×
INTELLIGENT WORK FORUMS
FOR ENGINEERING PROFESSIONALS

Log In

Come Join Us!

Are you an
Engineering professional?
Join Eng-Tips Forums!
  • Talk With Other Members
  • Be Notified Of Responses
    To Your Posts
  • Keyword Search
  • One-Click Access To Your
    Favorite Forums
  • Automated Signatures
    On Your Posts
  • Best Of All, It's Free!
  • Students Click Here

*Eng-Tips's functionality depends on members receiving e-mail. By joining you are opting in to receive e-mail.

Posting Guidelines

Promoting, selling, recruiting, coursework and thesis posting is forbidden.

Students Click Here

Jobs

What if God
5

What if God

What if God

(OP)
was one of us?  OR were one of us?

Just wondering if the song lyric is grammaticaly correct or not.

RE: What if God

I believe "was" would be the preferred usage in the US, and "were" in the UK, but either would be acceptable grammatically.  

...seems similar to the "(My Organization) is" versus "(My Organisation) are" debate...

RE: What if God

(OP)
So is it "If I were you? or If I was you?"

RE: What if God

"If I were you" is what I always hear and say, in the USA.

RE: What if God

The conditional "if" calls for the simple past subjunctive "were".

If I were...
If he were...
If they were...
etc.

Don
Kansas City

RE: What if God

(OP)
My understanding was, if the scenario is impossible, you use were.  For example:

If I were you.  It is impossible for me to be you.  So you have to say If I were you.

If I was happy, I would not have left her.  You are talking about your self and it was possible for you to be happy.  So you use was instead of were.



RE: What if God

IMO, "was" has a more definite past tense connotation.
"Were", although it can be (and is) used as past-tense, can also be used with a future connotation.
"If I were (to be) given that project ..."
"If I were to find a new job ..."
"If I were to buy a chocolate bar ..."

All the above statements are entirely possible, so the impossibility scenario doesn't really hold up!

cheers
Helpful SW websites FAQ559-520
How to find answers ... FAQ559-1091

RE: What if God

(OP)
OK let me rephrase it.  You use were if something is not really happening.

If I was happy, I wouldnt have left here.  (you were really in a relation ship with her, so you use was).

If I were to find a new job... (you are not really looking for a job).


So it is " What if God were one of us" right?

RE: What if God

Poetic license allows any and all grammer rules to be broken, so the analysis of grammer in poetry is a bit pointless...

-The future's so bright I gotta wear shades!

RE: What if God

Does it also allow grammar to be spelled "grammer"? winky smile

Don
Kansas City

RE: What if God

only if she got run over by a reindeer.

RE: What if God

I'm not sure about the similarity between whether or not to use the subjunctive case ("If I was/were") and the debate about whether collective nouns or singular ("My organization is") or plural ("My organisation are"), but in answer to the question posed in the OP, I would suggest that the subjunctive is called for.

The question poses a conditional hypothetical, and in those cases, the subjunctive case is called for.

What if God were one of us?
We'd all be in a heap of trouble!

Good Luck
--------------
As a circle of light increases so does the circumference of darkness around it. - Albert Einstein

RE: What if God

That depends if the one of us he is, is a friend or not.

We could have the Devil of a time if he's not!

cheers
Helpful SW websites FAQ559-520
How to find answers ... FAQ559-1091

RE: What if God

If God was/is one of us, then we wouldn't be be praying to him or having his name said often. He would be just one of us.

Chris
Systems Analyst, I.S.
SolidWorks 06 4.1/PDMWorks 06
AutoCAD 06
ctopher's home (updated 06-21-06)

RE: What if God

English subjunctive is fading.  "Were" is officially correct, but "was" is colloquial and wouldn't raise any eyebrows in most conversational settings.

Hg

Eng-Tips policies:  FAQ731-376

RE: What if God

Correcting spelling in an engineering forum is a bit pointless as well. But I did deserve that....

-The future's so bright I gotta wear shades!

RE: What if God

What if one of us is God?

RE: What if God

(OP)
I would tell him to come by so He can hear my prayers  :)

RE: What if God

What if God were one of us?
He was a big sinner

RE: What if God

What if God were one of us?
He was a big sinner

RE: What if God

God called and she said she whats her religion back...

