Does God Have a Personality?

[Goathead]

First, hello and welcome to HAF, Goathead.  Or should I say, "welcome back?"

That would be more appropriate yes.

People can play "interpreter" all day long,

Please define what you mean by "playing interpreter".

but since J is an active member of this forum, I don't see any point to it.  J is quite capable of telling us what the intention of the OP is.

Are you implying that I am not?

I find this statement puzzling.  It implies that you don't have any perceptions, thus no world view.  This doesn't make sense to me.  All human beings have perceptions, and "view the world."  Could you explain what you mean with a bit more clarity? If you mean that your world view is neutral, that's an entirely different thing, and you should just say so.

Wrong, I do have perceptions, or it would be more accurate to say that we all perceive. But that doesn't mean I have a world view.

[Recusant]

I merely point out that since i_am_i/J is an active member of the forum, to spend time interpreting the original post, and disputing those interpretations as if we couldn't simply ask the original poster for clarification is rather silly, in my opinion.

Regarding your world view, or lack of one, I think I understand a little better now.  In your original statement it seems I misinterpreted

Also world-view is a matter of perception; hence why I don't have one.

and I'm glad that you clarified.  You say you don't have a world view, and I'm not going to tell you that you do.  But let's look at the definition of the term--

Merriam-Webster equates "worldview" with "weltanschauung," and defines it thus:

From Merriam-Webster online:

"a comprehensive conception or apprehension of the world especially from a specific standpoint"

I imagine that since you say that you perceive the world (how could you not, after all, as a sentient being?) you would agree that you have a comprehensive conception or apprehension of the world.  So perhaps you're saying that you don't subscribe to a specific standpoint.  Yet you have expressed opinions in this forum.  How is one able to form opinions without having a specific standpoint upon which to form them?  I'm truly curious about this topic, and am not particularly trying to give you a hard time.  I honestly want to understand why it is that you say you have no world view.  Thank you for your patience.

[LegendarySandwich]

First, hello and welcome to HAF, Goathead.  Or should I say, "welcome back?"

That would be more appropriate yes.

People can play "interpreter" all day long,

Please define what you mean by "playing interpreter".

but since J is an active member of this forum, I don't see any point to it.  J is quite capable of telling us what the intention of the OP is.

Are you implying that I am not?

I find this statement puzzling.  It implies that you don't have any perceptions, thus no world view.  This doesn't make sense to me.  All human beings have perceptions, and "view the world."  Could you explain what you mean with a bit more clarity? If you mean that your world view is neutral, that's an entirely different thing, and you should just say so.

Wrong, I do have perceptions, or it would be more accurate to say that we all perceive. But that doesn't mean I have a world view.

If you have perceptions of the world, then you're viewing the world. I don't understand how you couldn't have a world-view.

[i_am_i]

So what you're saying OP, is that you *want* to have a God, but just don't like his personality?

I'm pretty sure what he is saying is that the deist god (no personality, doesn't answer prayer, doesn't intervene in human affairs, etc.) is far more believable than the theist god (has a personality, answers prayer, intervenes in human affairs, etc.) Nowhere does he say or his words imply that he wants to believe in a god, just that if he did, he'd probably be a deist.

By the way, how can you not have a world-view?

No he's not; he's saying he wants to believe in God but can't bring himself to because God has a personality that he doesn't like.

Is that absolutely what you think I'm saying? Man!

For the record, I don't want to believe in anything, I don't believe in anything, especially an anthropomorphized super-hero neurotic deity.  

You, of course, are free to want to believe whatever you want to believe.

[LegendarySandwich]

For the record, I don't want to believe in anything, I don't believe in anything, especially an anthropomorphized super-hero neurotic deity.

Just curious: how can you not believe in anything?

[Gawen]

For the record, I don't want to believe in anything, I don't believe in anything, especially an anthropomorphized super-hero neurotic deity.

Just curious: how can you not believe in anything?

You either know...or don't know.

[LegendarySandwich]

For the record, I don't want to believe in anything, I don't believe in anything, especially an anthropomorphized super-hero neurotic deity.

Just curious: how can you not believe in anything?

You either know...or don't know.

We don't "know" that the sun will rise tomorrow, yet we all (well, I'm assuming we all) believe it will.

[Gawen]

We don't "know" that the sun will rise tomorrow, yet we all (well, I'm assuming we all) believe it will.

Not quite. I don't know the sun will rise tomorrow. But due to my personal experience (and others) along with history, I THINK the sun will rise tomorrow (due to various laws of probability etc., etc.). As it gets lighter outside, I know the sun is rising, even though I can't see it yet. When the sun finally rises, then I will KNOW the sun rose.
I do not need to believe the sun is rising, or rose.

[LegendarySandwich]

We don't "know" that the sun will rise tomorrow, yet we all (well, I'm assuming we all) believe it will.

Not quite. I don't know the sun will rise tomorrow. But due to my personal experience (and others) along with history, I THINK the sun will rise tomorrow (due to various laws of probability etc., etc.). As it gets lighter outside, I know the sun is rising, even though I can't see it yet. When the sun finally rises, then I will KNOW the sun rose.
I do not need to believe the sun is rising, or rose.

What's the difference between thinking the sun will rise, and believing the sun will rise?

[Asmodean]

What's the difference between thinking the sun will rise, and believing the sun will rise?

The support behind the claim.

Belief that the sun will rise requires none. Expecting the sun to rise, or thinking that it will, requires at least some. For instance, the abovementioned probability seen through the eyes of history.

[LegendarySandwich]

What's the difference between thinking the sun will rise, and believing the sun will rise?

The support behind the claim.

Belief that the sun will rise requires none. Expecting the sun to rise, or thinking that it will, requires at least some. For instance, the abovementioned probability seen through the eyes of history.

Okay, but even if you do have support behind the claim that the sun will rise, you still believe it will rise -- you just have a very, very good reason to believe so.

[i_am_i]

I know for a fact that the sun will not rise tomorrow because the sun does not rise. It doesn't go down either. The earth, orbiting around the sun, turns and only parts of it are directly exposed to the sun at any given time. Everyone knows that.

[The Magic Pudding]

If the Sun goes dark while my side is facing it, I'll make a post about it.
We all know the day starts East of New Zealand and moves West, so you'll have heaps of notice, so don't worry.
I wonder what section would be best for this post?

[i_am_i]

I wonder what became of Goathead.

[LegendarySandwich]

It was an expression. Also, you can't possibly be one-hundred percent certain that the sun won't rise tomorrow.

Didn't you hear? He got banned for a week; possibly forever.