Define God

I try not to cover too much at one time. At my age, I would likely forget where I was. . . .

Did I already post this?

<lag>

I am not sure mate...but I have not seen it yet myself...I have only seen you maybe 4 or 5 days ago...for the first time...and early this morning was the first post I have made in this thread...

But thank you for explaining that for me...I promise I will not forget that...

As far as I'm concerned the term God must be a verb, referring to the general process of Reality. Reality is Godding.

How would you use that as an expletive? goddingit?

Wash your mouth! That's blasphemy.

At the risk of derailing the thread, I want to present a message from a believer in god for whom I have the utmost respect: Jimmy Carter

Women and girls have been discriminated against for too long in a twisted interpretation of the word of God.

I HAVE been a practicing Christian all my life and a deacon and Bible teacher for many years. My faith is a source of strength and comfort to me, as religious beliefs are to hundreds of millions of people around the world. So my decision to sever my ties with the Southern Baptist Convention, after six decades, was painful and difficult. It was, however, an unavoidable decision when the convention’s leaders, quoting a few carefully selected Bible verses and claiming that Eve was created second to Adam and was responsible for original sin, ordained that women must be “subservient” to their husbands and prohibited from serving as deacons, pastors or chaplains in the military service.

This view that women are somehow inferior to men is not restricted to one religion or belief. Women are prevented from playing a full and equal role in many faiths. Nor, tragically, does its influence stop at the walls of the church, mosque, synagogue or temple. This discrimination, unjustifiably attributed to a Higher Authority, has provided a reason or excuse for the deprivation of women’s equal rights across the world for centuries.

At its most repugnant, the belief that women must be subjugated to the wishes of men excuses slavery, violence, forced prostitution, genital mutilation and national laws that omit rape as a crime. But it also costs many millions of girls and women control over their own bodies and lives, and continues to deny them fair access to education, health, employment and influence within their own communities.

The impact of these religious beliefs touches every aspect of our lives. They help explain why in many countries boys are educated before girls; why girls are told when and whom they must marry; and why many face enormous and unacceptable risks in pregnancy and childbirth because their basic health needs are not met.

In some Islamic nations, women are restricted in their movements, punished for permitting the exposure of an arm or ankle, deprived of education, prohibited from driving a car or competing with men for a job. If a woman is raped, she is often most severely punished as the guilty party in the crime.

The same discriminatory thinking lies behind the continuing gender gap in pay and why there are still so few women in office in the West. The root of this prejudice lies deep in our histories, but its impact is felt every day. It is not women and girls alone who suffer. It damages all of us. The evidence shows that investing in women and girls delivers major benefits for society. An educated woman has healthier children. She is more likely to send them to school. She earns more and invests what she earns in her family.

It is simply self-defeating for any community to discriminate against half its population. We need to challenge these self-serving and outdated attitudes and practices - as we are seeing in Iran where women are at the forefront of the battle for democracy and freedom.

I understand, however, why many political leaders can be reluctant about stepping into this minefield. Religion, and tradition, are powerful and sensitive areas to challenge. But my fellow Elders and I, who come from many faiths and backgrounds, no longer need to worry about winning votes or avoiding controversy - and we are deeply committed to challenging injustice wherever we see it.

The Elders are an independent group of eminent global leaders, brought together by former South African president Nelson Mandela, who offer their influence and experience to support peace building, help address major causes of human suffering and promote the shared interests of humanity. We have decided to draw particular attention to the responsibility of religious and traditional leaders in ensuring equality and human rights and have recently published a statement that declares: “The justification of discrimination against women and girls on grounds of religion or tradition, as if it were prescribed by a Higher Authority, is unacceptable.”

We are calling on all leaders to challenge and change the harmful teachings and practices, no matter how ingrained, which justify discrimination against women. We ask, in particular, that leaders of all religions have the courage to acknowledge and emphasise the positive messages of dignity and equality that all the world’s major faiths share.

The carefully selected verses found in the Holy Scriptures to justify the superiority of men owe more to time and place - and the determination of male leaders to hold onto their influence - than eternal truths. Similar biblical excerpts could be found to support the approval of slavery and the timid acquiescence to oppressive rulers.

