The Artist's Super Power: Seeing the Unseen

[tsnipes]

WARNING: The following contains some Christian-worldview content. Reader discretion is advised.

http://artlessonsfromgod.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/super-artist-copy.jpg

The ability to see the unseen, communicate the intangible and bring clarity to the unclear is an ability that most artists possess. I like to think of it as our "superpower". A unique ability given to us to help those in need.

Its "Secret Origins"

No matter if you are a painter of fine art, a graphic artist for an advertising agency or even a comic book artist; we all have something in common. We are all, one way or another "Illustrators". We illustrate concepts whether with paint, pixels or pencils.

Now, let's look at the word "illustrate" to see why it's a moniker that applies to us:

The word "illustrate" comes from the Latin "illustrare" meaning "to make bright".
A "light-bringer".

"To make clear or intelligible". You as an illustrator "shed light on a subject". You make things easier to understand.

Artist and designers have an uncanny way of:

• Communicating a message, thought or idea: You graphic designers do this everyday!
• Making the intangible tangible. I think about my digital painting "Endure". (http://kreativekingdom.org/enduresite.html) What does the concept of enduring look like?
• Recording facts: Artists throughout time have done this all through history. How do we know what George Washington looked like? Artists gave clarity to that. What did the Roman Coliseum look like before it fell into ruin. Artists documented it so that now we are enlightened as if we were there.

This ability to see the unseen, communicate the intangible and bring clarity to the unclear is a direct gift from the Master Creator, Himself.

It is the gift of discernment (to perceive, recognize, comprehend). It's why artists always seem to see things a little differently than everyone else! Here is an example of it, seen here as God empowers His artists as they prepare to create His temple:

"… and He has filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom and understanding (discernment, perception), in knowledge and all manner of workmanship, to design artistic works…" Exodus 35:31

We illustrators possess a God given ability to UNDERSTAND: to see the unseen, communicate the intangible and bring clarity to the unclear.

The closer we grow to the One that gave us this ability, the more we'll find we can use it.

4 MORE GO 2:
ArtLessonsFromGod.com (http://artlessonsfromgod.com/)

[s.ketch]

Latin for "light-bringer" is Lucifer, so we're actually tools of Satan.

Artists do not see the unseen. If anything we make what is seen even more seeable. A lot of people are good communicators, artists just communicate with pretty pictures rather than words. Most of human communication is non-verbal anyways. It seems like magic, but it's not. Artists just speak a slightly modified language not unlike muscians.

As for the fact recording part, not entirely true. Do you really think that the ancient Greeks and Romans looked like their statues? They were a representation of the ideal human figure, not a real one. Art is more of a biased commentary rather than a true account of history. George Washington didn't walk around striking noble poses.

It's also hard to explain Pagan art with Chrstianity, as a lot of art from pre-history was done by Pagans. Do not forget that Christianity isn't the only religion in the world and isn't the most important one. Many religions and even atheists have contributed greatly to art history.

Also, use full words instead of numbers, this isn't MySpace.

For more go to: Art history class, Art appreciation class, and www.conceptart.org.

[Ian Barker]

WARNING: The following contains some Christian-worldview content. Reader discretion is advised.
:O!! Shocking!

Pretty pointless topic btw. Pretty much begging to come and get hated on.

[Man Made God]

You got it all wrong my friend, I got my skills from one of the thousands of gods you don't believe in. Looks like our theories conflict, which is a shame since they are both unprovable and improbable, and therefore equally invalid.

With only pure faith in our own positions and no access to weapons of mass destruction, I don't think this can be resolved. :tihi:

[Baron Impossible]

We illustrators possess a God given ability to UNDERSTAND: to see the unseen, communicate the intangible and bring clarity to the unclear

You got me there. I'd always made out I'd achieved my ability through study and hard work but in reality all I did was chat to an invisible man twice a day and freeze my ass off in church on a Sunday.

[Ian Barker]

Baron Impossible: You put in the hours to develop your ability, but you were equipped with the potential for great ability from the very beginning.

Anyways as I said, this topic is begging for hate. Anytime you announce to a board that you're a Christian, everyone is going to go out of their way to tell you why you're ignorant, and generally treat you like shit (at least in my experience), and the same is going to happen even on what has been in my very short experience here, a pretty respectful board.

