• 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!

My turn - my God

Jim

Nets of Wonder
I’m curious now to see what people might say about my God.

My God is what I’m currently thinking of as what the word “God” means in Christian and Baha’i scriptures:
- Sometimes when they say that God said or did something, what they’re referring to is something that one of His prophets said or did.
- Sometimes when they say that God said or did something, they’re referring to some powers and influences in us and around us that help bring out the best in us and in society.
- Sometimes when they say “God,” He’s the creator in an analogy of the world around us as being created by someone.
 

Left Coast

This Is Water
Staff member
Premium Member
I’m curious now to see what people might say about my God.

My God is what I’m currently thinking of as what the word “God” means in Christian and Baha’i scriptures:
- Sometimes when they say that God said or did something, what they’re referring to is something that one of His prophets said or did.
- Sometimes when they say that God said or did something, they’re referring to some powers and influences in us and around us that help bring out the best in us and in society.
- Sometimes when they say “God,” He’s the creator in an analogy of the world around us as being created by someone.

It sounds like you don't actually believe in God then. You only use "God" as a metaphor for other people or forces that are not actually anything like what people standardly mean by the English word God.

Or does the third bullet mean you actually do believe there is some sort of supernatural being who created the world?
 

Jim

Nets of Wonder
It sounds like you don't actually believe in God then. You only use "God" as a metaphor for other people or forces that are not actually anything like what people standardly mean by the English word God.
I only use God as a metaphor. If that means that I don’t believe in God, then I don’t believe in God.
Or does the third bullet mean you actually do believe there is some sort of supernatural being who created the world?
I’m not sure there is. I’m not sure there isn’t. I have a feeling that there is, but I can’t see how that could possibly have any consequential meaning.
 

Left Coast

This Is Water
Staff member
Premium Member
I only use God as a metaphor. If that means that I don’t believe in God, then I don’t believe in God.

Got it.

I’m not sure there is. I’m not sure there isn’t. I have a feeling that there is, but I can’t see how that could possibly have any consequential meaning.

I suppose it depends what kind of God you think made the world. Depending on the variety, it could be quite consequential.
 

sayak83

Veteran Member
Staff member
Premium Member
I’m curious now to see what people might say about my God.

My God is what I’m currently thinking of as what the word “God” means in Christian and Baha’i scriptures:
- Sometimes when they say that God said or did something, what they’re referring to is something that one of His prophets said or did.
- Sometimes when they say that God said or did something, they’re referring to some powers and influences in us and around us that help bring out the best in us and in society.
- Sometimes when they say “God,” He’s the creator in an analogy of the world around us as being created by someone.
More humanistic way of thought is my impressions. :)
 
  • Like
Reactions: Jim

Jim

Nets of Wonder
In describing my God, I forgot to mention something that might make a lot difference in how it looks to people. I said that part of the meaning of “God” in my understanding of my scriptures is as the creator in an analogy of the world around us as being created by someone. I forgot to mention that I trust the analogies in my scriptures. I think and talk and act as if they were actually true. I think of my purpose in life as being to learn to know and love God, which according to my scriptures actually means learning to know and love Bahá’u’lláh. I think and talk about God saying and doing things. A lot of what I think and say might be hard to distinguish from believing that my God actually exists.

One objection that I thought might be raised is that in talking about God the way I do, I might be helping to perpetuate the kinds of belief in God that are used to excuse and camouflage the worst things that people do, that they say they’re doing for Him.
 

Jim

Nets of Wonder
I’ll give an example of how I use the word “God,” metaphorically, in my thinking. The kind of science I love is learning to know and love God from His creation, which is designed for that purpose. The kind of religion I love is learning to know and love God from stories about what He says and does in the person of some characters in those stories that Bahá’u’lláh calls “Manifestations of God.”
 

Jim

Nets of Wonder
Now that I’ve started this, I’m more curious than ever to see what objections anyone might have to my religion. I already know about people’s objections to trying to improve myself or to help improve the world, and objections to my choice of Bahá’u’lláh as my master teacher, but I’m curious to see what other objections people might have.

My religion is not a system of beliefs and practices. My religion is learning to follow Bahá’u’lláh, learning what I can from Him how to live the best life I can. I’m a member of the worldwide community called “the Baha’i Faith,” because I think that I can serve Bahá’u’lláh purposes as a member of that community, better than I could otherwise. I’ve learned to use the word “God” in the ways that I think it’s used in Baha’i scriptures, in my thinking and sometimes in my conversations with others.
 

Jim

Nets of Wonder
I didn’t want to start another new thread. This looks like the best thread for what I want to say. If anyone wants to understand anything I say, or to try to actually communicate with me, about any religious topics, then I suggest that you don’t think of me as a Baha’i. If you think of me as a Baha’i, that will make it impossible for you understand what I say about religious topics.

I’m not denying that I’m a Baha’i. I’m a member of the worldwide community that calls itself “the Baha’i Faith,” and I’ve chosen Baha’u’llah as my master teacher, but there isn’t anything that any Baha’is believe, that you can be sure that I believe, and some of my views are diametrically opposed to popular thinking among Baha’is, especially among the ones who continually post about their beliefs in Internet discussions.
 

Jim

Nets of Wonder
Subscribe? No. I used to have my own Bibles, but now I just use ones that I find online. :smile:

Mostly what I use the Bible for now is to see what I think about what other people say it says. Sometimes, less often, to help me better understand what Baha’i scriptures are saying.
 
So what “Bible” do you read? Since you say you have your own bible. I’m trying to understand what your concept of “God” is. And wha your beliefs are because personally I feel I have a understanding and over standing of this whole man made “God” concept. I do my own studies of Religion, Theology and I am also involved in various mystery schools giving me a good esoteric understanding
 
Top