Define God

Unveiled Artist · Feb 9, 2016

r2d2009 said:
.....................
There exists God-the-Father — the Supreme Primordial Consciousness — Who dwells in the subtlest eon of the multidimensional universe, on the other side of the Mirrorrelatively to the multidimensional aggregate of the Creation. He is the Highest Goal for all people.
.....................
more about God:
http://ecopsychology.swami-center.org/god.shtml

Thats petty complex. To me, God is pretty simple.

Forgot this thread was alive.

Im trying to stear from debates about abrahamic topics. Makes me spiritually unsettled. Hopefully, thered be a thin common line of what a god is. We're all human of course.

Cheerios!

neologist · Mar 4, 2016

Sorry this took so long:
Jehovah -
the causative form, the imperfect state, of the Heb. verb ha·wahʹ (become); meaning “He Causes to Become”

Henja · Mar 7, 2016

the fundamental nature of the universe...

Tomorrows_Child · Mar 12, 2016

HeatherAnn said:
How I define God reveals more about me than about God.
My definition of God is still evolving.
I don't claim to know all there is to know about God - nor do I believe I will understand much in my entire life - compared to all there is to know.
Currently, I define God as love based on truth - and as Paul Tillech defined God, as "one's ultimate concern."
I also define God as ultimate GOoD - which each of us strive for by trial and error - active faith.
Part of that GOoD, I consider to be a higher power - a means of tapping into "the kingdom of God within."
And I realize the common need to spiritually connect by personification of (God) spirituality (Jesus, gods, Saints, Mary, etc.).

How do you define God?

The Quranic/Islamic definition of God:

Say: He is Allah, the One and Only
Allah the Eternal, the Absolute,
He begetteth not, nor is He begotten
And there is none like Him

James Barnes · Mar 16, 2016

HeatherAnn said:
How I define God reveals more about me than about God.
My definition of God is still evolving.
I don't claim to know all there is to know about God - nor do I believe I will understand much in my entire life - compared to all there is to know.
Currently, I define God as love based on truth - and as Paul Tillech defined God, as "one's ultimate concern."
I also define God as ultimate GOoD - which each of us strive for by trial and error - active faith.
Part of that GOoD, I consider to be a higher power - a means of tapping into "the kingdom of God within."
And I realize the common need to spiritually connect by personification of (God) spirituality (Jesus, gods, Saints, Mary, etc.).

How do you define God?

Define? Not so much... but I can attempt to describe The Most High God as eternal. The creator and designer of the heaven and earth.

jeager106 · Mar 16, 2016

An authorized dictionary definition.
Works for me.
God1
/ɡäd/

noun

(in Christianity and other monotheistic religions) the creator and ruler of the universe and source of all moral authority; the supreme being.
synonyms: the Lord, the Almighty, the Creator, the Maker, the Godhead

Wat_i.need · Mar 25, 2016

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ قُلْ هُوَ اللَّهُ أَحَدٌ (1) Say: He is Allah, the One and Only;
اللَّهُ الصَّمَدُ (2) Allah, the Eternal, Absolute;
لَمْ يَلِدْ وَلَمْ يُولَدْ (3) He neither begets nor is born;
وَلَمْ يَكُن لَّهُ كُفُوًا أَحَدٌ (4) Nor is there to Him any equivalent.

This is the definition I believe in and that I can write with a confidence from a trustworthy source.

HeatherAnn · Apr 25, 2016

Jayhawker Soule said:
Preternatural Agency

Will you expland and clarify?
How is preternatural different from supernatural - or is it?
And do you mean that God is the divine ability to choose?

HeatherAnn · Apr 25, 2016

DawudTalut said:
As Ahmadiyya-Muslim, my understanding comes from Quran.
It says:
(Adopt) colour of Allah, Who is better than Allah in colour.....[2:139]
So rightful, noble, weakness and blessings for God are the matters in absolute sense. These things for God are mentioned in Quran.

Resource: https://www.alislam.org/allah/

Thanks, DawudTalut.
I visited a museum exhibit that displayed principles of Islam.
Across one wall, was listed 99 names for Allah, one being that there are not enough names.

https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/99_Names_of_God

HeatherAnn · Apr 25, 2016

Carlita said:
God is a relationship with life itself.
Finding meaning in life and the origin of where I came from, who I am and my roots, and finding that connection as it is the only support I have in this world.
God is what keeps me afloat. It is the pagan elements: earth, wind, fire, and water that makes up all of life in its physical terms.
God is water with which we are born and the earth in which we pass.
The memories of people we love and find strong connection with.
The bond that makes two people join together in holy matrimony.
The morals that value life and does not kill for any reason, shape, or form.
The freedom to express who I am and what I value.

God to me is living an independent life and trying not to be limited by the things that hinder my living status right now.
The feeling I get when I'm outdoors hiking during the summer months.
The rain that pours on me reminding me of my former faith--my baptism into a new life in God (as I define "him").

The offering I give to the Gohonzon (my true nature) daily.
The offering I give to the earth for the people who have pass.
The offering I give to water (or in water) to remember my birth.

God is life. That is how I define God.

Carlita, this is one of the most beautiful things I've read lately!
Thank you for sharing this.
I really resonate with much of what you wrote.
Spirituality is about relating - it's consciousness within and without.

HeatherAnn · Apr 25, 2016

Carlita said:
That's a generalization. Many of us atheist define god by abrahamic terms. Some of us do not know other gods to consider them part of the definition of how we define (or use to defining as god). So, it's a default for not knowing how other people see the same word.

