• Welcome to Religious Forums, a friendly forum to discuss all religions in a friendly surrounding.

    Your voice is missing! You will need to register to get access to the following site features:
    • Reply to discussions and create your own threads.
    • Our modern chat room. No add-ons or extensions required, just login and start chatting!
    • Access to private conversations with other members.

    We hope to see you as a part of our community soon!

G-d instead of God

Do you think it matters whether one writes G-d or God from a religious point of view?

  • Yes

    Votes: 6 24.0%
  • No

    Votes: 19 76.0%

  • Total voters
    25

viole

Ontological Naturalist
Premium Member
Here's a random article about why some people write G-d instead of God. I don't vouch for its accuracy - just showing it for reference. Feel free to show a different kind of a source or point out problems with this one.


What do you think of using this substitute? Do you use it? Do you think it's relevant? Does it bother you on one way or another? Do you know of another religion that has established a similar habit?

Looks like a way to outsmart God. Like Sabbath elevators, where you do not have to press any button, because that might offend the creator of the Universe. (They dont know that by boarding the elevator they activate a complex electrical circuit that measures their weight, lol).

Ciao

- viole
 

Quintessence

Consults with Trees
Staff member
Premium Member
As someone who doesn't worship the one-god of the Abrahamic religions, it isn't really relevant for me personally. Capitalization of the word "god" is inconsistent among many, however. Some only use "god" in proper case to specifically refer to the proper name of the one-god, but others use "god" in proper case to refer to any deity as a way of showing respect. It would be very weird for non-Abrahamics to use "G-d" when referencing non-Abrahamic deities and it's not something I've seen. If Abrahamics want to do it when referencing their one-god, that's their prerogative.
 

paarsurrey

Veteran Member
Here's a random article about why some people write G-d instead of God. I don't vouch for its accuracy - just showing it for reference. Feel free to show a different kind of a source or point out problems with this one.


What do you think of using this substitute? Do you use it? Do you think it's relevant? Does it bother you on one way or another? Do you know of another religion that has established a similar habit?
I also use often G-d instead of God, to make a distinction between the Christian-God, the trinitarian and Oneness of God, please.

Regards
 

paarsurrey

Veteran Member
Maybe some people is afraid to say God ? and they can not mkae them self to write it the way it has always been written God.
Or maybe some people is afraid that since they do not belive in a God they can not say it or write it?
Honestly i do not know. But personally i say God and write God when speaking of them

Do the Theravada Buddhism people believe in God, please?
Just for information, please.
Regards
 

shunyadragon

shunyadragon
Premium Member
Simply a three letter word pronounced the same regardless of the blank space. It is like playing hide and seek with the Source some call 'God' or G-d, ny playing word games.

So what?!?!?!
 

Salvador

RF's Swedenborgian
When I see G-d, I'm briefly cursed with the thought of God damn! ....Which instantly separates me from the spiritual realm. ....:(
 

whirlingmerc

Well-Known Member
Here's a random article about why some people write G-d instead of God. I don't vouch for its accuracy - just showing it for reference. Feel free to show a different kind of a source or point out problems with this one.


What do you think of using this substitute? Do you use it? Do you think it's relevant? Does it bother you on one way or another? Do you know of another religion that has established a similar habit?


I respect people's conscience.

I think Jewish people wrote YWHW (in Hebrew) as a reminder to say Adonai (Lord) instead
so G_d instead of God is not quote the same... but...

Best to do according to your conscience
 

Spirit of Light

Be who ever you want
Do the Theravada Buddhism people believe in God, please?
Just for information, please.
Regards
I can only speak for my self, But i can not say fully there is ONE creator God that made everything, But I belive there to be many many Gods and Buddhas, Daos .devas but i only follow the teaching of Buddha Sakyamuni. But i dont see a problem with there being multiple Gods, Buddhas and so on. We only need to follow one of them and their teachings.

