What is God to You?

[sandy whitelinger]

Something puzzles me (other than why so many people who don't believe in God are on a religious forum). Why is it that so many people who frequent here believe that God doesn't have any more power than they themselves have. What is so hard about a concept that involves God being greater than the physical laws of this universe.

Is it as Romans 1 says? "Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things."

 

[Engyo]

Something puzzles me (other than why so many people who don't believe in God are on a religious forum). Why is it that so many people who frequent here believe that God doesn't have any more power than they themselves have. What is so hard about a concept that involves God being greater than the physical laws of this universe.

Sandy -

It isn't that I have a hard time with the concept; it is just that I don't believe that the way the universe works is described in the Bible. Actually your statement above does not describe my belief (about God having a relative amount of power) since I don't believe in God as described by any of the Abrahamic religions at all.

Is it as Romans 1 says? "Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things."

Respectfully, posting Bible quotes to prove something to people who don't ascribe any particular significance to the Bible as a description of the universe doesn't quite follow, does it?

 

[Feathers in Hair]

Something puzzles me (other than why so many people who don't believe in God are on a religious forum). Why is it that so many people who frequent here believe that God doesn't have any more power than they themselves have. What is so hard about a concept that involves God being greater than the physical laws of this universe.

As to your first puzzlement, I believe that they are like all of us. They enjoy debate, discussion and getting to know other, usually like-minded people. (Like minded meaning people who are willing to engage in serious thought, without (hopefully) putting each other down.) Also, not all theists believe in the same God you do, nor do all theists percieve them as having the same attributes.

As to the second, it also ties in with the answer to the first. Not everyone's perception of the Divine is the same. Some people believe that it doesn't exist, some people believe that it does and has infinite power, others believe that it exists, but that its power and the nature of its power is given to it by those who worship it. This doesn't make them right or wrong on their perception, just as it doesn't make you right or wrong.

Hope that helped clear up some confusion!

 

[dawny0826]

My God is my All. I am nothing, seriously. All that I have, all that I accomplish...all that I am is because of Him...who He is and What He has done.

God is all powerful and we accept Christ...we do have access to much more than the average Christian acknowledges. We have within us the very ability to walk on water...heal the sick...raise the dead...what we lack of course is always...FAITH.

 

[Halcyon]

Something puzzles me (other than why so many people who don't believe in God are on a religious forum). Why is it that so many people who frequent here believe that God doesn't have any more power than they themselves have. What is so hard about a concept that involves God being greater than the physical laws of this universe.

Its very simple sandy. If there was a supernatural God who created us and nurtures us with unimaginable power, well there would be evidence of that power.

We'd have evidence of life and the universe being created in its modern form. We'd have evidence of God interacting with people in the past and evidence that He still does today. We'd have conclusive evidence that everything in the bible is 100% truth.

Instead we only have evidence to the contrary, there is no evidecne of God's existance, no evidence of his powers or of his intervention on this Earth. All we have is a book, a book that for all we know is as fictional as the Lord of the Rings.

The concept of an omnipotent God is not hard to accept, its believing in God without any real evidence that's hard.

 

[Atheist_Dave]

I get the concept of god perfectly well, but what I dont get is how you can spend your whole life trusting everything this book says, even though there is no evidence for any of it. Like Halcyon said, we have no reason to believe it is any more factual than lord of the rings. I believe that if god existed he wouldnt make it such a puzzle for us, there would be at least some signs of his existance. We would never believe there is a donkey in the sky controlling us, not without any evidence, so why believe in god?

 

[dawny0826]

I get the concept of god perfectly well, but what I dont get is how you can spend your whole life trusting everything this book says, even though there is no evidence for any of it. Like Halcyon said, we have no reason to believe it is any more factual than lord of the rings. I believe that if god existed he wouldnt make it such a puzzle for us, there would be at least some signs of his existance. We would never believe there is a donkey in the sky controlling us, not without any evidence, so why believe in god?

The evidence is found spiritually. Walking by faith and not by sight.

 

[Atheist_Dave]

And as Nietzsche said "Faith is not wanting to know what is true". Why have faith? Why not use your eyes? Im not going to close my eyes and walk into a bus thank you very much...

