The Best Definition of God

[richardlowellt]

I've got another definition:

God - A concept invented by early mankind as an attempt to understand aspects of the physical world that were uncomprehendable at the time. It has survived to present day because it became a positive evolutionary trait. Those who believed in God often used the concept as an authority with which to justify laws and social morays that enabled the development and growth of cohesive human societies. As mankind became more and more able to explain the world around him, fewer and fewer people found a need for God as either a way to "explain" the world around them or as a reason for moral behavior. As such, the concept of God continues to fade away, except in societies where modern education is trailing and/or inculcation of religious tradition is loathe to give up its grip.

What do you think?

I like it, very concise and certainly holds a tremendous amount of truth, Well done!!!!

 

[Riverwolf]

God - A concept invented by early mankind as an attempt to understand aspects of the physical world that were uncomprehendable at the time.

This works beautifully for the gods ascribed to natural phenomena.

Here's a possible origin for my God-concept:

Experienced (possibly intentionally) by men who realized that material possession and all other things of this world are temporary, and therefore wanted to find something to take shelter in that would never die.

 

[dogsgod]

God is a fairy.

 

[blackout]

God is a fairy.

Why yes.... thank you. :flirt:

 

[blackout]

The tao that can be told
is not the eternal Tao
The name that can be named
is not the eternal Name.

The unnamable is the eternally real.
Naming is the origin
of all particular things.

Free from desire, you realize the mystery.
Caught in desire, you see only the manifestations.

Yet mystery and manifestations
arise from the same source.
This source is called darkness.

Darkness within darkness.
The gateway to all understanding.

Unnamably Beautiful.

 

[blackout]

ALLthings are gOd.
gOd is the ALL.

My Wholly book?

Life itself.

Millions of people be'live/believe in it.

 

[Paraprakrti]

I think it is worth pointing out that "creator of cosmos" is not an essential part of the definition of "God." We happen to call God the creator because we have evidence of what we interpret as a creation. However, God could have just as likely decided not to create at all. In that case, it would be inappropriate to call God the creator.

 

[DadBurnett]

On Earth, reality is little more than persistant illusion ...

Why do you say this?

Why? 72 years of personal experience with constant change ... the facts of yesterday replaced by the facts of today, ever evolving perceptions of science, the enemies of yesterday becoming the allies of today. The illusion of a piece of wood being solid to the touch yet when its "atomic" sttructure is viewed. it is mostly "empty space." Things that are beautiful to one person are ugly to another ... the variety of contridictory absolute truths espoused by peoples of faith. So called "bad things" that in the end turn out to be good. Words intended to convey the writer's (or speaker's) meaning that are perceived differently by the reader/hearer. The world, if not an illusion, is the stuff of illusion ...

 

[Riverwolf]

On Earth, reality is little more than persistant illusion ...


Why? 72 years of personal experience with constant change ... the facts of yesterday replaced by the facts of today, ever evolving perceptions of science, the enemies of yesterday becoming the allies of today. The illusion of a piece of wood being solid to the touch yet when its "atomic" sttructure is viewed. it is mostly "empty space." Things that are beautiful to one person are ugly to another ... the variety of contridictory absolute truths espoused by peoples of faith. So called "bad things" that in the end turn out to be good. Words intended to convey the writer's (or speaker's) meaning that are perceived differently by the reader/hearer. The world, if not an illusion, is the stuff of illusion ...

The world itself isn't illusion. Labels, names, and categories we give it and its components are.

Nevertheless, the majority of humans need these illusions just to survive in the world, so they are in no way universally "bad."

 

[Beaudreaux]

On Earth, reality is little more than persistant illusion ...


Why? 72 years of personal experience with constant change ... the facts of yesterday replaced by the facts of today, ever evolving perceptions of science, the enemies of yesterday becoming the allies of today. The illusion of a piece of wood being solid to the touch yet when its "atomic" sttructure is viewed. it is mostly "empty space." Things that are beautiful to one person are ugly to another ... the variety of contridictory absolute truths espoused by peoples of faith. So called "bad things" that in the end turn out to be good. Words intended to convey the writer's (or speaker's) meaning that are perceived differently by the reader/hearer. The world, if not an illusion, is the stuff of illusion ...

