Who is God?

[enchanted_one1975]

Can someone please explain to me why the God of most Abrahamic religions is just called "God" instead of calling Him by a name? To me that is kind of like naming your child "Child."

Simple question. No debating about who's God is real. No fighting about who has the cooler name. No religion disrespect. Just, why? Why is there no name?

 

[Venatoris]

Maybe he has a really embarrassing, uncool name. If I wanted people to follow me, I wouldn't tell them that my name was Leslie. "Praise be to Leslie!" It just doesn't sound right.

My apologies to anyone named Leslie.

 

[Thief]

Last I heard, He chose a simple statement of existence....'I am".
'And they who understand will know whose law this is'.

There are several threads debating the existence of God.
We say of ourselves...I think...therefore I am.

Somehow, some people don't accept that God can do the same.

 

[enchanted_one1975]

Somehow, some people don't accept that God can do the same.

But we have names, and so do the rest of the Gods and Goddesses. You don't think this is odd?

 

[Sunstone]

Can someone please explain to me why the God of most Abrahamic religions is just called "God" instead of calling Him by a name? To me that is kind of like naming your child "Child."

Simple question. No debating about who's God is real. No fighting about who has the cooler name. No religion disrespect. Just, why? Why is there no name?

Traditionally, when you capitalize "god", you are indicating the god of the Abrahamic faiths. When you do not capitalize "god" you are not necessarily indicating the god of those faiths.

 

[enchanted_one1975]

Traditionally, when you capitalize "god", you are indicating the god of the Abrahamic faiths. When you do not capitalize "god" you are not necessarily indicating the god of those faiths.

I capitalize God and Goddess always, out of respect for the multiple Gods and Goddesses that I worship, as well as out of respect of the religions of others.

 

[Sunstone]

I capitalize God and Goddess always, out of respect for the multiple Gods and Goddesses that I worship, as well as out of respect of the religions of others.

Cool. At worse, you'll just confuse a few people.

 

[YmirGF]

Cool. At worse, you'll just confuse a few people.

Indeed, as the average mortal would probably be unaware of the gods and goddesses that he is referring to.

 

[zenzero]

Friend enchanted_one1975,

Who is God?

No idea about whom you are talking about.
What is *god*? maybe could say that *whole* of which am *part* of and that basically in human language could be labelled as *energy* [universal for the whole and individual for this form that am in]

Love & rgds

 

[Thief]

Well, of course, name calling is an action aimed at person who bears that name.
Assigning a name to God? That would be demeaning. The action would put Him to the position of responding when called upon.
And who is greater? He who calls...or he that comes running?
I suppose we now digress to the role God plays.
Is He master...or servant.

I know of only one adjective that comes close.
The Almighty.
Let Him do the calling....you jump when He does.

 

[darkendless]

Assigning a name to God? That would be demeaning. The action would put Him to the position of responding when called upon.
.

Isn't it just as demeaning for theists to attribute weak human characteristics to this God fella who no one will ever understand?

 

[Thief]

I refer to Him as the Almighty. Nothing weak about that.

Most religions have some description beyond that one adjective.
Such practice would make Him more.....human.
And some people claim we are created in His image.

But I don't think of Him in that way.

 

[darkendless]

I refer to Him as the Almighty. Nothing weak about that.

Most religions have some description beyond that one adjective.
Such practice would make Him more.....human.
And some people claim we are created in His image.

But I don't think of Him in that way.

Often i see people say "God would agree with this, or God would command me to do that." However, i've seen just as many times, God explained as above our understanding as mere humans.

 

[Thief]

I will try to stay to the point of topic....
But it's not really 'who' God is. It's more like 'what'.

I'm not expecting to be judged by the Almighty Himself.
Nor am I expecting to be lead around, or commanded.

The next best label would be Creator.
But this label does not induce 'personality'.

The one outstanding item, that could be considered 'personal'...
Would be attempting to 'create' another person.

