-
Who is God?
- Jul 2, 2009 at 5:23 PM
- By
- Comments (15) Total Views (229) Everyone can see this journal post.
The arising issues between many religious arguments stems from asking WHO god is. By doing this they are bringing god closer to humanity and personifying god. By personifying god they often incorporate their own personality into their image of their god and thus their own faults as well. In essence they are making god human with everything being human entails, including flaws. Part of this could be due to scripture references that we were made in god's image, which many interpret to mean god is human-like and thus a who. The problem is their perceptions vary depending on their individual beliefs.
Rather
than ask WHO god is, one should ask WHAT god is. Is god an actual
Being, is god a uniting force between humanity, is god nothing more
than an idea? WHAT is god??And in that question what is then meant by being made in god's image?
In many religions gods are often referred to as being the Alpha and Omega,the beginning and the end, or Everything and Nothing. It is in this that we see that the only difference between theists and non-theists is which side they associate with. The theist takes the side of god being Everything. The non-theist takes the position that god is nothing. All other beliefs they hold are then encompassed in this one point of view. Now while I refer to myself as an atheist, I see god, or rather the question of god as being a philosophical one rather than a religious one.
Now
there have been many philosophers who in there time have come to
question the purpose or meaning behind god. The problem I find in their
conclusions is that they refer to god as a "he". They have already
determined god to be a Who and have based all their conclusions around
that point of view. In doing so they leave themselves in a position where they either have to prove or disprove the existence of this god.
I have asked myself WHAT is god and have reached the conclusion god is both Everything and Nothing and god is neither one. God is what whatever one wishes to make it. It's a difficult concept to wrap one's head around; for something to be both Everything and Nothing and some people will not understand it at all. It simply IS. There are no hidden concepts to it. God is simply what YOU make it to be. Whether you make god out to be a divine creator, a man-made idea in attempts to control the masses, or a unifying force that joins us all together. There is no way to "prove" either way WHAT god is because it is dependant on the individual and all individuals vary. god is what you make god out to be. Much like life.
Life simply IS. It is both everything and nothing. It is everything to US as it is all we know, however on a larger universal scale it is nothing. It just is. It simply happens and entails both good, bad, and inconsequential events. It simply happens. No hidden concepts. Life is what we make of it.
So back to the question of what does this mean in terms of scripture saying we are made in God's image, simply that we are everything and nothing and inconsequential on a universal scale. The "image" we are made in is the Image of life with all it's flaws and faults, and beautiful experiences.
I suppose my point of view can be seen as being pantheistic in nature. We all have something that unites us together. Just the fact we exist (and the element Carbon) and the life experiences we undergo. However at the same time my views become existentialist in nature. That the universe, and life in in essence indifferent on a large scale. It becomes simply what we make of it here and now because 5 Billion years from now, It won't matter.
I still refer to myself as an atheist, mostly to avoid any confusion with others that refer to god as a WHO rather than a WHAT. For ME, however, god is simply a philosophical point of view that changes based on the individuals own life experiences. It is neither good nor bad, right nor wrong, it simply is a part of living.
****This journal is not intended to inflame others, tell them they are wrong, etc. THey are simply my own opinions on the subject. I'm hoping they'll be found a thought-provoking and intriguing and serve to help others understand how many differing views there are out there.*****
Comments:
Interesting journal. I have loved god, I have argued with god, I have had the utmost faith in god, I flocked to god, made cakes for god, raised my kids to know god, welcomed god, been disappointed in god, and I have also lost god. I am theist and believe only in those that have god in their hearts, I now flock to the ones that pass no judgment of my non beliefs. He can be a rock, a man, a woman, a spirit, the dark skies above. I see no "man" in his likeness but know that if god exists he would not want us to humanise "him", rather act more godlike ourselves.
The human brain is hard wired to accept religion, spirituality and faith- no matter what form it might be. Studies show that people that believe in SOMETHING are happier... not just "God" but something greater than themselves. Also, studies have shown that people that question religion and take time to study other beliefs are more intelligent... and children that are encouraged to explore and learn, most often come back to their childhood religious ideals later in life- even if they wander away from the fold for a time. :0)
It amazes me that the same results were found for all religous ideals... not just one in particular.
Very intriguing. You were telling the truth!
I would love it if you could post this in UR. Pretty please?
Done!
Thought provoking... that was the point huh. If everyone thought this way, well life would be different that is for sure...
GREAT Journal!!!
Interesting that you have come to a similiar conclusion i have, except you claim athiesm and i claim Paganism. ...I wonder how many other Pagans would agree with you or I (seeing as we share the same concept).
that was good, i feel god is the almighty and our father helps guide our footsteps and our concious in the back of our mind talking to us letting us know if it the decision is right or wrong or maybe take another look at a situation, and just like you said that's your opinion and that's what make everyone differ and unique, god is also love, respect, humble, patients, forgiveness, sharing, knowledge, giving, communicating, understanding, grateful, a good listener, a friend and helping, and thankful may god bless and be bless,
Jul. 3, 2009 at 2:58 PM
Interesting that you have come to a similiar conclusion i have, except you claim athiesm and i claim Paganism. ...I wonder how many other Pagans would agree with you or I (seeing as we share the same concept).
I agree. Some of Krisiti's statements/thoughts/beliefs run parallel to mine as well and I'm a Pagan. It is indeed interesting. Just like the three blind men and the elephant.
Want to leave a comment and join the discussion?
Click here to register for CafeMom
Already a member? Click here to log in
Around CafeMom
Check out some of the most popular topics today in Answers:
I like this. I always saw God as part of me. Not that I'm God, but I should live my life according to the way God would. With love, compassion, acceptance, and a sense of justice. These days, I still live that way, but not because I have to or I'll be punished, but because I want to. It's the way I wish we all lived.