Here is my issue with this line of thinking. In order to recognize something as an illusion, you have to see through it at some point or another. For example:

The lines in this picture do not appear to be parallel. It is only when you measure them that you can see that their appearance is an illusion and that they are in fact perfectly parallel.

If ALL the world is a persistent illusion, how would we ever find out?

 

[Renji]

Please if any one has a definition of God (the creator of cosmos) better than the following definition (Quran definition), just inform me.

but this definition must be from a holy book which millions of people believe in.


2:255. Allah. There is no god but He,-the Living, the Self-subsisting, Eternal. No slumber can seize Him nor sleep. His are all things in the heavens and on earth. Who is there can intercede in His presence except as He permitteth? He knoweth what (appeareth to His creatures as) before or after or behind them. Nor shall they compass aught of His knowledge except as He willeth. His Throne doth extend over the heavens and the earth, and He feeleth no fatigue in guarding and preserving them for He is the Most High, the Supreme (in glory).

I am interesting to know>>>

God is love.....

 

[Madhuri]

Firstly, can anybody really define God without knowing God?
A quote that I really like goes something like this:

"If you think you know everything about your God then your God must be very small"

I do not think that a human being is capable of understanding God's nature and trying to fit Him into a linguistic definition cannot be perfect. But shall I attempt?

Gos is Everything.

 

[Copernicus]

Firstly, can anybody really define God without knowing God?

Yes. We define all sorts of beings, both imaginary and real, that we do not "know" in an absolute sense. If the concept of God were meaningless, then we would have nothing at all to talk about. There is nothing in existence that we know absolutely everything about, yet the words that we use still have meanings that we can characterize with definitions.

A quote that I really like goes something like this:

"If you think you know everything about your God then your God must be very small"

Irrelevant. We can define concepts that are both large and small. A definition is still a definition.

I do not think that a human being is capable of understanding God's nature and trying to fit Him into a linguistic definition cannot be perfect. But shall I attempt?

The fact that you make the attempt suggests that you do think it is possible to define a meaning for "God". The more interesting question is what it buys you to claim that the concept cannot be defined. My opinion on that score is that it buys your concept of God a kind of immunity from critical analysis. It is part of a strategy to resist skepticism.

Gos is Everything.

That isn't a reasonable definition of what we mean by "God". God is an agency that, at the very least, performs miracles. Not everything is an agency, let alone an agency that performs miracles. What I think you are trying to say here is that God is immanent--present in all things.

 

[Madhuri]

I do not disagree with you and yet I do not think that I am wrong. In short, humans are not capable to understanding God satisfactorily, and yet we can try and be right to a very limited degree.

So although I do not understand God to His full potential, I do believe that God is everything, in that everything is a manifestation of his energy. So God is the universe, he is everything within it and yet he is so much more. But that isn't much of a definition now is it? Extremely limited.

 

[dogsgod]

I do not disagree with you and yet I do not think that I am wrong. In short, humans are not capable to understanding God satisfactorily, and yet we can try and be right to a very limited degree.

So although I do not understand God to His full potential, I do believe that God is everything, in that everything is a manifestation of his energy. So God is the universe, he is everything within it and yet he is so much more. But that isn't much of a definition now is it? Extremely limited.

What makes Him a he? Is he an invisible bearded man?

 

[Madhuri]

What makes Him a he? Is he an invisible bearded man?

Actually when I say 'he' it is just my cutlural influence. I actually believe that God is both male and female and anything inbetween. In my religion, the male aspect is the 'seed' of thought and the female aspect is the creative energy from which all existence is manifest.

 

[Tiapan]

Can anyone show a clearer example of the "Placebo Effect" than God and religion.

 

[DadBurnett]

Here is my issue with this line of thinking. In order to recognize something as an illusion, you have to see through it at some point or another. For example:

The lines in this picture do not appear to be parallel. It is only when you measure them that you can see that their appearance is an illusion and that they are in fact perfectly parallel.

If ALL the world is a persistent illusion, how would we ever find out?

The points you make do not speak to the examples cited in my post, the illustration is irrelevant to what was said ... your response to my post seems to be little more than illusion ...

 

[Anti-thesisofreason]

God is Infinate Potential.

 

[painter49]

My definition.... He is My Father and Savior ( Father Son and Holy Spirit ).... In Genesis (book of the Bible) It is said that Enoch walked with God ..... the most amazing thing I ever read!!!