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What is "God" to you?

Forums: Spirituality And Religion
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aidan
 
  1  
Reply Fri 22 Apr, 2005 04:03 am
That's a good point Eorl, I'm glad you clarified that. Because thinking about it from that stance, which I hadn't, it kind of makes religion just like anything else. We believe what makes sense to us, or makes us feel better- or in some people's cases- exactly what we're told and don't have the temerity to question. I think we deceive ourselves in the same way and for the same reasons about everything else. We all have our defense mechanisms. Emotionally, I can't deny anything, but I'm the queen of rationalization, I will beat it to death to find some way to make it all fit.
Different strokes for different folks...
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sunlover
 
  1  
Reply Sat 23 Apr, 2005 01:54 pm
What is God to you?
[/QUOTE]
Eorl wrote:
sunlover wrote:
This question has been asked dozens of times on this forum and, here, we have the same answers.

The better question could be "How do we humans access 'God' since he/she/it is everywhere present - as a matter of fact, there is absolutely nowhere where this presence is not."

When we access God, then we know "what is God?"

The only statement I can think to say to "athiests" is they sure can never blame "God" for anything.


sunlover, I see nothing that even hints at the existence of any gods, present or past. Perhaps you should say "I believe" rather than state your weird ideas as solid facts?

But on your last point you are correct, I've never blamed any gods for anything. It wouldn't even occur to me to try. I (as an atheist) must take full responsibilty for myself. If I do bad things, I do them because I want to, not because I was "made" to.
Quote:


Eorl:
Just what exactly is "weird" about my post. You see God nowhere and I see God everywhere. I am answering the topic's question, "What is God to you?"

Once a person has seen or felt God then they may see God everywhere. But, I only know my own experiences. Sorry if I sounded bossy, dogmatic, or what the heck. I don't think, either, it matters whether someone "believes" there's a God, or not. It's all in how we live our lives. It's possible some people are healed spiritually, mentally, or emotionally, without hearing the word, "God." I don't know.

After my fundamentalist childhood I abhor the words "IIIIIIiiiii belieeeeeve." Though not religious at all, I do attend a Unity church.
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vermiliongold
 
  1  
Reply Sun 24 Apr, 2005 03:33 pm
Hi... I am new this forum, but would very much like to respond to this thread.

This is a very hard question to answer.... for me, anyway.

I know there was a time in my life when I was doing things that were completely terrible and self-destructing... to get out of that I turned to God. Do you know the song "Drugs or Jesus" by Tim McGraw? I can totally relate to that song, although my "drug" was men, not actual drugs.

Anyway.... during this time when I was trying to fix my life, I turned to the Bible...and turned to God.

Who was he?? I don't know....lol. He was everything. He was SOMEONE, though, because I honestly FELT Him in my heart.

I did this alone, too... I was not attending church and no one was preaching to me.

He was real. He was in my life. I saw Him working... I saw Him fixing a life I had nearly destroyed.

I don't know how else to describe it.

I was the happiest I have ever been in my life.... when I truly felt I was following His Word... (love). Some people get so analytical about the bible, but if they read it, God plainly says the most important thing is LOVE. Simple. When you are being LOVING you will not do terrible things to yourself or others.

But, then I got sidetracked from His Word and find myself trying to fix my life once again...

So, I guess to me, in short... God to me is Love. Plain and simple. He is everything. He is your heart talking to you to do or not do something... He is your conscience when you break the law or break a heart.
0 Replies
 
vermiliongold
 
  1  
Reply Sun 24 Apr, 2005 03:41 pm
sunlover wrote:
Eorl wrote:
sunlover wrote:
If I do bad things, I do them because I want to, not because I was "made" to.


I won't speak for everyone who believes in God, just me: I have FREE-WILL... God never MAKES ME do anything.... but He is THERE... He tries to guide... when I am still and really LISTEN, I can hear Him... you don't have to believe this, as an athiest I know it sounds crazy to you. But, I have FELT His presense in my life... I don't blame God for the wrong in life... humans do that to ourselves with our own Free-will.
0 Replies
 
sunlover
 
  1  
Reply Sun 24 Apr, 2005 04:47 pm
vermiliongold, will you please check my post a few back. I didn't say what you have just quoted and have corrected my confusing post.
0 Replies
 
vermiliongold
 
  1  
Reply Sun 24 Apr, 2005 06:27 pm
sunlover wrote:
vermiliongold, will you please check my post a few back. I didn't say what you have just quoted and have corrected my confusing post.


Sorry!! I didn't have time to read all the posts... Didn't mean anything bad to you, anyway... Razz
0 Replies
 
Eorl
 
  1  
Reply Tue 26 Apr, 2005 05:16 am
Re: What is God to you?
sunlover wrote:
Eorl wrote:
sunlover wrote:
This question has been asked dozens of times on this forum and, here, we have the same answers.

The better question could be "How do we humans access 'God' since he/she/it is everywhere present - as a matter of fact, there is absolutely nowhere where this presence is not."

When we access God, then we know "what is God?"

The only statement I can think to say to "athiests" is they sure can never blame "God" for anything.


sunlover, I see nothing that even hints at the existence of any gods, present or past. Perhaps you should say "I believe" rather than state your weird ideas as solid facts?

But on your last point you are correct, I've never blamed any gods for anything. It wouldn't even occur to me to try. I (as an atheist) must take full responsibilty for myself. If I do bad things, I do them because I want to, not because I was "made" to.
Quote:


Eorl:
Just what exactly is "weird" about my post. You see God nowhere and I see God everywhere. I am answering the topic's question, "What is God to you?"

