What is God ?

[Kowalski]

I am fairly sure this has been discussed before, but it's worth bringing up again. The Christians have , as far as I'm aware, a view from Genesis that God is something like a human in form, and that man was made in the image of God. Plainly, this seems rather a ridiculous arguement. If God was the all powerful being he is said to be, would he actaually look like a human , have the same bio-dependecy? My own feelings, and I know many have the same view, is that God is made in the image of Man.

My own idea of what God is somewhat cloudy, but I have the strongest conviction God is nothing like a man. Some argue that God is formless, pure spirit. Others that God is simply the manifestation of the laws of physics. At one point, I actually speculated that what we term God has neither mind nor other human attributes, but is the Second law of thermodynamics. In this case, God just is. If Tao is related to the laws of physics, and indeed Tao must be, then Tao is the nearest defination of what God is. And since Tao is unknowable, then god must also be unknowable, and anybody who claims to know God is fibbing.

Which in a round about way brings me to the conclusion that God has a shelf life, just as the universe has. In trillions of years time, all life in the universe, indeed the universe itself will cease to exist, this cannot be averted due the truth of the second law of thermodyamics. What sort of God could come into existence with the Big Bang, and perish with the universe ? My contention is that whatever God is or is not, it is not the God painted by the Orthodox religions. God is unknowable, cannot be understood by human thinking and will always remain as such.

I thank you,

Kowalski

 

[Quiddity]

My mind is incapable of fully grasping what is God. Nevertheless I seek to understand and know Him and like you I get an abstract and cloudy picture. More then enougth to keep me interested. In that, I grow, and the picture get's clearer.

What is God?............LOVE.

~Victor

 

[KirbyFan101]

God explains everything we cannot.

 

[Quiddity]

God explains everything we cannot.

Sounds a lot like something I say "faith builds upon reason". But technically He does not explain everything. I have no idea of the details abiogenesis.

~Victor

 

[Kowalski]

Sounds a lot like something I say "faith builds upon reason". But technically He does not explain everything. I have no idea of the details abiogenesis.

~Victor

Well you know, for me, God remains a mystery as deep as that of the origins of the universe.

Cheers,

K

 

[Terrywoodenpic]

I think that if you could remove every thing physical from the universe. God would be what was left.

Terry
___________________________


Blessed are those who bring peace, they shall be children of God

 

[DreamQuickBook]

I think that if you could remove every thing physical from the universe. God would be what was left.

Terry
___________________________


Blessed are those who bring peace, they shall be children of God

I think if you removed everything "ideal" and "spiritual" from the universe, God would be what was left.

 

[Peace]

Say: He is Allah, the One and Only; Allah, the Eternal, Absolute; He begetteth not, nor is He begotten; And there is none like unto Him. (The Quran: 112:1-4)

The 99 beautiful names of God:

