Do you believe in God?

[Danoff]

The is beautiful. But it's also thorough - so you have to have some patience with it because he very carefully addresses the subject as a whole. Still, amazing video.

 

[MIE1992]

I can understand why many would believe and it - I imagine that this sort of faith often brings comfort in places where it's absent. For myself, I'm willing to accept either possibility. And if YHVH does exist, I believe they'd be sympathetic to my unsure belief. Otherwise, if YHVH were to be unsympathetic, I think that would mean humans would be capable of something YHVH is not, and therefore, YHVH would be unworthy of worship - or at least my worship in particular.

 

[TexRex]

Real talk: Is there any logical reasoning behind the capitalization of third-person pronouns when speaking of God? I acknowledge this convention by doing so myself out of respect for others' beliefs despite my not sharing them, but it still baffles me.

Sarcastic aside: Do you suppose He capitalizes the first-person pronouns?

 

[HenrySwanson]

Real talk: Is there any logical reasoning behind the capitalization of third-person pronouns when speaking of God? I acknowledge this convention by doing so myself out of respect for others' beliefs despite my not sharing them, but it still baffles me.

Sarcastic aside: Do you suppose He capitalizes the first-person pronouns?

Can only speak for myself but have always capitalised it as a mark of respect going back to religious education lessons.

 

[Scaff]

Can only speak for myself but have always capitalised it as a mark of respect going back to religious education lessons.

I leave it capitalised as its easier than arguing with spell check.

 

[TexRex]

I leave it capitalised as its easier than arguing with spell check.

Interesting. Apparently I use only secular word processors.

 

[TenEightyOne]

Can only speak for myself but have always capitalised it as a mark of respect going back to religious education lessons.

I deliberately don't reverentially capitalise and sometimes mangle the names for added subversion

I leave it capitalised as its easier than arguing with spell check.

Interesting. Apparently I use only secular word processors.

I had no idea that some spell-checkers did that, I've obviously trained mine well.

 

[Milouse]

Real talk: Is there any logical reasoning behind the capitalization of third-person pronouns when speaking of God? I acknowledge this convention by doing so myself out of respect for others' beliefs despite my not sharing them, but it still baffles me.

There is no sense of using either he or He about God if you don't believe in it, unless you're making its existence an hypothesis in an argument, in which case the context will make it clear what you think about it. My point is that the choice of capitalization is meaningless against the sentence's meaning and/or context, hence no need to be baffled.

I'm more concerned by countless animal documentaries using vocabulary that presents adaptation by evolution, or result of that evolution, as a "strategy".

 

[Joey D]

Do you suppose He capitalizes the first-person pronouns?

I mean, ya, that's a legit question and all, but there's still a more pressing question that needs an answer: Could Jesus microwave a burrito so hot that He, Himself couldn't eat it?

As for capitalization, if I remember great, if not, no biggie. It always seemed odd to me though that God would be capitalized when talking about the God of Abraham and not capitalized when talking about some other god, such as saying "the god Odin". I'm guessing it's just a cultural thing since we see it all the time and just are used to it.

 

[TexRex]

There is no sense of using either he or He about God if you don't believe in it, unless you're making its existence an hypothesis in an argument, in which case the context will make it clear what you think about it. My point is that the choice of capitalization is meaningless against the sentence's meaning and/or context, hence no need to be baffled.

Perhaps you misunderstand me? That I choose to observe the convention despite my lack of belief isn't what baffles me, since I do so as a courtesy to those who do believe and who observe the convention.

What baffles me is the convention itself. Pronouns typically aren't capitalized unless their location in a sentence dictates it ("I" being the obvious exception), and yet the convention exists when referencing God. I wondered if there's anyone here who can shed some light on the convention.

 

[Milouse]

Perhaps you misunderstand me? That I choose to observe the convention despite my lack of belief isn't what baffles me, since I do so as a courtesy to those who do believe and who observe the convention.

What baffles me is the convention itself. Pronouns typically aren't capitalized unless their location in a sentence dictates it ("I" being the obvious exception), and yet the convention exists when referencing God. I wondered if there's anyone here who can shed some light on the convention.

Sorry, I answered you since you bring the subject but it was in reaction to following answers. And my awkward "hence no need to be baffled" a bit artificially used to connect your message and my answer.