Tobalcane
"If you avoid failure, you also avoid success."

RE: What if God

sorry "wants" her religion back

Tobalcane
"If you avoid failure, you also avoid success."

RE: What if God

"her"??

Chris
Systems Analyst, I.S.
SolidWorks 06 4.1/PDMWorks 06
AutoCAD 06
ctopher's home (updated 06-21-06)

RE: What if God

"what"??

Tobalcane
"If you avoid failure, you also avoid success."

RE: What if God

You wrote God is a she.

Chris
Systems Analyst, I.S.
SolidWorks 06 4.1/PDMWorks 06
AutoCAD 06
ctopher's home (updated 06-21-06)

RE: What if God

As well she may be...

RE: What if God

who said that god is a guy?

Tobalcane
"If you avoid failure, you also avoid success."

RE: What if God

I can't see either she or he.

Chris
Systems Analyst, I.S.
SolidWorks 06 4.1/PDMWorks 06
AutoCAD 06
ctopher's home (updated 06-21-06)

RE: What if God

How would you address god in gender he or she?

Tobalcane
"If you avoid failure, you also avoid success."

RE: What if God

I wouldn't. If I were to for any reason, it would be just "God".

Chris
Systems Analyst, I.S.
SolidWorks 06 4.1/PDMWorks 06
AutoCAD 06
ctopher's home (updated 06-21-06)

RE: What if God

The Holy Bible refers to God as a father.  Can bible be wrong?

RE: What if God

Please, let us not go there...

RE: What if God

Thanks ewh

Chris
Systems Analyst, I.S.
SolidWorks 06 4.1/PDMWorks 06
AutoCAD 06
ctopher's home (updated 06-21-06)

RE: What if God

"What if God were one of us?
He was a big sinner"

"He" was used so why not "she"?

Tobalcane
"If you avoid failure, you also avoid success."

RE: What if God

I think "He" should be interchangable with "She" in this context.  I think that "It" would just be too insuting.

RE: What if God

You can use either as you like.
I think you were the first to write "she" here. It through me off and was not sure whom you were referring to.

Chris
Systems Analyst, I.S.
SolidWorks 06 4.1/PDMWorks 06
AutoCAD 06
ctopher's home (updated 06-21-06)

RE: What if God

ctopher, it was kind of a joke.  A reference to various assumptions over the millenia about God's intentions, identity, etc.  

Hg

Eng-Tips policies:  FAQ731-376

RE: What if God

God as She is a bit of semantics that is oft debated. I am attending a fairly middle of the road to liberal seminary and it is not unusual to hear God referred to as She. Outside the world of philosophers and theologians God is mostly referred to as He.

-The future's so bright I gotta wear shades!

RE: What if God

HgTX,
I know. Thansk.

Chris
Systems Analyst, I.S.
SolidWorks 06 4.1/PDMWorks 06
AutoCAD 06
ctopher's home (updated 06-21-06)

RE: What if God

2
Some denominations believe God has a wife which would suggest he.  

Not sure if Mrs. God has a name though, "almighty mother".

In the Bible (AV and related versions) always masculine as far as I recall.

What about the spaghetti monster though or is its sex indeterminate.

RE: What if God

What if God were three of us?

(The Father, the Son, and The Holy Ghost)

RE: What if God

I don't think either are "us".

Chris
Systems Analyst, I.S.
SolidWorks 06 4.1/PDMWorks 06
AutoCAD 06
ctopher's home (updated 06-21-06)

RE: What if God

Actually, I stumbled across that link in the previous post while trying find a joke about God being an engineer.

It's not the one I was looking for, but I did find this:
      
An engineer dies and reports to hell. Pretty soon, the engineer gets dissatisfied with the level of comfort in hell, and starts designing and building improvements. After a while, they've got air conditioning and flush toilets and escalators, and the engineer is a pretty popular guy.

One day God calls Satan up on the telephone and says with a sneer, "So, how's it going down there in hell?"

Satan replies, "Hey things are going great. We've got air conditioning and flush toilets and escalators, and there's no telling what this engineer is going to come up with next."

