I think often because that's the level at which they want to set the argument — the a priori assumption that theism is naive and silly.
Bring the argument up to date, and often they're floundering for something to say about ideas they haven't even considered.
Christianity rests not in the idea of an anthropomorphic God, as a theomorphic human.
Then again, the anthropomorphic image is as valid as any, the whole of the Bible is founded on it, after all.
God bless,
Thomas
I think the anthropomorphic god image is taken from literal reading of the Bible. God is depicted as jealous, vindictive, angry, unjust, cruel, and constantly demanding human worship. That certainly suggests a God with human personality characteristics. That is the major fault in Judaism and Christianity. One must avoid reading those scriptures literally.
One can speculate a God who created the Universe and all that followed including intelligent life. The Bible is unnecessary and perhaps distraction to one who seeks a real God-Creator.
Common sense suggests that a Creator can not likely be a very large bipedal talking primate.
God could be something entirely different. Terms like intelligence, consciousness, body shape, and human model personality may not be necessary. Clearly the Biblical God is created in man's own image and likeness.
As with the Deists, God may simply be undefinable, existing in an extradimensional plane of existence, exerting the effects we see as the Big Bang. It is unlikely that a Universe creator actually obsesses over one's sex life.
I don't deny the possibility of God. I simply deny the Anthropomorphic God as being nonsensical. If I consider the Creative Force of the Universe, I see no reason to argue over intelligence or consciousness, other than our animal nature as the template.
I don't see a god as a naked old man reclining on a cloud reaching his hand toward a human.
God is just the name we choose to give to the creative process. It may simply be undiscovered and unexplained by mathematical equations. So postulating about consciousness is simply spinning speculation. Speculating that God kills millions of humans, orders Israelites to kill men, women, and children, and sends a series of plagues to Egypt is (IMO) irrational speculation.
For some reason the human invented Anthropomorphic God Judeo-Islam and Christianity with his violence and cruelty seems to induce evil actions among believers.
It is obvious to me that there is no supernatural being who interferes with the activity of we animals. To do so would mean the God is a super animal only.
Amergin
