was made in my frustration with talking to IC in the Christianity thread. I do not "refer to Christ as God". I refer to others' belief that Christ is "God" (or that one must "accept" Christ as the only way to God, or whatever).

As far as my other comments, I'm not going to go into an exhaustive reiteration of how they all fit into my views from a position of agnosticism because it is exhausting. The very fact that you all are questioning my views tells me that you think it's somehow important for me to be in some kind of particular alignment (or frame of mind) or for you all to know what my alignment (or frame of mind) is.

This is my alignment or frame of mind: As I've stated repeatedly, I am agnostic. When others tell me that there is a God or not a God or anything that I myself am unable to verify, then I am skeptical of those claims because if I can't verify it, then I see no way that anyone else can verify it either unless God did something miraculous to somehow reveal to them but didn't reveal to me. I'm not interested in taking sides. I'm more interested in getting along with others. If I am required by another to side against someone else, then I'm not going to do it unless there is good reason to, such as if the one I'm asked to side against is out to do serious harm. Then I would wish to ask the other who wishes to do serious harm why s/he wants to do serious harm and see if there's a way to peacefully settle it.