God replies, "What??? You've got an engineer? That's a mistake -- he should never have gotten down there; send him up here."

Satan says, "No way. I like having an engineer on the staff, and I'm keeping him."

God says, "Send him back up here or I'll sue."

Satan laughs uproariously and answers, "Yeah, right. And just where are you going to get a lawyer?"

(from www.dyoks.com)

RE: What if God

Got it! This is the one I was thinking of, but I must have recollected incorrectly as there's no God reference.  Still funny though.

****
Four engineers were sitting around one day trying to figure out who might have designed the human body.

The first fellow said, "I think it might be a Mechanical Engineer, because of joints and muscle and sense of balance." The other three nodded their heads and said, "Yeah, could be."

The second fellow said, "I think it might be an Electrical Engineer, because of the nervous system and neural network." The other three nodded their heads and said, "Yeah, could be."

The third fellow said, "I think it might be a Chemical Engineer, because of hormonal balances and metabolism." The other three nodded their heads and said, "Yeah, could be."

The fourth fellow snaps his fingers and shouts out, "I know, it HAD to have been a Civil engineer!" The other three ask "Why?"

"Well," replied the fourth fellow, "who else would put a waste water drainage right through a recreational area?"
****

More engineer jokes at http://humorvault.tripod.com/engineer.html

RE: What if God

That's funny! thanks!

Chris
Systems Analyst, I.S.
SolidWorks 06 4.1/PDMWorks 06
AutoCAD 06
ctopher's home (updated 06-21-06)

RE: What if God

If God was in this forum he/she/us would say:

It is much harder for Eng Tip’s posters enter the Kingdom of Lord than for a camel to go through the eye of a needle.

angel

RE: What if God

???

RE: What if God

I thought God was suppose to forgive all of us and see all of us equal?

Chris
Systems Analyst, I.S.
SolidWorks 06 4.1/PDMWorks 06
AutoCAD 06
ctopher's home (updated 06-21-06)

RE: What if God

Ctopher

I am not sure, but I suppose He forgives. If He wouldn’t He wouldn’t be a good God. The essence of God existence is to show mercy to us poor sinners.


Cheers

Luis

atom

RE: What if God

Not exactly theologically correct, but pretty funny:

Seems a Doctor a Lawyer and an engineer are sitting around talking about the oldest profession. The doctor says, "Well, the Bible says that God took a rib out of Adam to make woman. Since that clearly required surgery, then the oldest profession is surely medicine."

The Engineer shakes his head and replies, "No, no. The Bible also says that God created the world out of void and chaos. To do that, God must surely have been an engineer. Therefore, Engineering is the oldest profession."

The Lawyer smiles smugly and leans discreetly forward. "Ah," he says, "but who do you think created the Chaos?"

-The future's so bright I gotta wear shades!

RE: What if God

What ever you do with the topic just remember that if you conduct any sort of intellectually responsible examination on the subject of gods, your posts will be deleted.

Intellectual integrity is not permitted when so much money and power is at stake.

Unfortunately we have a society that lets any spiritual entertainer (preacher) get on the news and claim just about anything.

It bothers me to see religion on the news too. There probably hasn't been a single significant news worthy religious event in the history of mankind. Stay Tuned. Just don’t think.

RE: What if God

kontiki99 ... This is a "Engineering Language/Grammar Skills" forum, not a forum for heated or in-depth religious debate.

Try "Squaring The Circle" forum1229 at Tek-Tips if you feel the need to have an "intellectually responsible examination on the subject of gods".

cheers
Helpful SW websites FAQ559-520
How to find answers ... FAQ559-1091

RE: What if God

CorBlimeyLimey (Mechanical)

Nothing heated. I did not a lot of trash in here that's not related to engineering or grammar.

My post was deleted though.

Why not post this thread in Pulpit.tips.com where it belongs. We get enough of the spiritual entertainment message through the normal news outlets?

RE: What if God

"My post was deleted though." ... as were other posts related to it, I believe.

