The Psychology of Religious Beliefs | Luke Galen

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In this video Dr. Luke Galen explains why believers often project their own thoughts and desires onto God. His book, "Why God Thinks Like You," explores how individual psyches and cognitive traits shape religious beliefs. Learn how personal experiences and needs influence perceptions of God through psychological experiments and real-world examples.
Transcript & Sources:
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About Luke Galen:
Luke Galen is a professor of psychology at Grand Valley State University. He received his Ph.D. in clinical psychology from Wayne State University. His main area of research and teaching focuses on the psychology of religion. He is currently researching the psychology of secularity and nonreligious individuals especially in regards to moral behavior. He also studies the process of religious change from fundamentalism to apostasy.
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DISCLAIMER: The views shared by guests speakers on Planet Curious are not necessarily representative of the views of the Planet Curious ownership.
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[@w4rsh1p]

Of course it's true for every religion but mine!

[@Richdragon4]

Obviously. How could it be otherwise?

[@treefrog3349]

Well said!

[@Iconoclassic]

Your religion is the one true religion. Praise be to ... well, you know.

[@Tarantula-hawk]

​@ceb3275 But it is. And I am tired of pretending it's not to please people like you

[@Bread-to5go]

Humanisim is stupid

[@MrMattSax]

We make our gods in our image

[@purple66666]

True. But I also have observed that early religions tend to lie about the God they are centered around to make God an ideal and beyond human whereas old religions had their deities flawed, they could be greedy, angry, jealous etc. the bad and the evil had a clear and thin barrier (think of Greek gods, Egyptian gods, Mayan Gods etc).

[@juliorivera870]

Yes in the image he created you

[@MrMattSax]

@@juliorivera870 what is the evidence that supports that claim?

[@ichsehsanders]

@@MrMattSax The evidence speaks for itself: Can you hear the silence?

[@mylie6181]

@@ichsehsandersthe burden of proof falls on the one who makes the claim

[@robinharwood5044]

God thinks like me because he knows I’m always right.

[@markwoods4439]

😂😂😂😂😂 seriously!

[@righteousrico]

Bingo

[@Iconoclassic]

You're right! Again.

[@Bread-to5go]

Humanisim is stupid

[@oscarmudd6579]

God, to the religious, tends to be a perfect version of themselves.

[@emordnilaps]

And prayer sometimes boils down to "I need to know now. Will you love me again?" (John Newman - _Love Me Again_ )

[@Tarantula-hawk]

You are projecting

[@Raz.C]

@@Tarantula-hawk You are wishing. You've posted wish-fulfilment fantasies on many comments here. They all boil down to an insistence that your magical fantasy fairy tale is real and that you're not going to present any evidence to show that it's real. If you want to convince a non-believer that your Holy Storybook is more than just fairy tales, you need to come with evidence, not just stories, or stories about stories and DEFINITELY not just insisting that it's true!

[@Bread-to5go]

Humanisim is stupid

[@robertblakeman9978]

God is like Man because MAN CREATED GOD-ITS NOT DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND!

[@larryjordan23]

Amen brother

[@dreamer281]

Amen❤

[@maxipaw-dc5xj]

I've been secretly thinking that my whole life

[@InsertYTHandleHere]

Tbh, as a non-religious theist, even if a particular God existed, it wouldn't have anything in common with us as, or any species as we know ourselves.

[@mylie6181]

⁠@@InsertYTHandleHereas an atheist, i have a similar line of thought. people just kind of assume that a god must be like us because “us” is what we know. we understand our world in terms of personification & human hierarchies. so in a setting where humans have power in nature, the ‘thing’ in control of it all must exist in a human-like form/dynamic! if there were a god, people are probably wrong anyways when they apply human ideas/structure onto a higher power. idk if my yapping is coherent

[@dennisk5500]

This perfectly describes my own thinking and experience. What I used to think of as God, I now realize was a projection of the finest qualities I can find in myself into a detached role of an "other". I imagined it sitting in a chair across the room, smiling benevolently and slightly bemused at me. I was essentially being my own therapist, loving myself in the places I needed it most

[@Raz.C]

Yeah. Theists will sometimes accuse atheists of "thinking themselves Gods," but the reality is that just about everyone who worships a God is worshipping themselves, just not their current self.

