Hola!

[TheMessage]

Hello everyone, just stopping by to say... well, hello. I am an atheist (Formerly Deist), though I'd like to think myself open-minded and relatively non-hostile.

In my free time I like to compose music and play board games (Arkham Horror, The Settlers of Catan, etc... not so much monopoly and the like).

[TheMessage]

Ghosts are 'supernatural' in description and may or may not exists, but that seemingly nonsensical quality doesn't prevent us from having a meaningful discussion about them. It's simply a cop-out to act otherwise.

Are they? If ghosts exist then they are part of the natural world.

As for pointing at an apple, fine. But what about ideas and concepts?

I am fine with God being an idea or a concept.

Can you point at gravity? Not in any real sense, but you can probably carry on a discussion about the concept of gravity.

But I can precisely describe and measure it.

The immaterial doesn't have to be immune to discourse.

The immaterial does not, you are right. The supernatural is, however immune from discourse.

I understand the idea you're trying to convey, and that you see the very concept of a god to be impossible to discuss, but I honestly don't find that accurate. It's very difficult to discuss if everyone isn't on the same page, but it can be done.

Good luck with that. See if you can get CNorman, he's Jewish, to explain to you what he means by God.

I suppose I worded my last post poorly. I agree that if ghosts exist they would be natural, so I suppose that's a terrible example. Even though the term 'supernatural' means little (Or rather nothing in regards to reality) it can still be discussed meaningfully. It's not like the barriers of communication implode and we all become shrieking apes the second it's mentioned.

Ok, you're fine with god being an idea. My point was that you can't just observe an idea, therefore your argument of pointing things out in order to supply meaning falls flat.

There is still debate about exactly how gravity works. We have the basic idea down, but the specifics are turning out to be extremely interesting and complex. Similarly, we have an idea of what a god is, as well as definitions for thousands of individual gods. There are vague concepts involved, but we can still discuss them without having the conversation fall apart completely.

[McCulloch]

I sometimes get carried away. This is supposed to be a discussion thread not a debate. So, welcome to the debates. I am sure that we will have opportunities to further these ideas anon.

[TheMessage]

Very well. I'd be more than happy to take this back up anytime.