Imagine one night you're roused out of bed, and swept through time and space to a magnificent room full of angelic-looking beings. You stand before a trio of them behind a golden podium. The one in the center informs you that "You have been chosen by the Council of Deities to create a new universe. You will be given the position of 'God,' and provided with all you need."
With that, you are escorted to a room in which there is a computer terminal and a large 3-D viewscreen. The terminal has a standard QWERTY keyboard, along with a whole array of macro buttons, with labels like "Create universe", "Let There Be Light", "Create sentient race," "Create Hell," "Populate Hell," "Reboot Sentient Race" (which destroys your creation in a flood, or the natural disaster of your choosing)", "Send Saviour," "Initiate Rapture Routine," etc. (There's even one marked "Create Rock So Big You Can't Lift It," but it seems to be stuck. )
You are free to push buttons and/or design code to your liking; the Council has informed you that there are no consequences for "right" or "wrong" actions on your part.
Now, with the example of what Jehovah did with his universe cemented in your mind, what would you do differently in yours - if anything?
For example, would you create your beings with free will, refuse to show your face (there is a macro button labeled "Interact"), and then throw them into the lake of fire for eternity for "rejecting" you? Would your scriptures contain pronouncements against homosexuality? Would there even be homosexuality?
There is probably a temptation on the part of some Christians to answer "no changes, God's world is perfect." The question remains, do you really think its perfect, or are you just mimicking what you've heard? This exercise is to get you to try to think outside that box.
What would you do if you were God?
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- The Happy Humanist
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What would you do if you were God?
Post #1Jim, the Happy Humanist!
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Any sufficiently advanced worldview will be indistinguishable from sheer arrogance --The Happy Humanist (with apologies to Arthur C. Clarke)
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Any sufficiently advanced worldview will be indistinguishable from sheer arrogance --The Happy Humanist (with apologies to Arthur C. Clarke)
Post #2
Good job on this one Mr. Happy! Hillarious setup.
Would "Q" from Star Trek be on The Council?
First, I would eliminate "all Gods before me" thus making me the sole power in the universe and ensuring my future control over the buttons.
Would "Q" from Star Trek be on The Council?
First, I would eliminate "all Gods before me" thus making me the sole power in the universe and ensuring my future control over the buttons.
- The Happy Humanist
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Post #3
Did I forget to mention my "backdoor" in the code, that allows me in at will?Cmass wrote:Good job on this one Mr. Happy! Hillarious setup.
Would "Q" from Star Trek be on The Council?
First, I would eliminate "all Gods before me" thus making me the sole power in the universe and ensuring my future control over the buttons.
![Very Happy :D](./images/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif)
Jim, the Happy Humanist!
===
Any sufficiently advanced worldview will be indistinguishable from sheer arrogance --The Happy Humanist (with apologies to Arthur C. Clarke)
===
Any sufficiently advanced worldview will be indistinguishable from sheer arrogance --The Happy Humanist (with apologies to Arthur C. Clarke)
Post #4
[quote= Did I forget to mention my "backdoor" in the code, that allows me in at will?
[/quote]
Then I would most definately have to elimnate you as one of my first tasks. Sorry but I just can't have anyone challenging my power. Otherwise it would not be absolute and someone could screw up my Grand Plan.
![Very Happy :D](./images/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif)
Then I would most definately have to elimnate you as one of my first tasks. Sorry but I just can't have anyone challenging my power. Otherwise it would not be absolute and someone could screw up my Grand Plan.
- achilles12604
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Post #5
What fun!.
This reminds me of a Calvin and Hobbs I read.
Hmm . . . What would I do?
I think I would have started with Christianity. I would have inserted knowledge into their minds so we could skip the several thousand years of primal, backward, thinking common to tribal bands of those days.
I think I would have also limited the laws of physics so that technology could not advance past the stage of 1800's with the exception of medical technology. (I can pick and choose, I am God)
I would then make it much more difficult to concieve children so that the average population of the world would still increase but do so slowly. Maybe an average of 2.01 children per family. Something like that.
I would probably still hide myself as God does however. The reason being, have you ever known someone who became really rich all of a sudden? People who used to hate that person suddenly want to be friends and then when they get what they want or need, they simply hate you again because they never really loved that person to begin with. They simply operated our of selfish desires.