[@billpetersen298]

It sounds like it worked for you. If you were able to find self love, in your practice.

[@DM-zq8qy]

Excellent summary in your final statement. “God seems to think a lot like you do.” Every “faith” seems to define god according to their own wishes. Correction: Every “theist” seems to define god according to their own wishes. (Thanks for correcting me.)

[@TheMargarita1948]

Every”faith “? Every theist.

[@peterbatterham8522]

So a mythical spirit outside the massive universe has a mind? Perhaps it would be good if this "god" revealed him/her self in todays world of science

[@DM-zq8qy]

@@TheMargarita1948 yes. One can have “faith” (in reality) without having a definition of “God.”

[@TheMargarita1948]

@@DM-zq8qy The fact that every theist describes the character of “God” differently and to resemble them self is one of my main reasons for believing “he” does not exist.

[@TheMargarita1948]

@@DM-zq8qy I have a deep faith in reality. I identify as “religious naturalist.” My religious (ecstatic) experiences come from contemplation of the interconnected web of life: constantly changing, always in balance.

[@humbleevidenceaccepter7712]

A person's god is just an extension of their own ego and pre-existing religious beliefs.

[@matheus8530]

Damn this could be a whole season with multiple episodes

[@ZangariRC]

One's quest for personal salvation from the human condition is top tier narcissism.

[@MrAuskiwi101]

Indeed. Christianity for example is extremely narcissistic.

[@james0805]

Can you honestly tell me you have never tried to escape? Tv? Alcohol? Drugs? Overwork? Please be honest

[@kellydalstok8900]

@@james0805 what dies that have to do with the narcissistic need for being special in the eyes of an all-powerful being?

[@Grandpa_Boxer]

Fear of Hell is massive driver!

[@MrAuskiwi101]

@Grandpa_Boxer Yes and this sick fantasy is fed to children before they reach any age of reason.

[@edwardschneider6396]

Geography determines religious beliefs. This is the sociological reinforcement by the group. Confirmation bias.

[@senojah]

I have often thought and said that religions grow up from the needs of the soil.

[@bertokleine280]

We humans didn’t understand so we invented god. Now we understand much much more. No need for gods.

[@kellydalstok8900]

For every human discovery “god did it” was never the answer, so we can be quite sure it won’t be the answer for phenomena we haven’t found one for (yet).

[@KingJ1397-v8q]

They proclaimed themselves to be wise then they became fuuls.

[@KingJ1397-v8q]

@@kellydalstok8900😂😂 it amazing how unscientific your statement is but okay

[@edwardfischer3944]

SPAGING Self Projection As God (SPAG) describes the phenomenon through which believers, when trying to ascribe a personality and wishes to their chosen god, tend to arrive at something that is oddly similar to what they themselves think and feel. Whether the process is conscious, or a concerted effort to invoke a divine mandate in support of their actions, SPAG is a contributing factor to cafeteria Christianity. SPAG has also been called vicarious autotheism.

[@wangobadankas4038]

Being individuals every person will imagine a different God.

[@TheMargarita1948]

@@wangobadankas4038 ‘imagine “ being the key word.

[@justincredible.]

GREAT video! Thnx!

[@elizabethduran3435]

Somewhere I read the story of several blind men that were to touch an elephant in different parts. They were told they were touching god. Not surprising, each described a god based on the part of the elephant that they touched.

[@ichsehsanders]

Not to offend, but that sounds made up... Like these drawnout Atheist becomes Theist kinda storys. Maybe its just me

[@catjudo1]

Funny, I never once thought I should drown everyone and everything because they didn’t worship me properly.

