Finding God

[Mr. Perfect]

But not all atheists are communists. Most atheists just seem to have rejected the anthropomorphic version of God, of miracles and superstitions, punishment-reward programs running amok in our bedeviled brains and societies for centuries.

Hard to say.

Maybe JBP is a bit too worried? Or does he think we'd better be safe than sorry... and not dispose of God too quickly.

He's not too worried. Atheism is very agressive at the moment.

[NapLajoieonSteroids]

But not all atheists are communists. Most atheists just seem to have rejected the anthropomorphic version of God, of miracles and superstitions, punishment-reward programs running amok in our bedeviled brains and societies for centuries.

Cometan atheists- conservative to the core and therefore immovable; as if they've settled into a comfy bed for a long rest.

It's not the revolutionary type of a Feurbach or Marx (as with the other thread) as it holds no pretensions of storming the heavens an replacing God on his throne.

But it does come with a very intricate and anxiety-producing religion of humanity, where every fart must be recorded, preserved and analyzed lest the whole of the human project were to disappear from its gaze.

Of course, in practice this religion which places humanity at it's center more pragmatically starts (and ends) with only one idol in the center...the one dreaming in that bed...the irreplaceable me.

Everyone laughed at Comte and his religion of humanity but he beat out the rest of them...people didn't want to really overthrow God because they would've lost the important stuff, for them, being the little accoutrements and mummery and rituals.

[Mr. Perfect]

The great mathematician and Catholic theologian,
Blaise Pascal, the founder of probability theory, presented a series of insightful arguments as to whether or not one should believe in a God,
known today as Pascal's Wager.

In the end, perhaps it is simplest and best to not become too attached to a game that one cannot win.

I've thought about it a great deal, and I am struggling to think of anyone I have ever met that attends church due to Pascal's wager.

You sort of have to become attached to it because it is of eternal consequence.

[Mr. Perfect]

When the atheists are finding God what is left?

SYAG9dAfy8U

[Mr. Perfect]

Are there any atheists left?

cvMlUepVgbA

[Mr. Perfect]

Looks like atheism has found God.

Chfoo9NBEow

[noddy]

some folks are getting confused between the model and the modelled.

[Mr. Perfect]

What do you mean.

[noddy]

our models are so good some folks think reality is now contained within them.

global warming or life as a predictable simulation, take your pick.

[Simple Minded]

our models are so good some folks think reality is now contained within them.

global warming or life as a predictable simulation, take your pick.

https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/10538- ... lmighty-we

[Typhoon]

our models are so good some folks think reality is now contained within them.

global warming or life as a predictable simulation, take your pick.

Quite.

Perhaps we are living in a simulation, Then again, perhaps not.

Anyone that claims that they know for certain is full of it. And themselves.

Backreaction | No, we probably don't live in a computer simulation

Either way, the answer is "42".

[Mr. Perfect]

There are becoming fewer and fewer atheists who don't believe in simulation theory.

They are finding God. The wrong one though.

[Parodite]

I'd say the brain is a pretty impressive "simulator".

Not that we live as non-simulated entities inside a world as simulated by the brain. The concept of simulation is way too crippled to be useful. A simulation of what exactly? We know the difference between operating a flight simulator and flying a real airplane. What is the simulation and what is the reality that it simulates is clear. To call our conscious experience of reality a simulation is meaningless when what-is-simulated is unknown/undefined. Mere name calling and being pompous about it.

Equally insane is the concept of reality being computational, or "informational". Analogies of the times inspired by the technologies of the day. Reality as a battle ground between safe- and unsafe spaces will also do. Or just between ones and zeros. Yin and Yang! Or between archetypes. Trumpistan vs Deepstate.

The holes in the skies are quickly occupied by the Gods and their many faces. Once the sky becomes one giant black hole however, you will find God the One and Only.

Interestingly enough, reality as a mono-hole occupied by only one God also came with notions of doom and death. End Times Rapture Rupture.

[Typhoon]

There are becoming fewer and fewer atheists who don't believe in simulation theory.

They are finding God. The wrong one though.

Not even wrong.

In physics, it is regarded as a fringe hypothesis as it is untestable, and thus irrelevant,

[noddy]

anyone that believes in half baked thought experiments that only exist in someone elses head should probably not call themselves atheist.

the media personalities like Mr Gassy Tyson are only representatives of themselves and maybe some impressionable young new atheists - tho he does seem out of fashion with them at the moment due to his overreach away from topics he actually has some expertise in.

