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Is God an object?


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Doctrinally?

Practically?

A simple question, really

to which other questions might arise

such as:

What kind of object is He?

or...what is God then, if He is not an object?

or...is spirit an object?

or...

Is heaven an object?

Is hell an object?

Is death an object?

Is an idol an object?

Is the devil an object?

Is our faith (personal or collective) an object?

...that kind of thing

ok, and if so, what substance are these objects?

and where are they located (in that truest sense of truth)?

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hi, Bob

wow. very interesting statement

quote:
Everything mentioned is a theory, unproven, except for death. That is a reality.

ok, and so i wonder a few things about the object of proof...

if you are saying "hell" has no proof, for example

what would you say to a village of women and children and old people covered in burns?

or a heroin addict, alone in a gutter at the bottom end of a detox?

or a one-time passionate dreamer, now bored, depressed, alone, uninterested in much, trapped in a dead end job?

or a genius madman, sitting atop an empire, so full of hatred, they would actually stimulate an organized genocide?

must there be an even worse place in human experience than these in order for any notion of hell to be "real?"

or beyond mere theory?

I mean, imagine ("Behold!"), if you will, that while in the throes of it, how one might not even be aware of the end of their torment.

Would time matter at all? Might it seem to drag on forever, like some eternal place?

Some other view of a world you or I may not even understand?

Of course, I know this is not the usual application of the H-word these days

And the same probably goes for the other things I mentioned, too

And so what of death?

(and I assume you are speaking of the death of a person, as opposed to the death of a fashion trend, or cultural era, or tree, or something)

Are you say you have proven the reality of death?

Or that other people have?

(and have somehow come back to tell us about it...lol)

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lol. good question, irisheyes

"What kind of question is this anyway, a trick?"

yeah, in a playful sense. but i assure you, and maybe other's can vouch for me, my intentions are also good.

its more like a game, i think. or a mystery.

imo, a wise saying usually does not always have to end with a period.

does it?

lol

Jesus answered questions with questions, too, if i recall.

stuff he made up on the spot, "outta da blue," or "outta nowhere," it seemed to seem.

Paul taught Christ in a mystery

i am beginning to think this might have had to do with the good ole fashioned thrill of a whodunnit

and that is a really good point you made about God being the "object" of our affection.

offhand, it seems like some sort of old figure of speech to me.

too, i like how you suggested that God might be the thing

strange, indeed. strange like God, maybe

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Your examples of hell are not what the standard religions define hell as, unless you are trying to say that the real hell would be worse than all the examples.

Either way, your examples only point out that life sucks occasionally and that nirvana is a theory, not a reality.

Death is proven daily. People die daily. You can observe their bodies rot away (apparently on the streets nowadays, if you're in New Orleans).

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quote:
Your examples of hell are not what the standard religions define hell as, unless you are trying to say that the real hell would be worse than all the examples.

true dat...my scenarios are not nearly the same as the mythic translations, although word-for-word, if you strip the mere written-of and spoken-of dogmas and myths, wouldn't most of those archaic translations still apply in the experiential situations i mentioned?

and like i said, do we need a "real" place called hell that is worse than the examples?

would not the madman be a "prince in and of Hell?"

what could be worse being that burnt babe? for even a minute?

and ok, nirvana, or heaven...sameish thingish, i imagine

if a woman gives birth to the most beautiful child in the world, or a grandfather holds his grandchild for the first time (for that moment, looking in each others' eyes as if the one and selfsame single being), would that not be an experience of joy and peace that is outside of time? Some sort of radical unity that is beyond words (as "heaven" is often described)

if a world-class surfer hits the most gnarly curls ever, or a downhill skier is zipping along at breakneck speed, breaking world records, would they not be in this state of mind that is out of time...a seemingly endless moment of blissful, dreamy "reality?"

now imagine a world where everyone is taken care of, and living healthy, exciting, peaceful lives...could this not be a state of heaven manifest outwardly into the physical earth, pretty much as scripture describes, without all the magic and unicorns (yet more "magical" than even that?)?

or imagine a person describing such a peaceful and transforming interior experience that they describe as blindingly and wonderfully inexplainable, that they actually, in reality give away all their earthly possessions and for the rest of their life, do nothing but selfless good deeds without being asked? Even to the point of reshaping thought in an entire corner of the world? One might not able to prove what they experienced, but their life sure speaks for itself. I mean, who on earth can simply rationally decide to do such an insane thing without having experienced some "actual" state of "reality" that seems to have made them "snap."

icon_smile.gif:)-->

quote:
Death is proven daily. People die daily. You can observe their bodies rot away

ok, but do we actually see anything that we might consider a "soul" or "spirit" die as well?

or did we just see the body rot?

now, i know that the "proof of soul or spirit" is always questionable (as it should be),

but that kinda gets back to my questions of objectivity, i think

when you look at your living body, is it the object or subject?

if an object, what or who is the subject?

