What is God Like?

[Trailblazer]

I can keep going.

So could I have kept going, but I have other posts to answer and other things I have to do.

 

[The Reverend Bob]

When I was a small child, I experienced God one day. And it was inexplicable. I still can't really describe it or explain to my or anyone's satisfaction, even now. But what I came away with is the determination that if God does exist, It's nature is primarily that of unconditional love. Because that's what I experienced at the time. And that's what makes sense to me, still.

There is a vast differences between belief and experience. Glad you had that experience.

 

[Rational Agnostic]

Look at this like a 'what if' scenario. You can believe anything you want, but for discussion purposes, what do you think God is like? Use your observation powers, anecdotal evidence, implications, extrapolations, or your own experience.

Even atheists can participate.. just make the assumption that there is a God, then tell us what you think He is like based on the world around you. If that is too hard, no problem. 'I have no idea' is a good answer, too.

Now, if you have a personal issue with God.. if you have deep seated hostility or anger, i understand. It is hard to be objective with those emotions clouding your thinking processes. But perhaps you can relay what happened to you, personally, that resulted in your anger with God, & how that colored your perception of Him.

I'm not asking for theological orthodoxy, or denominational descriptions, or quotes from religious texts or someone else, on what they think God is like, but your own personal experience, perception, & analysis.

I'll start.

1. God is very mysterious.
Thousands of years of human history have not brought us to any consensus as to the nature or even existence of God. This is probably the central question of human philosophy, yet we don't really know much about Him.

2. God is distant. He has what seems to be a 'laissez faire' view of humanity. Things go on pretty much randomly, with no apparent goal or purpose. He does not seem to be involved in our social processes. He does not intervene if we are stupid or destructive, but lets us do whatever we want.

3. God is not moved by death. Humans are terrified of death. We agonize over it, pace around, wringing our hands over wrongful death, injustice, or suffering. But God seems unmoved by it. The whole system of life on earth revolves around death.

4. God has allowed or provided a beautiful world for us. Beauty & awe are all around us, & move us to powerful emotions. The natural world is both terrifying & beautiful. The variety is amazing, & the nature of the universe is beyond our understanding, even after thousands of years of collective knowledge. At least, He has instilled in us the capacity for Awe.

5. God is orderly. Laws of nature are consistent, & dependable. Humans may be fickle, but God is not.

Those are a few things to get things started.. this is a philosophical exercise, & we can examine or rebut any offers or descriptions. Please don't take offense FOR God, or anyone else, if someone's description does not meet your standard. I'd like to hear ANY opinions, even far out ones, if they have a rational basis.

If a god exists, I highly doubt it has human emotions like anger, love, hate, or a need to be worshipped.

 

[osgart]

Good idea for a thread.

Oh, you wanna hear that? Sorry, you caught me on a particularly bad day.

Most of my life has been struggling to overcome my difficult childhood and most of my life has been suffering, not because I did anything wrong, not because I went against any of the teachings or laws of my religion. It was just the way it happened, it was my fate. No matter how hard I have struggled and still do I am not free of suffering, because my circumstances are so dire and my free will is so limited.

Meanwhile, many people do not struggle at all and their lives unfold perfectly, with only a few blips in the radar. They get married, have children, go to college, have a stable career wherein they advance, then they retire and enjoy their lives and their grandchildren. Sure, I know a lot of people have it worse than I do, I am not blind, but I also know that most people are happy in spite of their outward circumstances, as psychological studies show that.

Most of these 'happy people' do not care about the ‘other people’ who are suffering as long as they and their families are happy. That is understandable because humans are basically selfish unless they struggle against their lower nature, but God should care because God supposedly is All-Loving.

Why do you think there is such a discrepancy between individuals? What kind of a loving God leaves some people to suffer while others who do not even struggle have a relatively easy life and are happy most of the time? (I know all the religious apologetics for suffering and how it is ‘good for us’ so don’t bother with that. Even if that is true, and we reap the rewards after we die, we still have to live in this world until we die.)

