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What is God like? - God is God

Eddi

Agnostic
Premium Member
Some things are unique and not at all like other things:

Take for instance the European Union: there is nothing else like it in the world; it is a one-off

We can only say that it resembles certain other things – such as say a trade bloc, or a federation, a single market, a customs union, an area of free movement, an alliance etc. etc.

Such terms apply to it but do not satisfactorily cover it as there is more to it than what any one characteristic can cover

They cannot convey its true nature

The same is true with God

There are certain things he resembles:

King, Lord, Lawgiver, Judge, Creator, Designer, Administrator, Father

Some can be stressed more than others, for instance I believe he is more like a Father than a Lord, I don’t like the term “Lord” applied to God as it comes with feudal baggage…

(I believe God is a genteel liberal)

But none of these alone adequately covers him…

So what is God like?

I'd say: Basically, God is God

But we can say he’s like stuff, but only in some respects

In many ways it’s like the old tale of the blind men feeling the elephant and each perceiving only one dimension of the elephant’s true nature:

Blind men and an elephant - Wikipedia

Discuss.
 

Spirit of Light

Be who ever you want
The way I see it is that God can not be described with human words. When we try to describe God, God disappears because we don't see the full truth of what God is.
 

shunyadragon

shunyadragon
Premium Member
Some things are unique and not at all like other things:

Take for instance the European Union: there is nothing else like it in the world; it is a one-off

We can only say that it resembles certain other things – such as say a trade bloc, or a federation, a single market, a customs union, an area of free movement, an alliance etc. etc.

Such terms apply to it but do not satisfactorily cover it as there is more to it than what any one characteristic can cover

They cannot convey its true nature

The same is true with God

There are certain things he resembles:

King, Lord, Lawgiver, Judge, Creator, Designer, Administrator, Father

Some can be stressed more than others, for instance I believe he is more like a Father than a Lord, I don’t like the term “Lord” applied to God as it comes with feudal baggage…

(I believe God is a genteel liberal)

But none of these alone adequately covers him…

So what is God like?

I'd say: Basically, God is God

But we can say he’s like stuff, but only in some respects

In many ways it’s like the old tale of the blind men feeling the elephant and each perceiving only one dimension of the elephant’s true nature:

Blind men and an elephant - Wikipedia

Discuss.

'God is God' is probably the best starting point and of course, something we can all agree on God is a three letter word in English and possibly four or more in other languages.

The problem becomes is that most of the individual religions like Judaism, Christianity, Islam and the various divisions of them define God in their own cultural terms based on their own ancient scriptures at the exclusion of others.

Polite euphemisms of tolerance and vague conciliatory offerings have little influence on the bottom line of religious doctrine and dogma that describe God in the different belief systems.
 

Unveiled Artist

Veteran Member
Some things are unique and not at all like other things:

Take for instance the European Union: there is nothing else like it in the world; it is a one-off

We can only say that it resembles certain other things – such as say a trade bloc, or a federation, a single market, a customs union, an area of free movement, an alliance etc. etc.

Such terms apply to it but do not satisfactorily cover it as there is more to it than what any one characteristic can cover

They cannot convey its true nature

The same is true with God

There are certain things he resembles:

King, Lord, Lawgiver, Judge, Creator, Designer, Administrator, Father

Some can be stressed more than others, for instance I believe he is more like a Father than a Lord, I don’t like the term “Lord” applied to God as it comes with feudal baggage…

(I believe God is a genteel liberal)

But none of these alone adequately covers him…

So what is God like?

I'd say: Basically, God is God

But we can say he’s like stuff, but only in some respects

In many ways it’s like the old tale of the blind men feeling the elephant and each perceiving only one dimension of the elephant’s true nature:

Blind men and an elephant - Wikipedia

Discuss.

How do you know he represents a king, lord, designer?

Literally every god from every religion is different. We each have our own elephants.
 

Nakosis

Non-Binary Physicalist
Premium Member
Some things are unique and not at all like other things:

Take for instance the European Union: there is nothing else like it in the world; it is a one-off

We can only say that it resembles certain other things – such as say a trade bloc, or a federation, a single market, a customs union, an area of free movement, an alliance etc. etc.

Such terms apply to it but do not satisfactorily cover it as there is more to it than what any one characteristic can cover

They cannot convey its true nature

The same is true with God

There are certain things he resembles:

King, Lord, Lawgiver, Judge, Creator, Designer, Administrator, Father

Some can be stressed more than others, for instance I believe he is more like a Father than a Lord, I don’t like the term “Lord” applied to God as it comes with feudal baggage…

(I believe God is a genteel liberal)

But none of these alone adequately covers him…

So what is God like?

I'd say: Basically, God is God

But we can say he’s like stuff, but only in some respects

In many ways it’s like the old tale of the blind men feeling the elephant and each perceiving only one dimension of the elephant’s true nature:

Blind men and an elephant - Wikipedia

Discuss.

Perhaps best to stop trying to describe the elephant. Especially if folks are going to beat each other over their claims of truth.

God is unknown/unknowable. Why can't people be happy to leave it at that?
 

shunyadragon

shunyadragon
Premium Member
Perhaps best to stop trying to describe the elephant. Especially if folks are going to beat each other over their claims of truth.

God is unknown/unknowable. Why can't people be happy to leave it at that?

Yes God is Unknowable, but the universal attributes of God are knowable.
 

shunyadragon

shunyadragon
Premium Member
Meaning we know of God via knowledge of the universe?

That is one way through science. The knowledge of science reflects the attributes of God's Creation.

From the perspective of science nothing is necessary, and everything is impermanent from the human perspective, and we are physically insignificant in perspective of one universe out of possible many.

I do believe there is a spiritual dimension that reflects the attributes of the 'Source' some call God(s).
 
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Nakosis

Non-Binary Physicalist
Premium Member
That is one way through science. The knowledge of science reflects the attributes of God's Creation.

From the perspective of science nothing is necessary, and everything is impermanent from the human perspective, and we are physically insignificant in perspective of one universe out of possible many.

I do believe there is a spiritual dimension that reflects the attributes of the 'Source' some call God(s).

IMO the universe is vast, perhaps infinite. What we know of it, perhaps more like trying to determine the nature of the elephant by examining the tip of one eyelash on the beast.
 
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