1. God exists in the understanding. 2. God might have existed in reality (God is a possible being). 3. If something exists only in the understanding and might have existed in reality, then it might have been greater than it is. 4. Suppose God exists only in the understanding. 5. God might have been greater than he is. 6. God is a being than which a greater is possible. 7. The being than which n...

Scientists call pasture a natural eco-system and range is an agricultural eco-system. In this point of view although pasture that was full of plants growing by itself and not growing by human being (Pirdashti, 2007; Mohgadam, 2005) and two groups of living beings such as human being, plants, domesticated, and not living being like weather, Wind, gradient which are effective in making of pasture...

As an extension of a concept known as tawheed,* nothing lies outside of The Jurisdiction of Divine Intervention; nor is God the deist’s watchmaker, winding up reality and watching various Newtonian-like mechanized processes play themselves out. Once this latter deist notion is embraced, and given a particular subtle type of human propensity for self-exaltation (a type which is by definition not...

Anthropomorphism, or the attribution of human properties to nonhuman entities, is often posited as an explanation for the origin and nature of God concepts, but it remains unclear which human properties we tend to attribute to God and under what conditions. In three studies, participants decided whether two types of human properties-psychological (mind-dependent) properties and physiological (b...

This study examines the relationships among race, education, formal as well as informal involvement in the church, and God-mediated control. Formal involvement in the church was assessed by the frequency of attendance at worship services, Bible study groups, and prayer groups. Informal involvement was measured with an index of spiritual support provided by fellow church members. Data from a nat...

If God did not exist – people would invent one! The development of human civilization requires mechanisms promoting cooperation and social order. One of these mechanisms is based on the idea that everything we do is seen and judged by God – bad deeds will be punished, while good ones will be rewarded. The Information Age has now fueled the dream that God-like omniscience and omnipotence can be ...

Despite the cultural ubiquity of ideas and images related to God, relatively little is known about the effects of exposure to God representations on behavior. Specific depictions of God differ across religions, but common to most is that God is (a) an omnipotent, controlling force and (b) an omniscient, all-knowing being. Given these 2 characteristic features, how might exposure to the concept ...

Philosophers and theologians have advanced a variety of arguments for God’s existence. Th e arguments vary along a number of dimensions. Some are a priori; some are a posteriori. Some depend on a particular defi nition of God; others are more general. But they have features in common. Th ey are independent of any particular religious tradition, depending on nothing more than a generally classic...

Scripture Reading — Zechariah 1:1-6 “Return to me ... and I will return to you.” Zechariah 1:3 — The clock counted down to midnight, and the partygoers cheered the beginning of a new year. While everyone was enjoying themselves, one woman engaged in a moment of selfreflection. “Everyone needs a second chance,” she said. She was right. We’ve all spoken words we want to take back. We’ve made deci...