In a forum like this there are bound many discussions on the existence of "God". The discussions have little meaning though if every participant is discussing a different concept when they use the word "God". Maybe here we can see some of the differing opinions of the concept of "God" and perhaps settle on some definition that can at least make our discussions more meaningful.
Some examples of differening concepts of god:
The personal God - an intelligent being/force that interacts with humans on a personal level
The creator God - an itelligent being/force that cretaed the universe, but has left us free to do as we please
God as truth - the only absolute trouth in a world of chaos and uncertainty, not necessarily a being
God as the Undifined - everything that we, as humans, cannot understand or comprehend about reality
These are just some examples. What is your definition of "God"?
Discuss
Andrew Rae on January 17, 2008, 10:45 AM
There isn’t one definition of God, there’s more gods than you can swing a cat at. God nearly always means a creator of the universe, and in that, most people attribute the God with attributes, the most common would be willingness and ability to meddle in the universe (sometimes called miracles), a.k.a theism.
I’m not really interested in a god past being the creator of the universe, theism with its strands of Abrahamic gods (Allah, God, Yahweh) all powerful, all good, etc… Hindu’s God with different representations, Zeus, and Thor are all deism plus more beliefs.
Pantheism, the universe as “God” common in types of Buddhism, new age “Gaia”, are a different prospect, I would hesitate to call this God, it’s more like the universe taken on the attributes usually attributed to a God, accept for the creation of the universe part. It’s not the universal concept of deism and theism, so I would prefer to not use the term God in this context, and suggest that pantheism is actually a type of atheism.
God as truth, love, and the undefined are to me, unnecessary confusing language. We already have good words for them, and they have nothing to do with what is usually considered God.
Another use of the term God that scientists like Einstein and Hawking have used, is God as the unknown, something we don’t understand yet, God as how the universe works, the physical laws of the natural sciences.
Ryan Rice on January 17, 2008, 11:53 AM
God is a bipedal deity with a white beard, a list of things he doesn’t want you to do, and loves Christmas and the US economy.
Sorry, I hope God has a sense of humor too.
Seriously though, I believe the two most popular views on God are the personal and creator one. At least in Christianity. I always appreciated the view of Frank Lloyd Wright: “I believe in God, I just spell it Nature.”
Josh Augst on January 17, 2008, 11:59 AM
On a simple level God is a consciousness gestalt. Like all the cells of our body are parts of us so we are parts of God. As is everything.
RAY ROSA on January 17, 2008, 1:02 PM
I do not belive in God at all,but my belife is that God is a balance.For example most Americans belive that God is the person or force that made reality.So in turn thay base their life around “Him”.Giving their life balance becase thay feel that thay have an understanding of things.
Josh Friedman on January 17, 2008, 7:28 PM
I would argue that basing your life around any one thing is losing balance, not gaining it. Having the feeling of understanding and actual understanding are very different. Since nobody has actual understanding, I can’t say what that is like, but there are plenty of people with the feeling of understanding that are completely out of balance and unhappy, and many people who accept a complete lack of understanding (myself included) that lead very happy and balanced lives
pokój! on January 22, 2008, 3:54 PM
I think that all your “different” Gods each defined what I consider God. I would add existence in all dimensions of reality, especially the ones we don’t understand. What would you consider an intelligent force though? As humans, basing intelligence on brain capacity and how you use it, how do you rate the “intelligence” of a multi-dimensional being?
Josh Friedman on January 22, 2008, 8:37 PM
I use the term like it was defined for “Intelligent design”. It is an anthropomorphic term, a human-like ability to reason and plan
Dilip Bam on January 30, 2008, 11:51 PM
GOD is LAW OF NATURE. Mathematically defined as E=mC2 (mC squared).
Josh Friedman on January 31, 2008, 4:21 PM
DilipBam-
Science is not truth. Science is a best attempt to describe reality. Just because you test something a million times, and get the same result every time, does not mean that you will get the result on the million and 1st time. We can can say that it is likely, but we cannot be certain. Absolute truth cannot be derived through inductive reasoning.
The world is flat – until we find out otherwise. The speed of light is constant – until you shine it through a Bose-Einstein condensation at which point it slows to crawl it shrinks to the size of near nothingness. Science and all its equations and laws and theories are purely human concepts, and as our knowledge expands, science will change. God (as most define it) does not change
dennis ilic on February 2, 2008, 2:37 PM
My definition of God is in my idea: Imagine God Evolving.
Norman McDowell on February 5, 2008, 11:35 PM
Morgan Freeman?
Josh Friedman on February 6, 2008, 2:07 PM
AHughman-
“Morgan Freeman?”
Best answer yet. I think we can close the book on this question! ;)
Jesse Akers on February 9, 2008, 8:21 PM
DILP-
e=mc 2 has nothing to do with god, its einstein equation of determing the speed of light
jesse
dennis ilic on June 25, 2008, 10:13 AM
Hey, Absurdist. We’re discussing your definition of God in F and B right now. June 25/08. If you wish to clarify some of your statements or confirm some interpertations you are welcome. I don’t know if BT still notifies members or their might some random chance that you check your stats. I don’t know, just putting it out there.
Love and Peace where ever you are.
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