• Zagorath@quokk.au
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    2 days ago

    The idea of a god is a god

    I mean, sort of? That statement isn’t literally true, but taken metaphorically it basically matches what I said.

    Jesus actually exists

    Scholarly consensus is that he was indeed a real person who actually existed, but he obviously didn’t perform the actual literal miracles described in the bible.

    He’s a psychological parasite living in the collective imagination of humanity. And He influences the world through His followers, who are sworn to serve Him.

    Yeah, sure. He doesn’t literally live, but the idea of him has a powerful effect, so metaphorically you could say he influences the world through his followers.

    Unless you’re getting into some really fucking weird mumbo jumbo bullshit and you’re trying to claim it is actually absolutely literal that he exists and exerts a force on the world directly, I don’t see where you and I are in disagreement.

      • Zagorath@quokk.au
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        2 days ago

        Umm, no, I don’t believe in any gods. The only effect gods have is the effect caused by people acting in accordance with their belief, shared down through the ages and evolved at every stage by the culture it’s a part of, in those gods.

        • Grail@multiverse.soulism.net
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          1 day ago

          Gods are like money. They only exist because people believe in them. But they can still have an effect on the world because of how that belief works. For example, I think money makes people more selfish. Money creates billionaires and drives them to run sweatshops and bribe politicians. Money made the oil industry, money is destroying the world.

          Do you believe money is capable of agency, of changing people’s behaviour, like I do? Or do you think it’s just people acting on their own based on their belief in money, and money itself isn’t making any of the decisions?