And besides that, you shouldn't go around announcing your beliefs as if they were fact in the first place. You'll get people mad, and there's no way the topic will be able to stay on the subject of art.

[Man Made God]

you were equipped with the potential for great ability from the very beginning. If you are implying the presence of a god, you have to back it up with something. It's a pretty big claim to say that something more complex than the universe created it.... and then became a writer and personal trainer.

And besides that, you shouldn't go around announcing your beliefs as if they were fact in the first place. You'll get people mad, and there's no way the topic will be able to stay on the subject of art.

If you stick to this ideal, then most people will treat you with decency, regardless of your private beliefs.

But... a criticism or joke about a person's beliefs is not a sign of hatred or intolerance. We argue and criticise because we value truth and logic over emotions and comfort zones. The same idea works for art discussion. For every atheist who calls a theist ignorant, there's a theist calling them soulless or empty. Separate the ideas from the people... and ignore the people who can't.

[Ian Barker]

If you are implying the presence of a god, you have to back it up with something. It's a pretty big claim to say that something more complex than the universe created it.... and then became a writer and personal trainer.
I wasn't implying anything, only that Baron's retort was stupid. And even if I was, I don't bear a responsibility to provide a full defense for anything I imply. Hence my not asking you to explain why you're implying that a God is illogical.

But... a criticism or joke about a person's beliefs is not a sign of hatred or intolerance. We argue and criticise because we value truth and logic over emotions and comfort zones. The same idea works for art discussion. For every atheist who calls a theist ignorant, there's a theist calling them soulless or empty. Separate the ideas from the people... and ignore the people who can't.
Don't underestimate how much it sucks to have people mock one of your core beliefs. It's best just to be tolerant, things would be a lot nicer if people exercised more respect for eachother's beliefs, or even (get ready) tried to see things from their point of view. *gasp!*

[Baron Impossible]

Don't underestimate how much it sucks to have people mock one of your core beliefs. It's best just to be tolerant, things would be a lot nicer if people exercised more respect for eachother's beliefs, or even (get ready) tried to see things from their point of view. *gasp!*

Alternatively you could take the view that posting something for discussion on a forum will result in, well, some sort of discussion involving different views. Furthermore, those of us who base our beliefs on evidence and who wish to learn the facts about the world around us can be expected to post views that contradict those of people who choose not to do this. Once I shared your beliefs, but since then I've educated myself and as a result the world is a more wonderful - and not to mention more logical - place.

[Man Made God]

I wasn't implying anything
Fair enough :)

I don't bear a responsibility to provide a full defense for anything I imply.
If you don't back up your claims, then they will lack weight.

Hence my not asking you to explain why you're implying that a God is illogical.
I didn't, I implied that belief without evidence and sensitivity to argument are illogical.

Don't underestimate how much it sucks to have people mock one of your core beliefs. It's best just to be tolerant, things would be a lot nicer if people exercised more respect for eachother's beliefs
That's where we really disagree. People deserve respect, ideas don't imo. Ideas need to be challenged or we would never progress. For example, if people just accepted that viruses were evil spirits, we would never have immunisation.

I'm probably just annoying people now, gonna stop.

[Ian Barker]

Alternatively you could take the view that posting something for discussion on a forum will result in, well, some sort of discussion involving different views. Furthermore, those of us who base our beliefs on evidence and who wish to learn the facts about the world around us can be expected to post views that contradict those of people who choose not to do this. Once I shared your beliefs, but since then I've educated myself and as a result the world is a more wonderful - and not to mention more logical - place.
Discussion would be nice, but frankly I'm not convinced there's anyone present qualified to make a convincing argument on this subject. Besides, the art discussion forum isn't really an appropriate place to be discussing this topic anyways.

And I haven't even stated my beliefs.

That's where we really disagree. People deserve respect, ideas don't imo. Ideas need to be challenged or we would never progress. For example, if people just accepted that viruses were evil spirits, we would never have immunisation.

Thing is, people become so integrated into their faith, that if you disrespect their faith, you kind of are disrespecting them as well. I dunno, I guess atheism doesn't really require any engagement from the follower, whereas Christianity calls for a huge personal investment, so it might not be that easy to understand for some. And yes, ideas should certainly be challenged, but that's not what typically goes on. Generally it's either a religious whacko holding signs in the street or people on the internet saying "I'm logical, Christians are ignorant." Neither side usually knows what the hell they're actually talking about or is able to provide real scientific backup for their claims except for what they read in a recent mail out or email subscription. And in the history of the internet, has a message board debate every actually changed someone's mind on this subject anyways?

