Defining God

Something I have consistently found when debating the existence of God is that believers never give a clear definition, even if they obviously have an implicit when that they just "know" this is God and that is not. I am tired of God being used as a magic word to explain all and everything, or worse, that anything proves like our sense of justice.

I will now give a basic definition from what I can gather : Belief in God is the belief there is an intelligence to the creation to the universe.

From there you can get more specific, for Christians for example, he happens to be all-good (could there not have been a a fairly-bad or neutral one?) and he thinks putting dick into sheep and assholes is bad. But the basic thing, is that the universe is not arbitrary, that there is an intelligent design to it, that it has a purpose.

Is this an adequate definition for believers?

to the best of my ability i will define God from the Christian view of Him. God is and was and will be. he has always been here, and always will be here, wherever here is. he created the earth perfect. after creating the earth and everything in it he created man. Mankind sinned, choosing of their own will to disobey God. that is why people suffer. Jesus was sent to save us.

i'm sorry if i didnt answer your question with all that. ask me something specific and perhaps i'll be better able to give u a straight answer.

If it is proven that the universe has an intelligent design, or better yet, that it has a purpose : does that prove God?

(and I don't mean christian God, any God)

Because that's what it boils down to :
If the universe has been made in a random way (some use the word chance, I will explain with this is wrong later) then clearly there is no God.
So if it is not random, if it made by intelligence, does that mean there is God?

a lot of scientists are now coming to the conclusion that there must be some sort of intelligent design because life is just too complicated to have come about randomly.

although these scientists do not nessasarily believe in the Christian God,( there are a couple of them that believe the earth was created by aliens) they must admit something that could be called God.

That's not what I am asking. I am asking : is the idea of God, the idea that there is an intelligent design to the universe?

i think it is difficult to put a single definition on God, because everyones "opinion" of what God is, is based on their own personal experiences, which vary greatly from person to person. since God is not tangable, creating a single definition becomes even more difficult.

the one thing youll find very much in common with almost everyones definition of God is that God is a feeling, a very overwhelming feeling at that.

i do think that if you want to put God in to something tangable, then the intelligent design of the universe is a very accurate depiction.

i would agree with most of what Wyote said. i, however, consider God a more tangible thing then a feeling. He is a literal being, not just an idea or a sensation. He created the universe, but it is not the definition of Him.

You tell me there is science, but you cannot explain why the earth continues to live, but animals and ppl die.

You can tel us there is no God, but you cannot explain the situations God works in.

We went thru the NDE's...didnt we?

Tell me how a man who was left dead for several hours, toe tagged, rigomortis set in, nothing sustaining life, and on a slab in a morgue can rise up, walk away, and have no ill effects from a drug overdose...and telling ppl he spoke to his passed on grandfather who told him to return to his body it wasnt his time....
and he saw heaven.

NOW you explain that one. I will listen, but I know this guy. He turned his entire life around...got off drugs, married, and left the prior life he had. Because his grandfather who was standing next to him, as you are next to someone living, and telling him to turn his life around...or face the consequences.

I didn't ask that. So please shutup and let a heathen speak.

I asked : If there is intelligent design to the universe, does that mean there is a God? (which doesnt mean a christian, muslim, jewish God, just a God).

Well its not totally random if its an experiment he set up then. It obeys to some basic rules and lets others reign free (like say the randomness of a quantum mechanics).

If its completely random, what does it even mean there is a God?

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You tell me there is science, but you cannot explain why the earth continues to live, but animals and ppl die.

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Let me elaborate on this really fast...

IF we came from the earth, without life essence we know as the soul, if we came from something without life...why do we live and die.

O nice Teen....

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I didn't ask that. So please shutup and let a heathen speak.

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I asked : If there is intelligent design to the universe, does that mean there is a God? (which doesnt mean a christian, muslim, jewish God, just a God).

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There is a God...and you seek proof.
How to proove it is to open your ears, and eyes.

The essense of God is like the vastness of the unverse.

YOU say if it is completely random, what does it mean there is a God?
THAT loses me. God has a set design but allows choices to be made. I don't understand where you get an idea it was random?

Life wasn't random. He did make a design and hasn't evolved it too much. But it wasn't random...altho, He did say HE did wish He had not created man.
In the times of Noah. But relented in keeping Noah and his family, because they were the only ones who believed in Him.

Were we some sort of 'test subject'?
I think so. He sure doesnt need a single person to exist, and wont need a single soul afterwards either.
Basically being around forever (Blows the mind, but we have finite thinking) he is self sufficient, and when those who deserted their belief in Him or refused belief in Him, will suffer eternally...but like it or not, He is pure and cannot have those with HATE surrounding Him.

The opposite of Love is hate, you oppose God it is hate. Sorry, I know this from the bible.

The bible is relevant and has been around since the dawn of man, and will be around after man. Says so in the bible.

Blah blah blah, this is about a hypothetical question! I don't want you going on about something else.

"YOU say if it is completely random, what does it mean there is a God?
THAT loses me. God has a set design but allows choices to be made. I don't understand where you get an idea it was random?"
Note the IF, IF it is random can there be a God?

Think : IF (even if it isn't) what if?

IF the universe is really random, then i would say there isnt a god, because God is a god of order. if something is created by an intelligent being, it will reflect an intelligent design.