GloryB

Whether you believe, don't believe, or just aren't sure, each person seems to have a definition for what "God" is. For example, I think much like the ancient Greeks created gods to explain war, love, and the powers of Earth, I think humans whittled it down to one great "God" to explain that which they don't understand or can't explain. I also think a lot of what people attribute to "God" is just something innate inside most every human... an influence from within your biological makeup rather than a supernatural influence from without.

GloryB

Grant

I don't agree with this completely. Most religions in the past and today are polytheistic.

Personally, it seems crazy that people don't know God exists. Its like trying to tell me my best friend doesn't exist.

I wish I could just say to Him "Hey, you wanna come down here for a few minutes?" "Sure, Let me find my shoes" and I can say "See? He's right here."

In my relationship with God, He's like an awesome older brother. Thats the best thing I think I can relate it to. Haha

__________________
Hey.

DizzyDee

So, if it is crazy for people to say "I don't know God exists." Then there must be some logical way to "know" God. Do you have suggestions for some of us "crazy" people that say we don't/can't know for sure?

__________________
DizzyDee

"The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, and wiser people so full of doubts." - Bertrand Russell

pigpen

I think that God is whatever you think He is, or whatever you want to think He is. God exists in different forms for different people and I don't think there's any one answer to this question. God can exist in many things, and you should take comfort in whatever shape or form you feel He is in.

GloryB

The difference Grant is I can see your best friend, shake his hand and even carry on a 2-sided conversation with him... unless he is imaginary (like my 7 year olds.) But since I am an adult, it sounds more crazy to me to have a best friend no one can see, touch, or talk with.

GloryB

SithLord

Yeah, and we're the crazy ones...

Grant

dangit all to heck dang! i aint callin no nobody no crazy...

how to know God... ask Him to make himself known to you would be a big one... i might write a serious response some time when im not doped up on sleep-deprivation

__________________
Hey.

Faydwyn

Good question!

I think it’s sad that when someone says they believe or don’t believe in God, no one asks them how they define God. There are so many different definitions.

I think for a lot of people God equals the unknown. We don’t know how what initiated the Big Bang so therefore God did it; that sort of thing.

I’m not going to try to explain how I view divinity here because I plan to start a thread about it (at some point) and it’s rather unconventional and therefore harder to explain. So you guys will just have to be in suspense for a while.

But here’s a list of some basic definitions I found.

http://www.ksu.edu/aura/handout1.doc

Varieties of Religious Belief

-atheism – No Gods exist.

-agnosticism – Knowledge about God(s) is impossible; OR, knowledge about God(s) is not something that I possess.

-deism – God exists, but he is not currently active in the universe.

-monotheism – There is one, and only one, God.

-henotheism – I worship one God, but there may be more.

-monism – All is one.

-dualism – All is two (most commonly good/evil or male/female).

-impersonal idealism – God is an impersonal system of values that is worthy of
worship.

-pantheism – All that exists is God.

-panentheism – God interpenetrates all of nature, but has an existence apart from nature.

-animism – Everything has a soul.

-“soft” polytheisms - "soft" polytheism refers to a version of polytheism that either denies the literal existence or the uniqueness of the gods.

+functional polytheism – Symbolic use of polytheistic theology and terminology as a ritual tool or useful concept, without literal belief in the existence of multiple gods.

+archetypal polytheism – Belief in multiple gods/goddesses as representing psychological (Jungian) archetypes, or elements of the human personality; belief that there are a relatively small set of unique gods/goddesses, and that gods/goddesses from different cultures who have similar personalities and domains are representations of the same god/goddess.

+polytheism “plus” – polytheism “plus” one of the non-polytheist beliefs above. IE:

~polytheism + monism– There are multiple Gods, but they are all aspects of one divine Force; OR, there are multiple Gods, and there is also a divine Force.(also known as “monolatry”)

~polytheism + dualism – There are multiple Gods, but they are all aspects of one of the two divine Forces (“all Gods are one God, all Goddesses are one Goddess”).

-“hard” polytheisms - "hard" polytheism refers to a version of polytheism that believes in the literal existence of multiple gods/goddesses, with unique personalities, who are not reducible to one supreme god or source or god/goddess pair.

+panpolytheism - Belief in all gods/goddesses, moving between pantheons at will; extreme eclectic polytheism.

+henopolytheism - Devotion in one pantheon or set of gods/goddesses, without denying the existence of other gods/goddesses outside of that set.

+single-pantheon polytheism - Belief in one pantheon or set of gods/goddesses, to the exclusion of all others.

brig

Haha, it's just like choosing a McDonals meal isn't it, "Would you like a serving of dualism with your polytheism?"

In all seriousness, when I believed in the concept of a God, it was as an omnipresent entity that created us all to serve him. The more I think back to that, the less sense it makes and the more I move away from it.

However, my personal view is that people cling on to the idea of a God become it gives them comfort in life. The answer to questions that otherwise remain unanswered, a hope for better life to come, and a reason behind everything awful in life. Essentially it helps them deal with life itself.

lisha32

"people cling on to the idea of a God become it gives them comfort in life. The answer to questions that otherwise remain unanswered, a hope for better life to come, and a reason behind everything awful in life"

I couldn't have said it better myself....for whatever reason, many people feel the need for this sort of thing....i think that's why many never question whatever religion they're taught, because they're afraid of uncertainty and cant accept the fact that it is very possible that this is the only life we may have.