God's Love Different (sorry If This Has Been Asked Before)

[Mark of the Cross]

[quote name='stevil' timestamp='1342685010' post='2456968']
I am an atheist, and I believe in Hasan
[/quote]
But atheists don't project or draw conclusions therefore you can only believe him to be a bit of code inside your computer that displays text on your monitor. But then you're faced with the problem of how he came to be there.

[stevil]

[quote name='Mark of the Cross' timestamp='1342733182' post='2457116']
But atheists don't project or draw conclusions therefore you can only believe him to be a bit of code inside your computer that displays text on your monitor. But then you're faced with the problem of how he came to be there.
[/quote]
Atheists don't believe in gods. We are free to have other beliefs.

Although I don't believe Hasan is a computer program. It would be a highly sophisticated AI program it he was though, I'd be very impressed.

[Mark of the Cross]

[quote name='stevil' timestamp='1342733697' post='2457117']
Although I don't believe [b]the universe is a science based creation.[/b] It would be a highly sophisticated [b]one[/b] if it was though, I'd be very impressed.
[/quote]
Changed some words for a matter of academic interest.

I've got this book on the Catholic faith. I used OCR to extract a segment. The programs I have used here are very impressive, as they would say "Isn't science marvellous!" However these programmes written by clever people are nothing compared to the intelligence one can see in the science of the universe.

[quote]A young man who prided himself on being an atheist once came into the study of the famous 17th century astronomer, Kircher. He saw there a very fine working-model of the solar-system. By turning a handle the planets could be made to revolve in their respective orbits around the sun.
"Very ingenious indeed," the young man remarked. "Who made it?"
"Oh, no one made it," replied Kircher. "Tell me, I want to know—who made it?" "Nobody. It just happened."
The young man began to see the point and was annoyed. see, you are trying to be funny."
"Isn't it rather you who are funny? You cannot believe that this little model just happened, and yet you can believe that the real sun and moon and stars, the whole vast universe in fact, came into existence somehow without any Maker!"
Common sense tells the average man that there is a creative force behind the Universe. [/quote]

BTW I'm sure Hasan would be flattered by your comments above. But he should be rather put down by your view of him not being a marvellous creation in the spiritual sense, that is, his personality. What he is, is also a marvellous creation and I'm impressed even if you're not.

Edited July 19, 2012 by Mark of the Cross

[stevil]

[quote name='Mark of the Cross' timestamp='1342737656' post='2457134']
Changed some words for a matter of academic interest.

[quote]
Although I don't believe [b]the universe is a science based creation.[/b] It would be a highly sophisticated [b]one[/b] if it was though, I'd be very impressed.
[/quote]
[/quote]

Hmm, OK, lets play the word game.
But first some facts about me.
1. I don't know how our universe began. I understand the big bang theory seems quite plausible but it only explains what happened after the big bang, not why the big bang occurred.
2. I don't make an assumption that our universe is the only one in existence, a one off event seems absurd to me.
3. I don't assume that there is any intelligence or design required to explain the universe as we observe it today.
4. It seems absurd to assume there is a god entity made of "nonexistence" prior to existence
5. It seems absurd to assume a god entity has knowledge of how to make existence prior to existence
6. It seems absurd to assume a god entity can make decisions prior to the existence of time or existence of matter/energy (hence data)
7. It seems a non sequester to go from assuming a creator god to assuming that god to be the Christian god as described in the new and old testaments.

Anyway, back to the word game
[quote]
Although I suspect (but don't know) [b]the universe is a science based creation.[/b] It would be an inevitable [b]one[/b] (of many) if it was though, I'd be very impressed, but not surprised. If it was the only one, I would be very surprised and confused.
[/quote]

[Ice_nine]

I'm glad to see that my soul-searching, honest appeal for knowledge and wisdom, has turned into another thread where Hassan is deified.

Thanks a lot bastiges

[stevil]

Sorry

I'll leave this thread. I have no idea how one can know whether an unobservable god exists, let alone whom it loves more.

Theoretically speaking...
If Christians believe that god is love, then god is incapable of anything other than love, depending on how separated one is from god this would dictate how exposed one gets to the love that is god.

Does that make sense? Probably not, anyway, carry on.

Edited July 20, 2012 by stevil

[Papist]

[quote name='stevil' timestamp='1342733697' post='2457117']
Atheists don't believe in gods. We are free to have other beliefs.

Although I don't believe Hasan is a computer program. It would be a highly sophisticated AI program it he was though, I'd be very impressed.
[/quote]

People that believe in God do so freely, just as you freely choose not to. This free choice is a gift from God.

[Papist]

[quote name='Ice_nine' timestamp='1342777741' post='2457248']
I'm glad to see that my soul-searching, honest appeal for knowledge and wisdom, has turned into another thread where Hassan is deified.

Thanks a lot bastiges
[/quote]

Understanding God loving one person more than another is difficult for me. Just as if I loved one of my children more than the others. However, I can understand that some may have God's love revealed and/or given to more than others. My wife strives for holiness much more successfully than I. It doesn't surprise me that God's love is revealed to her more than me, yet He loves us equally. God’s love works differently than our love does.

[Jaime]

How about this? (Just throwing it out)

What if God loves everybody exactly the same? Certainly possible. We know that God's love is infinite as is his mercy. So the idea that God loves everybody the same is feasible. But what if the perception of God's love being different stems from our recognition of God's love? Or what if the perception changes based on the barriers we unintentionally throw up between ourselves and God?


And what if Hasan is not a deity but merely immortal? What if he's just been around for so long that he's bored and comes here to stir the pot just to entertain himself?

[sixpence]

[quote name='jaime' timestamp='1342809553' post='2457310']

And what if Hasan is not a deity but merely immortal? What if he's just been around for so long that he's bored and comes here to stir the pot just to entertain himself?
[/quote]

[center][img]http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/3/3a/Q_portrait.jpg/250px-Q_portrait.jpg[/img][/center]

[stevil]

[quote name='Papist' timestamp='1342789082' post='2457258']
People that believe in God do so freely, just as you freely choose not to. This free choice is a gift from God.
[/quote]
Belief is not a choice. I don't choose not to believe in gods. I hear the stories and they seem highly unlikely to me so I remain skeptical and unconvinced.

[Papist]

[quote name='stevil' timestamp='1342811863' post='2457326']
Belief is not a choice. I don't choose not to believe in gods. I hear the stories and they seem highly unlikely to me so I remain skeptical and unconvinced.
[/quote]

I choose to believe based on the evidence as I understand it. You choose not to believe based on the lack of evidence as you require.

[MissScripture]

On the topic the OP posted:
From my understanding, God loves us all 100%, but not all of us have the same capacity to accept that love, so if it were quantified into volume, someone might be able to contain 10 mL worth of God's love and someone might be able to only contain 5 mL worth. Both are loved 100% by God, but the amount is less for the 5 mL person than the 10 mL person. That's how it was explained to me, at any rate. I could be totally off with it, though.

[stevil]

[quote name='Papist' timestamp='1342814469' post='2457334']
I choose to believe based on the evidence as I understand it. You choose not to believe based on the lack of evidence as you require.
[/quote]
Sorry, it is not a choice.

[fides' Jack]

[quote name='stevil' timestamp='1342815727' post='2457341']
Sorry, it is not a choice.
[/quote]

I beg to differ. In its most pure form, love is a deliberate choice. It's not a feeling; it's not an emotion. It's a decision.

Still, if Cappie ever sees this thread, I would love to get his take on it.