Personal Deity: Destroying the very pillars in which they stand.

When challenged, a christian will have some pre-configured arguments that they overheard from their filthy priest; and they amazingly use this in verbatim without knowing what they're really talking about. Here's the list, it isn't complete:

He is real because he is real, it's reality.

The argument that they are using here is a big fallacy, you can't prove something just by telling us that it is; the same is true when I tell you that “you are stupid because you are just stupid”; we need to provide supporting arguments to our statements.

“It's reality”. This has been used in many situations, and the last time that I heard this line is when I tried to argue with my cousin. The problem with this is that, it's their reality, but it can't be a universal fact; no matter how hard we try to tell everyone that it is reality, that it is because it is, if it is wrong then it is wrong. Try arguing with your teacher on an exam, most of the time, it's going to be your loss.

I can feel it, can't you?

I can't; does this mean that he isn't real? Not necessarily so – if we just base it on that statement.

The problem with this one is, obviously, the deadly appeal to emotions; somehow, these christians doesn't want to recognize that they are committing such a dangerous fallacy – maybe because they don't want to sound childish.

Appealing to emotions will let you draw conclusions that do not conform with (even the basic) logic. Have you ever tried talking to anyone when you are in your worst mood? Did it go well? Have you tried to forgive someone out of pity, did it go well? Have you ever let someone do something wrong out of fear or pity, how did it go? Have you ever tried to sweet-talk your teacher to overlook your failing grade and pass you, did he pity you? How many times did your emotions lead you to stupid conclusions?

Let's be honest.

It's hard to explain.

Ergo god is real? You must be kidding me.

Can you disprove that god is real?

The burden of proof lies on the positive side; therefore, you have to prove to me that your statements are indeed material.

To help you understand this better, let's turn the tables for a bit. Beside my laptop sits a small box, and in this box, contains a mighty dragon named Jebus that eats gods – sorry Homer. Can you disprove that there isn't a dragon in the box? By the way, the box is invisible.

You can't disprove it? Alas, Jebus is real.

Personal Deity: How their god is formed.

Before I formally start this topic, I would like to point out that the premise [personal deity] does not apply to all theists -- so as to avoid additional confusion and headache.

Some christians have their own personal brand of what a god is and isn't; whether he is a loving god or whatnot, it does not matter. This topic will try to produce evidences or at least arguments that having this reasoning [god is something personal] will result to a man-governed-idea-of-what-god-is and some social issues.


What is the effect of having such claims?

For the personal deity believers, it goes without saying that god is produced by what they think he is; the reason for this is that: they don't have any boundaries nor specific guidelines that will serve as rules to the limitations of what god is. They are free to think whatever they want, and as long as they can formulate a fairly reasonable image of god, and it pleases them then it is their own personal truth.

External factors too will be insignificant; these personal perceptions of what god is is dependent from person to person and will most likely stay that way no matter how many times we argue. The problem arises when they try to impose their personal brand of god to everyone else. (Now we know where those bombs are coming from).


How their god is formed and how many personal gods are there.


Every person has this unique personality and this is thanks to the different experiences that we encounter every single day of our ephemeral lives. Everyone has some sort of weakness, some soft spot, a blind side and whatnot; and because of this, everyone will have a different perception of what a "fatherly figure" would be like.

This was evident to the activity we had on our religious studies class, the activity was: "to describe, what god for you is". And here's a sample list:

What god for him is -- what he is.
A kind father -- Someone who have a deceased father.
Someone who lifts him up -- An emo kid who's always depressed.
His best friend -- one of the friendliest people I know.
Mentor -- school validectorian.
Forgiving being -- mischievous guy.

The list goes on.
The existence of god isn't proved in any way, he isn't showing himself or explicitly told everyone what he is like; even the christians say that he is infinite, therefore, it is but natural for them to have different perceptions of god.

(Warning, crappy example)
Think of 3 bald guys walking about.
Depending on your attitude and experiences, you'll have different perceptions on what these guys are, what they're doing, and the reason for the bald-ness.

Perhaps a "I think these guys are punks" for the bullied persons; and a "I think these guys are just doing it for fun" for someone with a happy go lucky attitude". And perhaps, you might be thinking that one is a cancer patient, and the other two is his best friends; shaved their hair off so that their friend with the cancer won't be made fun off that much -- if you are the sentimental type.

The possibilities with that example alone is almost limitless.

Now imagine if I ask you to think of a being; what happens then?

To be Continued.

Personal Deity: The Proof.

I had thought of this for a while now, I sometimes ask myself why theists seem to be too self-centered on their supernatural beliefs; what I mean to say is that, if something good happens to them and bad to others, they say that, "their god has favored them for this and that and other preconceived ideas (which are obviously not based on anything)", if otherwise, they just say "it is the will of god, or he is testing me"; but when asked, "what made you say so?", the common answer is, "I just do", or they just ignore you.

That made me wonder, why are these theists too full of themselves, and they act as if they know what their god is thinking or doing; if god is infinite and we are finite -- if they are true -- why, then, do they know what their god is thinking? That doesn't connect at all. This made me think of the possibility that their god is governed by their own feelings, that they themselves are their own gods.


I have to test this though, I don't want to base my arguments on nothing (as what those theists do), so I talked to a number of theists, specifically christians, regarding this matter. Here's the gist:

Me: What made you think that there's a god?
Christian: The bible
Me: But the one's who wrote the bible are...
Christian: Yes, humans, BUT! (proudly), they were guided by god!

Me: [Orly], So.. basically, god wrote the bible?
Christian:[Yarly], Yes.
Me: Ah, so god wrote the bible, telling that he is real. Don't you find that stupid?
Christian: ... say what you want, I FEEL that god is real, for me, that is the truth.
 Me: So, you are basing your arguments on  your feelings?
Christian:Yes, I can't explain it to you using logic, because I can't, like all other christians, present an evidence that god is real.

Me: (WTF, you forgot about the bible thing) Oh, so you mean to say, that because you think that it is, it is.
Christian:Yes.
Me: I don't think that god exists, does that make me right?
Christian: We don't know who's right or not.

Me: (You just said it!) So, for some, he exists, for some, he doesn't?
Christian:Yes.
Me: So a universal god does not exist.
Christian: No, a universal god does exist.
Me: But, according to your logic, if I "feel" something, that makes it true for me!
Christian:Yes.
Me: That means, god is not universally existent.
Christian: God does exist, for me personally.

So there you have it, that's basically the things that go through a typical conversation with a christian.

God, then, exists only in the minds of those who believe in him, he's on a personal basis. (for some)

If god then, is only on a personal basis, why do they still force the idea that god "literally" exists? What is the reason for them to still cling on that idea?

To be continued.



DISCLAIMER:
The conversation above does not happen 100% of the time, but it's very common. So meh.

We have to jail the pope!

Before anything else, let me point out that I've never been in a good shape to do a blog post lately; I promise to upload one this week. >_>


http://religionandmorality.net/breaking-news/letter_ratzinger.html