Finally! a 'definition' of god that I understand.

jingl!

annsixty no, never preview, I loved it. Right there with you

As Humpty Dumpty said!

Galen Surreal

No jings the moment is lost!

I am!

And meanwhile the inert gas bag universe sails on regardless of those tiny scrabbling dots on a slightly larger (only slightly) dot in a small galaxy among the billions of such....

That thought makes me feel very calm.

We are star dust.

Part, in the end, of the inert gas bag.

B . Yes, calming.

Can't quite see why that thought is calming.

But never mind. Pleease!

The problem with the phrase 'inert gas bag' is that it is potentially insulting.

I wouldn't be pleased if someone called me that.

I wonder if there is a better way to describe helium, something more dignified and poetic, then it wouldn't be so bad making a joke about God out of that nice little poem.

Surely there are no Gransnetter atheists out there who would be deliberately insulting to the Christians amongst us

Why do you feel insulted? It's not an insult unless you decide to find it so. Just because someone else's understanding of what god might be (or not) is different from yours, doesn't make something an insult. As I said, I think some people look for offence where there isn't any.

But by all means, think of another way, one that you prefer, to say the same thing. Whatever it is, no atheist will feel insulted.

And, besides, why shouldn't someone insult a christian or jewish or hindu or norse or .... or.... or.... god?

Went to read another thread and came back with this thought:
I don't care if someone feels they or their god has been insulted. I find the ideas/mental images I have of most gods are insulting to my intelligence.

That's just tough.

Tough the other way too.

No privilege for religion!

I'm not personally insulted Bags as I'm an atheist.

I think some things ARE actually insulting and not just in the mind of the beholder.

The law upholds this principle and there are things we are not allowed to say to, for instance, Jews or black people or women.

Cloud of inert gas? It doesn't have the same impact as "inert gas bag"

Helium is by definition one of the inert gases also called the "noble gases" - Not insulting. "noble gas :- any of a group of rare gases that include helium, neon, argon, krypton, xenon, and usually radon and that exhibit great stability and extremely low reaction rates —called also inert gas" - Merriam-Webster dictionary.

A cloud of gas could disperse. Those who don't like "gas bag" would not like that either, as it implies that God would desert them. The alternative meaning of "longwinded speaker of empty words" is mild as an insult compared to some of the things hurled at God.

Anyway, God (if he exists) has a sense of humour.

I would abolish blasphemy laws.

Another way to put what I said earlier is: show me a believer in god(s) who cares if I'm insulted by their definition. I doubt if there exists a single such person.

Cloud of inert gas is fine, but it lacks the naughty, piss-taking humour of the other

Happy with my inert gas bag, thanks.

Naughty piss taking is what I was talking about.

I'm not sure it is the same thing to insult someone's belief as to insult their lack of belief.

Must think about it but now have to dash off for a lunch date.

I think you are being a little disingenuous, Bags. Intentionally insulting or not, it's the kind of quote, in the kind of terms, that you must know is going to ruffle people's feathers. I don't mind the occasional verbal punch-up because all my dear family members engage in often heated debate on a variety of topics all the time. But people get upset and newcomers run off and other posters find it boring and annoying.

Lil' Cutie. pic.twitter.com/2q2s9eIrGi (via @audiopsyence) (https://twitter.com/ThePoke/status/339320258101903362) Someone will tell me that this is insulting to cats next (or maybe to babies)

pet, What's so bad a bout a bit of naughty piss-taking? I reckon it's good for the health of the nation, not to mention the gods! Any god or believer in god(s) who can't take a bit of naughty piss-taking might as well have a Cromwellian puritannical mind set. Maybe they do. The miseries.

lily, diddums.

I don't think people have 'got it' at all (the complaining ones, I mean). What is wrong with my having such a belief as I expressed in the way I expressed it. That is how I think about such things. I'm just saying what I think. If people don't like what I think, so what? It's still the truth from my point of view.

Complaining, rather than presenting another train of thought, is just a device for shutting someone up. It ain't going to work.

I remember reading that particular tweet and thought it was brilliant. Very clever. Can't see why anyone should be insulted by it.

I thought it quite an affectionate piss-take, to tell the truth.