The God thread

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ColoradoGuy

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Alright folks, here is your chance to bring together into one thread the question that has been dodging in and out of several other threads: what does the term God (or, if you prefer the lower case – god) mean to you? It’s your chance to wax lyrical or satirical, serious or mysterious.

I’ll start with full disclosure. I am a member of the Religious Society of Friends, aka Quakers. My particular branch of the Quaker tree is of the silent meeting sort; we sit for hours together in silence, “waiting on God,” straining to hear what He/She has to tell us. Sometimes that is very little, other times quite a lot. Like our founder four hundred years ago, George Fox, we strive to meet “that of God in everyone.” So what is that?

My working definition of God is that which compels nearly all of us, at unpredictable occasions, to give of ourselves to others even though we expect nothing in return. When we do that, we are knowing God. That’s it. There is no pie-in-the-sky we are working toward. All that we will ever have is here with us now. God is that fragile bond between humans that makes us human.

OK. Anyone else want to chime in? If not, you can go back to the evolution/creation thread and argue about fossils, primordial goo, and Darwin’s soul.
 

DamaNegra

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God is energy. Energy is everything. Therefore, God is everything.

For something to evolve, it has to be created first. Everything is made of energy. Energy created all things. Therefore, God created all things.
 

mdin

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I've always been fascinated by Quakers. I originally majored in Criminal Justice, and we studied extensively the Quaker prisons in the US, which had a recitivism average of something like 5%, and when I switched to religion we talked about them quite a bit.

Of all the religions that worship 'God,' I always thought the Quakers (along with the Muslims) had the most interesting prayer sessions.

But anyway...

I don't know if there's a god or not. I do know that the Christian god doesn't exist because Jesus never existed, the Bible is hopelessly flawed. The Jews and Muslims are wrong, too.

If he/she/it does exsit, then it's nothing like any of us have imagined.
 

aruna

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ColoradoGuy said:
Alright folks, here is your chance to bring together into one thread the question that has been dodging in and out of several other threads: what does the term God (or, if you prefer the lower case – god) mean to you? It’s your chance to wax lyrical or satirical, serious or mysterious.



OK. Anyone else want to chime in? If not, you can go back to the evolution/creation thread and argue about fossils, primordial goo, and Darwin’s soul.

Hi Colorado Guy!
I was in the USA in 1981 and lived in Cambridge, Mass, with a Quaker couple. I often went to their meeitings and really enjoyed them. They had a Quaker wedding, too, which was beautiful!

I grew up with atheist parents but went to a very Christian schools. Due to my parents (my father especially was very critical of religion) I never accepted anything at face value; for me the important thing was what I felt, what I experienced, and almost in spite of myself I "felt" the beauty of Chrsitiantity, yet ever felt inclined to join a church.
I became an strong atheist myself in my teens. I remember arguing with a Christian friend, and I knew all the atheist arguments by heart, due to my father.
I have never belonged to an organised religion, never put my faith in books or dogmas.
Religion - I prefer the word spirituality - is for me something that takes place entirely in the heart. The concept of God that most appeals to me is similar to what DamaNegra said: everything. Energy. A vast field of energy, unbroken, unlimited.
I like the Vedanta name for God:
Sat-Chit-Amanda. Truth-Consciousness-Bliss. By that definition God is our very being, the basis of our existance, hidden from us only by the cloud of thought which we commonly mistake for our "I". When we look behind that cloud we can feel God as spirit, as consciousness, as "I", and know Him as the source of all happiness and love. God as our true being; fullness, bliss, completeness.
Ceryainly not a white-bearded man up in the sky.
 
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blacbird

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If you want to see God, go outside on a starry night with a pair of binoculars. Visit the Grand Canyon. Hug your kids. Go feed hungry people at a homeless shelter.

Stay away from your nearest church.

caw.
 

Forbidden Snowflake

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I don't think God exists. Love between human beings does. And that's enough.
 

loquax

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I think humans have a need to superimpose a God-like figure onto whatever they deem appropriate. We have reached a pinnacle with "God is everything". Religion made much more sense back when we worshipped the sun.

Edit - My post count is 666. In a thread about God. Awesome.
 

DamaNegra

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XThe NavigatorX said:
I don't know if there's a god or not. I do know that the Christian god doesn't exist because Jesus never existed, the Bible is hopelessly flawed. The Jews and Muslims are wrong, too.

Why doesn't their God exist? Shouldn't it be: their God does exist but their conception of the scriptures and blahblahblah is not quite right. I mean, any Christian, Jew or Muslim would say YOU'RE wrong.