 

[TexRex]

Sorry, I answered you since you bring the subject but it was in reaction to following answers. And my awkward "hence no need to be baffled" a bit artificially used to connect your message and my answer.

Now I'm not sure I understand you. I'll blame that on the language barrier, and your English is much better than my French.

What are these "following answers"?

What are my message and your answer that you connected with your "hence no need to be baffled"?

I'm just trying to understand what it is you're trying to say.

 

[TheGeologist]

Can only speak for myself but have always capitalised it as a mark of respect going back to religious education lessons.

I have never understood the capitalization of god or He when speaking about god.

I don't bother with it because it seems grammatically incorrect.

I really don't see how someone could feel disrespected by me not doing that though.

 

[UKMikey]

I have never understood the capitalization of god or He when speaking about god.

I don't bother with it because it seems grammatically incorrect.

I really don't see how someone could feel disrespected by me not doing that though.

I can't quite get used to those people who write G_d like it were an unfinished crossword clue. I think this is a formal Judaism thing, though.

 

[Joey D]

I think this is a formal Judaism thing, though.

It is. When I first started dating my now wife, it was really weird to see her write "G-d Damnit" in text messages. She told me once why it is that way, but it's kind of foggy. I think it's something about you can't destroy God's name so writing it out on something that will eventually be destroyed is a sign of disrespect or something.

 

[Milouse]

God would be capitalized when talking about the God of Abraham and not capitalized when talking about some other god, such as saying "the god Odin".

That marks the difference between monotheistic and polytheistic religion's god(s).
It is the same convention in French, and it also applies to mark the difference between 'histoire" (a story) and "Histoire" (history of the world, unique) since, unlike modern English, they are same words. Apparently also Russians add capitals using god related pronoun.

@TexRex, I was referring to the answers that followed your message. I thought using "following" would work.

 

[ryzno]

the god Odin

Odin is God!!

 

[TenEightyOne]

That marks the difference between monotheistic and polytheistic religion's god(s).

Context also does that, if I talk about jesus and god in the same sentence then you know which of the gods I'm talking about.

 

[polysmut]

I can't quite get used to those people who write G_d like it were an unfinished crossword clue.

Perhaps St. Bernard turned to higher power (3)
G_D

 

[Carbonox]

It is. When I first started dating my now wife, it was really weird to see her write "G-d Damnit" in text messages. She told me once why it is that way, but it's kind of foggy. I think it's something about you can't destroy God's name so writing it out on something that will eventually be destroyed is a sign of disrespect or something.

But if you aren't the one to eventually destroy the phone (at least deliberately - accidents sometimes happen but I'd expect an omnipotent being to understand that much) is it really you who destroys the name either?

 

[Kevstah2004]

I don’t understand how people can be so blind to not realise all religions where to created to manipulate our thought processes, it’s business money orientation.

 

[PocketZeven]

Religion pisses me off, because of the people like these:



The cons far outweigh any benefit that religion brings My theory is that people who believe in god tend to sensitive in blindly following autotharian rule. Perhaps they unconsciously relate (name)=god

 

[Kevstah2004]

^ It’s nothing but a divider, since when did humanity need a book to get us all to the same end game of respect, ideals and common decency??? Isn’t that something that should be embedded into all of us since birth from our parents and them wanting us not to carry on the same mistakes to a future generation?

 

[Scaff]

Interesting how Christian report on Christian based torture and murder.

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/world/satanic-sect-kills-seven-people-in-panama-1.4142737?mode=amp

 

[Rallywagon]

Interesting how Christian report on Christian based torture and murder.

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/world/satanic-sect-kills-seven-people-in-panama-1.4142737?mode=amp

Didnt realize satanists spoke with god...

 

[Scaff]

Didnt realize satanists spoke with god...

Nor did I, odd isn't it.

 

[Dennisch]

Satanists are Christians. Without the Bible no Satan.

 

[Kevstah2004]

Satanists are Christians. Without the Bible no Satan.

Amen

 

[UKMikey]

@Lizard already made this point in another thread.

 

[Dennisch]

@Lizard already made this point in another thread.

Your @Lizard turned into a @Liquid.