My perception of God is that He does not really give a twit because it does not affect Him if people suffer. Now, this goes against what my religion teaches -- that God is All-Loving and Compassionate -- so it puts me at odds with all my fellow believers, including my husband. It also causes a huge inner conflict, because what I see and have experienced IS NOT what scriptures say about God. If God is a personal God this presents a problem for Him, only if God is a deist type God is He off the hook.

I agree, and I have no problem with that at all. I like mysteries.
Moreover, I would not even want to know anymore about God than I already know.

I agree, and I have no problem with that. I do not want God anywhere near me.

I agree, God does not care about death, but God should care that humans agonize over death, Imo. Apparently, God does not care because we see no evidence that God cares. All we have are scriptures of religions that are so vague as to be utterly worthless. Yet God expects us to sacrifice our lives for service to Him and our religions yet not a word about what really happens to us after death.

Then there are the animals, not a word about what happens to them either. So we can assume from scriptures that God just put animals here for humans and when they are dead they are dead. If they have to suffer in the interim, I see no evidence that God cares about that. This alone could make an atheist out of me, but I am stuck being a believer because there is so much evidence that my religion is true and thus God exists and I readily admit I am afraid what could happen to me after I die if I drop out and become an atheist.
That certainly is not the only reason I do not drop out, I don’t because I know it is not the ‘right thing’ to do, and I have always done what I think is right, all my adult life.

Give me a break. Sure there is much beauty in nature but there is also tragedy and ugliness and suffering. This world is a storehouse of suffering, more for some people and animals than for others.

I will give Him that much.

Here i was hoping you could reconcile an all loving God with a brutal, senseless, natural world. That is a daunting task.

If God is All Loving then we truly deserve this existence. But I do not see that everybody deserves this world.

I, myself, have had quite amazing experiences of an all loving God. I keep trying to learn God's Lessons too. And that leads me to some amazing realizations about the nature of virtue.

My God keeps getting smaller and smaller though. God's omniscience becomes less and less. I have forfeited the idea that God is a master creator. Basically my God loses Godhood, but somehow maintains holiness, divinity, and eternality.

Basically The Supreme is bound to suffer this existence, or not be any part of it at all.

There is this Supreme Truth of Innocence that i was able to learn of. But on the flip side everything is far from that ideal.

Atheism, and naturalism made me miserable. So i took to a spiritual form of naturalism. That gave me hope. But i keep returning to God because i see the Supreme and experience the Supreme frequently.

There's just no way of reason i can ascertain God with existence. Human reason is a blind shot in the dark. And yet logic, and empiricism are very powerful until nature itself abandons all human intuition.

I may have to bite the bullet on God's existence. But life certainly is no mistake or fluke! It may even be that the blind laws of nature produced life inevitably, but that is still like winning 1000 cosmic lotteries in a row.

 

[The Reverend Bob]

But I do not see that everybody deserves this world.

Which world?

 

[Trailblazer]

Here i was hoping you could reconcile an all loving God with a brutal, senseless, natural world. That is a daunting task.

It cannot be done if all we use is our logical mind, which is limited by our own ego.
I can only get past all the suffering because of what Baha'u'llah wrote, as I believe it is the infallible Word of God.

So I try to put my feelings aside and realize that there is so much I do not know, and I will know much more after I die. I have to live with the fact that God requires that we have faith and that we have to wait, because I have no choice. Meanwhile, I continue to try to reconcile the inconsistencies by reading and participating on forums and learning from other perspectives.

 

[osgart]

Which world?

The world of Earthly suffering!

 

[The Reverend Bob]

The world of Earthly suffering!

Like what happens in nature or apart from it?

 

[osgart]

Like what happens in nature or apart from it?

In nature there is a lot of suffering. Apart from nature who knows what's out there!

My comment is about natural suffering. I dont see any purpose for it.