The funniest thing about the whole debate is the two sides, actually. Religious people are convinced that evolutionary theory or whatever conflicts with having faith, while the self-proclaimed 'logical' people are convinced that the existence of a God doesn't fit with science. Both sides are pretty ignorant if you ask me.

[AdventDawn]

All I can say is this:

I spent four years at in a conservative southern baptist school studying economics. Three years in I had developed severe clinical depression and used art as a means of coping. I spent 8-2 hours a day- sometimes doubling up on my adderall and going all night - practicing and teaching myself everything one would need to know to be somewhat of a decent artist.

A year and half later I failed all my classes, lost my social life, my 'christain' friends turned their backs on me, and my business dean told me to just leave school because I don't belong here and that I should ask God for guidence. So I did. I dropped out, moved home to dc, got a great job at a design/pr firm in addition to serving as a chief illustrator for fashion events. I'm dating again, I have friends - and I'm not ashamed to say most of whom are gay, and I'm off most my meds.

To summarize, it wasn't until I said fuck religion and the legion of hypocrites and pursued a passion that I found happiness. So either God is watching my back despite the debauchery, or there is no celestial force at play and I'm just following my own gut intuition. I don't know more anymore to be honest, all I know is is that the 'heathen pagans' were the ones who were always there for me, not the bible thumping babtist.

[Ian Barker]

^This happens quite a lot (not exactly your story, but people finding comfort outside religion), and to me it's pretty sickening that people have to leave the church to find people who will care for them. Especially in the case Christianity, a religion that exists based on the idea of relationships as opposed to rule-based religion.

However, I do have to ask that you don't take your experience and use that a stereotype for all Christianity. The Bible-thumpers are the ones who get attention, but there are lots of Christians who are perfectly reasonable, kind people. I'm not saying you already have made this stereotype, only asking that you try not to, because I see it this stereotype all the time, and it's not entirely accurate (only partially).

[riceface]

i aint no christian so get ur christian crap out of CA! my own hardwork is because of me, my talent is honed cuz of me, im not gonna give credit to no stupid god that nobody sees except psychotic christians

Atheist rule the net! go bible thump somewhere else

please dont ban me :)

[Flashback]

i aint no christian so get ur christian crap out of CA! my own hardwork is because of me, my talent is honed cuz of me, im not gonna give credit to no stupid god that nobody sees except psychotic christians

Atheist rule the net! go bible thump somewhere else

please dont ban me :)

Suddenly, I'm a bit shame of being an Atheist, also, your not very tactful.

[AdventDawn]

i aint no christian so get ur christian crap out of CA! my own hardwork is because of me, my talent is honed cuz of me, im not gonna give credit to no stupid god that nobody sees except psychotic christians

Atheist rule the net! go bible thump somewhere else

please dont ban me :)

oh dear, I can already see god taking off his bible-belt* to deliver a massive whippin'


*Fuckin-A I'm witty!

[Brushcommander]

please ban me :)

fix'd

[ShroudStar]

riceface, you remind me of a quote from one of my favorite books. For anyone who's read Guy Gavriel Kay's "Sailing to Sarantium" duology, they'll know what I'm referring to. In it, there's a young guy named Cleander and he's always hot-tempered and spewing nonsense. Well, his friend told him that he was like a seventeen year old sprout running around with an erection. If he's not careful, someone's going to cut it off.

Reminds me of you in temperament, you know.

[Helioth]

riceface, you remind me of a quote from one of my favorite books. For anyone who's read Guy Gavriel Kay's "Sailing to Sarantium" duology, they'll know what I'm referring to. In it, there's a young guy named Cleander and he's always hot-tempered and spewing nonsense. Well, his friend told him that he was like a seventeen year old sprout running around with an erection. If he's not careful, someone's going to cut it off.

Reminds me of you in temperament, you know.

LoL.

I may just have to read that now, thanks :)

[ShroudStar]

LoL.

I may just have to read that now, thanks :)

:) Hope you enjoy it, Helioth. Kay's written some incredibly funny lines in there and his protagonist's way of cursing is hilarious. Takes a while to get its legs but once the story picks up, it goes flying. That situation with that character was just so fitting - was the first thing that popped into my head. Hope it makes you laugh like it did for me.