That, and it is confusing when a believer says they believe in god (to flip the switch). We ask, well, which god? If you say that, without having an already set definition of what we think god is, you could believe in two different gods that contradict each other.

So, it is ironic on both sides. Though, I wouldn't generalize. The word God I am used to hearing it as an entity in a Abrahamic concept. Other "gods" I would not call god since it doesn't fit in what I'm used to defining him. For example, Santeros don't use the word god, they use Olafin (Which I know I spelled wrong); so, I can't be an atheist to their deity since I don't know how they define it. Once they say "god" then my Abrahamic cap comes on. It's not the fault of the atheist but his or her upbringing (or for me, environment not upbringing) that defines the words we use.

So, I'd give us a break. Believers can no more define their god in a concrete way than us atheists. And to think how an atheist can define god is beyond me. The term doesn't make sense to me. Some of us use it for a language convenience. Nothing more.

But I thought you believed in God.
How can you be Atheist and believe in God?

Anyway, what you explained is reasonable - though I don't agree with the most common approach of most Atheists.
There may be exceptions, as you seem to be, but most Atheists engage in logical fallacies like polarized thinking, and close their mind to any possibilities regarding the symbolic word, God.

HeatherAnn · Apr 25, 2016

jeager106 said:
An authorized dictionary definition.
Works for me.
God1
/ɡäd/

noun

(in Christianity and other monotheistic religions) the creator and ruler of the universe and source of all moral authority; the supreme being.
synonyms: the Lord, the Almighty, the Creator, the Maker, the Godhead

That doesn't work for me, partly because it is what has inspired many fights and even killing.
I believe that as people define and interpret God, influences how they regard and treat themselves and others.

There may be some truth that God is Intelligent Design Creator, but I believe God is much more than that.
And the aspect of God NOT mentioned in the "authorized" definition, is really the most influential, the personal aspect of God: "The kingdom of God is within you."

HeatherAnn · Apr 25, 2016

Wat_i.need said:
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ قُلْ هُوَ اللَّهُ أَحَدٌ (1) Say: He is Allah, the One and Only;
اللَّهُ الصَّمَدُ (2) Allah, the Eternal, Absolute;
لَمْ يَلِدْ وَلَمْ يُولَدْ (3) He neither begets nor is born;
وَلَمْ يَكُن لَّهُ كُفُوًا أَحَدٌ (4) Nor is there to Him any equivalent.

This is the definition I believe in and that I can write with a confidence from a trustworthy source.

Thank you, but it doesn't tell me much.
Is God eternal in the sense of eternal suffering, eternal joy - or what?
And how can any creation of God be absolute when life is always changing - never absolutely the same?

Jayhawker Soule · Apr 25, 2016

HeatherAnn said:
How is preternatural different from supernatural - or is it?

Words are words and the map is not the territory but, for me, preternatural carries with it a sense of ineffability.

HeatherAnn said:
And do you mean that God is the divine ability to choose?

I use agency to suggest intentionality; it seeks to distinguish between God and Catalyst.

HeatherAnn · Apr 25, 2016

arthra said:
It is not an easy matter to define God...the Undefinable... Human tongue cannot embrace Him... What we know about God is in my opinion what His Prophets and Messengers have provided us.

Why must God be known only by here-say?

HeatherAnn · Apr 25, 2016

Papoon said:
God is what makes mud grow fingers and play guitar. God is the eroticisation of energy. God is the enjoyer, and the weeper of tears. God is the intense need to know and be known. God is moral and ethical backbone. God is the striving, and the satisfaction, the dismay and the wrath. God is the look in my eyes.

It sounds like the definition of Love.

HeatherAnn · Apr 25, 2016

Syazrin Mohd Noor said:
Peace be upon you,

The way you put your question was simple yet beautiful to the point that it reminds me when Prophet Muhammad was asked the very same question. Imagine being in his position, preaching the message of God and not knowing how to describe Him. So a revelation from God came to the Prophet in Surah Al-Ikhlas (The Sincerity) 112:1-4:
[1] Say, "He is God , [who is] One,
[2] God, the Eternal Refuge
[3] He neither begets nor is born,
[4] Nor is there to Him any equivalent."

To me, that is the best way for me to define God. The One, the Almighty Creator that has no comparison whatsover.

Thank you.
Your kind approach gave me a sense of peace.
Considering there are so many ways to consider God in Islam, https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/99_Names_of_God...
And some terms seem paradoxical - or as some may say yin/yang - 2 parts that make a complete whole.

HeatherAnn · Apr 25, 2016

Jiddanand said:
God is the highest faith you can ever have.
God is not a thing.

So, would you say that God is more a prcoess - action or feeling - or both?

HeatherAnn · Apr 25, 2016

Thank you for clarifying, Jayhawker.

Jayhawker Soule said:
Words are words and the map is not the territory but, for me, preternatural carries with it a sense of ineffability.

It's definitely understandable that a lot of emotional and spiritual experiences are beyond words.
This is why I love music - especially classical - to listen to and play.

I use agency to suggest intentionality; it seeks to distinguish between God and Catalyst.

I believe in the Christian idea, "he who lives by the sword will die by the sword", aka "karma."
But I've wondered if karma is based on intent or actual action - or both. It seems that it is both. What do you think?

In distinguishing God from Catalyst, are you suggesting that God is not limited to Aristotle's idea of "prime mover" - who simply got the ball rolling, but is not too much otherwise involved?
Is God more involved eternally?

buddhist · Apr 25, 2016

The concept of god is a human invention, so it can be defined any way you wish to define it.

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