Once a person has seen or felt God then they may see God everywhere. But, I only know my own experiences. Sorry if I sounded bossy, dogmatic, or what the heck. I don't think, either, it matters whether someone "believes" there's a God, or not. It's all in how we live our lives. It's possible some people are healed spiritually, mentally, or emotionally, without hearing the word, "God." I don't know.

After my fundamentalist childhood I abhor the words "IIIIIIiiiii belieeeeeve." Though not religious at all, I do attend a Unity church.


Well, I just think that when you say "God is everywhere - as a matter of fact" then it seems a lot like you are proclaiming a certain truth rather than just your opinion.

And I called your view weird, not your post. Keep in mind that "weird" is just my opinion of your view. It's just such a ridiculous notion to me.
0 Replies
 
watchmakers guidedog
 
  1  
Reply Tue 26 Apr, 2005 09:58 pm
vermiliongold wrote:
I have FREE-WILL... God never MAKES ME do anything.... but He is THERE...


So we have to blame you and not God for the excessive capitalisation and ellipses? The reading-voice in my head pronounces those sentences as a cross between Jeremy Irons and William Shatner. Razz

Quote:
I know there was a time in my life when I was doing things that were completely terrible and self-destructing... to get out of that I turned to God. Do you know the song "Drugs or Jesus" by Tim McGraw? I can totally relate to that song, although my "drug" was men, not actual drugs.


The song would be better written "Drugs of Jesus". The stories of born agains are identical.

"I was at a tough point in my life, despairing because of my addiction to X when I found God and he helped me through it."

Have you ever considered that you have become as addicted to your religious practising to the same degree as you were addicted to men? Isn't it odd that only those people who suffered from addiction (and thus most likely have addictive personalities) seem to be the really hardcore christians?
0 Replies
 
aidan
 
  1  
Reply Wed 27 Apr, 2005 01:39 am
"Have you ever considered that you have become as addicted to your religious practising to the same degree as you were addicted to men? Isn't it odd that only those people who suffered from addiction (and thus most likely have addictive personalities) seem to be the really hardcore christians?"

That's a generalization Guidedog, and though I know some generalizations are grounded in truth and logic - two principles which I know from reading prior posts of yours, are very important to you - I don't agree that this one is.

(VG and WD - don't mean to jump in on your conversation, but I got the notification on my e-mail and felt led-by someone-something to reply Cool -little joke).

And WD, now that you mentioned her punctuation, I feel really self-conscious about my own overuse of the dash. I've been chastised by every English teacher and professor I've ever had about that - but I just can't give it up. We all have our punctuation quirks...
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sunlover
 
  1  
Reply Wed 27 Apr, 2005 11:00 am
Watchdog, vermiliongold didn't say she was a Christian or that she broke an addiction through a church.

There is a book entitled "When God becomes an addiction" but it's a far cry from praising religion. A personal experience with God could have nothing at all to do with religion. Wouldn't you agree?
0 Replies
 
Discreet
 
  1  
Reply Wed 27 Apr, 2005 10:08 pm
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Eorl
 
  1  
Reply Wed 27 Apr, 2005 10:18 pm
Hmm nice one Discreet...Babylon 5 just lept a few points in my book.
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plainoldme
 
  1  
Reply Thu 28 Apr, 2005 10:14 am
I'm an agnostic. None of the human notions of god make sense to me.
0 Replies
 
sunlover
 
  1  
Reply Fri 29 Apr, 2005 06:22 pm
It is the journey to understanding, and our intentions while traveling there, that counts.
I wonder why we are all concerned about what someone else thinks of just what "God" is - or, at least why it is important, at all.
0 Replies
 
plainoldme
 
  1  
Reply Mon 2 May, 2005 09:04 am
A recent program on PBS dealt with disappearing predators and the effect their disappearance has on the ecosytem. Certainly, there is intelligent design in the ecosystem. The irony of this is the people who decry Darwin are the very people apt to destroy the environment by human control of the same.
0 Replies
 
sunlover
 
  1  
Reply Mon 2 May, 2005 01:58 pm
What seems to be happening today is God has become the proverbial political football. Wonder how we'll get ourselves out of this knot.
0 Replies
 
plainoldme
 
  1  
Reply Mon 2 May, 2005 02:35 pm
I don't think the range of human beliefs vis a vis god is any different today than it's been since the first time two human groups exchanged ideas about religion. I think people are fairly unchanging.
0 Replies
 
sunlover
 
  1  
Reply Mon 2 May, 2005 05:20 pm
plainoldme, that is depressing but true. I also know that should I want to change the world, let me start with myself.

I come here now and then because I enjoy the people. But, it's as though I have less and less to say. The more I learn, the more I know, the less I have to say in these arguments about age-old stuff like religion & spirituality.

It does seem, though, that our politicians are now having a tug-of-war with the religious. But, for their votes. That's something new?
0 Replies
 
Eorl
 
  1  
Reply Mon 2 May, 2005 09:26 pm
Quote:
It does seem, though, that our politicians are now having a tug-of-war with the religious. But, for their votes. That's something new?


No way.

That's been going on ever since the first "medicine man" claimed that the gods favoured Gor ahead of Buk for tribe leader.
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satt fs
 
  1  
Reply Mon 2 May, 2005 09:34 pm
"What is "God" to you?"

-- transcendental being
0 Replies
 
 

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