Sin

[togre]

Somewhere there is an aging preacher man who followed the teachings of the wise one faithfully. From the thousands he counseled, helped and guided, yet ten events can surely be found which gnaw at him as hard as the memories of a murderer. When those that view his events also share his mind during those events, he will be condenmed. He may be given token foregiveness as proscribed by the church, but that is not the same as trusting and believing in him.

I agree. Which shows how otherworldly God's forgiveness is. He does know those ten things--and yet he forgives. From the heart loving without reservation. Taking away the guilt (responsibility or culpability as well as feelings of guilt) of our sins. Wow! But I'm straying from the topic at hand...

[desiresjab]

I agree. Which shows how otherworldly God's forgiveness is. He does know those ten things--and yet he forgives. From the heart loving without reservation. Taking away the guilt (responsibility or culpability as well as feelings of guilt) of our sins. Wow! But I'm straying from the topic at hand...

I do not worry about straying from topics. Here is a stray. Would the creator of an advanced simulation love his creations like his own children, or would this creator have the detached mentality of a scientist preparing a lab monkey for surgery?

No matter how one cuts it, we are simulations. We are only not simulations if reductionism is right and everything came about through random chance. In that case, we were not created and we are not simulations. As soon as one accepts creationism and that we were created from scratch, a logical person who has truly thought it over, accepts that we are simulations. We are simulations of the creator. Our very lives are simulated lives, which feel very real. No one could prove they are not real. The creator did not make copies of itself, it made simulations, which is what is meant by "image" in the Bible. Yes, we are alive, but we are not as much alive as the creator, who is probably a finite being itself. What does that make us? That makes us the creations of a finite being.

Maybe this finite God does love its diluted creations. Perhaps it identifies with us heavily for some reason. It can watch every move and know every thought with tools we could not dream of now. It would be nice if this creator has indeed prepared an afterlife for his simulations, identifying with us that strongly. Would this creator have done the same for dogs or mosquitos?