Could God be Life itself? (Messiah, Deist, beliefs, creation)

[Davidium]

Greetings all,

One of the great things about UU'ism (and Deism as well) to me is that it allows you to explore for yourself all of the great questions. No one hands you a book with all the answers, you rely upon your own reason and sense of rightness to go out, learn, and decide what makes sense to you. It even allows and indeed encourages you to change your views when you feel compelled to.

These great questions include What is the Nature of God? What is the purpose of the Universe? How did all of this come about? What comes after? Is there a grand design?

Some say Unitarians have no common beliefs... to which I usually answer that the questions and how we seek answers is our common belief.

Recently, on another forum, we have been pondering the nature of God. Many viewpoints have been discussed, from "God is the Universe" to the "Clockmaker God" to the one I have held for many years, that God is learning from his Creation, like a scientist with an experiment...

With that mindset, let me proceed.

Recently, Brian Herbert (son of my favorite writer Frank Herbert) finished the pre-prequel trilogy to his fathers masterwork, the Dune Series. Being such a big fan, I of course rushed out to buy it.
Having finished it (it was great) I decided to embark on another reading of the whole series from start to finish. Reading Science Fiction is my brain candy... after reading some non-fiction or philosophy it is my reward, rest, and relaxation... and amazingly I have learned much from it.

In the Dune series, I find something new each time I pick it up. Sitting in my chair in my office, I came across a quote that I cant believe I had not picked up on before...

It is in the book "Dune Messiah". The Emperor Paul Maud'dib has gotten fed up with the syncophants and the religion which worships him.... He imagines in his mind how he would like to shout the following quote at those who worship him...

"If you need somthing to worship, then worship life - all life, every last crawling bit of it! We're all in this beauty together!"

He did not shout it, because he knew they would misunderstand....

Now, I know... this shouts of Deism as well as some other nature based religions. Maud'dib knew he was not a God (unlike his son), but he accepted Godhead because the alternatives he saw in his prescience were worse (or so goes the story).

The more I think about it, there is much about Maud'dib that seems Deistic, for one who made a God of himself.

My question for all of you is this... Do you think that Life as a whole is a valid Deistic/Unitarian theory to answer the question as to God's nature? Could God be that spark that is life, that one thing that we cannot create, except through natural processes?

I have always maintained a more standard view of God's nature... but this thought does appeal to me.... Not that the Universe is God, but rather that God is that creative force of Life itself?

I am pondering, but desire your thoughts...

Reason and Respect in all you say and do,

David Pyle

[Sunstone]

Some say Unitarians have no common beliefs... to which I usually answer that the questions and how we seek answers is our common belief.

I very much agree with this! I think that how one goes about seeking answers is more important than the beliefs one has at any given time.

For beliefs change easily enough as we learn new things, but once we have learned the basics of how to seek, those basics don't change.

[Michelle]

Epicurus believed that death wasn't any worst than our non-existence before our birth and that we should strive to find internal happiness. What if you both were right?

[Davidium]

I very much agree with this! I think that how one goes about seeking answers is more important than the beliefs one has at any given time.

For beliefs change easily enough as we learn new things, but once we have learned the basics of how to seek, those basics don't change.

Sunstone,

Awhile ago I wrote an essay about this... About how the methodology of how you determine your beliefs is at least as important as the beliefs themselves...

If you are interested, here's the link...

http://dynamicdeism.org/library/reli...ethodology.htm

And thank you for your comments! Both of you...

I agree, we may all be right in each of our "God Models"... and without a reliable revelation (which I do not think we have seen yet) it will be generations before I beleive we are closer to a true understanding of the Nature of God...

And yet, it is human nature to try and discover the undiscoverable, and ponder the unponderable.

Reason and Respect in all you say and do,

David Pyle

[Runt]

I believe that God is a symbol for all that exists.... life, yes, and death. Creation and destruction. Human and inhuman. Man, woman, and child. At one time or another in human history, God has been a concept that reflected things that we humans perceived about nature, especially human nature.

[robtex]

Originally Posted by Davidium

Some say Unitarians have no common beliefs... to which I usually answer that the questions and how we seek answers is our common belief.

Wow great answer to that question !! Great essay. Pantheism holds similar beliefs but I don't think there are so much of them in the world today. I wonder if there are a number of panteist in the UU community? The thing I liked best was idea of God being all encompassing which if you look at many of the worlds major religions is a concept that pops up not so much in their dogma but from their practicner's mouths. I must have heard a 100 times from Christians that God is everywhere and a few times from Muslims that God is all. What makes this essay appealing is the idea that it is an avenue for addressing the concept of God is all which is articulated by people of various faiths but absent from dogmas of their religions.

[Davidium]

I wonder if there are a number of panteist in the UU community?

I have met many who hold pantheist,panentheist, and panendeist ideas who were UU's... even if many had no label for their beliefs....

Reason and Respect in all you say and do,

David Pyle