Is God based on “Facts” or “Trust/Faith”???

Short answer: history and cultural evolution. Ares, Odin, Ra and the others had their day, but in the competitive struggle of evolution, they met the fate of the dodos and dinosaurs. Unlike Yahweh, Allah and Jesus, the Norse and Greek gods had no ancient bible (unless we count Homer), no omnipotence and omnisicience, no comprehensive moral code, and no hell imposing eternal punishments. Ares, the Greek god of war, was too specialized, and wasn't much liked even by his fellow deities. Minerva, goddess of wisdom, likewise. Yahweh started out as a war but was able to expand his areas of responsibility to include everything. In general, the Olympian gods were morally reprobate. Odin was also a war god, and had to share power with a bunch of other deities. He fared well in a warklike Viking culture, but succumbed to the superior forces of Christian missionaries and convert chiefs.

Ra, the Egyptian sun god, had a complex relationship with the other deities--first joined at the hip with Amun, and later adding Horus. He was personified by the living Pharaoh, who became Osiris after death. Alas, while Egypt had an amazingly long run, it eventually was defeated--by Persia, then Alexander's empire, and finally by Rome. Ra went out with Pharaoh. Isis had a longer run, thanks to the popularity of her cult in Rome. But her priests were less aggressive in proselytizing.

Re the Aztec and Inca gods, they had the misfortune of being worshiped by people who had no guns, steel nor immunity to Spanish germs. Besides that, they were nasty, demanding human lives in sacrifice--which made them unpopular with tribes raided for victims. If by Indian gods you mean Hindu deities, they seem to be holding their own in the world's third largest religion, although there have been power shifts among them. Varuna and Mitra are shadows of their former selves, and Indra is not the super stud he once was before the Axsial Age. Brahman and his Trimurti have absorbed the other ones as manifestations or avatars. The religion is complex, and hasn't attracted much of a following outside India--except for New Age western fans.

Yahweh, Allah and Jesus now have a collective following of about half the world's population today--at least for the time being.

 

I have mentioned this to you before. I am good friends with the daughter of the son of Black Elk. She has a number of boxes of her father's things. He did some amazing things that got him into a circle of people from Einstein to the Dalai Lama. I think it was because he healed one of the Rockefeller sons after the doctors had said there was no hope.

Anyway, in these boxes there are a number of things such as a bunch of video tapes of a lecture series he gave through a university that was aired on TV somewhere back east. mementos from the Dalai Lama, and other fascinating things, including several things from Albert Einstein. His daughter tells me that Einstein attended several of his sweat lodges. One of these momentos is a picture of him with Einstein, and on the back of it Einstein wrote, "To the only true teacher I have ever known." and signed it.

I used to drive her to and from ceremonies and sweat lodges and even some AIM meetings. She wanted to make a documentary on her dad's life and wanted me to help her write it. We even met some film makers who flew in from Los Angeles to talk about this. They had worked with her dad to film a documentary before that was never finished. It was mainly about the sweat lodge, but they have a fair amount of footage on this and were interested in making something more significant about him.

Unfortunately my wife and her do not get along at all. She could be very demanding of my time, and my wife is rightfully demanding of my time. She was married and her husband was always with us when I drove her anywhere or we did anything, so its not like anything was happening. And she is in a wheelchair after she was in a horrible accident. But for some odd reason, when her and my wife are together, its like having a mistress and wife in the same room. Then one time it developed into an argument between them, and my wife doesn't want me to help her anymore.

 

If God isn't the truth itself, and nobody claims God is the truth itself, which can be measured, then its just so much reality TV marketing.

 

Jesus, the Logos of John's gospel, is by definition "truth itself". John also tells us that God is Love.

 

Then love thy dictionary!

 

There is just cause for faith. I have found, as a theist.

Anyway, were there a higher mind (God) who didn't make himself readily testable to man, it wouldn't be totally unreasonable to believe belief can engender knowledge. If you think it more likely the "divine" would reveal itself to one who meditates on it than to an atheist.

It could even be projected as a scientific endeavor, but I'm not sure I'm comfortable with that.

"God" is a word referring to something in my opinion, but that can also be private to people.

God is also an outlet for emotions. If you are convinced you are known to one. So prayer is meditative, between mind and body. Acknowledging you cannot deceive any longer, for you are never entirely alone.

