quote: Glenn Arnold, why not present here all the questions?
The key question in “The Religion War” by Scott Adams is: “If God is so smart, why do you fart?”
Then, at the end of the book there are some quote: QUESTIONS TO PONDER
1. If you suspected you were deluded, how could you find out for sure? 2. Are humans the product of a skilled or an unskilled designer? 3. Would an omnipotent being need to think in the way that people understand it? Or is thinking unnecessary for a timeless, indestructible being whose preferences are the same as reality? 4. Why would God be so unclear about what book or books he authored? 5. Is consciousness anything more than a continual process of imagining, acting, observing the impact of the action, and imagining again with new information? 6. The dictionary defines "faith" as belief without evidence. It defines "stupidity" as unreasoned thinking. Is belief without evidence a form of unreasoned thinking? 7. Can the impact of your actions rippling into the future be considered an immortal soul? 8. Could atheists and believers accept the same definition of God?
A.
PS: my UQ for the day: "Is the Ultimate Question a religious one?" [Big Grin] [yeah, this is a meta-UQ]
posted
One reason I was not presenting ALL the questions, is that I would have preferred to leave several out. Here's the list I would include:
1. If you suspected you were deluded, how could you find out for sure?
3. Would an omnipotent being need to think in the way that people understand it? Or is thinking unnecessary for a timeless, indestructible being whose preferences are the same as reality?
5. Is consciousness anything more than a continual process of imagining, acting, observing the impact of the action, and imagining again with new information?
7. Can the impact of your actions rippling into the future be considered an immortal soul?
8. Could atheists and believers accept the same definition of God?
[ January 24, 2006, 09:42 PM: Message edited by: Glenn Arnold ]
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1. If you suspected you were deluded, how could you find out for sure?
I'd emulate Jonathan Nash. (Read "A beautiful mind")
3. Would an omnipotent being need to think in the way that people understand it? Or is thinking unnecessary for a timeless, indestructible being whose preferences are the same as reality?
No. Yes.
5. Is consciousness anything more than a continual process of imagining, acting, observing the impact of the action, and imagining again with new information?
This question is better understood in context with the book. But to me, consciousness involves self awareness. I'm not clear that that's covered in this definition.
7. Can the impact of your actions rippling into the future be considered an immortal soul?
I consider the soul to be the software that resides in my hardware. I never considered the idea that it could exist beyond my life. I think of this question relating to legacy, not soul.
8. Could atheists and believers accept the same definition of God?
This is a deceptive question. We always have accepted theistic definitions of God. We just don't believe that those Gods exist.
The question implies that accepting a definition of God is tantamount to believing in that God, which simply isn't true.
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