1. Allah
2. The Compassionate (al-Rahman)
3. The Merciful (al-Rahim)
4. The King/Sovereign (al-Malik)
5. The Holy (al-Quddus)
6. The Source of Peace (al-Salam)
7. The Giver of Faith (al-Mu'min)
8. The Overall Protector (al-Muhaimin)
9. The Strong (al-`Aziz)
10. The Almighty (al-Jabbar)
11. The Majestic (al-Mutakabbir)
12. The Creator (al-Khaliq)
13. The Maker (al-Bari')
14. The Fashioner (al-Musawwir)
15. The Great Forgiver (al-Ghaffar)
16. The Dominant (al-Qahhar)
17. The Bestower (al-Wahhab)
18. The Provider (al-Razzaq)
19. The Opener, The Reliever (al-Fattah)
20. The All-Knowing (al-`Alim)
21. The Restrainer, The Withholder (al-Qabid)
22. The Extender (al-Basit)
23. The Humbler (al-Khafid)
24. The Exalter (al-Rafi`)
25. The Empowerer (al-Mu`izz)
26. The Humiliator (al-Mudhill)
27. The All-Hearing, The Hearer (al-Sami`)
28. The All-Seeing (al-Basir)
29. The Judge (al-Hakam)
30. The Just (al-`Adl)
31. The Kindly One (al-Latif)
32. The Gracious, The Aware (al-Khabir)
33. The Clement, The Forbearing (al-Halim)
34. The Mighty (al-`Azim)
35. The Forgiving (al-Ghafur)
36. The Grateful, The Appreciative (al-Shakur)
37. The High, The Sublime (al-`Aliyy)
38. The Great (al-Kabir)
39. The Preserver (al-Hafiz)
40. The Protector, The Guardian, The Feeder, The Sustainer (al-Muqit)
41. The Reckoner (al-Hasib)
42. The Sublime One (al-Jali)
43. The Bountiful, The Gracious (al-Karim)
44. The Watcher, The Watchful (al-Raqib)
45. The Responsive, The Hearkener (al-Mujib)
46. The Infinite, The All-Embracing (al-Wasi`)
47. The Wise (al-Hakim al-Mutlaq)
48. The Loving (al-Wadud)
49. The Glorious (al-Majid)
50. The Resurrector (al-Ba`ith)
51. The Witness (al-Shahid)
52. The True (al-Haqq)
53. The Advocate (al-Wakil)
54. The Most Strong (al-Qawiyy)
55. The Firm (al-Matin)
56. The Patron (al-Waliyy)
57. The Praiseworthy (al-Hamid)
58. The Numberer (al-Muhsi)
59. The Commencer (al-Mubdi)
60. The Restorer (al-Mu`id)
61. The Giver of Life (al-Muhyi)
62. The One Who Gives Death (al-Mumit)
63. The Living One (al-Hayy)
64. The Self-Subsisting (al-Qayyum)
65. The Perceiver (al-Wajid)
66. The One (al-Wahid)
67. The Independent (al-Samad)
68. The Powerful (al-Qadir)
69. The Dominant (al-Muqtadir)
70. The Giver (al-Muqaddim)
71. The Retarder (al-Mu'akhkhir)
72. The First (al-Awwal)
73. The Last (al-Akhir)
74. The Manifest (al-Zahir)
75. The Hidden (al-Batin)
76. The Governor (al-Wali)
77. The High Exalted (al-Muta`ali)
78. The Righteous (al-Barr)
79. The Relenting (al-Tawwab)
80. The Forgiver (al-`Afuww)
81. The Avenger (al-Muntaquim)
82. The Compassionate (al-Ra'uf)
83. The Ruler of the Kingdom (Malik al-Mulk)
84. The Lord of Majesty and Bounty (Dhu'l-Jalal wa'l-Ikram)
85. The Equitable (al-Muqsit)
86. The Gatherer, The Collector (al-Jami`)
87. The Self-Sufficient (al-Ghani)
88. The Enricher (al-Mughni)
89. The Bestower (al-Mu`ti)
90. The Withholder (al-Mani`)
91. The Propitious (al-Nafi`)
92. The Distresser (al-Darr)
93. The Light (al-Nur)
94. The Guide (al-Hadi)
95. The Eternal (al-Azali)
96. The Everlasting (al-Baqi)
97. The Heir (al-Warith)
98. The Guide to the Right Path (al-Rashid)
99. The Patient (al-Sabur)


Peace be with you,
Peace

 

[michel]

I am fairly sure this has been discussed before, but it's worth bringing up again. The Christians have , as far as I'm aware, a view from Genesis that God is something like a human in form, and that man was made in the image of God. Plainly, this seems rather a ridiculous arguement. If God was the all powerful being he is said to be, would he actaually look like a human , have the same bio-dependecy? My own feelings, and I know many have the same view, is that God is made in the image of Man.

My own idea of what God is somewhat cloudy, but I have the strongest conviction God is nothing like a man. Some argue that God is formless, pure spirit. Others that God is simply the manifestation of the laws of physics. At one point, I actually speculated that what we term God has neither mind nor other human attributes, but is the Second law of thermodynamics. In this case, God just is. If Tao is related to the laws of physics, and indeed Tao must be, then Tao is the nearest defination of what God is. And since Tao is unknowable, then god must also be unknowable, and anybody who claims to know God is fibbing.