"Why not post this thread in Pulpit.tips.com where it belongs."
1) because the original post was asking a genuine grammar question, which was answered.
2) because Pulpit.tips.com doesn't really exist (it's just a myth perpetrated by non-thinkers) tongue

"We get enough of the spiritual entertainment message through the normal news outlets?" ... We??? I'm sure many others will agree with you, but I'm also sure many others will disagree. Even though I am not a believer, you and I have very different views. Please don't speak for me! I am quite capable of speaking for myself.

cheers
Helpful SW websites FAQ559-520
How to find answers ... FAQ559-1091

RE: What if God

Pulpit.tips.com was a joke to make a point.

We certainly do have different points of view, I wouldn't be dishing out insults, until I could take it.



RE: What if God


"I wouldn't be dishing out insults, until I could take it."
Well, just let me know when you are ready to take it then. smile

If I were to insult you, you would be left in no doubt as to my meaning.

I fully realise the 'Pulpit' comment was intended as a joke (albeit a sarcastic one), that's why I placed the smiley  tongue  in my facetious reply ... an obviously failed attempt to continue the ambiance.

God forbid there be a next time, but if there is, I'll try to remember to use a more noticeable

cheers
Helpful SW websites FAQ559-520
How to find answers ... FAQ559-1091

RE: What if God

Just wanted to mention ... my thread about some racism experiences that I had incountered was deleted. Doesn't bother me that it was. I got my answers from everyone. Thank you to all who responded.
There will always be a thread that someone will have his/her deep opinions. As long as we all get along, it's OK.

Chris
Systems Analyst, I.S.
SolidWorks 06 4.1/PDMWorks 06
AutoCAD 06
ctopher's home (updated 06-21-06)

RE: What if God

Regards the alleged (all three) one true gods, I think SHE wants her religion BLACK.   winky smile

Now that I have perpetuated the sin, I do think this thread is inappropriate in this forum.

Regards

eng-tips, by professional engineers for professional engineers
Please see FAQ731-376 for tips on how to make the best use of Eng-Tips Fora.

RE: What if God

Surely the thread is fine.

Whether to use "was" or "were" is a grammatical question.

The fact that some responses are off topic is another matter, isn't it?

RE: What if God

OK

I think the way this thread has evolved is inappropriate.

The OP was fine.

An offshoot of this thread has sprung up in Pats Pub (that's what bought me here). The pub is a more appropriate place, but I am sure it will cause me some anxiety before it dies out.

I must be a masochist as some of my posts on this subject will instigate some of the replies that will cause some of my anxiety.

Regards

eng-tips, by professional engineers for professional engineers
Please see FAQ731-376 for tips on how to make the best use of Eng-Tips Fora.

RE: What if God

Pat ... "evolved" or "devolved"?

Just a minute though ... evolved pertains to evolution does it not? Well we can't have that now, can we? Next thing we know some loud mouth idiot will mention Intelligent Design. ponder ... Doh!!!

"some of my posts on this subject will instigate some of the replies that will cause some of my anxiety."
Isn't that what helps create the rich tapestry of our lives Pat. That's part of the "Circle of Life". lol

cheers
Helpful SW websites FAQ559-520
How to find answers ... FAQ559-1091

RE: What if God

Surely devolving is more in line with entropy.  Doesn't evolving kind of break that law, or is it more tied in with probability?

RE: What if God

Quote (Dictionary.com):

devolved;
v. intr.
   1. To be passed on or transferred to another: The burden of proof devolved upon the defendant. The estate devolved to an unlikely heir.
   2. To degenerate or deteriorate gradually: After several hours the discussion had devolved into a shouting match.
   3. Archaic. To roll onward or downward.

cheers
Helpful SW websites FAQ559-520
How to find answers ... FAQ559-1091

RE: What if God


I'm not sure I buy into the legitimacy of the OP, but for whatever it's worth; I think it should be, "is one of us."

It's a present tense statement.

Undulating icons are just web page distractions to me.





RE: What if God

I stand corrected, devolved is the word.

Sounds like I missed a bit of fun here though.

Posts that even border on flame also have a strong habit of disappearing. That is one of the things that makes this site so valuable.

Regards

eng-tips, by professional engineers for professional engineers
Please see FAQ731-376 for tips on how to make the best use of Eng-Tips Fora.

RE: What if God

Subjunctive tense, is it not?

Cheers

Greg Locock

Please see FAQ731-376 for tips on how to make the best use of Eng-Tips.

