Can God be insulted?

I, Brian · 04-14-2004, 07:12 PM

A point was raised on another thread about whether God might be insulted by a particular perception.

Do as a point of discussion in itself - can God be insulted?

Does anyone here believe they can say and do anything that would cause God to be insulted?

Or is that impossible?

OR quite possible and frequently practiced, yet we've merely grown accustomed to it?

One for discussion.

Phyllis Sidhe_Uaine · 04-15-2004, 12:07 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by I, Brian
can God be insulted?

Yes, G!d/dess can be insulted (and, IMHO, frequently is.)

Quote:

Originally posted by I, Brian
Does anyone here believe they can say and do anything that would cause God to be insulted?

"Telling" G!d/dess what S/He thinks (the punchline to a joke I saw a long while ago online, and I don't remember exactly where) is, to my mind, the best way to insult Him/Her. In fact, I can't think of any other way to truly insult Deity than trying to tell others that S/He thinks that the speaker's way is the only way. I don't know how many times I've had to refrain from using that punchline with members of the University Bible Study program as well as some missionaries from various religions.

Phyllis Sidhe_Uaine

iKwak · 04-15-2004, 03:30 AM

Lot of people ues the profane word that also breaks one of the ten commandment. I don't use it but you see the profanity overused on television.

Shih Yo Chi · 04-15-2004, 03:01 PM

It seems to me that "insulted" is a human concept. I hope that God is above human emotional responses. This leads me to consider another point. Does God have emotions? My first impulse is that emotions are products of physical existance and spiritual beings would not have them. Thinking longer, I'm not so sure. I must consider this point longer.

Iacchus · 04-15-2004, 03:12 PM

I think when God asks us to turn the other cheek, the reply to that would have to be "no."

9Harmony · 04-15-2004, 05:02 PM

Quote:

"My imprisonment doeth Me no harm, neither the tribulations I suffer, nor the things that have befallen Me at the hands of My oppressors. That which harmeth Me is the conduct of those who, though they bear My name, yet commit that which maketh My heart and My pen to lament." Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, by Bahá'u'lláh, p. 23

Quote:

"This is the changeless Faith of God, eternal in the past, eternal in the future. Let him that seeketh, attain it; and as to him that hath refused to seek it--verily, God is Self-Sufficient, above any need of His creatures." The Proclamation of Baha'u'llah, p. 119

According to these quotes from the Baha'i writings the answer would be yes and no. Yes, by those who claim allegiance to His Cause and who's conduct contradicts that allegience. And no, by those who refuse to seek His guidance.

Loving Greetings, Harmony

proudcelticdude · 05-13-2004, 07:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shih Yo Chi

It seems to me that "insulted" is a human concept. I hope that God is above human emotional responses. This leads me to consider another point. Does God have emotions? My first impulse is that emotions are products of physical existance and spiritual beings would not have them. Thinking longer, I'm not so sure. I must consider this point longer.

Well, if god didn't have emotions, then what would he "function" on? In the bible, doesn't god seem to get angry alot, or is he just operating on pure logic? For example, in the case of Noah's Ark, did god wipe out humanity because logically, he saw that we were all going to hurt each other and the best thing was to start anew? Or, was he so angry that his creation had gone astray? I guess I didn't really answer the question. I don't know if there is an answer.

I, Brian · 05-13-2004, 09:54 AM

Personally, I would find it hard to imagine God as having emotion unless God was a biological construct. The fact of attributing emotions to God IMO looks more like an act of anthropomorphism - or, simply put, people trying to interpret God in a way more familiar and comprehensible to the human experience.

mcedgy · 05-13-2004, 11:18 PM

The Bible (re: Christianity) says that God experiences all of the emotions of humans, including anger, sadness, jealousy and happiness. Humans experience all emotions as a result of surprise or as a result of new knowledge. An omniscient (all knowing) God is ignorant of nothing. There can be nothing hidden from Him and there can be nothing new divulged to Him. He has all knowledge so he can never be surprised. Consequently, an omniscient and omnipotent God who experiences emotion is impossible. IMHO McEdgy

I, Brian · 05-14-2004, 09:29 AM

Hence my comments on anthropomorphism.

angelface · 05-14-2004, 10:53 AM

Interesting query.

IMO; God/dess (as in my opinion, it would be Goddess) is capable of emotion but likewise would be one to understand that by having "children" (followers, enlightened few, pick your title..) of free will and capable also of emotion, there's a good chance that s/he will have things misinterpreted. In my view of religion (and strictly my view), the Goddess sent a few enlightened individuals out to keep Her power and respect of Nature and it's miracle alive. She did not ask us to speak for Her, and so if anyone should do so, She would most likely be a bit irritated (at least, I would be in that given situation). Whether or not She would be insulted or offended is something I will never know, however I doubt She would retaliate, because the public is generally pretty quick to do that for Her...

On the same token, I'll contradict myself by saying I believe the Goddess is more a product of our emotion than a seperate entity, that perhaps She isn't some omniscient creature sitting high above us, dictating, surveying and taking notes on our every move, but rather a being that keeps things running smoothly and really has no emotion of Her own, just that which She picks up from us. A cosmic force, so to speak.

Make sense?

mcedgy · 05-14-2004, 02:46 PM

I, Brian

I was certainly not disagreeing with your take. I was merely attempting to expound upon why I agree. Omniscience and anthropomorphism are diametrically opposed ideas. Omniscience equals lack of surprise and lack of surprise equals inability to experience emotion. McEdgy

mcedgy · 05-14-2004, 03:15 PM

Angelface

IMHO if a god being exists that being is of neither gender. That's just another way of assigning human characteristics. However, difference of opinion is what keeps these discussions so lively. McEdgy

I, Brian · 05-14-2004, 04:46 PM

Interesting observations - and welcome to CR, angelface.

And no problem, mcedgy - I was just putting my oar in.

angelface · 05-14-2004, 09:16 PM

This is true, McEdgy.. as my own contradiction would also suggest; if She is a product of our emotion, then it would just be us assigning human characteristics in order to better relate to the force that we believe is responsible for life's little unexplainable things. That is something that we'll never know, and always disagree on (the gender and existance of a (or many) God/dess(s/es), I mean) -- and as you said, makes these discussions so lively