How to think about God.

[PostmodernProphet]

Many Founding Fathers were deists.

???....and bananas are yellow......so?....

[AProudLefty]

???....and bananas are yellow......so?....

So it's relevant to the topic.

[PostmodernProphet]

So it's relevant to the topic.

not even remotely.....

[BidenPresident]

not even remotely.....

Deists believe once God set the world in motion he kind of disappears into the background. So deism is relevant to discussion.

[PostmodernProphet]

Deists believe once God set the world in motion he kind of disappears into the background. So deism is relevant to discussion.

the question I asked and he quoted was why a creator and a being were mutually exclusive.......his response that there a handful of deists 250 years ago is meaningless.......

[BidenPresident]

the question I asked and he quoted was why a creator and a being were mutually exclusive.......his response that there a handful of deists 250 years ago is meaningless.......

I see. Fair enough.

My distinction was about the property of being a creator. One can conceive God without being a creator.

[ThatOwlWoman]

From early Catholic theology like St Anselm, Augustine, Thomas.
They privileged believing in God as the essential feature of theology and religion.
Anyone not believing in their God was an atheist (not a term they used).

They called us non-believers heathens. They did not use the word atheist.

[BidenPresident]

They called us non-believers heathens. They did not use the word atheist.

No, I meant conceptually. They just used the phrase "those who deny the existence of God."

[ThatOwlWoman]

No, I meant conceptually. They just used the phrase "those who deny the existence of God."

Oh, okay. Then it makes more sense. Nevertheless, no atheist can be a polytheist or any other sort of the-ist. "Infidel" or "heathen" is more appropriate to what early Xtians and Muslims called everyone else not chosen.

[BidenPresident]

Oh, okay. Then it makes more sense. Nevertheless, no atheist can be a polytheist or any other sort of the-ist. "Infidel" or "heathen" is more appropriate to what early Xtians and Muslims called everyone else not chosen.

In Greek tragedies there are Gods but no one God. It's 'atheistic' about monotheism. Gods in Homer did not have absolute power.

[anonymoose]

Yet you having nothing to say about it. No refutation.

Yet the one person who does here you consider a troll. Typical. No point in even attempting a half way intelligent discussion with you about anything.

[BidenPresident]

Yet the one person who does here you consider a troll. Typical. No point in even attempting a half way intelligent discussion with you about anything.

Lots of intelligent discussions going on. You clearly ignore them.

[anonymoose]

Lots of intelligent discussions going on. You clearly ignore them.

You're a troll.

[PostmodernProphet]

I see. Fair enough.

My distinction was about the property of being a creator. One can conceive God without being a creator.

/shrugs.....I expect one could conceive a god that looks like a giant dildo and is as stupid as reagansghost.....

[PostmodernProphet]

No, I meant conceptually. They just used the phrase "those who deny the existence of God."

to be fair, that included the worshippers of Baal and other gods as well.....