 

[The Reverend Bob]

In nature there is a lot of suffering. Apart from nature who knows what's out there!

My comment is about natural suffering.

We all suffer. It is something we have to face and endure. No creature is exempt.

 

[Trailblazer]

My comment is about natural suffering. I dont see any purpose for it.

If there is a purpose God should have told us what that purpose was, just as we have been told the purpose of human suffering.
So absent that, I just have to assume that God does not care about animal suffering. I cannot abide by that and still believe God is loving.

 

[osgart]

Look at this like a 'what if' scenario. You can believe anything you want, but for discussion purposes, what do you think God is like? Use your observation powers, anecdotal evidence, implications, extrapolations, or your own experience.

Even atheists can participate.. just make the assumption that there is a God, then tell us what you think He is like based on the world around you. If that is too hard, no problem. 'I have no idea' is a good answer, too.

Now, if you have a personal issue with God.. if you have deep seated hostility or anger, i understand. It is hard to be objective with those emotions clouding your thinking processes. But perhaps you can relay what happened to you, personally, that resulted in your anger with God, & how that colored your perception of Him.

I'm not asking for theological orthodoxy, or denominational descriptions, or quotes from religious texts or someone else, on what they think God is like, but your own personal experience, perception, & analysis.

I'll start.

1. God is very mysterious.
Thousands of years of human history have not brought us to any consensus as to the nature or even existence of God. This is probably the central question of human philosophy, yet we don't really know much about Him.

2. God is distant. He has what seems to be a 'laissez faire' view of humanity. Things go on pretty much randomly, with no apparent goal or purpose. He does not seem to be involved in our social processes. He does not intervene if we are stupid or destructive, but lets us do whatever we want.

3. God is not moved by death. Humans are terrified of death. We agonize over it, pace around, wringing our hands over wrongful death, injustice, or suffering. But God seems unmoved by it. The whole system of life on earth revolves around death.

4. God has allowed or provided a beautiful world for us. Beauty & awe are all around us, & move us to powerful emotions. The natural world is both terrifying & beautiful. The variety is amazing, & the nature of the universe is beyond our understanding, even after thousands of years of collective knowledge. At least, He has instilled in us the capacity for Awe.

5. God is orderly. Laws of nature are consistent, & dependable. Humans may be fickle, but God is not.

Those are a few things to get things started.. this is a philosophical exercise, & we can examine or rebut any offers or descriptions. Please don't take offense FOR God, or anyone else, if someone's description does not meet your standard. I'd like to hear ANY opinions, even far out ones, if they have a rational basis.

God would have to be faultless, and blameless; purely Innocent, to be God! Power and omniscience alone is not enough.

I think God loves the loveable and extends mercy to the unloveable; provided for them to change. Perhaps God can love the unloveable for what God knows they should be.

For the absolutely wicked and none repentant all God can do is punish it to the very measure, and to the very ends of it. Only God can render judgment because only God knows the souls. We have to carry out laws and judge actions, but only God knows the soul.

God is Honest by nature. Honesty being of compassion pure intention. God only lets you know what you deserve to know or what is absolutely necessary for all to know.

God is the ultimate giver. God gives only to bring about Goodness. God giveth, and God taketh away, but its all done for goodness.

Thats as far as my mind can conceive of God. I hope its not mistaken.

 

[Skwim]

Look at this like a 'what if' scenario. You can believe anything you want, but for discussion purposes, what do you think God is like? Use your observation powers, anecdotal evidence, implications, extrapolations, or your own experience.

Even atheists can participate.. just make the assumption that there is a God, then tell us what you think He is like based on the world around you. If that is too hard, no problem. 'I have no idea' is a good answer, too.

Now, if you have a personal issue with God.. if you have deep seated hostility or anger, i understand. It is hard to be objective with those emotions clouding your thinking processes. But perhaps you can relay what happened to you, personally, that resulted in your anger with God, & how that colored your perception of Him.