[cdejong]

I hate when people say "God-given gift". I work damn hard to get better, I'm not about to say that God did it for me.

[Ian Barker]

I hate when people say "God-given gift". I work damn hard to get better, I'm not about to say that God did it for me.
When they say that I think they mean that he gave you the potential. Obviously, it's up to the recipient what to do with the gift, ignore it or develop it. Kinda like your parents birthed your body, you can't really take credit for your body itself, but you can take credit for whether you worked out and developed your body or not.

[Grief]

the good book of mod says:
if any religious threads turn into nasty debates or the like...they will be closed. please be tolerant of each other.

i have read this thread before, multiple incarnations in the least. i like my internets fresh. use the search feature and read up on the endless/pointless debate about talent/religion/gifted/spiritual issues before posting.

go draw

amen.

[Ian Barker]

^best post

[Samuel Gray]

I think what hurts Christianity or any other religion the most is the lack of knowledge a person has in their belief and try to make judgments and assumptions by what they read from a weekly spiritual email, message board, or a daily Sunday school sermon.

[tsnipes]

What are your thoughts on the following (from the original post):

Do you think that artists have a unique ability to see the unseen, communicate the intangible and bring clarity to the unclear?

[Samuel Gray]

I think that artists have the ability to create something that is not already visible. I think everyone does create in their mind what they can't physically see but it is usually something that is made up from words or actions, which means there will be so many interpretations of what the words or actions describe. So, by having a talented and gifted artist who has honed his/her skills and developed what was given to them (and everyone else) then they can have a unique perception of what was conjured from their own minds. I hope this answers your question as yes, artists are capable of bringing clarity to the unclear because an artist can develop his/herself to be able to make an image of what they see that would not be visible to the person next to them.

[Elwell]

go draw
Oh no you don't!
Well, maybe still-lives and landscapes are OK...

*****

[Black Spot]

What are your thoughts on the following (from the original post):

Do you think that artists have a unique ability to see the unseen, communicate the intangible and bring clarity to the unclear?

Yes, because we look at things longer, but then so do scientists. Anyone who wants to learn to see has the chance and the choice to ignore what’s in front on them. Being an artist doesn’t make you extra special, it just visualises what the rest didn’t see.

BTW I’m a Christian as well.

[squidmonk3j]

you are not actually asking anybody anything.

be honest.

[XanaChama]

I'm spiritually inclined and I can't see the link. If we go as far to say that our artistic abilities are a vehicle for tapping into the invisible universe, then you can expect to be able get extra information out of anyone's work. I can see that now... people scrying (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scrying) Andrew Jone's paintings and having a Jesus moment. That's what I'm reminded of... seriously.

Scrying (also called crystal gazing, crystal seeing, seeing, or peeping) is a magic practice that involves seeing things psychically in a medium, usually for purposes of obtaining spiritual visions and more rarely for purposes of divination or fortune-telling. The media used are most commonly reflective, translucent, or luminescent substances such as crystals, stones, glass, mirrors, water, fire, or smoke. Scrying has been used in many cultures as a means of divining the past, present, or future. Depending on the culture and practice, the visions that come when one stares into the media are thought to come from God, spirits, the psychic mind, the devil, or the subconscious.

[Ian Barker]

I think what hurts Christianity or any other religion the most is the lack of knowledge a person has in their belief and try to make judgments and assumptions by what they read from a weekly spiritual email, message board, or a daily Sunday school sermon.

Thing is, everyone does that. I doubt you've been doing a lot of studies on evolutionary theory yourself. Not saying you should, the only thing you can really do is listen to the experts, who of course all have different opinions. So basically, no matter what stance you take you're going to have some "experts" behind you. I guess you can just go with the majority, who obviously support evolution (I'm assuming that's what people are generally accusing Christians of being ignorant to).

Although I'm not too sure that there are that many Christians who don't believe in evolution, at least in the microevolution part. Yeah, there are plenty of stubborn Christians who don't believe it, but there are far more stubborn atheists who won't consider the possibility of God existing simply because it sounds weird.

[Man Made God]

Yeah, there are plenty of stubborn Christians who don't believe it, but there are far more stubborn atheists who won't consider the possibility of God existing simply because it sounds weird.