RE: What if God

Subjunctive? Hmmm ...

"What if God be one of us?"

Works for me. thumbsup2

cheers
Helpful SW websites FAQ559-520
How to find answers ... FAQ559-1091

RE: What if God

Actually, the lyrics go:
What if G'd smoked cannabis...
thank you Weird Al Y. for clearing this up.
:oP

saludos.
a.

RE: What if God

What if God exists?

Gunnar Englund
www.gke.org
--------------------------------------
100 % recycled posting: Electrons, ideas, finger-tips have been used over and over again...

RE: What if God

(OP)
skgsgurra:

You are here arent you?  


LOL  jk

RE: What if God

    Dump the egotistic POV. GOD is US and everything else!  God tired of being a singularity and with a big bang became distributed everywhere as radiation then hadrons and other particles and finally, via supernovae, us. God is an engineer.

also, please avoid the fancy idiom.  It is unnecessary in the real world of engineering.

RE: What if God

"What if God were one of us" but God, quite plainly is all of us, so we'd better live up to his reputation !
Signed : a pantheist.

RE: What if God

God has lots of names and in men’s mind He is perfect but in men’s behaviour is just human and some times irrational.

Luis

RE: What if God

If I were a dyslexic, agnostic, insomniac I would lay awake at night wondering if there really is a dog.

RE: What if God

If God were/was one of us, I am pretty sure this post would not have had 77, now 78 replies!  He would have zapped somebody by now.

RE: What if God

He's making a list and checking it twice.
 
Oh, just a minute ... that's the other guy isn't it.

cheers

RE: What if God

ctopher (Mechanical) 2 Oct 06 21:05  
If God was/is one of us, then we wouldn't be be praying to him or having his name said often. He would be just one of us.
Chris
Systems Analyst, I.S.
SolidWorks 06 4.1/PDMWorks 06
AutoCAD 06
ctopher's home (updated 06-21-06)
 
CHRIS YOU WERE RIGHT ON TARGET.
GOOD ANSWER.

RE: What if God

(OP)
If god was one of use, He would be an mvp on every forum on eng-tips.com.

RE: What if God

Apparantly God is one of us going by a thread (now deleted) on How to improve myself yesterday.

RE: What if God

And he was putting on such a good show!

RE: What if God

LMAO

stop tapdancing you Oldies, Dex wont get the subtle inferences.

RE: What if God

That thread is gone ... let it die & let the animosity die with it.

If God wants to keep it going let Him resurrect it. smile

cheers

RE: What if God


"And blessed are the censors for they shall inhibit the earth"

:0)

RE: What if God

"blessed are the cheese makers"

(MP's "Life of Brian")

RE: What if God

But to keep with the religious topic, it's so much fun pointing out the spec of dust in anothers eye and ignoring the plank in your own.

However CBL consider my wrist slapped.

RE: What if God

If he were one of us he wouldn't be God.

RE: What if God

Never forget that he WAS one of us for a while.

RE: What if God

depends what you bleieve, doesn't it ?

RE: What if God


We are Amino acids stardust, electrically activated probably created by GOD

atom

Luis

RE: What if God

Unless you are a pantheist, then everything is God.

RE: What if God

"Unless you are a pantheist, then everything is God." Including the Eng-tips moderator.

If you are a Panentheist then god is in all things, including the Eng-tips moderator.

So based on these assertions and by standard philosophical reasoning we can conclude that the Eng-tips moderator thinks he is god.

Thus answering the OP assertion god is not one of us.

-The future's so bright I gotta wear shades!

RE: What if God

"Never forget that he WAS one of us for a while."

Yes that's true. I forgot about his dual personage,which raises a number of profound questions about how the human and divine natures worked simultaneously.

Red Flag This Post

Please let us know here why this post is inappropriate. Reasons such as off-topic, duplicates, flames, illegal, vulgar, or students posting their homework.

Red Flag Submitted

Thank you for helping keep Eng-Tips Forums free from inappropriate posts.
The Eng-Tips staff will check this out and take appropriate action.

Reply To This Thread

Posting in the Eng-Tips forums is a member-only feature.

Click Here to join Eng-Tips and talk with other members!


Resources