[@kellydalstok8900]

But Donald Trump does. This shows you exactly what kind of men wrote the bible.

[@orion9526]

@@kellydalstok8900 Trump and his MAGA-minions, with the FOX propaganda machine cheering them on.

[@ashbeck1736]

@@kellydalstok8900 That's exactly who came to mind for me as well. I agree with you and me 100%. 😃You are so right with your second sentence. The Bible was written by ignorant, petty, and vengeful men.

[@Grandpa_Boxer]

Excellent ! ordering book-- 4000 religions worldwide! "Only mine is the right one-:)"

[@thomasridley8675]

We have known for a long time that culture and personal expectations are responsible for the sheer variety of religious beliefs. That and the drug of feeling special. That a god cares about...you. Chosen to know the truth. The saved. With the correct interpretation of our existence here and our future. But from anyone else, its just pagan nonsense. Ya, its all in their heads. Self-delusion of the highest order.

[@swagmama408]

As an anthropology student and former Catholic, this was super interesting! Very helpful on an ideological level.

[@dguy7436]

If god thinks like me then we’re in a helluva lot of trouble….

[@user-pw6ei2mn7x]

🤣🤣🤣🇮🇪

[@TheMargarita1948]

If God thinks like me, we’re going to be OK. And soon.

[@ashbeck1736]

We already are.

[@religiologEng]

This is amazing! Thanks a lot for your great work Planet Curious!

[@vls3771]

The lord said to me / god spoke to me / i heard him say /... If you say these things its your own thoughts its talking to yourself like saying positive things or thinking out loud.. its a common thing to do ...but its not messages from A creator of the universe..

[@esarge66]

Kind of like a "crazy" person hearing voices? Just sayin!

[@kellydalstok8900]

@@esarge66 no, just an over imaginative person’s inner monologue.

[@orion9526]

I've been writing a book for the past 25 years that explains why some people understand these ideas and some don't. The mirror effect is that understanding we and some intelligent animals have when looking in a mirror - we recognize we are looking at our reflection, not some 'other'. Some of us understand those weird experiences of 'other' are just messages or motivations from our Buddha, our inner self. Some come by this realization naturally, some after years of education or training, and most never. Some religions have small atheist sects (Taoism, Buddhism, Sufism come to mind) that have moved beyond god to recognizing our human spirit as source. These groups have teachings to help their followers recognize themselves in the mirror. In my experience, they mostly fail. Now, God willing, I'm going to finish my book.

[@mycount64]

Even when people change their faith, somehow they remain aligned throughout.

[@Teddy3230-u4d]

This explains why I’m a deist….because why the hell would an all powerful being give a shit about what I do in my day to day?! I don’t care what people do in their day to day and they live on the same world I do.

[@melaniea8239]

1:35: it reminds me strongly of what Ludwig Feuerbach proposed as a atheist theory: human beings project all that is mighty and good about them into the air and call that god (or something similar, it was a while when I read his texts in religious class back in school). Very interesting video and takes!

[@topcat8804]

Yes. I AM GOD!

[@CatrinaDaimonLee]

god aint nothing but a rorscharch test.

[@williamwilson6499]

Rorschach.

[@Grandpa_Boxer]

Excellent!

[@troothcentral-qz9pz]

God is our subconscious mind

[@Grandpa_Boxer]

Might require a little evidence for that claim!

[@troothcentral-qz9pz]

@@Grandpa_Boxer You first.

[@maxipaw-dc5xj]

Maybe?

[@craigmerkey8518]

Really great ! Thank you!

[@jeffkilgore6320]

When I was young, I prayed, but try as I liked, it always felt like I was talking to myself. I was.

[@williamwilson6499]

Your god thinks anyway you want it to think since every god was created by a human mind.

[@zachjohnson6672]

just pre-ordered the book. this sounds fascinating

[@Nonplused]

I was raised in the Christian Reformed Church so I can say with confidence that God is Presbyterian only Dutch, not those other silly cultures.

[@justincredible.]

