Do we really know who God is?

[Moon195]

Have religions been successful in introducing who God is?

 

[Moon195]

Have religions been successful in introducing who God is?

 

[syo]

Have religions been succeeded in introducing who God is?

of course. in christianity, jesus is god (the son) and he showed us the way to god, the Father. because of jesus (the Son) we have access to god (the Father).

 

[Moon195]

of course. in christianity, jesus is god (the son) and he showed us the way to god, the Father. because of jesus (the Son) we have access to god (the Father).

So every religion will claim that their profit is the real God! Would that be acceptable?
Did Jesus Christ create the universe?

 

[syo]

So every religion will claim that their profit is the real God! Would that be acceptable?

yes. i believe in polytheism, and i recognise all religious gods as true. take christianity and islam, for example. each religion teaches god in their own perspective. why saying that only one is correct? it's like negating perspectives, and that's false. if i want to have the whole picture, i take into account all gods from all religions.

 

[Sanzbir]

Can we have a degree of knowledge on the subject?? Yes.

Can we have total knowledge on the subject?? No.

If the being is infinite then one would need an infinite mind to fully know that being. As we have finite minds, we cannot fully know the infinite any more than you can fit the ocean in a teacup.

 

[Quintessence]

A couple of questions for clarification's sake:

• Which god? By "God" to you specifically intend to refer to the one-god of the Abrahamic religions, or do you mean divine beings more generally?
• What would you consider to be a measure of success? Are we talking awareness of that particular god-concept? Acceptance of it? Regular worship of it? Something else?

 

[Jumi]

How could religions introduce something they don't even have knowledge of? All they care about is keeping or spreading what they think god is and trying to get people to accept their ideas. If religions disappear, their "gods" disappear with them, that's not really God.

 

[Windwalker]

If the being is infinite then one would need an infinite mind to fully know that being.

But we do have Infinite mind. We just don't use it, normally. I'll explain...

As we have finite minds, we cannot fully know the infinite any more than you can fit the ocean in a teacup.

You are thinking of infinite in terms of space and time, in terms of volume and mass, in terms of quantity, and so forth, such as the sum total of everything, which is of course itself a mental concept, a mathematical equation. When it comes to the Infinite that is God however, even one single speck of dust has the "totality" of God within it.

If you divide the Infinite into pieces, then it is not Infinite. There is a boundary where it does not exist infinitely. If anything exists outside of it, then it is finite. There is somewhere, or something where God is other to it, and God would cease to be Infinite. This is an inherent problem in dualistic concepts of God, such as traditional theism which sees creation as separate to God.

So, likewise, our own minds. Infinity is not outside to it. The focus of our awareness may be fixated on the objects of our existence as separate things from one another, and they are, but it is simply a matter of focus and not Reality. As we perceive but a sliver of Infinity, we are seeing Infinity in its fullness within that sliver. It is not a portion of it, but all of it, in our limited perspective which does slice and dice thing up.

So if your mind is perceiving from the Infinite Mind, which is in us and everything, we do fully know. As the Apostle Paul said, "For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known." That's omniscience, not having all the data, facts and figures jammed into your noggin.

BTW, this is not something reserved for when after we're dead....

 

[Moon195]

yes. i believe in polytheism, and i recognise all religious gods as true. take christianity and islam, for example. each religion teaches god in their own perspective. why saying that only one is correct? it's like negating perspectives, and that's false. if i want to have the whole picture, i take into account all gods from all religions.

Muslims never consider their profits to be God!!!

 

[syo]

Muslims never consider their profits to be God!!!

you mean ''prophets''? i never said that.

 

[Moon195]

you mean ''prophets''? i never said that.

Muslims believe in only one God and that is the creator of all beings, the creator of all his messengers including Moses, Jesus Christ, Muhammad ...the holy spirit ....and ...

 

[DennisTate]

Have religions been successful in introducing who God is?

Good question... I believe that the G-d of Abraham/ HaShem/ YHWH / Allah.... is the most ancient Intelligence and is composed of truly fundamental energy........ I basically agree with Theoretical Physicists who tell us that there are fundamental energies that function at astonishingly high energetic levels...... some trillions times greater than can be attained in particle accelerators.

G-d would be the most emotional Intelligence in the universe / multiverse having invested infinite time in the creation but.... Iblis / Lucifer was much younger.... and was willing to destroy the creation..... because like a teenager he reacted in extreme anger when his own goals were not achieved............

G-d has a very different approach and adapts to events..... and works out an astonishing long term plan for the good of all....... every moment of our lives are recorded on something far, far, far beyond DVD or HD or the best computer technology............
This is evidence for the eventual resurrection of the dead.....
and the methods of resurrection may be more numerous and more surprising than could have been imagined centuries ago........


The Life Review and the Near-Death Experience

 

[Moon195]

Can we have a degree of knowledge on the subject?? Yes.

Can we have total knowledge on the subject?? No.

If the being is infinite then one would need an infinite mind to fully know that being. As we have finite minds, we cannot fully know the infinite any more than you can fit the ocean in a teacup.

