Scarlett Wampus
psychonaut
Is the nature of the God(s) you believe in a reflection of your needs?
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Is the nature of the God(s) you believe in a reflection of your needs?
- Thread starter Scarlett Wampus
- Start date
sandandfoam
Veteran Member
Yes.
I've taken on Spinoza's concept of God as consisting of an infinity of attributes. Given that I think the attributes of God are infinite it would be a surprise to me if the attributes I 'see' did not resonate with me.
And 'me' emerges from my needs doesn't it?
Guitar's Cry
Disciple of Pan
God(s) is surely a reflection--for me at this moment.
whereismynotecard
Treasure Hunter
Well... My lack of belief in any God does not reflect my needs... Or maybe it does... I don't need very much.
Scarlett Wampus
psychonaut
What about if you distinguish between spurious desires and greater needs? Is discipline, though not-enjoyable in itself, a reflection of a greater need in your life?
Putting another spin on this, imagine as best you can an ideal mentor that was personally interested in your well being and encouraged what you felt was best for yourself. What does you imagination say their relationship to God would be?
* nods * the OP was similar to asking the question, "Why do you need God?"
What do you think of Maslow's hierarchy of needs in relation to what you feel about your own?
sandy whitelinger
Veteran Member
My needs are a reflection of God's nature.
sandandfoam
Veteran Member
I think Maslows ideas are useful in so far as they are another angle from which to think about a person, their needs and their motivations.
I think the explanation for my own needs is more likely to be provided by the psychoanalytic approach than the humanistic one.
Hema
Sweet n Spicy
No, because my true Self is Spirit which is the same nature as God.
Kalki Saga
New Member
I do not believe this to be the case, although you've heard about people who wish to play god, as the way I see it religion as a whole is simply a way to control the greater ignorant masses. The god I usually hear about is very forgiving and almighty and I have no reason to desire to be neither of these things. Although it is a natural thing to crave more power I believe it would be boring to be almighty cause you need challenges to grow as a person and it also gives you a purpose to overcome this challenge. If everything is too easy it usually turns boring sooner or later.
BruceDLimber
Well-Known Member
>Is the nature of the God(s" you believe in a reflection of your needs?
Yes, but not because of me, but because of the nature of God!
Peace,
Bruce
Yes, but not because of me, but because of the nature of God!
Peace,
Bruce
Scarlett Wampus
psychonaut
Could God also be said to have needs then, if your own are a reflection?
* nods * I find psychoanalytical perspectives provide a useful explanatory basis for my needs in terms of personal spiritual belief/inclination, which in turn helps me respond to such needs and sometimes unravel them. For instance, to the extent I'm believer its with an understanding that I'm opening myself to a dialogue with powerful dynamic forces within my subconscious that are mostly beyond my conscious grasp. Or at the least I tend to consider that perspective and often work with it when encountering Spirit / Other.
Is there a sense in this that your true Self, being Spirit, is somehow estranged from your needs as a human being?
Well, if God, or just a face of God that presents itself, could be seen as a reflection of needs doesn't necessarily imply that one of those needs would be to become God. Also the God you usually hear about may be very different to sense of what God is (if anything) or could be.
Hi Bruce. Could you explain further?
trinity2359
Active Member
I think from a sociological perspective over history the OP question would apply. But not a mirco-individual level. Need to read Rodney Starks "Discovering God" . I think that would answer your question.
Now, does my Church reflect my needs? Yes, to an extent. I personally like organization, community, and varied expressions of spirituality and the Catholic church does a great job in helping me have a meaningful relationship with God.
Now, does my Church reflect my needs? Yes, to an extent. I personally like organization, community, and varied expressions of spirituality and the Catholic church does a great job in helping me have a meaningful relationship with God.
doppelganger
Through the Looking Glass
I suspect the answer for the believer about his or her own "God" or "gods" will almost always be "no", as a "yes" answer would interfere with the power of the symbol to meet some of the most important among those needs. Most people seem to have no trouble recognizing the relationship between psychology, culture and the manifestation of needs in the "Gods" of others though.
Absolutely; needs, wants, abilities, capabilities, "being", "other"... it's reflected of all that is "me".
Then, do you know the nature of God by looking at yourself?
Shellybelly7
Shellybelly
Possibly. But I believe that God is the same for everybody, no matter how they see him. We all perceive him differently but he all see us the same.
I also think that I don't know enough about things like how he created us but I do have my ideas. I think one day i will know but not today.
I also think that I don't know enough about things like how he created us but I do have my ideas. I think one day i will know but not today.
doppelganger
Through the Looking Glass
But is that belief about "God", in turn, also a reflection of your needs? Or put another way, do you believe this about "God" because you want or need a "God" that is not limited to an individual perspective?
Scarlett Wampus
psychonaut
That's an important point. I haven't read the book you mentioned but it does make sense to me that looking from a sociological perspective is limited. It can't take into account the individual & personal experience of God (by itself).
Doppelgänger pointed out that looking at the Gods of others from the sociological perspective is rarely a problem but it is uncomfortable to do with our own - it interferes with an important need in itself. After thinking about that the need that I came up with was to feel connected to something much greater than one's self. If we look at God as a reflection of our own needs then it can feel intuitively wrong, as if we're reducing God to something equal to or less than our self and so violating personal relationship to what we find to be divine.
Nevertheless, if sense of connection to God, divinity, Spirit, etc. comes mostly from within then what we find within probably does reflect our own nature somewhat. Following from that, if we conceive God really to be greater than our individual self then we may also see value in looking outside the within - towards those perspectives which are not centered in our personal, individual experience, even beyond what is familiar in our religious, cultural and spiritual make up.
Doing that exclusively could definitely reduce God to, say, a sociological or otherwise 'outside' phenomenon, and therefore bring with it a loss of that vital personal connection. Not doing it at all is limiting in a different way.
* nods * I can relate to this. The question it brings to my mind is what can I know about the nature of God that is universal? and how do I distinguish that from my own limited view which is likely to be biased and erroneous in many ways? I can't, really. I think I don't know enough either. What I can do is acknowledge that my own view is limited and accept there is much I don't yet understand. And if I really did that all the time instead of in rare moments of self-awareness then I'd be a lot easier to get along with, even to myself.
