God Is a Problem

[Colt]

No, not the being, deity, concept, or whatever you call God, but the name itself, especially in interfaith discourse or when speaking to the non-religious.

I've seen "God" (note the capitalization rendering the word a proper noun) used to describe everything from a personal deity, to a creator, to an underlying substratum for reality, to existence itself, and many things between. Yet people use the word even when their religion or culture has another name for it.

An example off the top of my head is Ramakrishna apparently referring to Nirguna Brahman as "God" in The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna. Of course, what he means is understood by Vedantins and probably most Hindus, but the meaning of the term is likely lost on people outside of this subset.

What does "God" refer to in your religion or culture?

Do you agree that use of the term is problematic outside of your own religion or culture? If not, how do you reconcile the differences? If so, what do you think can be done to communicate what is being referred to in interfaith dialogue or conversations with the non-religious?

God is a generic concept which most people understand.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

God is a generic concept which most people understand.

Is that meant to be "god" or "God"? I can't tell if you intended the word as a proper noun or if you were only capitalizing it because it was at the beginning of the sentence.

 

[Colt]

Is that meant to be "god" or "God"? I can't tell if you intended the word as a proper noun or if you were only capitalizing it because it was at the beginning of the sentence.

Either way, the term God is not a proper name.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

Either way, the term God is not a proper name.

I said proper noun, not proper name.

Whether you meant "God" or "god", could you describe the generic concept you mentioned? You said that most people understand it, so this should be easy for you.

 

[Bthoth]

God is a generic concept which most people understand.

Sure, that hairy christna, had 16,000 wives and was claimed to service them all weekly.

Only a GOD could do that!

 

[SalixIncendium]

God is a generic concept which most people understand.

We have a lot of evidence right here on this very forum to the contrary.

 

[SalixIncendium]

Either way, the term God is not a proper name.

Sure it is. At the very list it's a nick-name. I grew up Catholic and we called this deity by no other name outside the Trinity.

 

[Vinayaka]

This thread sure went off topic in a hurry. Makes me wonder if people can read. But then maybe it's me that can't read, as I thought it was about the word 'God' and how it's a problematic word.

 

[Colt]

I said proper noun, not proper name.

Whether you meant "God" or "god", could you describe the generic concept you mentioned? You said that most people understand it, so this should be easy for you.

Creator and upholder of the universe.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

Creator and upholder of the universe.

That's it?

So if there were something that "created and upheld the universe" but didn't answer prayers or manage an afterlife for humans, you'd say "yep - that's God"?

 

[Colt]

Sure it is. At the very list it's a nick-name. I grew up Catholic and we called this deity by no other name outside the Trinity.

To you maybe but the term God in religions isn't the proper name of the god, gods or God.

Exodus 3
13Then Moses asked God, “Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is His name?’ What should I tell them?”

14God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’ ”

Wiki

Judaism considers some names of God so holy that, once written, they should not be erased: יהוה (YHWH), אֲדֹנָי (Adonai), אֵל (El transl. God), אֱלֹהִים (Elohim transl. God, a plural noun),[n 1] אֵל שַׁדַּי (El Shaddai transl. God Almighty), שַׁדַּי (Shaddai transl. Almighty), יְהֹוָ֥ה צְבָאֽוֹת (Adonai Tzevaoth transl. Lord of Hosts) and צְבָאֽוֹת (Tzevaoth transl. [of] Hosts); some also include I Am that I Am.[1]

 

[Colt]

That's it?

So if there were something that "created and upheld the universe" but didn't answer prayers or manage an afterlife for humans, you'd say "yep - that's God"?

You are just being argumentative. Whatever people conceptualize God or their God to be, people generally know what the term means. I suppose it's possible that you don't. It's not like they might mistake it for tennis racquet or shoe.

 

[Heyo]

Creator and upholder of the universe.

Try to sell that to the polytheists.

 

[Kenny]

This coming from the COVID pastor who kept his church open all through the pandemic, even when ERs were full and there were no real treatments.

What Covid precautions did we implement?

You acted contrary to love to maximize your tithes, but now you have the gall to criticize others?

Really? And you know this how?

Remember that Jesus's strongest condemnations in the Bible were reserved for pious hypocrites. Think about those scriptures.

Do… all the time

IN my perspective, Jesus loves you!

 

[Colt]

Try to sell that to the polytheists.

They would say Gods or gods, but they would know that God or gods isn't the actual name of their deity. Like tree, or car, or beverage.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

You are just being argumentative. Whatever people conceptualize God or their God to be, people generally know what the term means.

Yes - every person who believes in God has their own idea of what "God" means.

... but you suggested that there's one shared "general concept."

I suppose it's possible that you don't. It's not like they might mistake it for tennis racquet or shoe.

I'm not aware of a single general concept. I'm not even sure whether a lot of "God" concepts are internally coherent.

From the way most theists describe God, it sounds like they're talking about a real, physical thing and not - say - an abstract concept, but then they say things like "God is love."

 

[SalixIncendium]

This thread sure went off topic in a hurry. Makes me wonder if people can read. But then maybe it's me that can't read, as I thought it was about the word 'God' and how it's a problematic word.

Indeed!

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

What Covid precautions did we implement?

You talked about putting out some undersized air cleaners, IIRC.

How many of your congregation died?

Really? And you know this how?

You told us.

Do… all the time


IN my perspective, Jesus loves you!

And in my perspective, you're the sort of person the Jesus of the Gospels would go after will a bullwhip.

 

[sun rise]

All that situation proves Jesus a real prophet of God, and that this human system of things is close to its end:

I would say that Jesus was an incarnation of the eternal Avatar. In my terms, the terrible long Kali Yuga (dark/iron age) is ending and the longed-for satyuga (Golden age) is being born.

 

[Heyo]

They would say Gods or gods, but they would know that God or gods isn't the actual name of their deity. Like tree, or car, or beverage.

So they wouldn't share your concept of "creator and upholder of the universe".