Originally posted by The SomerZ

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I asked you to explain what non-existance was like,

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Originally posted by Vystrix Nexoth

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Atheist. I don't believe in any god for the same reason I don't believe in Santa Claus.

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Originally posted by Ziff

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It seems there is. Technically, sentience doesn't preclude existence. However, as humans, being physical beings with existence in a traditional sense we therfore assume that non-existence means that there is no sentience.

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Originally posted by Vystrix Nexoth

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Santa Claus is a story told to children to get them to behave. Behave in accordance with how the parents want you to behave and you get a present; don't and you get punishment.

I don't believe there is a higher intelligence/force that created our universe and us in it, for the same reason that I don't believe there is a fat man in a red felt suit lined with white fur, living at 90-degrees north latitude yearlong, keeping tabs on the behavioral habits and wish-lists of every child on earth, and with a team of elves to manufacture presents accordingly (for the ones that behave), then on the night prior to December 25th delivers those presents for every child in the world in one sack, on a sleigh pulled by a team of flying caribou/reindeer, drops down chimneys (even on modern homes that use central heating rather than chimneys)-- without getting himself or the presents covered in soot-- to leave them under a tree, stop and eat whatever milk and cookies were left, climb back up the chimney and proceed with his flying reindeer to the next child's house, all without being seen, and all in the timespan of about 24 hours (allowing for the earth's rotation).

If you believe in that, you just might be able to believe in God too.

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Originally posted by Sparx

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I'm christian.Plus, I have no idea what some of these religions are

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Originally posted by Ziff

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Form =! thought

The conceptualization of intellect by philosophers like Avicenna and other Muslim thinkers make it quite clear. In addition, there is the concept of God Formless, something that is touched on by John Scotus AND St. Thomas Aquinas. The 5 proofs of Aquinas are based on the necessity of God (let's not argue their shakey logic right now). But as God is pure, there is no necessitation of anything for God Himself. Scotus argued that there are four concepts of existence. That which is not created and creates, that which is created and creates, that which is created but does not create and that which is not created and does not created. The first and last of these are supposed to be God (Alpha and Omega). But in both circumstances the requirement of form goes unanswered. Thus, the concept of God Formless, combined with the idea of agent intellect and the 9 spheres can have an interesting effect of having sentience without form. Of course, this is based off of religious arguments.

Other such examples can exist. If there is form without sentience then there could also be sentience without form. Non-existence as we know it, does not exist. Everything we know of has a physical existence. Even when it ceases to exist in the sense of life it still exists in form and physicality. However, this is our lens of life. Total non-existence is simply an impossibility.

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