The Term "God" (Jesus, Creator, Deist, atheist)

Don Penguinoini · #1 05-12-2008, 04:11 PM

IT is being applied too loosely, it is annoying now. Really. Just bcause Christianity (or is it Islam now?) is the largest religion in th world, does not mean that their god, is THE GOD. Dharmic, Pagan and all sort of religions have gods too, are we just goign to forget about them? Please, dont label a Christian, or Muslim god, just God.

Willamena · #2 05-12-2008, 04:15 PM

We could call it "Don".

Don Penguinoini · #3 05-12-2008, 04:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Willamena

We could call it "Don".

We think along the same lines

Dunemeister · #4 05-12-2008, 04:39 PM

It's true that the term "god" is used far too loosely. Even in a culture with Christian roots, the word "god" has come to have several meanings. For some, it means a detached, uninterested deity who at one time started things going but doesn't intervene in the world at all (the deist god). For some, it means a "prime mover" (the philosophers' god). For others, it means everything that is (pantheism). And for yet others, it means something like the creator of all things who is intimately concerned with and takes action within, the created order (the Judeo-Christian god). And it can cause no end of confusion when a pantheist and a Christian (for example) both use the same monicker for their respective gods when they manifestly don't mean the same thing when they use the term.

I'd be happy to start using the word "the Judeo-Christian god" (with a small g) for the sake of clarity and to move along discussions if it's helpful to do that. However, like it or not, monotheistic religions, including Christianity, claim that their god is actually the only real god that exists. So you may find their adherents (me included) slipping into the use of "God" because it's so natural for us. We simply assume that YHWH is the only true god and that others are delusions or demonic. It's a problematic claim in this post-modern world, but it's part of the air we monotheists breathe. So please excuse us if it takes us time to adapt to your preferred usage.

Somkid · #5 05-12-2008, 05:21 PM

Hummm, well, the term god doesn't annoy me I'm kind of natural about it and I don't mind when it is used in a Jews, Hindus, Sikhs or in the Baha'i kind of way, but yeah I think Christians and Muslins really annoy the pee out of me with the over use of the term and all the public praying but more than "god" Jesus and Mohamed annoy me if I was a "god" believing man I sure wouldn't be worried about Jesus and Mohamed I would go straight to the creator I don't want to talk to a messenger. I will say I'm sorry in advance for offending anyone I didn't mean to I just feel that way.

Alex_G · #6 05-12-2008, 06:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Don Penguinoini

IT is being applied too loosely....... Dharmic, Pagan and all sort of religions have gods too, are we just goign to forget about them?

Well i guess thats why it has to be used 'loosely' (seeing as we dont really know if god exists or in what form). The more specific you get the more limiting it is. From an atheistic point of view, specifics concerning a deity are irrelevent. Whether he is proposed to have a hammer like thor or poseidons trident, doesnt really give any beneficial information regarding his existance.

Basically you should be specific if your talking semantics, but with regards to the existance of a deity, then the loose term of god seems reasonable.

Sola'lor · #7 05-13-2008, 06:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Don Penguinoini

IT is being applied too loosely, it is annoying now. Really. Just bcause Christianity (or is it Islam now?) is the largest religion in th world, does not mean that their god, is THE GOD. Dharmic, Pagan and all sort of religions have gods too, are we just goign to forget about them? Please, dont label a Christian, or Muslim god, just God.

So what changes are you saying need to happen?

Willamena · #8 05-13-2008, 06:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sola'lor

So what changes are you saying need to happen?

I think he's saying he needs to lighten up.

BruceDLimber · #9 05-13-2008, 07:21 AM

Hi.

It's a simple linguistic difference!

"God" is eminently equivalent to Dieu, Allah, Boje, Gott, Wankantanka, Bog, Dios, Parvardegar, and many more such titles!

And besides the fact that we Baha'is see ALL the great religions as originating from the same One God (by whatever name), there is a further proof of this:

Arab Christians pray to Allah! Again, a mere linguistic convention with no further significance whatever.

Peace, :-)

Bruce