[NapLajoieonSteroids]

There are becoming fewer and fewer atheists who don't believe in simulation theory.

They are finding God. The wrong one though.

Not even wrong.

In physics, it is regarded as a fringe hypothesis as it is untestable, and thus irrelevant,

Did you just claim scientific consensus?

[Simple Minded]

There are becoming fewer and fewer atheists who don't believe in simulation theory.

They are finding God. The wrong one though.

Not even wrong.

In physics, it is regarded as a fringe hypothesis as it is untestable, and thus irrelevant,

Did you just claim scientific consensus?

Lighten up dude. "Scientists" claiming "the science is settled" is nothing new.......

[Mr. Perfect]

There are becoming fewer and fewer atheists who don't believe in simulation theory.

They are finding God. The wrong one though.

Not even wrong.

In physics, it is regarded as a fringe hypothesis as it is untestable, and thus irrelevant,

Atheism is not limited to physics. Physics is not limited to atheism.

I have found atheists to be strong herders, if DeGrasse Tyson and Musk are selling atheists are usually buying.

[Mr. Perfect]

anyone that believes in half baked thought experiments that only exist in someone elses head should probably not call themselves atheist.

the media personalities like Mr Gassy Tyson are only representatives of themselves and maybe some impressionable young new atheists - tho he does seem out of fashion with them at the moment due to his overreach away from topics he actually has some expertise in.

The other 2 guys I posted are providing the non pop culture arguments.

You will be persecuted by these types, soon.

[noddy]

anyone that believes in half baked thought experiments that only exist in someone elses head should probably not call themselves atheist.

the media personalities like Mr Gassy Tyson are only representatives of themselves and maybe some impressionable young new atheists - tho he does seem out of fashion with them at the moment due to his overreach away from topics he actually has some expertise in.

The other 2 guys I posted are providing the non pop culture arguments.

You will be persecuted by these types, soon.

the only thing more wrong that you in this regard is mr tyson but its a close call.

you cant get a grip on the world from twitter or youtube. leave your bunker, visit some people.

[Parodite]

There are becoming fewer and fewer atheists who don't believe in simulation theory.

They are finding God. The wrong one though.

Taken a bit broader this is right. The fringe-toy theory that we live in a simulation (that can't be tested but that quite some people love to entertain and sell to impressionable new students and other gullible public) is a symptom and expression of a more general hallucination and vulnerability in the hard sciences "prone to atheism" community. Been looking for a word for that type of hallucination, or state of hypnosis. Might come up with one.

Specific point here is that also theories that did survive ongoing empirical verification are simulations. Good simulations that have predictive power and generally find application in technology. But the language, grammar of those successful simulations is very suggestive and can bring whole communities of hard core scientists in a state of serious hypnosis where they start to see reality inside the simulation, attributing the nature of the simulation to that of the reality itself.

There are more than a few brilliant mathematicians and/or physicists, especially since the successes of quantum mechanics, who attribute mathematical characteristics to the nature of reality. This usually leads to close to insane claims quite comparable to the fringe-toy theory of living inside a computerized cosmic simulation. The "many-wolds" theory comes to mind which is by no means fringe or toy. But insane all the same and also untestable, so not worth much of your money.

Non-atheist/religious scientists who got hypnotized by those simulations of reality like to see God as the greatest mathematician of all times. And so on.

My take on finding God is that it may help to look in all places where he is not i.e. to find God via negation, but it will only prove that searching won't deliver what you are looking for. I don't think God wants to be found because that would suggest that he could be lost like a set of keys or is playing hide and seek with us.

[Mr. Perfect]

This is perhaps the strongest pro God argument there is, probably because there is no possible rebuttal.

There appears to be the following arguments for God that are airtight.

1. Argument from creation, in the OP
2. Argument from morality, that is objective morality is an invisible higher power
3. Semiotics
4. Personal experience with God
5. The new atheist simulation argument.

Semiotics looks very hard to beat, if at all.

F6rd4HEdffw

[noddy]

id say their is only (4) and the rest preach to the converted.

[Mr. Perfect]

Except all 5 have a history of making converts. A lot of converts.

[Simple Minded]

you cant get a grip on the world from twitter or youtube. leave your bunker, visit some people.

thou speaketh heresy. avoiding contact with people is the surest, most time tested way to not only knowing god, but establishing a serene one-on-one relationship. with at least one of them anyway.