I am also familiar with vivid descriptions in the same Scriptures in which women are revered as pre-eminent leaders. During the years of the early Christian church women served as deacons, priests, bishops, apostles, teachers and prophets. It wasn’t until the fourth century that dominant Christian leaders, all men, twisted and distorted Holy Scriptures to perpetuate their ascendant positions within the religious hierarchy.

The truth is that male religious leaders have had - and still have - an option to interpret holy teachings either to exalt or subjugate women. They have, for their own selfish ends, overwhelmingly chosen the latter. Their continuing choice provides the foundation or justification for much of the pervasive persecution and abuse of women throughout the world. This is in clear violation not just of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights but also the teachings of Jesus Christ, the Apostle Paul, Moses and the prophets, Muhammad, and founders of other great religions - all of whom have called for proper and equitable treatment of all the children of God. It is time we had the courage to challenge these views.

OBSERVER

Jimmy Carter was president of the United States from 1977 to 1981.

Copyright © 2013 Fairfax Media

Women were treated with great respect by Jesus and early. Sadly, that inclination haas been disformed by nominal christians

That's a valid criticism. But it's only one of many valid criticisms of instutionalized Christianity. A forum of more than 80 religious scholars concluded (in a program on public televsion; can't remember the name)
that only 18% of what the historical Jesus is reported to have said is likely to be correctly attributed to him. That is consistent with my general impression that most of instutionalized Christianity is B.S..
But that's also probably true for most of Buddhism, my preference. Who knows what the historical Siddartha Guatama actually said? Each one of us has to discover the essence of the Dharma for ourselves by meditative practice, by "personal investigation" not by "faithful belief."

Define God.

Okey!

God is love. Not your definition of love, unless you are the few that claim that your problem is that you "love to deep".

When something exsists, that means it was created. God does not exsist. God created exsistance. God is the "no thing" that created all things. God has no limit. God created boundries for a reason. God is the essence of meaning.

Evil was created for a reason. Nothing can stop evil. Nothing will stop sorrow. Nothing will stop all things. Multiply or divide ANYTHING by nothing and you will have your answer. The "no thing" that created all things is the answer to everything.

We will return to where we came from. As apart of exsistance, you are defeated. It's better to be in reallity and not of reallity. I am "stuck", waiting for "nothing" to stop all things (the light berrer). The one who says "nothing can stop me", will, indeed, be stopped by the "nothing".

Correct. But evil was 'created', not by God, but by his adversary.

Who created his aversary?

Good question. I'll bet you are thinking that. because God created all things, he intentionally created his adversary. And I'll bet you believe that an intelligent being cannot make his own decisions on matters of loyalty.

Is that it?

no it is not it, it is ur allegation she simply find it illogical

so u defend ur claim, who created god adversary, u think people attention is free?? or ur head is borned to b chaotical source of any spit cuts possible ???

when u say that god as the creator of everything is not responsable of evil bc evil is from his adversary, what do u expect, ooooohhh or yeayea sure ??? there is no more idiots but u, the one that insist to take advantage from everyone innocence to label them idiots, that idiot u r when they are not anything to what u invent about their present for true abuse

the most pathetic trait about u, is how far u run to invent anything based on creation life that has never to justify anything, n u feel rich and proud that way
while the pathetic trait is proved clearly when u insist to mean that others are inferiors bc rationals so u seek to pretend guessing the logics behind their questions or words and believe that they will admit ur superiority taken by surprise

no u cant guess anything about another, bc either existence is true then it is always the same existence that individuals cant mean but themselves through, or existence is faked bc created then it wont b possible to guess someone tht dont exist
and for the record, most of the people invent better then u not only their fast replies but also their perspectives reality, bc they dont put energy in meanin doing it, so out of the same possible fluency they are ahead

Evil is a human construction/conception.

I'm not 100% sure I understand anything you said, except you apparently think I am a jerk.

You are not the first on this board to conclude as much, though some are more articulate in their asseveration.

Have a nice day.

Nobody knows what the hell Imans is talking about, including, i suspect, Imans. When i see that Imans is the last member to post in a thread, i often think to myself: "Well, that thread is screwed now."

We are certainly the ones who experience it and have so named it. So, I suppose you are right in that respect. But if we examine the biblical perspective, either in fact or in allegory, all of creation was pronounced 'good' until the 3rd chapter of Genesis, where the adversary appears.