Is the True Relationship to God that of a Parent and Child?

[Sunstone]

For the sake of discussion, please assume that god (or the gods) exists when responding to this thread.

If indeed god or the gods existed, would it be true that our relationship to them was that of a parent and child? Or would the metaphor of parent/child be seriously misleading or inadequate? What do you think?

 

[Jainarayan]

When I was Christian the answer was "yes". When I was Hindu the answer was "no". As a Heathen the answer is a qualified "yes and no". Odin is the All-Father, being the father of gods and men, but the gods are our elder kin. On occasion, in the Lore, a god has been known to give a human a good whomp upside the head, but for a particularly egregious transgression.

 

[McBell]

For the sake of discussion, please assume that god (or the gods) exists when responding to this thread.

If indeed god or the gods existed, would it be true that our relationship to them was that of a parent and child? Or would the metaphor of parent/child be seriously misleading or inadequate? What do you think?

That depends entirely upon who you ask.
I have seen on this very forum from a partnership between themselves and their god to flat out slavery to their god.

 

[beenherebeforeagain]

For me--because I don't do gods at this point--spirits are relatives, my kin: some older, some younger; some wiser, some less; some bigger, some smaller; some closer, some farther, and so on. Treat them with respect, ask them and thank them for their help and gifts, help them and give them gifts when you can...

 

[Unveiled Artist]

For the sake of discussion, please assume that god (or the gods) exists when responding to this thread.

If indeed god or the gods existed, would it be true that our relationship to them was that of a parent and child? Or would the metaphor of parent/child be seriously misleading or inadequate? What do you think?

Id agree with @Mestemia . It depends on who you ask. In general, when I think of the term god, I think authority and his followers subjects. So, parent/child wouldnt be a good term. As I have literally heard people say they rather be a slave to tbeir god than have free will/freedom to worship him on their terms. Others like my friends say they "cant get down low enough" physically when praying and thanking their god.

So, no matter how much a christian (since thats all I know) see god as a friend, because of his nature, he is never their equal. Not father and child (same blood; same nature) but, less blunt, boss and employee.

My "gods" or The Spirits are grandmothers, mothers, cousins, to the spirit of the Earth, sun, and spirits of the land and blood. They have different roles, so in my view its not misleading.

In the common view definition of god/s, it depends on the person and it could be misleading to someone used to Abrahamic way of thinking of other peoples god/s.

 

[Kilgore Trout]

I suspect, if there is a god, our relationship to it is more like the relationship of a mote of dust to the galaxy.

 

[Acim]

Perspective of the relationship of Creator to Created strikes me as parental, though assumes the relationship is (inter)personal. Personally, I have no doubt about this.

Because the Created would also be God's or gods, that relationship would not be parental. More like siblings, kin.

 

[McBell]

I suspect, if there is a god, our relationship to it is more like the relationship of a mote of dust to the galaxy.

That's pretty much my thought as well.

 

[Laika]

For the sake of discussion, please assume that god (or the gods) exists when responding to this thread.

If indeed god or the gods existed, would it be true that our relationship to them was that of a parent and child? Or would the metaphor of parent/child be seriously misleading or inadequate? What do you think?

 

[Skwim]

If one is talking about the god of the Bible then I don't believe it's a true relationship at all. Unless a parent is true psycho, (s)he wouldn't "put to death" a child who strikes them (Exodus 21:15 NAB) Or, "Kill those who don't "seek the Lord, the God of Israel." (2 Chronicles 15:12-13 NAB). OR."stone to death any woman who is not a virgin on her wedding night." (Deuteronomy 22:20-21 NAB)..

Parents are far, far more just and loving.

.

 

[Quintessence]

With respect to what the gods are for me, it would definitely not be an adequate or accurate way of characterizing things. Vast majority of the gods I worship are not even capable of the sorts of emotions that characterize human parent-child relationships.

 

[crossfire]

For the sake of discussion, please assume that god (or the gods) exists when responding to this thread.

If indeed god or the gods existed, would it be true that our relationship to them was that of a parent and child? Or would the metaphor of parent/child be seriously misleading or inadequate? What do you think?

Which is the parent and which is the child? Who made whom?

 

[allfoak]

For the sake of discussion, please assume that god (or the gods) exists when responding to this thread.

If indeed god or the gods existed, would it be true that our relationship to them was that of a parent and child? Or would the metaphor of parent/child be seriously misleading or inadequate? What do you think?

The metaphor works, until the child grows up.

 

[George-ananda]

For the sake of discussion, please assume that god (or the gods) exists when responding to this thread.

If indeed god or the gods existed, would it be true that our relationship to them was that of a parent and child? Or would the metaphor of parent/child be seriously misleading or inadequate? What do you think?

I think at early to middle stages of intellectual and spiritual development, the Father to child relationship works constructively for many. At a further stage of intellectual and spiritual development, we start to feel more and more Oneness with God and our path becomes more one of Self-Realization/God-Realization than a Father/child relationship.