Which in a round about way brings me to the conclusion that God has a shelf life, just as the universe has. In trillions of years time, all life in the universe, indeed the universe itself will cease to exist, this cannot be averted due the truth of the second law of thermodyamics. What sort of God could come into existence with the Big Bang, and perish with the universe ? My contention is that whatever God is or is not, it is not the God painted by the Orthodox religions. God is unknowable, cannot be understood by human thinking and will always remain as such.

I thank you,

Kowalski

My understanding (and I may be quite wrong) is that your "that man was made in the image of God" means 'spiritually' - I don't take that to be literall in any way.

 

[Dayv]

I think god (or the goddess, as I prefer) is the spark of life in everything that is alive. Basically an oversoul that either has it's own seperate conciousness, or is a collective conciousness of all living organisms.

 

[DreamQuickBook]

I think god (or the goddess, as I prefer) is the spark of life in everything that is alive. Basically an oversoul that either has it's own seperate conciousness, or is a collective conciousness of all living organisms.

I once felt that way too; wrote a
poem about it .

Basically describing how the divine is life.

 

[Mike182]

My understanding (and I may be quite wrong) is that your "that man was made in the image of God" means 'spiritually' - I don't take that to be literall in any way.

agreed

and to taek tha tverse literally would imply that God is both male and female

but the question of "what is God?" is a tricky one

simplest answer, we dont know - by gods very nature s/he is incomprehendible to the human mind

 

[DreamQuickBook]

but the question of "what is God?" is a tricky one

simplest answer, we dont know - by gods very nature s/he is incomprehendible to the human mind

So the question becomes, what is god to you?.

 

[Mike182]

So the question becomes, what is god to you?.

ok, i guess i have to be able to answer that one

to me, the god that i worship is loving, merciful and loyal

but those are his qualities, he himself, is not a biological being, he exists inside my heart, yet he also exists outside of me aswell

i know what i mean, i just cant find words to describe what i mean

C_P

 

[Sabio]

John 4:24
God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

The original Greek says pneuma ho theos which literally translated is: "God is spirit", or better still, "God is spiritual in nature", the noun being anarthrous (without the definite article "a").
http://www.nccg.org/141Art-GodSpirit.html

 

[michel]

ok, i guess i have to be able to answer that one

to me, the god that i worship is loving, merciful and loyal

but those are his qualities, he himself, is not a biological being, he exists inside my heart, yet he also exists outside of me aswell

i know what i mean, i just cant find words to describe what i mean

C_P

I thought you did rather well.

 

[Quiddity]

My understanding (and I may be quite wrong) is that your "that man was made in the image of God" means 'spiritually' - I don't take that to be literall in any way.

Agreed....

~Victor

 

[michel]

So the question becomes, what is god to you?.

I know that wasn't addressed to me, but if I have to try and define what God represents to me. the description would include:-

Everlasting compassion
The true and never ending embodyment of Love
one whose service I yearn to devote myself to
The highest ideal of all - beyond our comprehension.

But that's only a start.

 

[Mr Spinkles]

So, to sum up, all you theists believe in "something that is incomprehensible"?

Come on, you guys can do better than that. You ascribe attributes to god that go beyond this definition on a regular basis....attributes like thoughts, feelings, a "Plan" for humanity, morals, super powers, omniscience, the ability to communicate with humans.....

If god really were "incomprehensible" you wouldn't be justified in saying things like "god is love" or "god wants....[X] ". How could you possibly know what god is or is not, what god does or does not want, if god were truly, completely incomprehensible?

 

[abdullaah]

Glorified is the one who created man and gave him a heart, a mind, hearing and seeing, and sent messengers and prophets and descended Books to guide human race to worship non but Him. surely God doesn't resemble non of His creatures. God's fina messenger when he was asked about the god that sent him, God revealed to the surrah caled (al ikhlaas) in which Muhammed informed the unbelievers that : He, Allah, is One ,Allah is He on Whom all depend,He begets not, nor is He begotten,And none is like Him. you can see how simple you can understand who is your creator. i can send you more information that you can accept without any problem or doubt.