the word God

[ranjana]

how important is the word 'God' to you? Could you call God by any other name (like spirit, source, creator...etc) without changing your relationship to god?

Im just curious; i love the word god (even if its almost taboo in my social circles!) but i dont need it. perhaps it is common to people who identify as spiritual but not particularly religious? So are religious people attached to the word God? Could you use another name just as easily?

 

[Roal]

how important is the word 'God' to you? Could you call God by any other name (like spirit, source, creator...etc) without changing your relationship to god?

Im just curious; i love the word god (even if its almost taboo in my social circles!) but i dont need it. perhaps it is common to people who identify as spiritual but not particularly religious? So are religious people attached to the word God? Could you use another name just as easily?

I use the word God because of convenience.

Although, When speaking in a forum such as this, or that of my peers or something like that, I try to stay as specific as possible.

In most cases I use deity as a form of collective god, divine energy in a sense. The problem with "God" is that it isn't specific. In most cases God refers to the Christian God (in most circles). But it can be a variety of different religions' god or a collective God referring to all-encompassing divine power.

So no, the presence/lack of the word does not change my relationship, I just may use different names at different times to explain different facets of what I call deity, or a specific god to talk specifically about one religion.

 

[zenzero]

Friend ranjana,
As have always maintained that god and satan both are there.
Personally it as the WHOLE or Existence as it takes both God and Satan into account.
Love & rgds

 

[Rolling_Stone]

Like Roal, I use the word "God" for the sake of convenience. It is, however, a words with connotations that make it a gasoline-doused straw dog for the likes of Sam Harris, Dawkins, etc.

 

[Roal]

Like Roal, I use the word "God" for the sake of convenience. It is, however, a words with connotations that make it a gasoline-doused straw dog for the likes of Sam Harris, Dawkins, etc.

gasoline-doused indeed

 

[Ben Dhyan]

how important is the word 'God' to you? Could you call God by any other name (like spirit, source, creator...etc) without changing your relationship to god?

Im just curious; i love the word god (even if its almost taboo in my social circles!) but i dont need it. perhaps it is common to people who identify as spiritual but not particularly religious? So are religious people attached to the word God? Could you use another name just as easily?

First of all what do you understand the word 'God' to represent?

When alone, in meditation or just silent reflection, the word 'God' does not arise in my mind.

When not alone and discussing religion with others, depending on where they are coming from, one will use the word that is most appropriate for conveying that which one is attempting to share.

If they are Atheist, one may use 'Cosmos', or 'Universal Reality', etc..
If they are Christian, then one talks about 'God Absolute', 'Source', 'God', 'Father'.
If they are Muslim, then it is 'God' or 'Allah'.
If they are Taoist, then it the 'Tao', or the 'Way'.
If they are Buddhist, then it is Nirvana.

The words 'spirit' and 'creator' are concepts that deal with the description of God but are not synonymous with it as they are defined by their complementary opposites, ie. spirit/matter and creator/destroyer, whereas God is absolute Unity without an opposite.

Unfortunately, in contemporary popular Christianity, the word 'God' has been conceptually equated with creator and it is therefore recommended that serious students become aware of the distinction between God, ie. the Absolute which is One and indivisible, and it's Divine expression which is dualistic, ie. god/anti-god, creator god/destroyer god, god/satan, good/evil.

 

[Muffled]

how important is the word 'God' to you? Could you call God by any other name (like spirit, source, creator...etc) without changing your relationship to god?

Im just curious; i love the word god (even if its almost taboo in my social circles!) but i dont need it. perhaps it is common to people who identify as spiritual but not particularly religious? So are religious people attached to the word God? Could you use another name just as easily?

It is not important at all and even less importatnt as a name. I think a Christian's relationship with God is keyed very much into the name Jesus. (There is no other name under heaven by which man must be saved)

God is a lingua franca reference to The Almighty and uncapitalized a reference to other god's. Remember The One True God of the Israelites is not native to English speaking people and therefore there was no name for Him in English.

 

[BucephalusBB]

For me the word God is a concept. The word creator is only part of that concept. Source or spirit is just a version of that concept etc...

So it really depends on what I want to talk about..

 

[zenzero]

Friends,

ben d, has explained God in everyone's language and explained it beautifully.

First of all what do you understand the word 'God' to represent?

When alone, in meditation or just silent reflection, the word 'God' does not arise in my mind.

When not alone and discussing religion with others, depending on where they are coming from, one will use the word that is most appropriate for conveying that which one is attempting to share.

If they are Atheist, one may use 'Cosmos', or 'Universal Reality', etc..
If they are Christian, then one talks about 'God Absolute', 'Source', 'God', 'Father'.
If they are Muslim, then it is 'God' or 'Allah'.
If they are Taoist, then it the 'Tao', or the 'Way'.
If they are Buddhist, then it is Nirvana.

