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> It's possibly to believe in God and think that God is too busy with the cosmos to be concerned with our tiny lives. But it isn't a very "useful" belief, in th

> It's possibly to believe in God and think that God is too busy with the cosmos to be concerned with our tiny lives. But it isn't a very "useful" belief, in the sense that it's a belief with no practical implication. It would imply that God has limitations, which goes against the usual view (at least in abrahamic religions) of god being unlimited by definition. It would also invite the question of where those limitations come from. If that's not a practical enough implication, there would also be: dont rely on God for personal attention.

names_are_hard 6y ago
I think we're in agreement. What I meant by no practical implication was that if I'm an atheist and then I learn that there is in fact a God, but he's either too busy, limited, or otherwise uninterested in my life, then I can shrug off that information with no negative consequences. It doesn't matter to me if there's no God or if there's an uninvolved God, except as an academic question (ie no practical implication). But if I'm an atheist and I learn that there's a God that cares about me or my behavior then I will likely have to change my lifestyle. Maybe I'll have to start praying, or giving charity, or stop stealing, or start dancing around a fire now and then so that the rain comes, or marry in a certain way, etc. It's no surprise to me that the popular versions of God-belief out there describe a God that's very involved in Earthly affairs. Because otherwise, what's the point?
- frosted-flakes 6y ago
  Many or most religions are concerned with what comes after life. To many people, that is the point.
  - names_are_hard 6y ago
    Exactly. To my knowledge most religions teach that what comes after life depends, at least in part, in what we do during our lives. In other words, God is concerned with us and how we live on Earth. Which is remarkable, given how large the universe is and how apparently insignificant we are.
    - frosted-flakes 6y ago
      Why is it remarkable? The point is that (in Christianity), God is all-knowing, and doesn't suffer from the same limitations as humans, or ants.

names_are_hard 6y ago

I think we're in agreement. What I meant by no practical implication was that if I'm an atheist and then I learn that there is in fact a God, but he's either too busy, limited, or otherwise uninterested in my life, then I can shrug off that information with no negative consequences. It doesn't matter to me if there's no God or if there's an uninvolved God, except as an academic question (ie no practical implication). But if I'm an atheist and I learn that there's a God that cares about me or my behavior then I will likely have to change my lifestyle. Maybe I'll have to start praying, or giving charity, or stop stealing, or start dancing around a fire now and then so that the rain comes, or marry in a certain way, etc. It's no surprise to me that the popular versions of God-belief out there describe a God that's very involved in Earthly affairs. Because otherwise, what's the point?

frosted-flakes 6y ago
Many or most religions are concerned with what comes after life. To many people, that is the point.
- names_are_hard 6y ago
  Exactly. To my knowledge most religions teach that what comes after life depends, at least in part, in what we do during our lives. In other words, God is concerned with us and how we live on Earth. Which is remarkable, given how large the universe is and how apparently insignificant we are.
  - frosted-flakes 6y ago
    Why is it remarkable? The point is that (in Christianity), God is all-knowing, and doesn't suffer from the same limitations as humans, or ants.