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| What is God
Posted: 1/4/2008 7:38:56 PM | "God" is whatever we make it up to be.
"God" is that belief that makes us get through it.. "God" helps us cope....
"God" comforts us when we wonder what happens after death...
"God" gives some of you strength when you don't know where to get it.
"God" explains alot of things otherwise... even if you don't care..
"God" IS in you....
'God" IS you...
Because you want it to be.... and you need it. | |
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| What is God
Posted: 1/5/2008 7:21:48 AM | | God is the one behind everything....but you see thats the problem: he is responsible for all our problems and misery but yet we are all going to hell if we lie and sin..thats the part I dont get...it seems nobody wants to take responsability for their actions, not even God... | |
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| What is God
Posted: 1/5/2008 11:28:05 AM | | Man I knew there were a lot of different opinions about God but it just gets worse worse and worse. What amazes me the most is how some of you will believe anything you can think up but refuse to see God. How do you think up some of this crap but can't find it within you to believe truth? I think some of you just like to hear yourself sound intelligent not realizing how ignorant you are. Did apes, a blast or these little people gods in all of us creat the earth we live on and human hearts, brains, air, death? Since were all gods then why don't somebody creat a new place we can live so we can destroy it with our godly thoughts and ways like we do here? I know, I'll just spit and see what happens. | |
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| What is God
Posted: 1/5/2008 12:36:33 PM | We're working on it
Messages this short may not be posted | |
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| What is God
Posted: 1/5/2008 12:43:04 PM | ^^^not all of us think that belief is a good thing. The higher one makes something to believe in the easier it is to justify acts against human kind. Any belief that creates seperation in my opinion will lead to chaos and violence. However it is also true that believing in no God creates the same violence and Chaos. There is no easy answer really. But it is impossible for everyone to believe in God, its not rational, logical or even something that has been proven to be good for mankind. The belief in God does not guarantee a moral society or even a society that has any other humans at their best interest. At best it keeps society occupied while politics takes the rest of our freedom, oddly enough by using our emotional connection to belief.
I don't think that people choose not to believe in God to look intelligent although it does seem intelligent not to believe. Some of us are neither creationists or evolutionists because we don't see either as being a solution to the greatest problems of mankind. However some of us see belief itself as the root cause of man's demise. It is the thing that has caused the greatest seperation of all mankind, the root of all wars, and manipulations that have caused Chaos, mistrust and competition. | |
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| What is God
Posted: 1/5/2008 2:19:10 PM | What is god? Irrelevant.
Quite frankly, if you're still looking to god for guidance after he gave you free will, it's like walking around with a crutch while you still have two good legs. Either you do the right thing BECAUSE IT'S THE RIGHT THING, or you're not doing the right thing at all but what someone else is telling you to do. God's involvement in it would only invalidate the entire thing. Praying is the equivelant of begging.
's either that, or I'm god, and I can't change the world to my suiting because everyone else is god too, and keeps changing it back. Pr*cks.
But, if you do need a material, unquestionable god to believe in, then I think that it has been accepted that Alanis Morissette is god. See DOGMA for validation.
ps. God and Religion have not created Chaos, Mistrust, or Competition. Let's give credit where credit is due, it's all been people USING god and religion to excuse the Chaos, Mistrust and Competition that they were going to create anyways.
The Pr*cks. | |
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| What is God
Posted: 1/8/2008 9:27:22 AM | | All "Gods" are probably just one in the same, a universal being of many different faces and names. | |
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| What is God
Posted: 1/10/2008 6:07:37 AM | | I think God is like Santa. Depending on your culture he has a different name and a slightly different take on perfered rituals. But he is good to the good and his sack of toys, or lumps of coal, are handed out in the form of "Karma". Too simple?... As it should be. | |
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| What is God
Posted: 1/10/2008 8:09:23 PM | | Of course God in all cultures is like Santa... Some one who inspires us all to do better, to be better, to cherish and relish the spirit of giving, to be understanding, to live in the north - true and strong and free. And yes he hands out his rewards or should we say we reap our own rewards in the form of the Karma that follows us and leads us to more or less enjoyment ....... | |
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| What is God
Posted: 1/10/2008 8:32:59 PM | You know it is so funny that I turned against santa for some time, believing that he rewarded the rich and not the good. But maturity has brought me to love his spirit. The best gifts truely come from the heart, not the wallet.