If the dark is just a thought, then the light is in your mind. (song by Bryan Steeksma, listen to reason)

[@Nicksonian]

This explains a lot. And it is extraordinarily frightening. Does this explain why we hold onto millennia-old, absurd fairy tales based on unreason, when a modern, rational view would suggest that these religions should have faded way centuries ago?

[@ichbineinephysikerin3540]

I want to know more of these. I need themmm ahhh ! (Quitting Islam, help)

[@bitofwizdomb7266]

It will take a while to get past the conditioned fear of hellfire but once on the other side you’ll look back at and see it for what it was : a conditioned mindset…and you’ll be finally set free . Love will be more genuine , more wholesome

[@BetweenDavidsears]

i dig it

[@tales-from-this-crypt]

in the land of the leaving, the intolerant imagine an intolerant god, the angry envisage an angry god, the vengeful dream of a vengeful god whilst the loving love a living god & the caring care for a caring god. everyone will be leaving god in the end

[@arkdark5554]

"Why god seems to think…just like you?" You created it/her/him. That’s why, of course.

[@ashleyh321]

…This is so Jupiter in Gemini (ironic but also 100% sincere)

[@ashleyh321]

@camwhiteastro

[@Raz.C]

There was a study some years back, where people were asked to offer their opinion on various hot-button topics (gay right, abortion, etc)... Those same people were then asked to share what they believe God thinks about those same topics. Unsurprisingly, regardless of whether those people were pro-choice or anti-choice and so forth... it turned out that for the VAST majority of respondents, that their "God" had the exact same opinion as they did! I wish I could find this study again, but I've been having trouble recently. I used to be able to find it rather easily 5 or 6 years ago, but it seems to have been deleted from the net altogether!! Lemme know if you know where it/ a review of it is hiding.

[@juliorivera870]

Don't try to convince others that GOD is not real just because in your mind he doesn't exist, GOD is reality I have seen him, and just because you haven't seen him don't mean he is not real, keep searching for GOD,seek and you shall find.

[@jonellmays-conyers7911]

In my opinion, if we look at our religion as a board game, and all board games have rules and parameters that make the game flow. Everyone in that religion should be following the same rules in order to get the outcomes you want out of the game. If someone decides to join a board game you are playing but they aren’t following the rules properly, they make the experience of the game unbearable for those playing the game properly. People who try to mold their religious beliefs to fit their own agenda are basically doing the same thing. We can all clearly read the religious text that pertains to our own religion and we can clearly see when someone is misinterpreting something. Either they are not comprehending the text or they are intentionally trying to shape a narrative. Who wants to play chess with someone using the rules that apply to checkers. That’s what religious extremism looks like to me. As I said, just my thoughts on the matter. Have a wonderful day.

[@chrissurcey1311]

I am not a very religious person But The problem with religion, especially Christianity these days Is we put God at the center And we push Jesus to the side There are no Christians without Jesus And the world would be a very peaceful place if we just followed the teachings of Jesus People want to do what they want to do Right or wrong They don’t want to do what Jesus taught us to do Because it’s not easy, living life with an open hand and an open heart It’s not easy for people to forgive

[@epicofgilgamesh9964]

