Divine Hiddenness

[AgnosticBoy]

One site explains the argument involving Divine Hiddenness as follows,

“Divine Hiddenness” in contemporary philosophy of religion may refer to the supposed fact that the existence of God is less than obvious...Suppose, as many theists do, that the greatest human good is found in a personal relationship with God. Not believing that God exists seems an obvious barrier to such a relationship; but many of those who do not believe in God seem morally and epistemically blameless in their lack of belief. If the God of theism—an omniscient, omnipotent, and perfectly good personal being—did exist, then surely those who genuinely seek God would find God: an omnipotent God would be capable of providing clear self-revelation to those who genuinely seek, and a perfectly good God would want to provide such revelation. That so many of those who do seek or have sought God persist in unbelief is therefore itself evidence that God does not exist. Or so claims the advocate of the “argument from divine hiddenness.”

Source: Divine Hiddenness edited by Ian M. Church and Jonathan Reibsamen

For Debate
Does the fact that God does not make his existence apparent support the conclusion that he does not exist?

 

[William]

Defining "God" brings with it, its own problems.

Re the snippet;

There is an old saying...Hindu I think -

“If God wished to hide, God would choose man to hide in. That is the last place man would look for God.”

Flesh that out, and there is no reason why one couldn't extend that into the rest of the universe. After all, the snippet does define God as "omniscient, omnipotent," so why not also omnipresent?

Where in this universe, is it more obvious a creative mind might reside, than here re this planet abundant with the expression of life.

 

[Swami V. Ānanda]

I could not agree more, William. God is within us all.

Here is some insight that I have read in recent months.

You can disagree with it, but you cannot not appreciate the beauty of the core of the Hindu philosophy. Hindu philosophy at its core essentially says that as a ‘Being’, we are not the ‘body’ and we are not even the ‘mind’ too. We are that which uses both the body and the mind to lead life, which is referred as pure Consciousness or Shiva or Brahman (in the Upanishads) or God or as the symbol ‘Om’ or also called the Self. So, for the Hindu, the SELF is the actual ‘YOU’ and the scriptures say that you can realize this with deep meditation of separating your thoughts and your body and your Ego from yourself.

From

The Core of Hinduism – I am neither the Body nor the Mind – The Ultimate Truth or A Self-hypnosis?

You can disagree with it, but you cannot not appreciate the beauty of the core of the Hindu philosophy. Hindu philosophy at its core essentially says that as a ‘Being’, we are not the &…

brandalyzer.blog

Following this thought, why do we not perceive God?

You can develop the ability to be aware and feel this state of Pure Awareness. You can live in it when you stop identifying with your thoughts and getting absorbed in them.

Your nonstop thinking is the reason for not being aware of this Pure Awareness. Controlling your thoughts and calming down the mind allow this Awareness to emerge.

Taken from..

Living in Pure Awareness - What Does It Mean

You live in pure awareness when there are no thoughts in your mind, but at the same time you are fully conscious and aware of everything around you.

www.successconsciousness.com

 

[William]

I think that understanding our Source is helpful Swami but not the place we need to reside for we did not venture out and create realities to experience, only to pine for the comfort of home.

What is the Hindu explanation for why we exist within this reality experience?

 

[William]

I don't know what it is about silencing thoughts in order to connect with the overarching consciousness which Is omnipresent



Are we not here to learn and experience and thrive and build upon the foundations of our existence within this reality experience



It seems unwise to assume ill will on any creator of this reality experience or to think of such a being as being malevolent



It seems equally pointless to want to reside in the subject of omnious homesickness when clearly we have some kind of job to do some kind of game to play some kind of purpose to fulfill which occupies time and space and must originate from the mind of creator and be an aspect of said mind



We need to let go the reincarnation of ancient ideas which while useful at the time they were created have since been seen to be surplus to requirement

 

[AgnosticBoy]

Defining "God" brings with it, its own problems.

Re the snippet;

There is an old saying...Hindu I think -

“If God wished to hide, God would choose man to hide in. That is the last place man would look for God.”

Flesh that out, and there is no reason why one couldn't extend that into the rest of the universe. After all, the snippet does define God as "omniscient, omnipotent," so why not also omnipresent?

Where in this universe, is it more obvious a creative mind might reside, than here re this planet abundant with the expression of life.

Yes, I agree, the definition for God plays a role in finding God. So would any terms or conditions that God would have in place. In Hinduism, as Swami described, it involves looking within. We can say that many atheists are probably looking in the opposite direction since in debates they all expect objective and physical evidence.

Honestly the problem of divine hiddenness is more of a moral issue, perhaps something along the lines of the problem of evil, but that's not convincing enough to say that no God exists. I can even see some wiggle room to defend the Christian God against the hiddenness problem when we bring up the terms of Christianity.

 

[William]

There is no problem of evil or hiddenness. The problem is in defining God through those filters.

 

[2Dbunk]

Gentle People,

These are nuances that can never be answered. Each one's mind deduces a pathway to their own Nirvana, utopia, dystopia or destruction.
It seems a game, to me at least, but then in a random universe what else could one expect. The key here is "random universe."

If this is a designed universe then I am toast, according to most X-tian theists. The above mentioned "hiddenness" is unnecessary! We are indeed a universe within, we are God to the only thing that matters -- our own well-being! What we may contribute to the world is the overabundance of our goodness or badness.

Most of us play this as a game -- some cheat, others by the rules, or to some degree in between. Taking this brief life too seriously is robbing oneself of the essence of living.
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