Poll: is God a person????

[Eddi]

Here is a depiction of God in the form of an elderly male human:

And I doubt that "he" ever assumed such a form...

But: assuming "he" exists, is God a person????

I say no

Although I believe "he" is conscious indeed more conscious than we humans I do not see it (let's call it it) as being a person in the way humans are and I think it is a mistake to anthropomorphise it

I most certainly do not see it as some kind of man, up in the sky. For the record, this is how I see it:

I don't like calling it God or by any given name I prefer The Supreme Being

 

[The Sum of Awe]

Yes and no and I don't know. All three

 

[Fool]

Here is a depiction of God in the form of an elderly male human:

View attachment 67054

And I doubt that "he" ever assumed such a form...

But: assuming "he" exists, is God a person????

I say no

Although I believe "he" is conscious indeed more conscious than we humans I do not see it (let's call it it) as being a person in the way humans are and I think it is a mistake to anthropomorphise it

I most certainly do not see it as some kind of man, up in the sky. For the record, this is how I see it:


I don't like calling it God or by any given name I prefer The Supreme Being

only as monism. a reflection, image of the whole. a hologram. a microcosm of the macrocosm

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

Here is a depiction of God in the form of an elderly male human:

View attachment 67054

And I doubt that "he" ever assumed such a form...

But: assuming "he" exists, is God a person????

I say no

Although I believe "he" is conscious indeed more conscious than we humans I do not see it (let's call it it) as being a person in the way humans are and I think it is a mistake to anthropomorphise it

I most certainly do not see it as some kind of man, up in the sky. For the record, this is how I see it:

View attachment 67055

I don't like calling it God or by any given name I prefer The Supreme Being

I'd say that in most versions of "God" that I'm familiar with, God is at least one person.

I wouldn't say that God is a man in the sky, but I think it would be fair to say that God is a magical alien.

I'd also say that objecting to anthropomorphism of God is missing the point. Gods are anthropomorphisms. That's their function. A god is a relatable face we put on the otherwise-unrelatable.

 

[Eddi]

I'd also say that objecting to anthropomorphism of God is missing the point. Gods are anthropomorphisms. That's their function. A god is a relatable face we put on the otherwise-unrelatable

But some God concepts are more relatable than others?

What if you build "unrelatable to humans" into your God concept?

I do mine, I freely admit that it is too difficult for me to ever hope to relate to it personally even if it may have chosen to reveal/present itself to us in the past although personally I don't believe in probably most supposed revelations

 

[Koldo]

Here is a depiction of God in the form of an elderly male human:

View attachment 67054

And I doubt that "he" ever assumed such a form...

But: assuming "he" exists, is God a person????

I say no

Although I believe "he" is conscious indeed more conscious than we humans I do not see it (let's call it it) as being a person in the way humans are and I think it is a mistake to anthropomorphise it

I most certainly do not see it as some kind of man, up in the sky. For the record, this is how I see it:

View attachment 67055

I don't like calling it God or by any given name I prefer The Supreme Being

Depends on what you mean by person. I don't understand this term strictly as being equal to a human-like appearance. In every major religion, gods interact with humans (and with one another) in a very human-like manner to the point I would call them 'persons'.

 

[The Sum of Awe]

But some God concepts are more relatable than others?

What if you build "unrelatable to humans" into your God concept?

I do mine, I freely admit that it is too difficult for me to ever hope to relate to it personally even if it may have chosen to reveal/present itself to us in the past although personally I don't believe in probably most supposed revelations

If God has a conscious will, God is by definition a person regardless how relatable to humans God is.

 

[Eddi]

Depends on what you mean by person. I don't understand this term strictly as being equal to a human-like appearance. In every major religion, gods interact with humans (and with one another) in a very human-like manner to the point I would call them 'persons'.

I can interact with my dog

Doesn't make me a dog

 

[Koldo]

I can interact with my dog

Doesn't make me a dog

I have only referred to interactions with humans because going by scriptures alone we don't know what gods are doing/have done other than created worlds and interacted with humans (and each other). And whenever they do something, they do it just like a human (with superpowers) would do.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

But some God concepts are more relatable than others?