The words 'spirit' and 'creator' are concepts that deal with the description of God but are not synonymous with it as they are defined by their complementary opposites, ie. spirit/matter and creator/destroyer, whereas God is absolute Unity without an opposite.

Unfortunately, in contemporary popular Christianity, the word 'God' has been conceptually equated with creator and it is therefore recommended that serious students become aware of the distinction between God, ie. the Absolute which is One and indivisible, and it's Divine expression which is dualistic, ie. god/anti-god, creator god/destroyer god, god/satan, good/evil.
__________________

This is the very reason have coined this new words:
WHOLE or just EXISTENCE.
We are in a new Time / Space zone and we need to evolve for this very reason would like to disconnect all perceptions associated with the various words taken for God/Satan and prefer to place a new word which can represent every human without any historic mind perception to shatter them in put in place these new words:
The WHOLE or just EXISTENCE.
Love & rgds

 

[Riverwolf]

There was One. There is One. There will be One. One is All. One is None. You are One. I am One. We are One.

Of course, you can call It whatever you want. Not everyone speaks English, and I doubt the gods even have languages. ^_^

 

[ranjana]

First of all what do you understand the word 'God' to represent?

when i use the word God, I mean life that never dies, that always was and always will be. that I Am, and is Everything.(my concept) but i think the word God usually represents the Almighty or One True God as Muffled wrote, or a similar Judeo-Christian concept.

The words 'spirit' and 'creator' are concepts that deal with the description of God but are not synonymous with it as they are defined by their complementary opposites, ie. spirit/matter and creator/destroyer, whereas God is absolute Unity without an opposite... distinction between God, ie. the Absolute which is One and indivisible, and it's Divine expression which is dualistic, ie. god/anti-god, creator god/destroyer god, god/satan, good/evil.

this is beautiful and resonates 100% with me; would you call yourself 'religious'? If yes, what religion do you follow?

 

[ranjana]

It is not important at all and even less importatnt as a name.

this is what i was wondering about, for most it does just seem to be a name to use for convenience...

 

[ranjana]

Friend ranjana,
As have always maintained that god and satan both are there.
Personally it as the WHOLE or Existence as it takes both God and Satan into account.
Love & rgds

dear zenzero, i want to understand this and so can i ask a question: the whole does include everything, all seemingly dualistic concepts are at once the whole/existence... but for me i want to call everything God, so that includes satan? in my understanding, satan is just an idea, but god is the reality. all ideas are part of the reality but not necessarily real.

Am I just trading the word god for the word Existence?

 

[Ben Dhyan]

when i use the word God, I mean life that never dies, that always was and always will be. that I Am, and is Everything.(my concept) but i think the word God usually represents the Almighty or One True God as Muffled wrote, or a similar Judeo-Christian concept.

Both what you mean when you use the word God, and that which you think usually represents the One True God by Judeo-Christian orthodoxy, are still conceptual representations of THAT which is unknowable by dualistic mind.
As far as conceptualizations go, they may very well stand as reasonable representations, but nevertheless remain just mental constructs, ie. images, ideas, etc..
God is One, and so long as disciples of God think of God in conceptual terms, (no matter how sincere,devotional and well intended), there is a duality present that prevents the realization of God.
IOW, so long as there is a subject/object (disciple/God) relationship, then the 'Father and I are one' concept that Jesus conveyed appears not to be one but two. It is ego conceptual thinking that creates this subject/object differentiation of the Oneness, and it through the stilling of the mind that this temporary mortal ego will dissolve and re-emerge as Oneness. This will eventually happen in any event either as a result of meditation or through physical death.

this is beautiful and resonates 100% with me; would you call yourself 'religious'? If yes, what religion do you follow?

Thanks ranjana.

The concept 'religion' has a numbers of meanings in popular usage.
For example, religion can be understood to be an institution or belief system, eg. Catholic, Protestant, Sunni, Taoist, Christian, etc.. and in this context one doesn't follow any of them exclusively but empathize with the sincere divine aspirations for union with the 'Almighty' of them all.

However, the word religion in it's original meaning comes from latin and roughly translates 'retie', ie. religion is the aspiration for retying/reconnecting/reunion with one's Source.
In this regard, Religion is quite similar to the meaning of Yoga, as yoga means union, and yogic practice reflects the aspiration for union with Brahman, the all pervading ONENESS.

So to answer your question, yes, one admits to being religious, but not tied to following any one particular religious belief system amongst the many 'flowers' growing.

 

[zenzero]

Friend ranjana,

the whole does include everything, all seemingly dualistic concepts are at once the whole/existence... but for me i want to call everything God, so that includes satan? in my understanding, satan is just an idea, but god is the reality. all ideas are part of the reality but not necessarily real.

Am I just trading the word god for the word Existence?

Yes, you would surely be trading the words God with the WHOLE or EXISTENCE.