So I would conceal myself and allow those who had true desire to love and be loved by me into heaven. All others who wished to follow self- centered desires and care only about themselves, I would blot into banishment for 1000 years. After those 1000 years they would then be painlessly erased from existence.
Those who chose to love their fellow man and follow the basic laws I wrote onto their souls from the beginning (their conciousness) would be transported into heaven where they would be and have and do whatever they wished. If they wished to be in a great party, then party on it is. If they wished to hike for months in tropical covered mountians then here are your boots.
I think that is what I would do if I were God. At least that is some of the things. I would have a long time to think of more.
This reminds me of a Calvin and Hobbs I read.
Hmm . . . What would I do?
I think I would have started with Christianity. I would have inserted knowledge into their minds so we could skip the several thousand years of primal, backward, thinking common to tribal bands of those days.
I think I would have also limited the laws of physics so that technology could not advance past the stage of 1800's with the exception of medical technology. (I can pick and choose, I am God)
I would then make it much more difficult to concieve children so that the average population of the world would still increase but do so slowly. Maybe an average of 2.01 children per family. Something like that.
I would probably still hide myself as God does however. The reason being, have you ever known someone who became really rich all of a sudden? People who used to hate that person suddenly want to be friends and then when they get what they want or need, they simply hate you again because they never really loved that person to begin with. They simply operated our of selfish desires.
So I would conceal myself and allow those who had true desire to love and be loved by me into heaven. All others who wished to follow self- centered desires and care only about themselves, I would blot into banishment for 1000 years. After those 1000 years they would then be painlessly erased from existence.
Those who chose to love their fellow man and follow the basic laws I wrote onto their souls from the beginning (their conciousness) would be transported into heaven where they would be and have and do whatever they wished. If they wished to be in a great party, then party on it is. If they wished to hike for months in tropical covered mountians then here are your boots.
I think that is what I would do if I were God. At least that is some of the things. I would have a long time to think of more.
It is a first class human tragedy that people of the earth who claim to believe in the message of Jesus, whom they describe as the Prince of Peace, show little of that belief in actual practice.
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Post #7
Sorry only horses. Perhaps when you get to heaven I'll conjure you up a bike.Cmass wrote:But what about my trailbike? Can't I ride it anymore? Or am I stuck on a damn horse! (1800s technology)
It is a first class human tragedy that people of the earth who claim to believe in the message of Jesus, whom they describe as the Prince of Peace, show little of that belief in actual practice.
- achilles12604
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Post #9
I have issues with technology. I may only be 23 years old but my father is now 74. So in essence, I am a young throwback to fifties thinking. Therefore, I do things myself, work with my hands, appreciate a good days work, enjoy nature, and generally dislike fast paced, technology driven, self-centered life.Cmass wrote:Cloud jumping - cool!Sorry only horses. Perhaps when you get to heaven I'll conjure you up a bike.
But still, why the old technology?
I think that when cops got cars, they lost a lot of who they used to be. I think when banks became online, people lost touch with each other. I think that now that families no longer sit together and instead they crowed around the incessent moaning and flickering of that yammerring mind-draining box, that families no longer understand what family means.
Technology has given a lot, but taken much much more.
It is a first class human tragedy that people of the earth who claim to believe in the message of Jesus, whom they describe as the Prince of Peace, show little of that belief in actual practice.
Post #10
I think that when cities grew, as civilizations do, cars became a requirement for cops because criminals had cars. I think that if you like your banker, you still talk to them, whether or not you bank online (what a wonderful example that one was!). I think that no one twisted your arm into buying that yammering mind-draining box, so you have no one but yourself to blame.achilles12604 wrote: I think that when cops got cars, they lost a lot of who they used to be. I think when banks became online, people lost touch with each other. I think that now that families no longer sit together and instead they crowed around the incessent moaning and flickering of that yammerring mind-draining box, that families no longer understand what family means.
Technology doesn't take things away from you. YOU take things away from you. My internet, website, email and cell phone allow me to stay in touch with my rather large and widespread family all across the country. And by the way, why are you posting to an internet forum?