 

You make a very strong case for a trust-faith based God in your life. Factual or not it is excellent reasoning.

 

The simple fact is, religious people tend to have happier, longer lives, and you might as well ask why Atheists are determined to shorten their lives.

 

Since I'm one of the religious types, I can only hazard a guess. In deciding what the truth is, some folks look at the evidence and apply their best reason and judgment without regard to personal benefits or costs. Bertrand Russell was one who took issue with William James' view that a belief or claim is true if it has beneficial effects: "This simply omits as unimportant the question whether God really is in His heaven; if He is a useful hypothesis, that is enough. God the Architect of the Cosmos is forgotten; all that is remembered is belief in God, and its effects upon the creatures inhabiting our petty planet. No wonder the Pope condemned the pragmatic defence of religion." Bertrand Russell on Pragmatism – Analogical Thoughts Or as J.S. Mill put it: "i'd rather be Socrates dissatisfied than a fool satisfied."

If you look "truth" up in a standard dictionary, it says: "being in accord with fact or reality or actuality." Definition of TRUTH
"the real facts about a situation, event, or person": person
"conformity with fact or reality". TRUTH Definition & Meaning | Dictionary.com
Nothing about making you healthy, wealthy or wise.

 

Yes, it seems to be true, at least in the U.S.
Religious belief may extend life by 4 years
You Asked: Do Religious People Live Longer?
Spirituality linked with better health outcomes, patient care — Harvard Gazette
Religion and health: does religious activity improve health outcomes? - PubMed
Can Religion Extend Your Life?
https://www.cnn.com/2016/05/16/health/religion-lifespan-health/index.html
What if Religion Can Prolong Life?
Spirituality, religiousness, and mental health: A review of the current scientific evidence
Religion and health - Wikipedia
But this relationship seems to vary substantially from one country or region to another. It seems to work better in places where spirituality and religiosity are valued (as opposed to highly secular regions like Scandanavia or communist countries) But not in countries where religious beliefs conflict with science, or low income, low education countries like those of very religious sub-Saharan Africa.
Religiosity and health: A global comparative study
Do Religious People Really Live Longer?
Much seems to depend on the nature of the religious beliefs concerned. Sometimes, religion can be a mind-crippling disease. A gay or trans kid born into a fundamentalist Christian family is in for a rough time that can't be conducive to good health. I take fellowship with a group of atheists who are refugees from families who told them often they were going to hell. That can't be conducive to good mental health!

 

Religious people be like, ' earth life is so complex and perfect it had to be created by something even more complex and perfect'.

Me- 'ummmm, probably not how the universe works'.

 

They have better sex lives too. People raised in extended families tend to thrive better and live longer too. In contrast, academics have the lowest reproductive rates of any profession and, of course, many of them are militant atheists.

 

The entire world is spiraling down the toilet, while academics complain their own governments won't do anything, except start WWIII, a quarter of their students still insist the sun revolves around the earth, and the idiots have made their own common as dirt dictionary and analog logic taboo.

By all accounts, Russel was a nice guy, but nice guys finish last, when they can't recognize complete bullshit. Russel himself, said Wittgenstein was the guy to pay attention to, not himself.

 

You mean they multiply more rapidly? That's true for some. But more isn't always better.

 

Pretty much. In addition, the sense of positive meaning to life which religion can provide is probably healthy, and the teachings themselves tend to discourage unhealthy lifestyles. I find church and Sunday school to be therapeutic. I get together with friends who share my values and ideals and exchange ideas that are both intellectually stimulating and useful. The atheist group that I attend does similar things. It's actually two groups: one which meets on Sundays to discuss relevant topics, including Bible study, and another that gets together for table fellowship. There is some overlap, but oddly not much. Unfortunately, the dinner group was majorly impacted by Covid. All of these groups function as support groups. The early Christian community grew as it developed a reputation for helping one another and providing useful services which were shared with non-Christians.
Rodney Stark, The Rise of Christianity
https://www.idunn.no/doi/10.18261/issn.1893-0271-2019-04-04#:~:text=If the poor survived in the ancient world,,limited resources, they supported one another as “siblings”.Table fellowship was a central feature of Jesus' missionary outreach--publicans and sinners welcome!

 

You got some kind of citation for this?

 

Dog is my co-pilot.