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[Leafsnail]

You can't really harm an electron anyway.  And you're unlikely to do nuclear reactions on molecules too often.

[KaguroDraven]

speaking of religions, I want to start a cult. Any suggestions on how I should start?

[Andir]

You can't really harm an electron anyway.  And you're unlikely to do nuclear reactions on molecules too often.

Turning on a light does some fun stuff to molecules if my understanding is correct... but the point of the argument is not so much the details of implementation.  If I go melt my telephone (that I'm supposed to be listening to right now) I'm altering the physical makeup and deforming it.  To omnipotence, this is no different than melting a human and/or deforming it.

[ChairmanPoo]

speaking of religions, I want to start a cult. Any suggestions on how I should start?

This is a good place to start

http://www.katspaw.com/holy.html

So perhaps you've figured out the way things ought to be, and now you want to spread the good word.  How to go about it?  Here are two potential alternatives.  People have used the first method for at least two millennia with great success; I personally like the second method better, though you won't necessarily rack up millions of believers right away if you use it.

First method:

1.  Tell everyone that what you're saying is the absolute truth.  Nothing sells like confidence.  If at all possible make your holy book really big and your sermons really loud.

2.  Tell everyone you got this information from someone bigger and stronger than you, and preferably someone invisible to everyone else.

3.  See if you can get persecuted for a few years for your beliefs.  People love an underdog, and they are impressed by determination and by a willingness to do totally insane things like sit out in the desert with no water.

4.  Denigrate the unbelievers.  Point to specific crimes.  Are they still eating pig?  Are they not participating?

5.  Denigrate women.  Apparently this works like a charm, although it's not clear why.

6.  Include a few taboos.  They can make sense if you like, particularly if they match the internal logic of your text, but throw in a few weird ones as well.  People will wonder what you know that they don't.  Besides it's always good for a laugh.

7.  If possible write this book during difficult times.  You're going to need a big market of people craving certainty, so uncertain times can only help you.

8.  Don't forget to both obliquely and directly encourage people to kill anyone who doesn't agree with you.  This is yet another method of demonstrating that you are absolutely right, while at the same time reducing the number of people who are likely to disagree with you.

Second method:


1.  If you think you've figured out a good way to live, lead by example.

2.  If people start following you around, be patient.  Remind them as often as possible that they are going to have to go it alone when it comes to finding the truth.

3.  Write beautifully and tell jokes, even bad ones.

4.  Don't put up with crap from people using the first method.  No killing -- just vigorous self-defense in every sense of the word.

[Leafsnail]

You can't really harm an electron anyway.  And you're unlikely to do nuclear reactions on molecules too often.

Turning on a light does some fun stuff to molecules if my understanding is correct... but the point of the argument is not so much the details of implementation.  If I go melt my telephone (that I'm supposed to be listening to right now) I'm altering the physical makeup and deforming it.  To omnipotence, this is no different than melting a human and/or deforming it.

I meant atoms, oops.  You do all kinds of things to molecules just by existing.

[Siquo]

Why? Electrons could have souls and be re-incarnations of something.  That period there... that was my grandmother!

And why not?

Only that is wasn't your grandmother, it was you.

Also, 'too unlimited' was a joke, albeit not too funny.

[Andir]

Why? Electrons could have souls and be re-incarnations of something.  That period there... that was my grandmother!

And why not?

Only that is wasn't your grandmother, it was you.

It can't be me.  It can be a part that used to be me, but "me" consists of the parts within my boundary.  Once parts leave said boundary, they become "not me."

[Siquo]

It can't be me.  It can be a part that used to be me, but "me" consists of the parts within my boundary.  Once parts leave said boundary, they become "not me."

True, but it is for certain values of "me". This came from a reincarnation discussion, where "me" is something different than the specific ordering of molecules that you are now.

[Micro102]

Don't you need to be dead to be reincarnated into something else? So how are you going to be a period your looking at or how did that period use to be your grandmother?

[The Doctor]

I don't think his grandmother has a period anymore.


... Wait, that's not what we're talking about?

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

I'm so sorry.

[KaguroDraven]

Oh just stop all of this discussion about gods and rebirth. There is and always will be only one true god.

NOW KNEEL FOR YOUR GOD-EMPEROR OR BE EXTERMINATED AS A HERETIC!

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Has this joke already been made on this thread?

[FuzzyZergling]

Is that a Dune reference, or a Warhammer 40K reference?

[KaguroDraven]

Warhammer 40k

[Shade-o]

40K is pretty crazy awesome. But it just bugs me how the Imperium uses tactics and strategy that make WW1 look like a stroke of genius. Wouldn't all the stupid officers have died out by now?

[Realmfighter]

Pfft.

They work.