Edited by sirguessalot
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to add...

quote:
unless you are trying to say that the real hell would be worse than all the examples.

yeah. there may be a place that is actually somehow worse than all the examples. I mean, imagine what joy a simply physical birth might bring, if some fragment of sentience was in some tormenting hellish state of being, and did not understand a thing about why (let alone the passage of time).

or if after a Hitlerish type dies, part of himself finds himself even less satisfied, but just as hungry, yet has no body, and has forgetten his name, or who he was, or what a human is, and is just these lingering ugly desires that can no longer carry out their will (having no one to boss around or kill?)?

or a cow, stricken with disease, being torn apart by hyenas? must there always be yet another special magical otherwordly place for such pain to play out?

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I'm really not following you, but a simple answer to your original question about God et. al. being an object is: The question cannot be answered.

For something to be an object, it must first have existance. Since existance is not established, determining what type of existance it is is a fruitless exercise.

The only concrete existence God, heaven, hell have is in the mind of believers. Until some other form of existance is established, the mental exercise is pointless.

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quote:
Either way, your examples only point out that life sucks occasionally

lol. Bob. yeah, occasionally.

maybe think back through earth history, if you will, and ask yourself, does such "hell" really only come to town "occasionally?"

or is it pretty much one of the most natural conditions on earth?

if so, this too, it would seem, would jibe pretty well with scriptural stories of this place called hell

ya know, i forgot who said it first, but it is strange how someone dies and its a tragedy, but if millions die, its a statistic.

or some such thing...

angel2.gif

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quote:
The only concrete existence God, heaven, hell have is in the mind of believers. Until some other form of existance is established, the mental exercise is pointless.

are you saying that these minds are then pointless? or that useless mental excercises are not some actual objects in reality?

quote:
For something to be an object, it must first have existance. Since existance is not established, determining what type of existance it is is a fruitless exercise.

but without such an exercise, would you have ever been able to come to that conclusion?

(btw - i hope you know Bob, not picking at you with all these quotes and questions. nor do i expcet anyone to answer them all or anything. i really do appreciate you playing along like this)

icon_smile.gif:)--> icon_smile.gif:)--> icon_smile.gif:)-->

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I Cor. 2:14 "...the natural man receives not the things of the spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him; and he cannot know them, because they are spiritually understood."

God came down to our level, by contacting us through our senses, hence, the written Word. That's how we get to know him. How many people who don't want to know God would actually read the Bible to prove His existence?

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quote:
God came down to our level
so curious...are you saying that God is an object again?

if so, what might that do to the rest of your statement in that post?

quote:
There is a grand focal objective in every step of creation.
Yeah. that is a good one.

And so, again, is God ever an object?

or any one of these steps of creation?

(even the first step would be an object with form, no?)

Are both father and Father objects?

Is this Love that laid the foundation some sort of object?

(sorry if this is annoying, and i know we can probably do this all day, but i would hope that any claimants of representing God (or even some any sort of anti-God) would be highly interested (if not highly skilled) in answering these kinds of questions, especially in light of all the usual fingerpointing regarding idolatry, self-deception, or other general notions of godlessness)

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quote:
Originally posted by sirguessalot:
God came down to our level
so curious...are you saying that God is an object again?"

No, I believe that would make God the subject.

"if so, what might that do to the rest of your statement in that post?"

Did I contradict myself? What was my objective anyway?

"And so, again, is God ever an object?"

Yes, He is the object of our affection, etc.

"Are both father and Father objects?"

Now, you are really get picky...

"Is this Love that laid the foundation some sort of object?"

No, that would be the foundation.

Yes, we could go on all day. I may not know all the rules of English, but I know the concept most of the time. It was my job in this great star-spangled universe of ours.

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would it be a good idea to question our understanding of God if we have come to think of God as an object?

or some thing somewhere else in the universe?

the moment we say to ourselves or someone else...