Smiles | |
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| What is God
Posted: 1/13/2008 8:24:42 AM | Let's talk about how we attribute what attributes we attribute to G-d.
1) Knowing others:
Crazylilting made a good point about the fact that we cannot know G-d. He does so in the way that we cannot know crazylilting. I was shown this as the Private Language Problem.: Everyone speaks their own language, so no-one really understands anybody. So by this notion, it would be impossible for communication to exist. But it does. The reasons make for interesting reading. But the issue at hand does not require that. All it requires is the existence of the idea that we can understand others to some extent. So we can understand G-d by extension.
2) Separation:
Crazylilting also made a good point about the idea of separation between us and G-d. This too comes into the Private Language Problem, because the whole idea that we cannot understand each other's language, is based on the idea that we are all separate. But again, we can communicate. Now, why can we communicate if we are separate? Because we have similarities. Even if we were completely different, the fact that we exist in the same universe gives us a similarity, and that similarity would imply that our languages are likely to be similar, so by focussing on those similarities, we can find the similarities in our language, and that allows the majority of our communications to be understood. However, if we focus on the differences, then those differences are reflected in our communication, and we find it impossible to understand each other.
Once we understand this concept, it becomes easy to relate to G-d. We only have to focus on the similarities between us and G-d. As G-d is everywhere, we are a part of G-d. So we are similar in that each one of us and G-d are one and the same of the same part of G-d. So it is possible to understand G-d.
Also, this idea of focussing on the similarities, is equally applicable to everything. The more we focus on the similarities we have to other people, the more likely we will get on, and the more likely we will help each other for each other's mutual survival. At the very least, it will lessen the likelihood of our trying to go to war with each other. The same applies to our focus on the similarities of us and animals, for our mutual survival.
Further, it is very beneficial to take this approach, because the more we can relate, the more we can agree, and the more we help each other, and the less we hurt each other.
So to my mind, belief in G-d is not the issue of whether or not belief is a good thing. It is how we use that belief. However, the human mind craves consistency, so how we use one belief, is usually how we use all of our beliefs, even what we consider knowledge. If we choose to focus on our similarities, and to only benefit each other, then any belief we have can be more useful and beneficial, even if it is false. If we choose to focus on our differences, and to only hurt each other, then any belief we have can be more damaging and hurtful, even if it is absolutely true.
3) How different peoples viewed G-d
Ravenstar made a point about the fact that the beliefs of different peoples were focussed on their interests. This is not similarity. This is a choice to only focus on the things we want to happen. This is not truth. This is self-reinforcement of our idiosyncrasies. The Romans believed in war, pleasure and luck, so they made their G-ds about war, pleasure and luck. When those qualities naturally increased their survival, their beliefs did also. When those qualities naturally decreased their survival, their beliefs did also. Because things change, they became very successful, and then destroyed themselves from the inside out. But that is because they did not focus on the similarities they had with their environment, the peoples they invaded, and G-d. They tried to fit a square peg into a round hole, and screwed themselves up.
Most of this sort of thinking is done by people who don't think about anything, or by people who restrict their thinking to only very small areas. It is beneficial only in the short term of the life of society, and often only in the short term of those people's lives as well.
Other people take a different approach, and choose to take the long-term view. It is harder in the short term, but much more beneficial in the long run, so it increases the general benefit of all.
3) How the stone-age and civilised peoples viewed G-d
Ravenstar also made a point about the fact that the beliefs of stone-age peoples focussed more on nature, and the beliefs of farming peoples focussed more on a separation from nature. Again, this is because those peoples chose to only focus on the things they wanted to happen. But in the end, we are a part of nature. So focussing on the similarities between us and nature tends to be more beneficial to society in the long-term.
5) My view: look for 90% similarity, 10% difference
Now in my view, the truest perspective, and the most beneficial one, is that we are both similar and different to others, but that it is generally more useful to focus the majority of our view on those similarities, and the minority of our view on the differences. So to me, nature is a part of G-d, but is NOT G-d. G-d makes the trees, and the trees are a part of Her, but the trees are not G-d. This distinction is important in the very long run, because at some point, we must acknowledge the differences, because at some point, things will change, and the similarities we once had, will become differences, and the differences we once had, will become similarities. So we need to be flexible. We cannot do that if we lock off once perspective entirely. So we need to focus on both, but stress the similarities that are current.