I'm not asking for theological orthodoxy, or denominational descriptions, or quotes from religious texts or someone else, on what they think God is like, but your own personal experience, perception, & analysis.

I'll start.

Not to down play your religious convictions, but it seems you've been somewhat misguided about god.

1. God is very mysterious.
Thousands of years of human history have not brought us to any consensus as to the nature or even existence of God. This is probably the central question of human philosophy, yet we don't really know much about Him.

In as much as everyone has pretty much their own concept of god, why would you expect there to be a consensus as to his nature or existence? "God" is no more than a label for a supernatural deity who generally overlooks the on-goings of his creations, and each culture, being independent of one another's needs and influences, has created their own form of supreme being. So to expect they should somehow meet in agreement as to his nature is a bit naive. Don't ya think?

2. God is distant. He has what seems to be a 'laissez faire' view of humanity. Things go on pretty much randomly, with no apparent goal or purpose. He does not seem to be involved in our social processes. He does not intervene if we are stupid or destructive, but lets us do whatever we want.

Perhaps he's given up on his creation here and gone on to some other planet to try to get it right. God isn't only distant, he's totally absent. Or maybe it's such a thing that gods created in the human imagination, like so many other such creations, are simply incapable actual existence. Raggedy Ann and Andy will simply never walk off the page and interact with world.

3. God is not moved by death. Humans are terrified of death. We agonize over it, pace around, wringing our hands over wrongful death, injustice, or suffering. But God seems unmoved by it. The whole system of life on earth revolves around death.

Nah, The whole system of life on earth revolves around continual change: evolution.

4. God has allowed or provided a beautiful world for us. Beauty & awe are all around us, & move us to powerful emotions. The natural world is both terrifying & beautiful. The variety is amazing, & the nature of the universe is beyond our understanding, even after thousands of years of collective knowledge. At least, He has instilled in us the capacity for Awe.

Take off your rose colored glasses and take a look at all the suffering that also goes on. As god said in his Bible, "I create evil," and he no doubt relishes its existence and byproducts. Why else go to the trouble of creating it? Huh?

5. God is orderly. Laws of nature are consistent, & dependable. Humans may be fickle, but God is not.

Now they'd hardly work as laws if they weren't consistent and dependable, would they.

.

 

[osgart]

If there is a purpose God should have told us what that purpose was, just as we have been told the purpose of human suffering.
So absent that, I just have to assume that God does not care about animal suffering. I cannot abide by that and still believe God is loving.

Perhaps it is a disciplinary measure. You know, like with children.

Maybe the Glory is so great, that the suffering pales in comparison.

Maybe the Lessons we need are as real as the reality we are living.

I have unbearable physical pain , but perhaps it makes me kinder.

Its the atrocity that i see in the world that i cannot fathom. The victims of it too!

There's other things i cant fathom a purpose for as well that happen.

Then there is the thought that maybe life on earth is rebellious, lethal, and full of errors. That perhaps we are not all that innocent. Or even the best of us are not as loving as we should be. A lot of people seem to live decent lives, and like myself, have never committed any crimes. Maybe the decent people of the world, need to learn allmighty lessons. Why? Because maybe the most decent of people are harsh and judgmental, or totally uncaring. But i do know some very decent people who are very compassionate.

I would suspect that God could make animals live forever in the forevermore.

 

[Trailblazer]

Thats as far as my mind can conceive of God. I hope its not mistaken.

I sure hope you are right... You are a veritable inspiration, a shining light in the darkness.
I think you are right because that is essentially what Baha'u'llah says about God.
I just fight it tooth and nail.

 

[Trailblazer]

Maybe the Glory is so great, that the suffering pales in comparison.

I have read that is the case but it requires a lot of faith to believe that.

Maybe the Lessons we need are as real as the reality we are living.

I believe that is the case because that is a Baha'i belief.