"God is here, or God is there"

"God is NOT here, or God is NOT there"

have we not just made God into a mysterious object?

something that can be lost?

something that can be found?

something with an opposite?

if God is not an object

is not then the very word "God" a figure of speech?

and not a literal truth at all?

what does the ultimate holy Subject look like, if not an object?

would it not be the purest clarity and freedom to be found?

like the eye of all eyes, clearer than glass?

and would not this widest of open spaces be called ultimate Love?

being open, and that which allows Everything to be in it?

that which simply and choicelessly allows all to be? in its infinite embrace?

like the greatest foundation that all else grows in?

and so where can the Ultimate subject be found?

how far away is "it," if it is not a thing that is?

after all, foolishness, God is called. a paradox to the carnal mind

and a mystery to trip up the author of death (who is also liar, btw) and all his illusions

and so also, God being holy spirit...

is the Holy Spirit an actual object?

like taught in churches everywhere?

something we must get put inside of us?

or perhaps another blessed figure of speech to baffle the devil inside everywhere?

(sorry if that is too much for anyone)

Edited by sirguessalot
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object

subject

objective

subjective

both inward and outward

and points in between

doctrinly

practicaly

funny how these two mesh together

we (each person) are sort of a mixing bowl

to bake a cake and eat it too

changing the ingredients changes the taste

and you get a "feel" for the ingredients

that are right and even though individually

the ingredient may taste bad

when mixed with the rest it turns out

rather tasty

so even some "bad" or distasteful ingredients

are needed to bring out the best taste

which of course makes that ingredient good

are we cookin' yet?

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IE, for the sake of meaningful discussion, if nothing else, i'm kinda hoping you can explain what you mean by that.

one can only guess, ya know?

(except for the lalalalala part, that's easy..wink2.gif;)-->)

btw - i like how you brought up "tricks"

started a chain of wonderings...

ok, and seeing as how we say that sin and evil, like suffering and delusion, are pretty much mostly everywhere in some exotic form or another

maybe someone here can help me find out if these wonderings are good or evil

or interesting or boring or annoying

or smart or stupid or useful

whatever

icon_cool.gif

(btw - IE, though it might seem like i am talking directly to you

please know that i am not. these questions are for anyone

so please dont take it as some sort of barrage

we are all in this together, right?)

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ok?

ok, if there are trick questions

are there trick sayings?

trick statements?

suggestions?

answers?

and what makes something a "trick," anyway?

and...would it be useful to say that there are also "good" tricks and "bad" tricks?

like forging a check versus...

pretending the spoon is an airplane so some innocent cherub will giggle and open their mouth for some yum yums

icon_biggrin.gif:D-->

ok, bear with me y'all....

(and feel free to jump in and chop this ole dragon into as many pieces as you like)

would it be valuable to assume that the values of the "trick" can be measured by aspects in both cause and effect?

(chop!)

and are there good and useful trick questions than you can consciously ask yourself, or statements that you consciously tell yourself, via your own God-given freewill choice?

(chop chop chop chop)

are there any limits to the variety of tricks?

(choppity chop chop chop chop)

icon_razz.gif:P-->

the reason i ask this kinda stuff, is cuz i not only think these kinds of questions are important, but can also be very rewarding

(seeing as how we are all climbing out from under some sort of delusions and deception or other, no?)

i also ask because of how so many in the world say (and so much louder) that they somehow possess or hold or otherwise basically have the actual best and most purest expression of the True Living Word of God, and that this might somehow make them most able to make the most moral and ethical decisions, or some such thing...yada yada yada

yet questions are often the first thing to go

(except for the chosen questions, of course)

like how we were more or less taught to fear questions in PFAL

(except Vic's own cocktail of trick questions)

but what is the first manifestatation of holy spirit?

(not according to Vic, but Paul?)

word of wisdom, right?

and that make me wonder, if the spirit is wording out wisdom...and then knowledge,

might punctuation play a role in the distinction?

like the proverbial question being wiser than an answer?

is it possible that the serpent was supposed to question things?

but to be "wise as serpents and harmless as doves" was a big part of the new kid's trick?

not only lovingly lifts up the serpent, but by doing so, lovingly trumps it as well?

would this not be wiser than even the serpent?

and maybe even more valuable than simply questioning the "reality" of any given thing

is asking "what questions don't we know yet"

icon_smile.gif:)-->

nice steaming batch o cookies there, cm

lol

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and to highlight and follow a vine outta that ramble...

are there good and useful trick questions?

ones that we can consciously ask ourself?

via our own God-given freewill choice?

and are designed to open "doors?"

many inherent, some quite new?

ones we might not naturally know to ask?

or bother to ask?

or think to ask?

or care to ask?

or dare to ask?

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