*Why Jesus?* Jesus has been held in high regard by Christians and non-Christians alike. Regardless of whether he existed in history, or whether he was divine, many have asserted that the New Testament Christ character was the highest example of moral living. Many believe that his teachings, if truly understood and followed, would make this a better world. Is this true? Does Jesus merit the widespread adoration he has received? Let's look at what he said and did. *Was Jesus Peaceable And Compassionate?* The birth of Jesus was heralded with "Peace on Earth," yet Jesus said, "Think not that I am come to send peace: I came not to send peace but a sword." (Matthew 10:34) "He that hath no sword, let him sell his garment, and buy one." (Luke 22:36) "But those mine enemies, which would not that I should reign over them, bring hither, and slay them before me." (Luke 19:27. In a parable, but spoken of favorably.) The burning of unbelievers during the Inquisition was based on the words of Jesus: "If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned." (John 15:6) Jesus looked at his critics "with anger" (Mark 3:5), and attacked merchants with a whip (John 2:15). He showed his respect for life by drowning innocent animals (Matthew 8:32). He refused to heal a sick child until he was pressured by the mother (Matthew 15:22-28). *The most revealing aspect of his character was his promotion of eternal torment.* "The Son of man [Jesus himself] shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth." (Matthew 13:41-42) "And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched." (Mark 9:43) ***Is this nice? Is it exemplary to make your point with threats of violence? Is hell a kind, peaceful idea?*** *Did Jesus Promote "Family Values"?* "If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple." (Luke 14:26) "I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. And a man's foes shall be they of his own household." (Matthew 10:35-36) When one of his disciples requested time off for his father's funeral, Jesus rebuked him: "Let the dead bury their dead." (Matthew 8:22) Jesus never used the word "family." He never married or fathered children. To his own mother, he said, "Woman, what have I to do with thee?" (John 2:4) *What Were His Views On Equality And Social Justice?* Jesus encouraged the beating of slaves: "And that servant [slave], which knew his lord's will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes." (Luke 12:47) He never denounced servitude, incorporating the master-slave relationship into many of his parables. He did nothing to alleviate poverty. Rather than sell some expensive ointment to help the poor, Jesus wasted it on himself, saying, "Ye have the poor with you always." (Mark 14:3-7) No women were chosen as disciples or invited to the Last Supper. *What Moral Advice Did Jesus Give?* "There be eunuchs which have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven's sake. He that is able to receive it, let him receive it." (Matthew 19:12) Some believers, including church father Origen, took this verse literally and castrated themselves. Even metaphorically, this advice is in poor taste. If you do something wrong with your eye or hand, cut/pluck it off (Matthew 5:29-30, in a sexual context). Marrying a divorced woman is adultery. (Matthew 5:32) Don't plan for the future. (Matthew 6:34) Don't save money. (Matthew 6:19-20) Don't become wealthy. (Mark 10:21-25) Sell everything and give it to the poor. (Luke 12:33) Don't work to obtain food. (John 6:27) Don't have sexual urges. (Matthew 5:28) Make people want to persecute you. (Matthew 5:11) Let everyone know you are better than the rest. (Matthew 5:13-16) Take money from those who have no savings and give it to rich investors. (Luke 19:23-26) If someone steals from you, don't try to get it back. (Luke 6:30) If someone hits you, invite them to do it again. (Matthew 5:39) If you lose a lawsuit, give more than the judgment. (Matthew 5:40) If someone forces you to walk a mile, walk two miles. (Matthew 5:41) If anyone asks you for anything, give it to them without question. (Matthew 5:42) Is this wise? Is this what you would teach your children? *Was Jesus Reliable?* Jesus told his disciples that they would not die before his second coming: "There be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom" (Matthew 16:28). "Behold, I come quickly." (Revelation 3:11) It's been 2,000 years, and believers are still waiting for his "quick" return. He mistakenly claimed that the mustard seed is "the least of all seeds" (Matt. 13:32), and that salt could "lose its savour" (Matthew 5:13). Jesus said that whoever calls somebody a "fool" shall be in danger of hell fire (Matthew 5:22), yet he called people "fools" himself (Matthew 23:17). Regarding his own truthfulness, Jesus gave two conflicting opinions: "If I bear witness of myself, my witness is not true" (John 5:31), and "Though I bear record of myself, yet my record is true" (John 8:14). *Was Jesus A Good Example?* He irrationally cursed a fig tree for being fruitless out of season (Matthew 21:18-19, and Mark 11:13-14). He broke the law by stealing corn on the Sabbath (Mark 2:23), and he encouraged his disciples to take a horse without asking permission (Matthew 21). The "humble" Jesus said that he was "greater than the temple" (Matt 12:6), "greater than Jonah" (Matthew 12:41), and "greater than Solomon" (Matthew 12:42). He appeared to suffer from a dictator's "paranoia" when he said, "He that is not with me is against me" (Matthew 12:30). *Why Jesus?* Although other verses can be cited that portray Jesus in a different light, *they do not erase the disturbing side of his character.* The conflicting passages, however, prove that the New Testament is contradictory. The "Golden Rule" had been said many times by earlier religious leaders. (Confucius: "Do not unto others that you would not have them do unto you.") "Turn the other cheek" encourages victims to invite further violence. "Love thy neighbor" applied only to fellow believers. (Neither the Jews nor Jesus showed much love to foreign religions). A few of the Beatitudes ("Blessed are the peacemakers") are acceptable, but they are all conditions of future reward, not based on respect for human life or values. *On the whole, Jesus said little that was worthwhile. He introduced nothing new to ethics (except hell). He instituted no social programs.* Being "omniscient," he could have shared some useful science or medicine, but he appeared ignorant of such things (as if his character were merely the invention of writers stuck in the first century). *Why is Jesus so special? It would be more reasonable and productive to emulate real, flesh-and-blood human beings who have contributed to humanity--mothers who have given birth, scientists who have alleviated suffering, social reformers who have fought injustice--than to worship a character of such dubious qualities as Jesus.*

