The nature of your personal relationship with God.

[Vinayaka]

Allah is not the reason i some times feel suffering and hardship it's my own action words and thoughts that lead me to feel suffering. Do Allah test me? Yes for sure, but then it is not to hurt me or make me suffer more, it is to test my faith in Allah and to see if i in difficult times can keep my faith, hope and belief same as when all is well.

Yes that illustrates another significant difference between the two main paradigms. My God would never test me. He's not anthropomorphic. I'd say life is challenging some days, sure, but God is there to help you get through those challenges, not to throw them at you. But thanks for the comment, as I am learning more differences in the ways we view God.

 

[Spirit of Light]

Yes that illustrates another significant difference between the two main paradigms. My God would never test me. He's not anthropomorphic. I'd say life is challenging some days, sure, but God is there to help you get through those challenges, not to throw them at you. But thanks for the comment, as I am learning more differences in the ways we view God.

Very welcome Nice topic by the way.

 

[Dawnofhope]

This is inspired by another thread, my apologies.

I think insight might be gained into some of our differences, and perhaps similarities, if we look into the personal relationships each of us has with God, of Gods, if indeed we do have one. I realise some theists have no personal relationship.

Firstly, I could never yell at Siva. That makes absolutely no sense to me. How could I yell at someone who brings me so much Joy? Yes, I'll capitalise Joy to stress that the Joy of being in the presence of Siva is insignificant to the emotional joys of life.

Awe is always there. Once I beseech Siva's presence for the day, I'm overwhelmed. It surprises me on a daily basis. Occasionally He doesn't come, and I know it. The Agamas teach this mystical science, and I know regularity is part of the nature of beseeching. Just as you might wake up at the same time every day, the inner habits of God, and devas will align with your timing. (In the puja you can state a precise time of day, and place) One of the reasons He doesn't come is that because of Covid, and personal safety, I go shopping at the established time, and I know He gets that. The devas do hang about though. In my branch of Hindusim, we are assigned personal devas at name giving, and they come to the pujas as well. They're not beseeched like Siva is, but come to receive His blessings.

The main thing is He's just ... right ... there, constant companion. The Agamas, the Vedas, the Tirumantiram, all state that if there is one thing He cannot do, it's to separate Himself from his own creation.

That's enough of a rant/share for now. In Tamil Saivism (Saiva Siddhanta, Advaitha Siddhanta,) the devotee, and God are interlocked, and it's always personal.

I'm interested about your personal relationship with your version, or interpretation of God.

The question to me is a little like describing your relationship with your wife. It is an intimate and personal relationship and hard to describe. I feel God is always with me and it is though the Manifestations of God I am best reminded of God and what is expected of me as a devotee. It is through Bahá’u’lláh and Jesus I best come to know God. The Bab, Buddha, Moses, Muhammad and Krishna are all important connections to the Divine.

 

[Vinayaka]

The question to me is a little like describing your relationship with your wife. It is an intimate and personal relationship and hard to describe. I feel God is always with me and it is though the Manifestations of God I am best reminded of God and what is expected of me as a devotee. It is through Bahá’u’lláh and Jesus I best come to know God. The Bab, Buddha, Moses, Muhammad and Krishna are all important connections to the Divine.

Krishna is the divine, according to Gaudiya Vaishnavites. There is no God beyond Him that he can lead them to. I'm glad I don't need a go-between, but once more you've high-lighted the differences in paradigms, and I thank you for that.