It's not because the idea is weird, it's because there is no supporting evidence. Gods are just an idea used to explain the (currently or forever) unexplainable. Where evolution can be observed in dog breeding, fossil records, virus mutation and dna samples, god is just the invisible, imperceptible "solution" that has been repeated ad nauseam for thousands of years.

We do consider gods, but we consider them equally. Zeus, Yahweh and Zenu are on the same plane of existence. The gods that you find silly have the same credibility as your own. You want credibility, you have to provide evidence.

Most Christians I know believe in evolution. But they equate it to their god theory as another "personal" truth. They ask me why I "believe" in evolution but not their god. At which point I ask them why they believe in gravity, but not Thor.

[Spirit]

To bring this thread back on topic, I'll add my small opinion on the question asked...
I think that artists are just generally more observant than others, although there are many people who aren't artists who are extremely observant, or even more so. We have just learnt so see something, and are able to break it down into simple shapes and forms so we can draw and sketch it, we also just look closer at the details of that object. I don't think we see the "unseen", anybody can see the detail if they look close enough, and can see the forms of objects with the right knowledge and practice.

[tobbA]

It's pretty hard to see something unseen. Either you see it, or you don't

[tsnipes]

It's pretty hard to see something unseen. Either you see it, or you don't

I understand what you're saying. I guess that's where the artist comes in. Artists are skilled at visually portraying intangible things as well as what the eye sees.

As an example, the goal of my digital painting "Endure" (http://kreativekingdom.org/enduresite.html) was to communicate a feeling of almost being "beat down", all strength spent after battling life's battles, but still "Enduring" no matter what.

An artist "sees" this intangible feeling in his/her mind's eye, then translates it for the public in a tangible medium.

[squidmonk3j]

stop lying.

be honest.

[SigonWulf]

stop lying.

be honest.

Who are you talking to?

[Ian Barker]

It's not because the idea is weird, it's because there is no supporting evidence. Gods are just an idea used to explain the (currently or forever) unexplainable. Where evolution can be observed in dog breeding, fossil records, virus mutation and dna samples, god is just the invisible, imperceptible "solution" that has been repeated ad nauseam for thousands of years.

There is also no contradicting evidence. If God exists, then he does so in a seperate world, viewing our world as a sort of interactive timeline. He would exist outside of the science we know and love, because he created it. It makes sense that God isn't roaming around in our world, leaving droppings for us to analyze (obviously the case of Jesus' coming was a special scenerio with a specific purpose).

One thing I've never understood that maybe someone could explain to me is how things started. Someone may say the Big Bang (do people still believe in this, I'm not sure). Okay, that explains why the universe was formed, but it doesn't explain where that initial particle or whatever came from. Nothing happens without influence. The only thing that makes sense to me is that an outsider (what we would call supernatural), made these things happen.

[Man Made God]

There is also no contradicting evidence. If God exists, then he does so in a seperate world, viewing our world as a sort of interactive timeline. He would exist outside of the science we know and love, because he created it. It makes sense that God isn't roaming around in our world, leaving droppings for us to analyze (obviously the case of Jesus' coming was a special scenerio with a specific purpose).
There is no contradicting evidence for any gods, demons, spirits, goblins, cartoon characters, or anything that can be imagined. Using this logic, I can created a religion right now and nobody can tell me I'm wrong. It would be just as valid as Christianity. If you are going to add gods and extra worlds to your theory of life, they still need to be explained. What god created your god? It must have been a god since they are the only occurrences that need no explanation or supporting evidence.

You have no reason to believe in Jesus more than Xenu. You have to at least prove your theory has more credibility than the so called "false" religions before explaining the logic of an omniscient being.

One thing I've never understood that maybe someone could explain to me is how things started. Someone may say the Big Bang (do people still believe in this, I'm not sure). Okay, that explains why the universe was formed, but it doesn't explain where that initial particle or whatever came from. Nothing happens without influence. The only thing that makes sense to me is that an outsider (what we would call supernatural), made these things happen.
The big bang is just the earliest event we have knowledge of. Nobody can explain the origin of existence. But if you are going to say "the universe needs explained, therefore God created it", you then need to explain where god came from. The only honest answer is we don't currently know. Magic, gods, elves or whatever else gets us nowhere.

The gods that you find silly have the same credibility as your own.