The idea is not one of trading, the idea here is mainly to understand the limitations of words. We see that over the centuries the use of the words God/Allah/Bhagwan makes the mind of most people picture something FIXED which is not a *FLOW* and which does not include Satan. Like friend eselam cannot even think about it. We also find that knowledgeable people of the forum still are stuck up and use the word *HINDUISM* for Sanatan Dharma when we all know that the word Hinduism is coined by westerners who has no idea about Sanatan Dharma besides we all know the word Hinduism is perceived as image worshiping sect mostly all over the globe; but still people go on using the word Hinduism unconsciously.
It is mainly to awaken others around which in turn awakens me and the WHOLE.
LOve & rgds

 

[No*s]

how important is the word 'God' to you? Could you call God by any other name (like spirit, source, creator...etc) without changing your relationship to god?

Im just curious; i love the word god (even if its almost taboo in my social circles!) but i dont need it. perhaps it is common to people who identify as spiritual but not particularly religious? So are religious people attached to the word God? Could you use another name just as easily?

For me, personally, yes. In a great many ways the language we use limits what we say and cannot say (modern philosophers have called this the "tyranny of the word"). "God" has implications that none of these other terms do, but it can include them. It is sufficiently vague to be used by multiple groups, but is sufficiently clear that when someone knows what general crowd the person using it belongs to, the listener understands what is meant. There are very few words that can even try to cover the same semantic domain of "God", at least in English.

Consequently, I cannot replace it without losing precision and options in my language and ability to think. It is a humbling thought, but it is true nonetheless. I, therefore, need the word to speak about these, unless I want to string a series of words together in a cumbersome manner (Imagine in the Nicene Creed "I believe in one Source/Creator/Principle/Absolute/Divine Person/host of other words"; what a nightmare).

 

[autonomous1one1]

Greetings. The views as expressed by Ben d closely correspond with my own and one must :bow: bow to his wisdom. Concerning different terms applied to the same ultimate reality --

....
If they are Atheist, one may use 'Cosmos', or 'Universal Reality', etc..
If they are Christian, then one talks about 'God Absolute', 'Source', 'God', 'Father'.
If they are Muslim, then it is 'God' or 'Allah'.
If they are Taoist, then it the 'Tao', or the 'Way'.
If they are Buddhist, then it is Nirvana......

Permit a few more that perhaps are less well known be added to the list. Ben, would you agree to the following? In spirituality, one might use 'Consciousness-itself' and the 'True-Self' or any of the above; and in philosophical and theological circles 'Being-itself' and 'Ground of Being' might be used in addition to those mentioned and others.

Regards,
a..1

 

[Ben Dhyan]

Greetings. The views as expressed by Ben d closely correspond with my own and one must :bow: bow to his wisdom. Concerning different terms applied to the same ultimate reality --Permit a few more that perhaps are less well known be added to the list. Ben, would you agree to the following? In spirituality, one might use 'Consciousness-itself' and the 'True-Self' or any of the above; and in philosophical and theological circles 'Being-itself' and 'Ground of Being' might be used in addition to those mentioned and others.

Regards,
a..1

Thank you autonomous1one1, Namaste.

Yes of course, the few examples given were not meant to be definitive.

 

[Elessar]

To me, G-d is the only term that can be used with full understanding. There are many terms for G-d, just as a short list, Kelyon, Shakai, Kel Olam, Kel Chai, Elokei Yisrael, Kel Gibbor (Most High, Almighty, Everlasting G-d, Living G-d, G-d of Israel, G-d of Strength). There are a few most important names, such as Elokim, which simply is "G-d". There is a stronger form, meaning, effectively, "My L-rd", which is a replacement for the actual Name, which it is believed practically forbidden to even attempt its pronunciation - even to write out the letters of the Name is holy and cannot be done but in a religious context. Look it up as "tetragammaton", I believe Wikipedia has an article. The term used to replace it also cannot be used except in religious contexts, so the term Hashem ("The Name") is used outside of explicitly religious contexts; this term can probably also be found on Wikipedia, as I will not recreate it here.

There are many other names of G-d, but he has one absolute Name, above all others - and, to me at least, there is no other term that can be properly asccribed to it, as the Universe is Creation and G-d is separate from his Creation.

 

[Ben Dhyan]

To me, G-d is the only term that can be used with full understanding.
<snip>
There are many other names of G-d, but he has one absolute Name, above all others - and, to me at least, there is no other term that can be properly asccribed to it, as the Universe is Creation and G-d is separate from his Creation.

Thank you Elessar, will always try to remember to use G-d when discussing G-d with you.

BTW, agree with you that G-d is not the same as Universe, or Creation, etc., however when engaging in religious discussion with others who are not aware of the transcendent, it may sometimes be appropriate to be diplomatic and rather than contradict them outright, engage them at their present conceptual level and try to convey the more subtle understanding.

Where my present understanding may differs from yours at this time, is that while G-d is transcendent to Creation, G-d is simultaneously immanent in it, ie. G-d is unambiguously omnipresent.