By taking this new perspective, that uses logic, and reason as tools, but acknowledges that there is no one approach that is an answer, we are able to appreciate some of G-d. It's certainly true that some of G-d will be hidden from our understanding. But it is up to us to focus on those bits of Her that we can understand. If we do, we can benefit. If we don't, we run the risk of doing the same to other people, even our friends. | |
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| What is God
Posted: 1/13/2008 10:15:48 AM | God is the decimal point... the point at where the xyz axis all meet... the humblest of the humble and the least of the least
God is the line in the fraction... the last hafe of the whole enchilada... the pickle you left in the hamburger wrapper... the to-go plate that you left in the fridge and never ate... the least common denominator of the least common nator...
God is the nothingness that was before any and all awareness... God is the being of non-being... God is the hope of an everlasting consciouse joy of awareness... God is the space between I and AM.
BUT I COULD BE WRONG !!! | |
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| What is God
Posted: 1/19/2008 7:36:30 AM | Wow... didn't think the above would be a show stopper... but I do think a better question would be
Who is God? | |
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| What is God
Posted: 1/19/2008 8:52:09 AM | | God is self existent. God is spirit, not a spirit. God is before human nature. Before darkness. God is before, after and above time and space. God is perfect love, not bones and molecules... love and light are his substance, presence and being. Masculine and feminine love. God is the highest reality, the perfect way for the soul to change to. God is vibrance and refreshment. The source of life. The giver of life. Creator/recreator. Benevolent and relational. | |
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| What is God
Posted: 1/19/2008 2:35:59 PM |
Quite frankly, if you're still looking to god for guidance after he gave you free will, it's like walking around with a crutch while you still have two good legs. Either you do the right thing BECAUSE IT'S THE RIGHT THING, or you're not doing the right thing at all but what someone else is telling you to do. God's involvement in it would only invalidate the entire thing.
That is probably the most logical thing I have read on here yet.
Thank you | |
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| What is God
Posted: 1/19/2008 2:52:34 PM | There is no "God" that is apart from ourselves. There is no "soul" either. We are all simply extensions / organs of the universe which it uses to experience itself.
The concept of self, gave rise to the concept of "other", and ulitmately some "supreme other" so that we could abdicate taking responsibility for living through reason. | |
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| What is God
Posted: 1/21/2008 8:47:00 PM |
What is God?
1. G_d is one and only
2. G-d is jealous and protective of those He loves
3. G-d has integrity
4. G-d gives us rest
5. G-d is honorable
6. G-d is not a murderer
7. G-d is faithful
8. G-d is not a thief
9. G-d is not a liar
10. G-d is content(ment)
Read the ten commandents to find out what God is. I dont think that these "commandments" are rules to judge us by for no one could possibly meet them all and thereby "miss the mark" but they were given to reveal the character of G_d. | |
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| What is God
Posted: 1/22/2008 4:17:36 AM | A classical theist response would be God is an infinite and absolute Being, who is also necessarily existent and perfect in all ways and attributes. Whether or not we can actually know 'what' God is (the divine essence) is something which brings us to the thorny problem of how we can speak about God. Some might say you can't speak at all about the divine; there are no univocal terms which connect what names and terms we predicate on creatures and also predicate on God and give a concept of what God is. Others might say there are terms you can use to apply to God but which God has in an infinitely better way than creatures have them. Others might say you can predicate the same term to God's essence as you can to the creature, and that tells you something about what God is.
A mystic might retort to all this that God is unknowable in himself and what he is is not knowable to us, either in this life or the life to come. In the Christian tradition, the Greek Orthodox Church and Greek Christians tend to have this approach to the divine, which also occurs a lot in Eastern religious mysticism. One also often sees the same in Meister Eckhart's sermons and Latin writings, and he is the finest speculative mystic of the West.
An atheist might simply tell you God does not exist, and the terms and concepts signifying 'God' have no meaning. An agnostic might say God or ultimate reality is ultimately unknowable.
I prefer classical theism in a lot of ways, especially expressed in Augustine, Anselm and Aquinas. I have some reservations about reducing God's essence to any finite logical concept, including that of 'Being' which has been criticised by some. Still, if we are trying to argue about God and his existence we need to have some coherent concept which captures something of what God is; even Eckhart does express at many times a fairly reasonable and coherent notion of God (Absolute Being) based on a fairly sophisticated and subtle theological language he creates to try and express the splendour and riches of the infinite depth and Being of God. One can also find much the same in Anselm, Augustine, Avicenna, Maimonides, Aquinas, Duns Scotus and others.