That's right. Our knowledge on anything is finite. The same thing goes for God too. However we can gain a little knowledge based on his actions by looking into ourselves, surroundings and also the history of mankind. That can at least help to realize that God is very different from what religions have described so far.
By studying what God has said in the Holy Books and comparing them to what really exist, one can find many contradictions.

 

[Unveiled Artist]

Have religions been successful in introducing who God is?

No. I think its more "what" god is, though. Some religions say all is god. Some say any thing and one as an object or person of worship. Others dont know what god is (something beyond; an essense; humans we cant talk to; spirits only X amount of people describe differently; is god a warror? A lover? Or abstract: love? Hate? Higher power. A force. And so forth.)

What is a god, Id ask first than Id ask who that god is based on what it is. For example, if god is a chair, I wouldnt ask if it displays love.

 

[Nakosis]

Have religions been successful in introducing who God is?

If you were around during the time of Jesus or Mohammed and either walked up to you and started telling you about God, would you believe them?

Now you are taught they were prophets and many believe them, so maybe you feel you should as well. However say you didn't know anything about them and they started talking about God. Or some random person walks up to you and claims to be a messenger from God. What reason would you have to believe what they say about God is true?

 

[corynski]

Have religions been successful in introducing who God is?

Hardly...... men and women have created thousands of gods, over thousands of years. Every person has his/her own unique concept of a god or goddess, created my their own minds, as is obvious from reading the posts in this forum. Give it some thought...... we are brainwashed, that is, educated, by parents and preachers, who know little or nothing about religion and gods. If only one, just one, god could 'show up', then perhaps we might have some knowledge regarding gods and goddesses.l

 

[Sanzbir]

But we do have Infinite mind. We just don't use it, normally. I'll explain...

You are thinking of infinite in terms of space and time, in terms of volume and mass, in terms of quantity, and so forth, such as the sum total of everything,

I am not.

which is of course itself a mental concept, a mathematical equation. When it comes to the Infinite that is God however, even one single speck of dust has the "totality" of God within it.

"Totality" is a word you put in quotes so I assume based on context it is some alternate meaning not typically described by that word, care to elaborate??

If you divide the Infinite into pieces, then it is not Infinite. There is a boundary where it does not exist infinitely.

Actually if you divide the infinite it is still infinite, due to the odd properties of infinity.

If anything exists outside of it, then it is finite. There is somewhere, or something where God is other to it, and God would cease to be Infinite. This is an inherent problem in dualistic concepts of God, such as traditional theism which sees creation as separate to God.

I see you seem to define "infinite" as meaning "everything" rather than what "infinite" actually means, that being "without end" or "limitless".

"Infinite" is not inherently pantheistic, unless you, as you have done, redefine the word.

So, likewise, our own minds. Infinity is not outside to it.

I don't understand exactly the mentality here. Even under the assumption that everything is just part of a god. Can you elaborate??

My toe is part of my body, as is my eye. That doesn't necessarily mean that my toe isn't separate from my eye.

Just because a thing is a part of a bigger whole doesn't mean it isn't separate from the other parts.

The focus of our awareness may be fixated on the objects of our existence as separate things from one another, and they are, but it is simply a matter of focus and not Reality. As we perceive but a sliver of Infinity, we are seeing Infinity in its fullness within that sliver. It is not a portion of it, but all of it, in our limited perspective which does slice and dice thing up.

Again, care to elaborate, since I am really not understanding how this logic works. The fullness being of my chair is not within one of its wheels. So why would it be true on a bigger scale??

So if your mind is perceiving from the Infinite Mind, which is in us and everything, we do fully know.

As the Apostle Paul said, "For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known." That's omniscience, not having all the data, facts and figures jammed into your noggin.

I'd say that is false and that it is impossible to progress past the Lote Tree, though I acknowledge you likely don't have a belief in that particular Tree. Likewise my views don't contain a belief in the Infallibility of Paul, so I am no more likely to be swayed by his words than you would be from a Scriptural verse detailing the Lote Tree Beyond Which There Is No Passing.

But even setting aside that I do not believe Paul to be infallible, the full context of his words are as follows:

"But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known." (1 Corinthians 13:8-12)

In full context, this does not seem to refer to the coming of omnipotence, but of knowledge of prophecy. We have partial knowledge of prophecy until the prophecy is fulfilled, in which case we know fully of the prophecy and its accuracy since the foretold events have come to pass.

Contextually here, we are given insight that the "knowledge in full" spoken of is knowledge of prophecy.

BTW, this is not something reserved for when after we're dead....

I'd assume so. Life versus death is a mostly imaginary distinction.

 

[Twilight Hue]

Have religions been successful in introducing who God is?

Yes. Through Introducing the thoughts of the person who's pulling the puppeteering strings making his or hers own God or deity come to life.

 

[Skwim]

Have religions been successful in introducing who God is?

I'd say so. A good percentage of the world's population (84% are said to have a religious faith, most of which acknowledge a god or two) believes there's a god. Now, "who" he is certainly differs among the 84%, but I'm quite sure that regardless of what kind of configuration he takes each is well regarded by its believers, which I would take as being a successful introduction.

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