Personalism and Pluralism (reject, tradition, church, experience, pagan)

Burning Giraffe · #1 05-22-2008, 03:48 AM

At a young age I rejected the Church on the basis that it seemed more like a club or an institution than an avenue to God. Since that time I have researched over seventy religions. The latest belief I've come to hold, that has finally allowed me to accept the proposition of divinity in a way that makes sense to me, is that God is an active personality that relates individually to other living personalities. I believe this is a partial explanation for the inability of singular and absolute theologies to encompass Mankind's religious experience. I also see it as a justification for the acceptance of religious pluralism in direct contrast to absolutist theology.

This observation appears obvious, but when you think about it in terms of what it actually means, it begins to appear novel. If a divine personality relates to individuals individually, then religion is personal, not institutional.

As individuals, it seems, we may go to God in the quiet of our own minds with an open heart, independent of Theology. We don't have to burden ourselves with faith in things which serve no purpose, nor defend indefensible theological propositions. God is readily available to the individual mind at all times. This makes theology somewhat unimportant.

stephenw · #2 05-22-2008, 04:04 AM

I conceive of an infinite God who we individually see in our own finite way. From my point of view the importance or unimportance of theology relates to the person perceiving God, not to God. I think we relate individually to the divine rather than the other way around.

Willamena · #3 05-22-2008, 01:42 PM

Good post, Giraffe. I am in agreeance with much of it.

Burning Giraffe · #4 05-22-2008, 02:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stephenw

I think we relate individually to the divine rather than the other way around.

Really? you don't think its a little of both?

mball1297 · #5 05-22-2008, 02:56 PM

It sounds like you wanted to find God. Is that the case, or was your purpose to understand life, and you found this version of God helped you understand existence better?

I agree with your description.

Burning Giraffe · #6 05-22-2008, 03:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mball1297

It sounds like you wanted to find God. Is that the case, or was your purpose to understand life, and you found this version of God helped you understand existence better?

I agree with your description.

I wanted to find God and understand nature. I thought I could do both at the same time, so I explored all the ancient pagan traditions, finding much that I loved and much that I was skeptical of. It wasn't until I had practically given up that I begin to feel the presence of the same personal God I prayed to when I was a kid, growing up as a Christian, and it was then that I realized Christianity, as I understood it, had nothing to do with my relationship with God.

mball1297 · #7 05-22-2008, 03:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Burning Giraffe

I wanted to find God and understand nature. I thought I could do both at the same time, so I explored all the ancient pagan traditions, finding much that I loved and much that I was skeptical of. It wasn't until I had practically given up that I begin to feel the presence of the same personal God I prayed to when I was a kid, growing up as a Christian, and it was then that I realized Christianity, as I understood it, had nothing to do with my relationship with God.

Do you think that your desire to find God influenced your conslusions?

Burning Giraffe · #8 05-22-2008, 04:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mball1297

Do you think that your desire to find God influenced your conslusions?

No. I was looking everywhere. My conclusions were actually quite antithetical to what I was hoping to find. I have a great deal of affection for polytheistic religions. I was hoping to find one God or Goddess amongst many. What I found was much different than that.

mball1297 · #9 05-22-2008, 06:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Burning Giraffe

No. I was looking everywhere. My conclusions were actually quite antithetical to what I was hoping to find. I have a great deal of affection for polytheistic religions. I was hoping to find one God or Goddess amongst many. What I found was much different than that.

But what I mean is that you were looking for a God, so you found one. In your search did you look through the idea of the non-existence of God? That is, did you consider atheism? It sounds like you started wih the assumption that there is a God, and tried to figure out what it was, but that doesn't take into account many religions and philosophies which don't hold there to be any God at all.