I think these stages are addressed in Jesus' words where He speaks of His father in heaven and serving His father. At a further stage He speaks of 'I and my Father are one'.

 

[Augustus]

As regards (how I would imagine) the Abrahamic God I don't think the parent-child analogy makes any sense (at least to me anyway). [Artists impression only. Real God may differ from presented image. Other god concepts also apply]

This God defies categorisation and conceptualisation, and any attempts to do so ultimately distort His nature. Such a God is omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent and has no beginning nor end. Attempts at categorising such a God are impossible, and it is better to express ignorance as to God rather than knowledge as it is unreasonable to think a human can imagine or comprehend anything about such an 'entity'.

Analogy is useful when it explains something in a way that people can better relate to. Analogy is very problematic though when it highlights superficial similarities, but ignores the fundamental differences that are the essence of the issue and thus obscures rather than enlightens.

The omni-max God escapes verbal description, no word that could be applied to humans could be applied to this God. If God is loving, just or merciful, these are not the love, justice and mercy of humans, as these are based on imperfect knowledge and subjective emotions.

Such a God couldn't be said to 'exist' in the sense that other things exist, even if He was 'real'. You couldn't say there was 1 God as this implies something that is finite, you could however say 'there is no other like He'. Parents exist though, and there are many others like them.

The only thing you can say about God is that He is beyond human comprehension, but everybody can comprehend a parent-child relationship. This is also contains love, hope, want, trial, error, regret, pride happiness and sorrow, none of which can be ascribed to God.

The way parents create a child, is also nothing like the way God created humans.

I'd say that there are actually no similarities whatsoever between the parent-child and God-human relationship.

 

[ThePainefulTruth]

For the sake of discussion, please assume that god (or the gods) exists when responding to this thread.

If indeed god or the gods existed, would it be true that our relationship to them was that of a parent and child? Or would the metaphor of parent/child be seriously misleading or inadequate? What do you think?

Since God is obviously laissez-faire, if It exists at all, parents and other environmental factors, our full self-awareness, our genes, and the character we exhibit when combining these factors all go into what makes us who we are. God only watches us as we exercise our free will. Oh, and in line with that, God doesn't judge us, we judge ourselves bathed in the undeniable Light of Truth. Those who can't bare who or what they were, opt out for oblivion. That's my story and I'm sticking to it, unless something better comes along, which I don't foresee.

 

[Guy Threepwood]

For the sake of discussion, please assume that god (or the gods) exists when responding to this thread.

If indeed god or the gods existed, would it be true that our relationship to them was that of a parent and child? Or would the metaphor of parent/child be seriously misleading or inadequate? What do you think?

I think so-- if we bear in mind that a father's hope is that the child will grow and learn, come to know and understand him, to be less childlike in time.

 

[Thana]

For the sake of discussion, please assume that god (or the gods) exists when responding to this thread.

If indeed god or the gods existed, would it be true that our relationship to them was that of a parent and child? Or would the metaphor of parent/child be seriously misleading or inadequate? What do you think?

I think our relationship with God is more complicated than that. In some ways it is of that of a parent and child, in others it's more of a master and slave. Sometimes it's of a wife and husband. It's not one thing, as very few relationships are just one thing.

If one is talking about the god of the Bible then I don't believe it's a true relationship at all. Unless a parent is true psycho, (s)he wouldn't "put to death" a child who strikes them (Exodus 21:15 NAB) Or, "Kill those who don't "seek the Lord, the God of Israel." (2 Chronicles 15:12-13 NAB). OR."stone to death any woman who is not a virgin on her wedding night." (Deuteronomy 22:20-21 NAB)..

Parents are far, far more just and loving.

.

Now you're just being idealistic on top of your generalizations. Parents are not always fantastical beings of pure radiant love.

 

[Skwim]

Now you're just being idealistic on top of your generalizations.

Not at all. I was simply responding to the title question.

Is the True Relationship to God that of a Parent and Child?
​

God's relationship with man includes incidents of true viciousness. Incidents no parent in their right mind would inflict on their children. But perhaps god wasn't in his right mind.

Parents are not always fantastical beings of pure radiant love.

So what? Is this suppose to absolve god of his vile behavior toward humans?


.

 

[Geoff-Allen]

If we are all made in the image & likeness of God, then we are all creators and together we create our reality.

Here's a fun site -

http://www.poeticmind.co.uk/creativ...s-with-god-book-1-neale-donald-walsch-part-1/

God is not a punishing-God. God does not judge, and is not to be feared. We have developed a fear-based love.

Perfect love is the highest feeling. It is the unity with All That Is. Just as white is the total sum of all colours, so love is the total sum of all feeling (hate, anger, lust, joy, jealousy, honour…) Perfect love is to experience every human feeling.

A true teacher is not the one with the most knowledge, but one who causes the most others to have knowledge. A true God is not One with the most servants, but One who serves the most, thereby making Gods of all others. His subject shall be no more, and all shall know God, not as the unattainable, but as the unavoidable.

Enjoy your day