Sure. There's a spectrum from "I have a personal relationship with Jesus" to "I hope this offering pleases my god, but he's capricious so I don't know if he'll like it."

What if you build "unrelatable to humans" into your God concept?

Do you have any examples?

All the "unrelatable" examples I've ever seen are things like gods who are mysterious but still hear and understand your prayers, for instance.

I do mine, I freely admit that it is too difficult for me to ever hope to relate to it personally even if it may have chosen to reveal/present itself to us in the past although personally I don't believe in probably most supposed revelations

Still sounds more relatable than basic physical forces and interactions.

 

[Eddi]

All the "unrelatable" examples I've ever seen are things like gods who are mysterious but still hear and understand your prayers, for instance.

I think the issue here is not whether or not a God hears and understands prayers but whether or not it answers them in one way or another

If it were a Supreme Being then it would be aware of and understand everything that exists

I cannot claim to know to what extent if any The Supreme Being answers prayers but I'm fairly sceptical about that

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

I think the issue here is not whether or not a God hears and understands prayers but whether or not it answers them in one way or another

If it were a Supreme Being then it would be aware of and understand everything that exists

I cannot claim to know to what extent if any The Supreme Being answers prayers but I'm fairly sceptical about that

It isn't even necessarily about prayer. It's also just looking at the world and thinking "the weather today is an expression of God's benevolence (or malevolence)" and the like.

 

[Eddi]

looking at the world and thinking "the weather today is an expression of God's benevolence (or malevolence)" and the like.

Well, I'd never think that

I'm not that kind of theist

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

Well, I'd never think that

I'm not that kind of theist

In general, most of the time - and maybe you fall outside the "most" - when someone explains why they call what they believe in "God" as opposed to some other term, I find that we end up with something that points to an anthropomorphism or a relatable face put on some aspect of the universe.

 

[muhammad_isa]

If God has a conscious will, God is by definition a person regardless how relatable to humans God is.

Perhaps "persons" would be a better expression .. not in the multiple sense, of course.
i.e. as in people

God is of an infinite nature.
I don't know any person who is aware of every leaf that has fallen, and will fall.
..and you must consider that G-d is aware of every single person that supplicates to "Him"..
..without any technology.

 

[The Sum of Awe]

Perhaps "persons" would be a better expression .. not in the multiple sense, of course.
i.e. as in people

God is of an infinite nature.
I don't know any person who is aware of every leaf that has fallen, and will fall.
..and you must consider that G-d is aware of every single person that supplicates to "Him"..
..without any technology.

Isn't awareness an attribute only a person would have? What makes God not a person if he has a personality?

 

[muhammad_isa]

Isn't awareness an attribute only a person would have?

In our limited experience, maybe..

 

[TransmutingSoul]

You need another Yes/No or explain option.

It is No and Yes.

No as God's Essence is unknowable. Yes as all we know of God has been given from a Messenger, who is born into this world.

Regards Tony

 

[IndigoChild5559]

Here is a depiction of God in the form of an elderly male human:

View attachment 67054

And I doubt that "he" ever assumed such a form...

But: assuming "he" exists, is God a person????

I say no

Although I believe "he" is conscious indeed more conscious than we humans I do not see it (let's call it it) as being a person in the way humans are and I think it is a mistake to anthropomorphise it

I most certainly do not see it as some kind of man, up in the sky. For the record, this is how I see it:

View attachment 67055

I don't like calling it God or by any given name I prefer The Supreme Being

Usually when I say "person" I'm referring to a conscious, self aware, intelligent entity. So yes, I think God is a person.

If by person you mean a human being, then no.

 

[FredVB]

God is one being, and is without limit, God is still personal as a being. It does not mean this being, God, is one person only. And no image made for showing God does justice to it. Images are not right, God cannot be rightly represented by them. And God is everywhere, without limit in charge over everything everywhere, including everywhere in the universe.