[@TheMargarita1948]

@@chrissurcey1311 I think you missed the point of Trinitarianism.

[@chrissurcey1311]

@@epicofgilgamesh9964 wow what a hateful man you are …… go find something that makes you happy and do that…..:-)

[@tomcooper6108]

And how did you find out about Jesus? You read a book that was written by MAN. Men, as ordinary as I am, wrote that book. So would you believe my book? Galen's book? Think about it.

[@TheMargarita1948]

@@epicofgilgamesh9964 Excellent summary.

[@anthonycraig274]

The algorithm send me a great one this time.

[@DLee1100s]

How about the concept of God being the personification of attributes like Truth or Justice, or the concept of God being the personification of the collective wisdom of ancestors??

[@juliorivera870]

In some cases going to WAR for material things and praying to the same GOD on both sides doesn't work, if GOD says to us love your enemies, you shall not kill, and both sides praying to GOD help us kill our enemies, is a very human ignorance.

[@vietashroffoliver2521]

Thank you for posting. This is yet more evidence that men invented god as an efficacious control mechanism

[@A3Kr0n]

For a more lively version of this, search here: Just Like You - AronRa Remix

[@ericlanebarnes4266]

Thank you for this. But I wish you hadn't used the placebo effect analogy to imply that antidepressants are ineffective. Research has shown that antidepressants can be helpful for people with moderate to severe depression.

[@user-qj5un7tr7f]

Yessir, it’s hard to be an atheist when I have this god between my ears.

[@lovepankie]

We create "God" if you are a believer or cant get rid of the idea of God,atleast create the one that will make your life easier with the attributes you prefer not the ones that someone else tells you

[@SunnyAquamarine2]

Probably cuz he does. Also, he relates to all of us.

[@LeandroVelez7]

I always say if there is a God, big IF, then his perspective would be so vast the chances he thought about you were slim to nil. God wouldn’t think about you anymore than you think about some anthill in South America.

[@taofist]

Didn't Jung already explain all this?

[@frednorman1]

I don’t which is worse, organized religion or psychology?

[@DrPhilGoode]

I know. Psychology is the scientific study of the human mind and its functions, especially those affecting behavior in a given context. Which is worse, a lighthouse or a raging sea? Light vs darkness.

[@mephesh]

Underdeveloped minds need god

[@blakerice7928]

I’ve observed this to be mostly true with casual believers. Rarely with the thinking Christian who takes theology seriously. It’s frequently contradicting my desires.

[@kellydalstok8900]

They all started out like that, and now they’re trying to rationalise why they did.

