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I like to equate God to the square root of minus one. (Gd=root -1)
Why? Because the square root of minus one is an impossible number, but a very useful function or CONCEPT.
Often, in maths, a formula may end up involving the square root of a negative number. Make the number positive, calculate its square root and multiply the answer by root-1 and you have a "simplified" answer. Often, over the years, another formula has appeared for a related concept, that also requires root-1. When the two formulae were put together as an equation, the root-1 cancelled itself out, a real answer was created, and root-1 was no longer required.
Now consider the rainbow. It was explainable as a sign from God, related to rain. Then man learned how to diffract light and a real answer was revealed. The God function (read root-1) was no longer required.
You see, imaginary, impossible things can sometimes be useful tools for discovering the possible!

Petter 9 Apr 3
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By applying the same logic, we can disprove Santa Claus, Fairies and the tooth fairy, ...and any other "imagined thing" . What is it that you equate mathematically? the square root of minus 1 is I (pronounced as ioata).it is an imaginary number. It's an imaginary number, "i". Since no number times itself ever results in a negative number, there can be no answers to a square root of a negative number. do not understand why you equate god to a mathematical problem, has no meaning combing the two?

I equate the philosophical concepts. God is used in religion, ioata in physics, not the actual values. Primitive peoples used godly anger to explain why volcanoes erupted, in the same way that physicists use root -1 to calculate phenomena. It's merely a means of explaining how man tries to rationalise. It is not a statement of fact.
The tooth fairy is a loving way of helping young children through the loss of a milk tooth and the pain associated with it. Santa Claus is another delightful way to "keep the magic and innocence" of childhood, although some parents try to twist it their own ends.

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Not the best analogy. Despite the ‘imaginary’ moniker of the square root of negative numbers, they are every bit as ‘real. as any other number. Just ask an electrical engineer. They use Negative square roots all the time.

There was a time when negative numbers were considered to be nonsensical. Even zero had to be gradually accepted.

That said, I’m of the opinion that ALL numbers are purely imaginary. They happen to map well to real world situations, but do not exist per se.

Your post is interesting though and very thought provoking.

Thank you. I do like to try to simplify complex concepts, hence using words suck as "akin" rather than "equal to".

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I will lock this info in my trivia box

My "trivia box" is overflowing with snippets of useless things. Hope yours is too. It makes life rather fun, especially when you use such trivia to confuse cold-calling Jehova's Witnesses. I invite them in, sit them down, and offer them a cup of tea. Then engage them in conversation until they are confused and reeling, but they are too polite to leave until they have finished their tea and biscuits. Unfortunately, very few come calling these days - can't understand why!!

Mine normally leave within 5 to 6 minutes

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Good point, Going beyond it there is an assumed principal that states that everything must have a reason or a cause. Yet this principal is inductive or solely based on empirical evidence which means that the connection between cause and effect it cannot be deductive, as demonstrated by David Hume

Universals or absolutes are secular stand ins for god [who stood in as the obvious guarantor of connection during Hume's time]. Our ability to make sense of the world is probabilistic only, there are no universals, or absolutes that can be deduced empirically. Yet the assumption of universals/absolutes are pragmatical useful ways for understanding of the world.

cava Level 7 Apr 3, 2018
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