My point is, telling other people that their beliefs are wrong is... wrong. Period.

Religion is such a shaky, untangible topic that there's no way to know what's the actual truth and what's not. Ok, maybe the Bible, the Ku'ran and the Torah are flawed, but that doesn't mean their conception of God is flawed or that their God doesn't exist.
 

aruna

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DamaNegra said:
Religion is such a shaky, untangible topic that there's no way to know what's the actual truth and what's not. Ok, maybe the Bible, the Ku'ran and the Torah are flawed, but that doesn't mean their conception of God is flawed or that their God doesn't exist.

DamaNegra, you are very wise.
 

aruna

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loquax said:
I think humans have a need to superimpose a God-like figure onto whatever they deem appropriate. We have reached a pinnacle with "God is everything". Religion made much more sense back when we worshipped the sun.

Edit - My post count is 666. In a thread about God. Awesome.

That's not exactly what is being said; and I agree it's easy to misinterpret the "God is everything" slogan - taken at the most shallow level, it is indeed nonsense. But once we excape the God as white-bearded man sitting up in the sky cliche, and see God more as a vast, universal energy, the life of every living thing and omnipresent, it becomes more understandable.
 

poetinahat

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aruna said:
God is love. Period.

I'm an Episcopalian (that's Anglican in old money) -- one of the Protestant Christian churches. I've been lax in my church life for years, but have recently renewed my effort to pursue it. So far, this single quote is the most enlightening, powerful quote I've seen:

John 13:35: By this shall all [men] know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

It's one of the last things Jesus said to his disciples at the Last Supper.
 

PattiTheWicked

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You know, even to a non-Christian like myself, this:

By this shall all [men] know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another

seems like a pretty good rule to live by. I see "god" as a job description, rather than a Proper Name, if that makes any sense. It doesn't mean that my gods are any more valid than those that other people follow. I really think that the best way to be in touch with the Divine -- of whatever persuasion -- is to be true to yourself, show compassion to others, and live your life as a person of honor. It sounds so simple, but does take a bit of effort.
 

poetinahat

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PattiTheWicked said:
I really think that the best way to be in touch with the Divine -- of whatever persuasion -- is to be true to yourself, show compassion to others, and live your life as a person of honor. It sounds so simple, but does take a bit of effort.
Amen.

Although, it does take more effort with some. :D
 

eldragon

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No matter how hard I have tried in the past, I cannot buy into organized religion.

After the deaths of my father and brother, I began my research in hopes of finding out what there is to life, or the afterlife.

Everything brought me to one conclusion: that we are only using earthly bodies for a brief period, before returning to the spirit world, and then we reincarnate again.


This goes on indefinitely, or until we forgo materialism, greed and hate, amongst other things.

The ultimate goal is to lose your individualism, and become one with the light, or God. Because we are selfish, this can take thousands of lifetimes.

I do not believe in a judging God. It has to be up to the individual to do the right thing, it's all paid back in karma.

I believe there was a man named Jesus, and he was a near perfect soul. I also believe in Buddha. In fact, I believe Buddhism is closest to the truth.


Also, I believe we create much of our own destiny, with the power of positive thinking. It's the toughest challenge for me.

There's a good movie just released, called "What the Bleep do we know?" It's all about how we came to be, what we are and the spiritual meaning of life.

Of course, there is much more, but I have mentioned a few things I believe in.
 

ColoradoGuy

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From what I've read so far, all of you would fit right in at a Quaker meeting. One of the things that got Quakers in trouble four centuries ago was their notion that the Bible, although an interesting and useful book in many ways, was not the revealed word of God. George Fox (Quaker numero uno) said (I am paraphrasing from memory here): "Mathew says this and Luke says that, but what dost THOU say?" The point being that each of us has within us the capacity to encounter the divine without need of books, clergy, and sacraments. The Puritans kept throwing him in jail for saying things like that. It also did not help his popularity with the authorities that he actually knew the Bible from memory and could dispute with the most learned ministers of his time.

A major theme in Quakerism also denies the special divinity of Christ: yes, of course Jesus was divine, but then so are we all, even if some of us are more divine than others. This is what is meant by the phrase "that of God in everyone."

Not surprisingly, many Quakers are essentially Buddhist in their outlook on the world.

Other traditional Quaker oddities are the pacifism thing, the old thee/thou speech forms (known as plain speech and still used by a few 90-year-olds whom I know), total equality of women, and the lack of any formal sacraments or clergy.

Interesting, Quakers in colonial America were very successful small business people because everyone knew that they could be trusted.