I have unbearable physical pain , but perhaps it makes me kinder

I am sorry to hear that. I have no physical pain but at times I have unbearable emotional pain.
I know it makes me kinder. Is this the price we have to pay to be kind? Maybe so.

Then there is the thought that maybe life on earth is rebellious, lethal, and full of errors. That perhaps we are not all that innocent. Or even the best of us are not as loving as we should be. A lot of people seem to live decent lives, and like myself, have never committed any crimes. Maybe the decent people of the world, need to learn allmighty lessons. Why? Because maybe the most decent of people are harsh and judgmental, or totally uncaring. But i do know some very decent people who are very compassionate.

I tend to see it the same way. All of us could be more loving.

I would suspect that God could make animals live forever in the forevermore.

I sure hope He does. That would me a huge difference in my life if I knew that.
Animals are everything to me. I like some people too, people like you.

 

[osgart]

I have read that is the case but it requires a lot of faith to believe that.

I believe that is the case because that is a Baha'i belief.

I am sorry to hear that. I have no physical pain but at times I have unbearable emotional pain.
I know it makes me kinder. Is this the price we have to pay to be kind? Maybe so.

I tend to see it the same way. All of us could be more loving.

I sure hope He does. That would me a huge difference in my life if I knew that.
Animals are everything to me. I like some people too, people like you.

Thanks for the kindness!

I must say, you do put up a lot of inspiring stuff.

And i love the animals. Speaking of animals, what could be friendlier than the voracious, venemous kimodo dragon?

Google Image Result for https://daily.jstor.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/komodo_dragon-1050x700.jpg

A far cry from a little kitty though!

 

[Trailblazer]

I must say, you do put up a lot of inspiring stuff.

As you also do.

 

[Thief]

Look at this like a 'what if' scenario. You can believe anything you want, but for discussion purposes, what do you think God is like? Use your observation powers, anecdotal evidence, implications, extrapolations, or your own experience.

Even atheists can participate.. just make the assumption that there is a God, then tell us what you think He is like based on the world around you. If that is too hard, no problem. 'I have no idea' is a good answer, too.

Now, if you have a personal issue with God.. if you have deep seated hostility or anger, i understand. It is hard to be objective with those emotions clouding your thinking processes. But perhaps you can relay what happened to you, personally, that resulted in your anger with God, & how that colored your perception of Him.

I'm not asking for theological orthodoxy, or denominational descriptions, or quotes from religious texts or someone else, on what they think God is like, but your own personal experience, perception, & analysis.

I'll start.

1. God is very mysterious.
Thousands of years of human history have not brought us to any consensus as to the nature or even existence of God. This is probably the central question of human philosophy, yet we don't really know much about Him.

2. God is distant. He has what seems to be a 'laissez faire' view of humanity. Things go on pretty much randomly, with no apparent goal or purpose. He does not seem to be involved in our social processes. He does not intervene if we are stupid or destructive, but lets us do whatever we want.

3. God is not moved by death. Humans are terrified of death. We agonize over it, pace around, wringing our hands over wrongful death, injustice, or suffering. But God seems unmoved by it. The whole system of life on earth revolves around death.

4. God has allowed or provided a beautiful world for us. Beauty & awe are all around us, & move us to powerful emotions. The natural world is both terrifying & beautiful. The variety is amazing, & the nature of the universe is beyond our understanding, even after thousands of years of collective knowledge. At least, He has instilled in us the capacity for Awe.

5. God is orderly. Laws of nature are consistent, & dependable. Humans may be fickle, but God is not.

Those are a few things to get things started.. this is a philosophical exercise, & we can examine or rebut any offers or descriptions. Please don't take offense FOR God, or anyone else, if someone's description does not meet your standard. I'd like to hear ANY opinions, even far out ones, if they have a rational basis.

may the Force be with you

but unlike the Star Wars version......there is a Person

Someone had to be First
in mind and heart

I believe that Person ...by default if nothing else
is God

 

[syo]

God is what is. In other words, God is life itself.