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Politics : Sharks in the Septic Tank -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: epicure who wrote (14210)	5/23/2001 6:42:10 PM
From: The Philosopher	Respond to of 82486

But it's just play. I don't really care. It's not important, to me. That's the problem with mixing people who are passionate about something with people who are playing. If everybody is passionate, or everybody is playing, it works. But if some are one and some are the other, it's a problem. It's sort of like someone joining up on a rape support group chat site who is only there to play, and posts things like "well, after all, it's our own fault we got raped, no woman ever got raped who undrneath it all didn't really want it" and then sitting back and enjoying watching the anguish. Just play to them. But real life to others. Not a good combination. I see the same sort of thing happening here; people who care intensely and others who are only playing. Not a good combo.

To: epicure who wrote (14210)	5/23/2001 6:45:05 PM
From: one_less	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 82486

"What's the point? An impersonal God unconcerned with humans wouldn't care if we worshipped it or not. Caring if we did or not would imply need and power granted to us. If we disobey, then we are back to that scenario of some sort of Santi Claus embodiment, sitting on a cloud, weeping in disapointment....as we discussed earlier. Nonsense, of course. An entity can't be this and ALL Powerful at the same time. "Worship is supposed to be what God desires. If God doesn't desire it, it's just meaningless ritual." I wouldn't use the word "desire" in this context. Actually God ordered it for us because of the benefits such worship brings to us and not because of any benefit to God (such as: fulfillment of desire). There are other names for God that denote character. The one I most commonly think of is "Al Haq" (translation: The Truth). The terms used to describe God must be limitless in scope. For example: "The Truth" (as presented in my religion) encompasses the ideal of a God who is the "Most Merciful" and vice versa. "Not that there's anything wrong with that, but I fail to see the point." You just made the point. If the only reason to "worship" is to have a social reference in which to belong, then the worship itself becomes empty of value except in the political sense. If what you worship has worth that is beyond what you can buy or build on your own then I would term it as worthy of worship. I am not trying to convince you of anything...merely seeking clarity in communication. As for responsibility...I still contend that the use of this term is limited to the application of human behavior and ethics. God is the Alpha and Omega, or not, by definition. If this God exists as I contend, then it can't also be this incompetent, medling, bungler that can't seem to keep us in line.