Yes, I was mainly thinking of "days gone by" when it came to the Catholic in my example, Daylia.

Bill - You seem to assume that dying is "a bad thing". Maybe not. Everyone dies eventually, right? Dying in a plane crash could be just the perfect way to go if that was a person's destiny....it could be a whole lot better than slowly dying of cancer for 6 months in a hospital bed, for example. (as just as one possibility) If there is a continuance of existence as a living soul after what we call "death", and you are just 100% fine afterward, then God could be just as much with the people who died in the plane crash as with the one guy who miraculously survived. The one guy who survived could have had a life purpose which required him to survive. Thus, they ALL could legitimately say "God was with me." ;-) (Only you don't get to hear anyone say it except the one guy who survived, because YOU are still in a body, like him.)

God, by definition being limitless, HAS to be with all of them, Bill.

That's all just theory of course, but see how it all depends which theory fits your pre-supposed notion ("There is a God."..."There is no God.")? People normally posit theories that support their inherent assumptions. This is their way of being "logical". Logic can support any number of varing theories about something. The only logic that is flawless is the logic that is backed up by complete knowledge of the subject being discussed. Does any of us have complete knowledge? I think not.


Mrrzy - Your summary is a good one, I think.

As you proposed:

"There seem to be the following main schools of thought:
1) God/Godess is a single entity
2) God/Godess is a unifying force
3) God/Godess is everything
4) There are many gods and/or godesses, depending on what you talk about (but these tend to be either entities, forces, or all-encompassing in some dimension or other)
5) There is no God AKA there are no gods"

Yes. Of those, I would say I tend to believe #2 and #3 most of all. I also, in a sense, believe #1....but I think that that "single entity" comprises absolutely everything. In other words, I don't think it's an entity which is separate from any of us. I think we are all parts of it, just like cells in a body are parts of that body. I also sort of believe #4...but only in this sense: people have a way of perceiving the many, many aspects or characteristics of the entire Godhead in the form of a multitude of individual gods and goddesses. Those aspects, in themselves, are real...as far as they go...but they are not the whole story. They are facets of the diamond. You can deal with a particular aspect of the entire God if you want to...just like you can deal with one part of a University course rather that the whole course...or one part of a car rather than the whole car. In doing so, you will sense that you are dealing with a god, a goddess, or some sort of sacred power like that...and you may visualize it in some form or another.

The only possibility you put forward that I give no validity to whatsoever is #5.

Donuel - God only implies instant authority to those who think of God in that fashion. I don't. I think we have free will at all times.