Immediately after the Big Bang, God called it all good.
There was no response.
He was alone.
The Bible makes note of angels, but doesn't elaborate about Their creation, or how They relate to God, beyond being servants.
And this is only implied as God makes comment...'Let us make Man in our image'. Apparently the angels assisted.

When I look in the mirror, I see only a device that allows the formation of a unique individual, (a soul) as my unique existence can do nothing else.
This bio-mechanism will end and the spirit that I become will 'crossover'.

Judgment belongs to the angelic.

 

[enchanted_one1975]

Let Him do the calling....you jump when He does.

The Gods and Goddesses that I jump for are not the One being discussed in this thread.

 

[Breathe]

Just, why? Why is there no name?

Coming from an Abrahamic perspective, at a guess, I think it's something to do with Exodus 20:7.

"You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name. (NIV)

It may be because of this, or because of this, or the fact that there are so many Names of God to use (El, Yahweh, Shaddai, etc) to use that just the bog standard word for 'The Divinity' is much better, and may be seen as a way of respect to show you're not casually/disrespectfully using the Name of God.

Although this would not be true for all Abrahamic religions. Many Muslims say the name Allah is the Name of God within Islam (of which I have my doubts due to the fact non-Muslim Arabs use Allah to refer to God, too but this isn't for debate), and I think Allah is used within virtually all, if not all, languages where there are Muslims talking to Muslims (e.g., Muslims may use "God" to explain they're talking about the Divine, but Muslims will more than likely use Allah when talking to another Muslim, no matter what language they're in).

Just my opinion as to why this could be. I'd love to learn about the reasons why though.

 

[bayezid3]

Can someone please explain to me why the God of most Abrahamic religions is just called "God" instead of calling Him by a name? To me that is kind of like naming your child "Child."

Simple question. No debating about who's God is real. No fighting about who has the cooler name. No religion disrespect. Just, why? Why is there no name?

The simplest response brother in humanity


Is not nothing like Him

Originator of the heavens and the earth

And the creator of every living thing


YOU WELCOME

 

[Bick]

Can someone please explain to me why the God of most Abrahamic religions is just called "God" instead of calling Him by a name? To me that is kind of like naming your child "Child."

Simple question. No debating about who's God is real. No fighting about who has the cooler name. No religion disrespect. Just, why? Why is there no name?

MY COMMENTS: God tells Moses His name in Exodus 3:14:

"And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and He said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you." KJV.

"I AM" from the phonetic Hebrew, "YAHVEH", transliterated into English as "Jehovah."

Literally means "Is, Being, Was", "the Existing One".

"Jehovah" occurs hundreds of times in English translations.

 

[bayezid3]

Can someone please explain to me why the God of most Abrahamic religions is just called "God" instead of calling Him by a name? To me that is kind of like naming your child "Child."

Simple question. No debating about who's God is real. No fighting about who has the cooler name. No religion disrespect. Just, why? Why is there no name?

That the word God (Allah)
Should be considered a nickname for the name of God
That the name of God the Great If you ask him
Responded to you at the same time

But I like to show you something
Since I am a Muslim
When the owners asked the Prophet of Islam (We want to know our Lord who is Iamamed)
Lord, come down to them in the book Al-Muslim by definition is

Say God is One
Allah, the Eternal
No evidence
Did not generate
Did not have an instance of one

 

[ManTimeForgot]

Has to do with the gross misunderstanding surrounding the nature of the commandment to not take the "Lord's name" in vain. Most people have come to understand this as some sort of doctrine forswearing the use of the Lord's name (or even saying God for that matter) under any and all circumstances as there are few (or no) legitimate times for its use.

Taken in its original context, where names had power and thus one could compel God to act: somewhat akin to Moses striking the rock to create water in Exodus without asking God for it to happen, the commandment forswears us from using the Lord's name in a manner in which we lack conviction or for trivial purposes (don't command God to damn something if you don't actually want it to happen; God damn that toaster is a perfect example of that. Just how many people want their toaster banished to a Hell dimension simply because it burned your toast too many times?)

MTF