[@sdbutlerredux3177]

God always behaves in a manner deemed appropriate by the believer who's conjured the image. The penalty for not doing so is a return to the void of nothingness. The other side of creation.

[@itsROMPERS...]

If God exists he has not been described by any book or religion so far created.

[@TheMargarita1948]

@@itsROMPERS... god has been described, often in fine detail, by every theistic religion. In the case of Abrahamism, god has been described in excruciating detail, hundreds of times in hundreds of fantastical and mutually inconsistent ways. The only constants in these hundreds of different descriptions are (1) it is not corporeal (has no physical body) and (2) is male. Figure that one out.

[@itsROMPERS...]

@@TheMargarita1948 I meant the descriptions offered are clearly nothing like what any god would ever be like. Many have TRIED to describe what he would be like, but the descriptions are all obviously and laughably insufficient. And most descriptions DO suggest a corporeal presence. Some interpret that as ethereal, but that's not everybody.

[@TheMargarita1948]

@@itsROMPERS... curiouser and curiouser

[@itsROMPERS...]

@@TheMargarita1948 how so?

[@TheMargarita1948]

@@itsROMPERS... My point is that the character of the Abrahamic deity is described so divergently from one sect to another that they could not possibly be describing the same entity. The Calvinist version and the Catholic version are utterly irreconcilable, just to mention two. I could mention 20, all mutually exclusive as a single “person.” One could also cite the three “persons” of the trinitarian god: the “Holy Spirit” is so anodyne that no one has even tried to describe its “character.” Or perhaps they have and I missed it. I don’t have a lot of time for the descriptions of “god,” since I prefer to concentrate on the various wondrous aspects of reality. This diversity of characteristics said to be present in any one entity is all the evidence I need to conclude that there is no such entity at all. Quite possibly you are making a different point altogether. In which case, this is not a conversation and should end.

[@sisutoska4910]

If I don’t believe there is a god; does that mean I don’t believe in a me?

[@bombonalvarez3802]

What god? There are thousands of them. 😂

[@mytwocents848]

As many as there are humans who create them.

[@cht2162]

If God thinks like me we've got one hell of a problem.

[@chriscox3709]

Zuul is my god of choice. She makes marshmellows for my coco.

[@firstnamesurname6550]

Price of Your Book?

[@jonymilanezz]

Only God knows...

[@JamesRichardWiley]

Knowers write books and debate the existence of a god they insist is beyond human knowledge.

[@user-md9yv7jx2c]

Man creates God in his own image. "God is an Englishman"

[@Leningrad_Underground]

Conclusion: I must be "God" then.

[@Tarantula-hawk]

Here in the comments a bunch of people projecting. Christ says deny yourselves. Any verse dropping megachurch evangelical knows that

[@warrenpeterson6065]

I was told God lives outside of time and space and this belief caused me concern. If you extrapolate this belief then heaven exists outside of our universe.

[@themangospy8288]

It's interesting how people view spiritual experience as something outside natural law. If that is true, then how does it interact with natural law, us, our senses?

[@warrenpeterson6065]

@@themangospy8288 I love your handle, Mango Spy, I'm still chuckling. I fully agree with your comment. The points you raise are those I had. But back to the subject, this new belief is apparently widespread. For me it is a good thought experiment. It doesn't hold water but could be used to explain God's lack of presence. I once spun Genesis into a video game the Cherubim gave to God called Genesis ... haha.

[@TheMargarita1948]

@@themangospy8288 If by “spiritual experience,” you mean the mental-emotional state that goes by many terms (“oceanic experience” and “mystic state” among them), there is no reason I know if to think of it as “outside of nature.” It is, in fact, a fairly common human experience. I have had these since childhood and have one now and again as an elder. They have been studied scientifically (and pseudoscientifically) for centuries. It is as natural as nostalgia or wonder or other kinds of mental-emotional intensity. I am aware of no evidence for the existence of anything at all outside of natural law. Matter and energy is all there is, apparently.

[@themasculinismmovement]

It's called delusion

[@nathaniellopez6438]

It's not God. It's their conscious.