 

[dawny0826]

And as Nietzsche said "Faith is not wanting to know what is true". Why have faith? Why not use your eyes? Im not going to close my eyes and walk into a bus thank you very much...

And you certainly don't have to...free choice.

 

[Halcyon]

The evidence is found spiritually. Walking by faith and not by sight.

Dawny, the bible speaks of physical events, thus there should be physical evidence - its not a matter of faith.

 

[dawny0826]

Dawny, the bible speaks of physical events, thus there should be physical evidence - its not a matter of faith.

You can't know God unless you believe in God and you have to have Faith to accept that a God that you cannot see exists...so FAITH IS the heart of the issue.

 

[Atheist_Dave]

No I dont have to, but I go to hell and rot in the fires for all eternity. What a choice

 

[dawny0826]

No I dont have to, but I go to hell and rot in the fires for all eternity. What a choice

Yeah...exactly...a choice. It can completely go the other way if so choose it. It's not God holding man down...man makes his own bed...and then has to lay in it...

 

[Halcyon]

You can't know God unless you believe in God and you have to have Faith to accept that a God that you cannot see exists...so FAITH IS the heart of the issue.

Sure, you need faith to believe in a God. But if that God says to you that He made the world in a certain way, yet all the evidence points to the opposite being true, what does that say to you?

 

[dawny0826]

Sure, you need faith to believe in a God. But if that God says to you that He made the world in a certain way, yet all the evidence points to the opposite being true, what does that say to you?

Halycon, there are many of us who don't have issues with what God has said in his Word. I don't. It's not confusing to me and I trust HIM over ANY scientific explanation that could bubble to the surface and attempt to prove otherwise.

Faith...I trust God above all. I don't doubt Him. Obviously, I'm a minority here but I don't doubt God at all. I trust him. And I can deal with that.

 

[Atheist_Dave]

Wow, the dark side is strong within you dawny i guess we will never convert you hehe x x

 

[nutshell]

Sure, you need faith to believe in a God. But if that God says to you that He made the world in a certain way, yet all the evidence points to the opposite being true, what does that say to you?

It is acceptance of Christ that lets us return to God.

Physical evidence or lack thereof is irrelevant.

For example, whether you believe the creation happened as told in Genesis or you believe it is a story that teaches an important truth you can accept Christ and be saved.

 

[Popeyesays]

Something puzzles me (other than why so many people who don't believe in God are on a religious forum). Why is it that so many people who frequent here believe that God doesn't have any more power than they themselves have. What is so hard about a concept that involves God being greater than the physical laws of this universe.

Is it as Romans 1 says? "Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things."

ANy conceptualization of what GOd IS or IS NOT, is, by definition, a vain imagination. Neither I nor anyone living today on this earth can tell you what God is or sin't.

Regards,
Scott

 

[dawny0826]

ANy conceptualization of what GOd IS or IS NOT, is, by definition, a vain imagination. Neither I nor anyone living today on this earth can tell you what God is or sin't.

Regards,
Scott

Yes, to a great degree there is so MUCH about God that is mysterious and unkown but at the same time, as a Christian, through Christ, I'm developing a personal relationship with God every day by praising, praying and studying his Word.

So, although there is so much that I can't and don't understand about God, I don't feel that there's vanity to claim and confess what I DO know of God. He reveals MUCH through His Word and Spirit.

 

[Popeyesays]

Yes, to a great degree there is so MUCH about God that is mysterious and unkown but at the same time, as a Christian, through Christ, I'm developing a personal relationship with God every day by praising, praying and studying his Word.

So, although there is so much that I can't and don't understand about God, I don't feel that there's vanity to claim and confess what I DO know of God. He reveals MUCH through His Word and Spirit.

I tend to agree. But I think it is not the personal relationship with God, but rather the personal relationship with the revelation of the Prophet - Christ for you. Christ tells you what you should know and what you are capable of knowing, and your visualization of the uUnseeable is the result of that relationship with Jesus and the revelation of Jesus.

We are incapable of KNOWING God directly, which is WHY Jesus was sent, why Moses was sent, and as I see it why Muhammad, the Bab and Baha`u'llah were sent - to renew that covenant and relationship.

Regards,
Scott