Can it be that on the very top there is what is known as Creator God who have the final saying? Yes it can be, but in my cultivation and meditation i have not yet come across this. But can i say a defenitly no to it? No i can not on my level of wisdom, Even Buddha Sakyamuni sad he did not see a God on the top. meaning that even on as high level of wisdom a Buddha has, they can not fully see everything. there can be levels above them too.
But they only teach as high as their own wisdom level is. so they do not lie :)
 
Last edited:

Jedster

Well-Known Member
...

Can it be that on the very top there is what is known as Creator God who have the final saying? Yes it can be, but in my cultivation and meditation i have not yet come across this. But can i say a defenitly no to it? No i can not on my level of wisdom, Even Buddha Sakyamuni sad he did not see a God on the top. meaning that even on as high level of wisdom a Buddha has they can not fully see everything. there can be levels above them too.
But they only teach as high as their own wisdom level is. so they do not lie :)


This reminds me of the Creation Hymn in the Rig Veda

HYMN CXXIX. Creation.
1. THEN was not non-existent nor existent: there was no realm of air, no sky beyond it.
What covered in, and where? and what gave shelter? Was water there, unfathomed depth of water?
2 Death was not then, nor was there aught immortal: no sign was there, the day's and night's divider.
That One Thing, breathless, breathed by its own nature: apart from it was nothing whatsoever.
3 Darkness there was: at first concealed in darkness this All was indiscriminated chaos.
All that existed then was void and form less: by the great power of Warmth was born that Unit.
4 Thereafter rose Desire in the beginning, Desire, the primal seed and germ of Spirit.
Sages who searched with their heart's thought discovered the existent's kinship in the non-existent.
5 Transversely was their severing line extended: what was above it then, and what below it?
There were begetters, there were mighty forces, free action here and energy up yonder
6 Who verily knows and who can here declare it, whence it was born and whence comes this creation?
The Gods are later than this world's production. Who knows then whence it first came into being?
7 He, the first origin of this creation, whether he formed it all or did not form it,
Whose eye controls this world in highest heaven, he verily knows it, or perhaps he knows not.


Rig Veda: Rig-Veda, Book 10: HYMN CXXIX. Creation.
 

Tumah

Veteran Member
Looks like a way to outsmart God. Like Sabbath elevators, where you do not have to press any button, because that might offend the creator of the Universe. (They dont know that by boarding the elevator they activate a complex electrical circuit that measures their weight, lol).

Ciao

- viole
Can you explain why you think that the company who produces these elevators don't also take that into consideration when building them?
 

Rival

Si m'ait Dieus
Staff member
Premium Member
I am reminded of a case where a woman wanted to call her daughter Le-a and no-one could say it right.

It was Ledasha.

Needless to say, it was not allowed.
 

YoursTrue

Faith-confidence in what we hope for (Hebrews 11)
I don't see it as a nice thing to do. Not that I think it's the opposite, rather I find the idea a bit confusing. After all we are asked to contemplate and to speak out about God. Why is it necessarily to be careful not to spell out the whole name?
Hello. It's one thing to think God is holy and fear to use His name, but it's another thing to know Him and please Him. John 17:3. "And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent."
 

YoursTrue

Faith-confidence in what we hope for (Hebrews 11)
We do not refrain from writing God, but
The Vatican has reiterated a directive that the name of God revealed in the tetragrammaton YHWH is not to be pronounced in Catholic liturgy or in music. Catholics at worship should neither sing nor pronounce the name of God as "Yahweh," the Vatican has said, citing the authority of Jewish and Christian practice.

‘Yahweh’ not to be used in liturgy, songs and prayers, Cardinal Arinze says
I guess they did not take on the Jewish tradition of not writing the title God either, so as to write G-d and not God. In other words, the Vatican decided Catholics should not say or sing the name Yahweh, but they can say or write God. And don't have to adhere to Jewish tradition of writing G-d. John 17:3 says, "And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent." Yet although they consider Jesus equal to God, or that he IS God according to their idea, the Catholic Church says it's OK to say Jesus but not Yahweh. Speaking of which, do they say Yeshua instead of Jesus now, even though they say he (Jesus) is equal to God?
 
Top