-
Welcome to Religious Forums, a friendly forum to discuss all religions in a friendly surrounding.
Your voice is missing! You will need to register to get access to the following site features:- Reply to discussions and create your own threads.
- Our modern chat room. No add-ons or extensions required, just login and start chatting!
- Access to private conversations with other members.
We hope to see you as a part of our community soon!
Is God to you more of a .....
- Thread starter Anthem
- Start date
Twilight Hue
Twilight, not bright nor dark, good nor bad.
I think God is a mental puppet.
An extension of one's personality made manifest through which the person acts and says on "behalf" of the deity.
An extension of one's personality made manifest through which the person acts and says on "behalf" of the deity.
Unveiled Artist
Veteran Member
If it is the god of my understanding there is no cultural definition to describe it a person-like entity. Its not because it is greater; it is not. It's not necessary to define god in human terms when god is an experience and some experiences are best kept to self.
Sustainer and force and energy that creates new things into existence, be the life , age, and dying process of all life, without being hidden so that humans can be aware of it/this experience and process themselves.
Unveiled Artist
Veteran Member
Those options dont apply to how I see god. It's not a person and has no culture behind it so there are no emotions, no human roles, and no myths that defines what it is.
JesusMyFriend
Rosalia
For me God is like a friend and the same time a father/mother.
I chose "myth", but I see God as mainly a conceptual tool.
People should take responsibility both for which god-concepts they decide to lend prestige to, if any, and for the way in which they interpret and use those.
Much of the damage that religion suffered along its history comes from abusing god-concepts, from relying on them over one's own discernment.
People should take responsibility both for which god-concepts they decide to lend prestige to, if any, and for the way in which they interpret and use those.
Much of the damage that religion suffered along its history comes from abusing god-concepts, from relying on them over one's own discernment.
Last edited:
Those are all poor choices to describe the nature of my gods. Granted, much of that comes from being a polytheist and the fact that different gods have different natures.
"Friend" suggests a level of camaraderie and personableness that is lacking in relationships with the gods. The domains and natures of particular gods may align with my own, but that hardly makes them my "friends" except perhaps in the loosest sense. And I'm not loose with the word "friend."
"Father" suggests a biologically male authority figure and reeks of the human cultural patriarchy. Just... no. Few gods even have a biological sex, much less a father-like relationship with human persons. Anthropomorphisms can be a useful tool for relating to the gods, but personally? Not a fan. Especially when they hinge on biological sex from a human standpoint when most of the universe is asexual (and most life forms are bisexual).
"Authority" is what I actually voted because it was the only poll option that sounded remotely correct. But what I mean by "authority" is probably not what the poll author intended. My gods are the various facets of reality. That is, they are literally things like the biological evolution, gravity, laws of motion, the sun our planet orbits around, etc. When your gods are reality, they are the "authority" that defines reality and all of its natures and limits.
"Myth" (meaning deep truth or sacred story) while appropriate, is a better descriptor for the human relationship to the gods than the gods themselves. We tell sacred stories about the gods and our relationships with them to better reconcile life's meaning and purpose. The stories are not the gods. That's important actually - the map is not the territory. The mythos of the gods is not the gods.
"Friend" suggests a level of camaraderie and personableness that is lacking in relationships with the gods. The domains and natures of particular gods may align with my own, but that hardly makes them my "friends" except perhaps in the loosest sense. And I'm not loose with the word "friend."
"Father" suggests a biologically male authority figure and reeks of the human cultural patriarchy. Just... no. Few gods even have a biological sex, much less a father-like relationship with human persons. Anthropomorphisms can be a useful tool for relating to the gods, but personally? Not a fan. Especially when they hinge on biological sex from a human standpoint when most of the universe is asexual (and most life forms are bisexual).
"Authority" is what I actually voted because it was the only poll option that sounded remotely correct. But what I mean by "authority" is probably not what the poll author intended. My gods are the various facets of reality. That is, they are literally things like the biological evolution, gravity, laws of motion, the sun our planet orbits around, etc. When your gods are reality, they are the "authority" that defines reality and all of its natures and limits.
"Myth" (meaning deep truth or sacred story) while appropriate, is a better descriptor for the human relationship to the gods than the gods themselves. We tell sacred stories about the gods and our relationships with them to better reconcile life's meaning and purpose. The stories are not the gods. That's important actually - the map is not the territory. The mythos of the gods is not the gods.
Friend, guide, mentor, teacher, example.
God to me is a Universe allower, creator from extrapolating to the past, alpha thinker and new-insight-giver.
So I put authority.
GoodbyeDave
Well-Known Member
I'm not sure whether I believe in God with a capital G, so I suppose I should tick "myth". If such a being exists, I see no evidence that it's particularly concerned with humans. As for the gods, they can be all sorts of things besides the options listed above.
My relationship with God is like that between a squirrel and the giant ancient redwood tree on whose branches it lives and whose acorns it stores.
Well, Zeus is the head of my pantheon and He is the OG Heavenly Father. 
He is the Father of both Gods and humans but He's also a ruler as King. I view Him as a fatherly figure one can feel close to, but also respect Him as a wise elder and just King who protects His beloved humanity and oversees justice and cosmic order. So He is certainly an authority figure, as well. Just not a menacing one or a tyrant. So I will vote "authority".
He is the Father of both Gods and humans but He's also a ruler as King. I view Him as a fatherly figure one can feel close to, but also respect Him as a wise elder and just King who protects His beloved humanity and oversees justice and cosmic order. So He is certainly an authority figure, as well. Just not a menacing one or a tyrant. So I will vote "authority".
Serpent Child
Member
To me, Father Satan is a Father, Friend, Authority and Teacher <3
Except for that, those weren't for choosing.
Unveiled Artist
Veteran Member
I have a question for some of you guys. When you say god is a friend, authority, and/or father are you "feeling" friendship, authority, role of a child?
Like I havent felt love-love growing up. Now I have a friend we've known each other for going on thirteen years. Now, I know love. I can feel it sometimes especially when talking.
Is that a similar feeling just with an invisible non material source?
Like I havent felt love-love growing up. Now I have a friend we've known each other for going on thirteen years. Now, I know love. I can feel it sometimes especially when talking.
Is that a similar feeling just with an invisible non material source?
Unveiled Artist
Veteran Member
Can you explain the difference between the type of love/feeling from god and from a human being like a friend or famly member?