Is God a Metaphor?

[Polymath257]

God is a metaphor for that which transcends all levels of intellectual thought. It's as simple as that.
--Joseph Campbell

There is a very common viewpoint that the term 'God' is a metaphor. Not a proper name and not a job description, but instead a metaphor for all the things we aspire to and value, the mysteries of life.

Certainly, metaphors are used when *talking* about God all the time. But is the idea of God a metaphor?

 

[Subduction Zone]

God is a metaphor for that which transcends all levels of intellectual thought. It's as simple as that.
--Joseph Campbell

There is a very common viewpoint that the term 'God' is a metaphor. Not a proper name and not a job description, but instead a metaphor for all the things we aspire to and value, the mysteries of life.

Certainly, metaphors are used when *talking* about God all the time. But is the idea of God a metaphor?

I would say that he can be for many. Some people are still stuck on a very human version of God. Their God often has the same flaws that they have.

 

[RestlessSoul]

If you consider metaphor as a tool by which we attempt to make sense of elusive concepts, then yes, you can say that God is a metaphor for everything we do not understand.

You can also view the material world, and the abstract concepts we use to understand it, such as language, as metaphors for the spiritual world. Shelley and Keats did this.

 

[syo]

God is a metaphor for that which transcends all levels of intellectual thought. It's as simple as that.
--Joseph Campbell

Nope. The Gods aren't metaphors of human thinking.

 

[Suave]

God is a metaphor for that which transcends all levels of intellectual thought. It's as simple as that.
--Joseph Campbell

There is a very common viewpoint that the term 'God' is a metaphor. Not a proper name and not a job description, but instead a metaphor for all the things we aspire to and value, the mysteries of life.

Certainly, metaphors are used when *talking* about God all the time. But is the idea of God a metaphor?

God is often used as a metaphor for nature. For example, a person's home having been destroyed by an act of God means a person's home was destroyed by an act of nature.

 

[SalixIncendium]

God is a metaphor for that which transcends all levels of intellectual thought. It's as simple as that.
--Joseph Campbell

There is a very common viewpoint that the term 'God' is a metaphor. Not a proper name and not a job description, but instead a metaphor for all the things we aspire to and value, the mysteries of life.

Certainly, metaphors are used when *talking* about God all the time. But is the idea of God a metaphor?

God can be many things. A metaphor is but one.

 

[Suave]

God can be many things. A metaphor is but one.

I find God to often be vaguely defined, perhaps the notion of God should be better defined. In terms of being a supreme being, many various versions of a particular God have been conceived by people's imaginations.

 

[MatthewA]

@Polymath257 not to me: I believe God exist, and He created us. I believe there has to be an answer for our existence and it believe it is found looking towards God and also believe looking towards the Son of God, Yeshua Christ.

You know humans were created to live forever originally, with God in the Garden and has human beings we fail and have our own desires. So thus corruption entered into the world from the point of Gods decrees to the serpent (defeat), the man (toiling the land work), and the woman (would bear children).

Though believe that children would have been able to be born in the Garden and who knows if one day down the line one of the kids has made a mistake because Adam and Eve had free will choice. I believe.

Also believe because of what happen all humans died spiritually Adam and Eve did when they left the Garden they had no more direct relationship I believe.

 

[Unveiled Artist]

God is a metaphor for that which transcends all levels of intellectual thought. It's as simple as that.
--Joseph Campbell

There is a very common viewpoint that the term 'God' is a metaphor. Not a proper name and not a job description, but instead a metaphor for all the things we aspire to and value, the mysteries of life.

Certainly, metaphors are used when *talking* about God all the time. But is the idea of God a metaphor?

Ding! Ding! Ding! By jove he's got it.

But really, explaining the nature of reality and our place in it whether it transcends or mystical experience is pretty much the gist of the placeholder god. Though there's really no universal word that would explain each person's definition of reality and their relationship with it.

 

[JoshuaTree]

God is a metaphor for that which transcends all levels of intellectual thought. It's as simple as that.
--Joseph Campbell

There is a very common viewpoint that the term 'God' is a metaphor. Not a proper name and not a job description, but instead a metaphor for all the things we aspire to and value, the mysteries of life.

Certainly, metaphors are used when *talking* about God all the time. But is the idea of God a metaphor?

A metaphor, the idea of God you say?

 

[metis]

God is a metaphor for that which transcends all levels of intellectual thought. It's as simple as that.
--Joseph Campbell

There is a very common viewpoint that the term 'God' is a metaphor. Not a proper name and not a job description, but instead a metaphor for all the things we aspire to and value, the mysteries of life.

Certainly, metaphors are used when *talking* about God all the time. But is the idea of God a metaphor?

To me, that has long made sense.

 

[viole]

@Polymath257 not to me: I believe God exist, and He created us. I believe there has to be an answer for our existence and it believe it is found looking towards God and also believe looking towards the Son of God, Yeshua Christ.

You know humans were created to live forever originally, with God in the Garden and has human beings we fail and have our own desires. So thus corruption entered into the world from the point of Gods decrees to the serpent (defeat), the man (toiling the land work), and the woman (would bear children).

Though believe that children would have been able to be born in the Garden and who knows if one day down the line one of the kids has made a mistake because Adam and Eve had free will choice. I believe.

Also believe because of what happen all humans died spiritually Adam and Eve did when they left the Garden they had no more direct relationship I believe.

Well, looks like "Thy will be done" failed pretty badly. A standard creator failing like that, would be fired immediately.

Ciao

- viole

 

[SigurdReginson]

He/she/they certainly has/have been for me at times in the past. If I ever did go back to a religious path, especially a Christian one, he would probably take up that role for me again. For now, though, I just view god as a man made idea. It has as much importance as I give it, and I don't really see the need in giving it much more than that.

 

[The Hammer]

Certainly, metaphors are used when *talking* about God all the time. But is the

More like a paradox, then a metaphor.

 

[JoshuaTree]

Jesus spoke in parables, exactly what I'd expect from a metaphor.

More like a paradox, then a metaphor.

Exodus 3:14
New International Version

14 God said to Moses, “I am who I am. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I am has sent me to you.’”

Metaphorical paradox?

 

[JoshuaTree]

Little wonder Jesus spoke in parables, right?

 

[JoshuaTree]

Matthew 13:44
New International Version

44 “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.

One of my favorite parables.

 

[CBM]

There is G-d and our perception of G-d or the way G-d interacts with the world.
When I refer to G-d I am referring to the way He manifests/ interacts in this world.
I am not referring to who He actually IS. G-d is unknowable. So in that sense, I would say yes, G-d is a metaphor.

(Coincidentally, as a Jew, I believe G-d is genderless. However I am referring to G-d as He, since the way He interacts with the world is generally using the male energy and we take on the role of the female energy in relation to G-d.)

 

[JoshuaTree]

Not a treasure if you know where to dig, right?

 

[Suave]

Jesus spoke in parables, exactly what I'd expect from a metaphor.


Exodus 3:14
New International Version

14 God said to Moses, “I am who I am. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I am has sent me to you.’”

Metaphorical paradox?

I fail to gain knowledge regarding the attributes of anybody who describes himself/herself as being I am who I am.