Enough on this. I didn't intend this thread to be to be for preaching. It's for listening.
 

robeiae

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My favorite hymn:

The lone, wild bird in lofty flight
Is still with thee, nor leaves thy sight.
And I am thine! I rest in thee.
Great Spirit, come, and rest in me.
The ends of earth are in thy hand,
The sea’s dark deep and far off land.
And I am thine! I rest in thee.
Great Spirit, come, and rest in me.
The lone, wild bird in lofty flight
Is still with thee, nor leaves thy sight

To hear the music, go here.

Rob :)
 

mdin

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DamaNegra said:
My point is, telling other people that their beliefs are wrong is... wrong. Period.

... Ok, maybe the Bible, the Ku'ran and the Torah are flawed, but that doesn't mean their conception of God is flawed or that their God doesn't exist.

Are we talking about semantics? Every person who says they don't believe in god is telling someone who does that they're wrong, and vice versa. If you don't like hearing that then this is probably the wrong discussion for you. Religious tolerance has a very long history

You're relegating God into philosophy. That's fine, if the God you believe in a philosophical, real-if-you-want-him-to-be one.

But to true Christians and Jews and Muslims, their God isn't a philosophical non-thing that exists only how one believes. He is a real entity that has done specific things, and if you don't believe in how he is presented, then you're wrong, and they'll be happy to tell you you're wrong.
 

LightShadow

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I believe God's Word is the Holy Bible and that the Bible is the inspired and only infallible, authoritative Word of God. I believe that there is one God, eternally existent in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. I believe in the deity of Christ, in His Virgin Birth, in His sinless life, in His miracles, in His vicarious and atoning death through His shed blood, in His bodily resurrection, in His ascension to the right hand of the Father, and in His personal return in power and glory. I believe that for the salvation of lost and sinful humanity, regeneration by the Holy Spirit is essential, and that repentance from sin and acceptance of Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior is the only way to come into a relationship with God. I believe in the present ministry of the Holy Spirit, by whose indwelling the Christian is enabled to live a godly life. I believe His power and gifts are available to believers today. I believe in the resurrection of both the saved and the lost; they who are saved unto the resurrection of life, and they who are lost unto the resurrection of damnation. I believe it is important to uphold the scriptural practices of the early church. Therefore, holding to the practice of water baptism and the regular taking of Communion. I do not believe that either of these practices is essential for salvation, but that they serve as a demonstration of our living faith in Christ.

And I believe that when people criticize someone's religion or put's it down it is wrong, and society agrees and would call such actions intolerance and narrow-minded, until someone challenges virtually every traditional belief of Christianity, then that person is more often than not hailed by our society for their intellectual courage and honesty, winning respect in certain circles, and enjoy a certain vogue.

That's my take. I am not sticking around to debate this, I've already gotten into pickles in other threads over this subject. Take it or leave it. Believe it or not. That is between you and God.
 

ColoradoGuy

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LightShadow said:
And I believe that when people criticize someone's religion or put's it down it is wrong, and society agrees and would call such actions intolerance and narrow-minded
Agreed
until someone challenges virtually every traditional belief of Christianity, then that person is more often than not hailed by our society for their intellectual courage and honesty, winning respect in certain circles, and enjoy a certain vogue.
I'm not so sure about that one, though. I live near Colorado Springs, the mother house of evangelical Christians (home of Focus on the Family and many other organizations like it), so it looks a bit different from here. My world view is definitely a minority one around here. My last check of who was in the White House, Congress, and the Supreme Court also suggests that your viewpoint is currently the dominant one.
That's my take. I am not sticking around to debate this, I've already gotten into pickles in other threads over this subject. Take it or leave it. Believe it or not. That is between you and God.
I didn't start this thread as a debate. I am just interested in what people feel and how they see the importance (or not) of their spiritual lives -- if they are content with where they are or if they are still searching. Thanks for coming.
 

blacbird

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LightShadow said:
I believe God's Word is the Holy Bible and that the Bible is the inspired and only infallible, authoritative Word of God.

And I believe that when people criticize someone's religion or put's it down it is wrong

So . . . in your view, does the second statement hold true for, say, Muslims, or Jews, or Hindus?

caw.
 

LightShadow

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blacbird said:
So . . . in your view, does the second statement hold true for, say, Muslims, or Jews, or Hindus?

caw.
the second statement holds true for everybody, but that is not going to then cause me to compromise my belief system that the Gift of Grace is only obtainable through Christ. That's not a condemnation, that's between them and God. I am only stating what is clear, or at least clear to me, through the Word of God.
 
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