[@nts4906]

Religion is just the first stage of grief made in perpetuity.

[@zeroonetime]

God I.S. Information Systems I.S.

[@lisamoag6548]

No. “ My thoughts are not your thoughts.”

[@JungleJargon]

In physics matter and energy cannot make or direct themselves. So there was a time when matter and energy were made as well as time itself since time can’t exist without a great amount of matter. This means there was a time when time was made in the not too distant past. This shows that every physical thing is the result of the Creation. Only your Creator can perfectly cover for you Himself and remake you again from the inside out by the power of His true word as no one else ever can. This is the only absolute truth in existence.

[@senojah]

Religions grow up by the needs of the soil.

[@juliorivera870]

GOD doesn't think like us because we don't think like GOD, because if we all did this world will be a better place, and you are not part of the solution.

[@maya_unplugged]

Religion is only an expression of narcissism. 🤷🏻‍♀️

[@warrenpeterson6065]

At the time of Jesus' life, Jesus primarily dwelled in a land now known as the Israeli/Palestine Strip. This land was on the Mediterranean and spanned from Syria in the north to Egypt in the south. It is estimated to have contained 400 to 600K residents. What is rarely discussed within religious circles is that roughly 500 million children of God lived outside this relatively small strip of land. There was roughly 55 million people in South America and another 35 million in North America. China had 56 million, India 75 million, and Africa with 250 million. The bible, which is supposed to be God's word, never speaks to these 'other' of his children. The bible tells us Jesus is said to understand Aramaic, Hebrew, and Greek ... which are not spoken by any of the other 500 million people. So why did he leave them out? Where they actually children of other Gods?

[@edwardvan5808]

Scripture says;" let us make man in our image". Spiritual image. That is why all the Gods in history have remarkably similar traits. Man has an expectation of God's nature because it is built into our souls.

[@cht2162]

Please explain or describe what you mean by soul.

[@edwardvan5808]

@@cht2162 The supernatural essence of man. The life force. That which defines a man. The eternal spirit.

[@kellydalstok8900]

@@edwardvan5808prove the supernatural exists.

[@gangoffour1]

Poor god. 😢

[@user-tr9of6sl4p]

If god was actually speaking to all these christians, there wouldnt be 45,000 different denominations of christianity, all believing different rhings

[@Magik1369]

"Trust G-d but tie your camel first." Regardless of what we believe about G-d we must always know that we ourselves are responsible for our lives. Each and every person carries the Imago Dei (god image) deep inside the collective unconscious psyche. This god image is often distorted by religion and false teachings. Part of the process of Self Realization is to defeat the negative god image and to reform it. Yes, man is called upon to save G-d in a sense. This is because consciousness is evolving in human beings and consciousness evolved to the extent that people are carrying an accurate G-d image.

[@TheWayofFairness]

Gods are fiction

[@First.nameLastname]

This is because religion is a meta narrative.

[@bitofwizdomb7266]

Imagine if you believed in a rubber god . He’d be bouncing all over the place like a red bouncy ball

[@maxipaw-dc5xj]

You shouldn't be watching videos while you're high

[@lutkedog1]

God thinks like you because man made God up.

[@themasculinismmovement]

Good thing he didn't define absorption so we won't know what he means by it, how stupid

[@Mangoboba2023]

If you have a certain time limit to do a presentation, you can’t expect him to know every word people know or not. You can use the dictionary or Google to help you with that

[@switchfoot19802000]

Your god never existed, not evidently.

[@chrisbarry9345]

I like the very very lame person and roughly stated idea from Buddhism that the need for a God is the ego or sense of self crying out and showing its weakness

[@JohnKerr-bq3vo]

if jesus existed do you really think he looked as you depicted him ? a beard was only added in the 4th century i believe....

[@richardstevenwalz4968]

Compensatory, not compensitory

[@BridgetWalker-xu8sw]

God of any and all religions seems to be ok with child brides.