[Ian Barker]

There is no contradicting evidence for any gods, demons, spirits, goblins, cartoon characters, or anything that can be imagined. Using this logic, I can created a religion right now and nobody can tell me I'm wrong. It would be just as valid as Christianity. If you are going to add gods and extra worlds to your theory of life, they still need to be explained. What god created your god? It must have been a god since they are the only occurrences that need no explanation or supporting evidence.
Most Gods do not have the same credibility as the Christian god, and frankly to claim otherwise is incredibly ignorant (as for goblins, cartoon characters, etc., I'm not really sure if that's a joke or if you're taking yourself seriously, but for now I'll assume it's the former). At this point however, the topic has not been about whether the Christian god specifically exists, but whether God in general exists. I could go into why I think the Christian god is most likely, but unless someone has the expressed desire to hear about that, I won't go into it for now.

As for where God came from. In the end, there has to be something that was "un-caused", something that your definition of science is uncapable of explaining. If God created the science we know, then he must operate outside of it, therefore being unbound by its rules. Therefore there's nothing to say that something should have formed him, making him the only logical conclusion as to what could have caused the universe. There is no other theory (as far as I know) as to what this necesary "un-caused" could possibly be. Again, if there is a God, then he exists outside of science, and there is no point in us trying to use the laws that we know to analyze him. Those who claim to be connoisseurs of science will probably scoff at this notion since it seemingly exists to avoid the possibility of having solid criticisms lobbied against it. However, I think the truly scientific mind should be capable of considering not just the possibility, but the probabilty that there is a realm that operates independantly of the laws of science that govern our world.

[Man Made God]

Most Gods do not have the same credibility as the Christian god, and frankly to claim otherwise is incredibly ignorant (as for goblins, cartoon characters, etc., I'm not really sure if that's a joke or if you're taking yourself seriously, but for now I'll assume it's the former).
No, I'm serious, the only evidence of any god are stories... most of them crude and shallow by today's standards. I'm not taking myself seriously, I'm just not taking one myth more seriously than another. An "unknown" creator is more likely than a god with a specific name, character and story, because when you get more specific about an unknown, you are more and more likely to be wrong. If you don't back up your claims, they work against you. Show me why the christian god is more credible than any other.

I didn't say the character is less credible than a cartoon, I was arguing that you can't just point out a lack of contradictory evidence and use it as supporting evidence.


As for where God came from. In the end, there has to be something that was "un-caused", something that your definition of science is uncapable of explaining. If God created the science we know, then he must operate outside of it, therefore being unbound by its rules. Therefore there's nothing to say that something should have formed him, making him the only logical conclusion as to what could have caused the universe. There is no other theory (as far as I know) as to what this necesary "un-caused" could possibly be.

You could make same argument for the universe.... you do realise that you just created a god figure because the unexplained needs a cause. That argument is eating itself up, you made up an un-caused entity to replace an un-caused entity. The argument gets us nowhere. All it does is justify your own commitment to a religion. It doesn't simplify or explain anything, it just comforts you.

However, I think the truly scientific mind should be capable of considering not just the possibility, but the probabilty that there is a realm that operates independantly of the laws of science that govern our world.

In that case, the claims about it could never be verified and would always be subjective. In other words, any experience of an "outside" would be purely personal and worth the same as an opinion.

[Qitsune]

It's pretty hard to see something unseen. Either you see it, or you don't
Actually, you don't, if you could see it, it wouldn't be unseen.

Most Gods do not have the same credibility as the Christian god, and frankly to claim otherwise is incredibly ignorant (as for goblins, cartoon .
Where do gods get their credibility? Is that like a credit rating? So the Roman gods really went on a spree and spent all their credibility? So maybe when the Christian god spends all his credibility, we Pastafarians are going to the the credible ones? Or Norse mythology will be back in fashion. Or Wiccan... can't wait for the naked frolicking in the woods festivals.

No, I'm serious, the only evidence of any god are stories... most of them crude and shallow by today's standards.
...
In that case, the claims about it could never be verified and would always be subjective. In other words, any experience of an "outside" would be purely personal and worth the same as an opinion.

There is a very good argument about that in Neal Stephenson's Anathem. God is outside of time and space, therefor we can't measure or observe it, therefor all we can say is speculation, therefor speaking about it is wasted time that should be better employed.