On the idea that God is infinite mind/conciousness, this idea does occur a lot in Neo-Platonic Philosophy, Indian religion and also in monotheism. Going back to classical theism, Augustine, Aquinas and Anselm and also other Christians made a lot out of the idea that we are made in God's image. Generally this image is indentified with the human mind or soul. Similar affinities between the human mind and the divine mind were made by Islamic and Jewish philosophers, and expounded using a fairly sophisticated reading of Aristotle's theories of human cognition combined with Neo-Platonic philosophy, which saw the human soul or mind as having a 'spark' which connects us to the One, and to which it is our natural destiny to return. Meister Eckhart's mysticism especially makes a lot out of this, as he sees our mind as being a sort of perfect mirror of the divine mind, which becomes one with the divine mind through grace. Avicenna, an Islamic philosopher, also believed our mind is a sort of mirror of the divine intellect, which comes close to some formulations of the Brahman/Atman dichtomy one sees in Hinduism.
Still, I am not sure if even posing that God is intellective means we then know what God is. If God is intellective then he knows himself and all his attributes through himself, perfectly, in one single act. It does not follow that we have the same knowledge as God has of either the divine essence or of say, the whole set of possible and actual worlds. Perhaps in some of our cognitive acts we may be 'Godlike' (if we believe God exists) but generally I don't think we can exhaust the infinity of God in our process of cognition or any process of meditation. | |
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| What is God
Posted: 1/22/2008 9:07:58 AM | | God's that guy or gal you can't stand. God's that bag lady you saw pushing that cart on the way to work this morning. God's that little voice you heard telling you to give your last 30 dollars to the bum on the corner. Gods a 5 foot 2 Philipino Elvis impersonator imbetween jobs working at Micky Ds. Gods a little girl praying that Barak Obama become the next president because she thinks he's cute. God's the guy who was preaching while former president Clinton was dozing off. God's the thing you lost that you always seem to find in the last place you look... | |
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| What is God
Posted: 1/22/2008 9:20:03 AM | | ^^ I like that Statueman... it made me smile, thanks :) | |
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| What is God
Posted: 1/22/2008 12:05:10 PM | I heard this definition once:
"I am he, as you are he, as you are me, and we are all together."
All together now, Altogether now. | |
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| What is God
Posted: 1/22/2008 12:42:11 PM | | ^^ I'll chime in on that! Very inspirational over here.. nice change from what I have been seeing lately, thanks | |
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| What is God
Posted: 1/22/2008 12:52:35 PM |
I heard this definition once:
"I am he, as you are he, as you are me, and we are all together."
Mad, I never had you down for a Beatle fan. Lol! | |
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| What is God
Posted: 1/22/2008 2:13:41 PM | Nice Krishnamurti quote crazylilting and the very reason I love to read his talks. He just gets right down to the roots of the issue and doesn't give any kind of answer. He was really amazing. I think he would have love the guru thing....Gee U(you) R(are) U(you).
I agree to that to even try to put words on this is as difficult a task as can be had. Did not Aquinas while trying to "explain god" eventually get to a point where he just said that such an attempt as what he was doing was "putting straw before gold"? I just heard another quote of his that resonates within much of the thought put forth in this thread "I'm in love with loving."
So I somewhat disagree with the opening post, a true Taoist might use the word God to try to convey where they are at to another but then again a true Taoist would realize that trying to convey such is futile at best.
I can't call "it" god because that word automatically brings up this guy with long white hair wearing a white bathrobe and is always on the side of the US military, which I don't believe is really the case. I do use the word universe as it seems to fit my inability to begin to understand the foreverness of it all.
So to paraphrase, what does the universe mean to me? Well, it would be everything both seeable and unseeable. It would mean distance that is unimaginable, time which stretches into eternity, force which I only have the smallest sensations of, and most importantly being in contact with an overwhelming feeling of love that often leaves me in tears of thankfulness. | |
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| What is God
Posted: 1/23/2008 3:03:15 AM | | Aquinas actually says we can't know what God is in this life. He argues that only (providing we die in a state of grace) will we be able to see the divine essence through the light of glory, in heaven. Mathew Fox in the book 'Sheer Joy' contains a good selection of the quotes from Aquinas about the classical 'via negativa theology' which says what God isn't, as opposed to what God is. | |
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