The concept of God

**The End** · 06-12-2008, 12:15 PM

I reached a point in my life where I am just not sure that I can ascribe to any one set of a man's interpretation of what he or they believe "God" is. To me, it seems man in general tries to take what they perceive to be "God" and put that god in a little box for them to carry around with them. I got into a discussion with a girl I went out on a date with a few years ago and asked her:"How do you know that Zeus isn't God? Or Apollo or Allah? What makes one man's version of "God" more correct than another's?" It seems that mankind has progressed in knowledge despite Christianity and not because of it. When the bible was written people still believed the Earth was flat and that the sun went around the world and so on. Any other belief could get you killed as a Heretic. Over many centuries, people have used religion as a reason to kill, oppress, and enslave others all believing that "God" was on their side.
Honestly, I believe in a Higher power, but attempting to put it into one of these little boxes is difficult. I often think about the universe. It blows my mind that the stars I look at today, the ancients thousands of years ago were also looking at. Doesn't it ever strike you that right where you are sitting right now, there may have been dinosaurs in the same spot and it was in some cases hundreds if millions of years ago. As a human I cannot grasp the concept of Millions of years. How long was it since the earth was one big supercontinent and then broke apart into the seperate continents we have today? When I think of the stars, I wonder if around each of those stars is another solar system and they may have life on some of those planets as well, maybe more advances than us, maybe still in the Cro-magnon stage of evolution. When you think of this and so much more. It is really hard for us to comprehend at least it is for me. So for someone to stand up and credit it all with a mankind's human version of what he or she perceives to be God is difficult since our understanding and comprehension is just too limited to put such a grand concept in a tiny little box.
What you think?

***complete*** · 06-12-2008, 01:04 PM

I think you kind of nailed it with the analogy of the "the box". Yes, I don't think it works when people try to put who they perceive to be their God in the box. Whatever your belief is and whether you believe in God or not, but if you do, God is supposed to be all knowing and all powerful. If so, how can a human think that they can put the God in the box? It's like a little ant on the road thinking he knows all about the giant human walking around. How can you expect the ant's brain to fully understand all the intricacy of the human? At the same token, how can a mere mortal think they can fully understand all powerful God?

**TRIANGLEFROMGAURD** · 06-12-2008, 01:20 PM

You should look into a religion called Ba'hai.

**The End** · 06-12-2008, 01:24 PM

What's that about?

**Jason** · 06-12-2008, 01:29 PM

I hope God isn't all good. I'd like to think he's watching us not as we believe, to watch over us, but in fact watching us like we watch Big Brother.

**TRIANGLEFROMGAURD** · 06-12-2008, 01:32 PM

Give it a read Baha'i Faith

**WC_Lun** · 06-12-2008, 04:01 PM

I agree with what you say about the little box. No matter your belief, don't attribute the evil men do in the name of god to any god or higher power. It is purely men's decision to do the evil and then claim they did it in the name of god to justify something they know is evil.

Many people have come to the point that you have and I believe it is a good thing. If you keep digging at what you believe you'll find your faith and religion. It may not be the same as any organized religion or it may be. Either way it'll be true to your beliefs.

**Ben** · 06-12-2008, 05:00 PM

if there is a god, I dont have time to waste with it/him/her, ill cross that bridge when I come to it. strength comes from yourself, not some higher being in the stars, and pit myself against any immortal that thinks otherwise.

**N.B** · 06-12-2008, 06:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ben

if there is a god, I dont have time to waste with it/him/her, ill cross that bridge when I come to it. strength comes from yourself, not some higher being in the stars, and pit myself against any immortal that thinks otherwise.

Ah, but you might be drawing strength from a god and not realise it, in the same way that people looking to god for answers may find strength within themselves.

I'm not a believer but I have nothing against people who follow their religions, in fact I think the basic pinciples of religion is a great idea, unfortunately it can be twisted.

**The End** · 06-12-2008, 06:51 PM

N.B, I think to a point, religion can be because it provides people with a "moral compass" and helps to keep people in line. Many many years ago when say, the ancient Israelites needed to keep a social order, the "Law of God" was a good way to set those things in order to keep things from falling into anarchy.
Unfortunately, like you said, it often becomes twisted.

47MartialMan · 06-12-2008, 07:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TRIANGLEFROMGAURD

You should look into a religion called Ba'hai.

My wife's boss belongs to that faith. Very interesting.

However, many people misunderstand the Buddhist approach to "God".

The "Fear of God" kept people in check and governments/rulers used this fear to their advantage.

But there could be twists as the people who had a "Fear of God", would no longer "Fear the Government"

I find it interesting how people thib=nk what God likes or dislikes, from reading a few passages from paper that was written by a man's interpretation.

God Hates Shrimp

**The End** · 06-12-2008, 07:09 PM

What also is disturbing is that they speak in absolutes. There "definitely" is a heaven, "definitely is a Hell" Definitely, you can't go to heaven unless you accept THIS version or that, as if they are somehow the ulitmiate authority on the subjects of the above mentioned things I stated in my OP.

47MartialMan · 06-12-2008, 07:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The End

What also is disturbing is that they speak in absolutes. There "definitely" is a heaven, "definitely is a Hell" Definitely, you can't go to heaven unless you accept THIS version or that, as if they are somehow the ulitmiate authority on the subjects of the above mentioned things I stated in my OP.

Because people of religion, deal with "absolutes". They have to, that is why it is called "faith".

Religion is the lynch pin to a lot of hypocrisy.

It is strange, when people are in distress that they call upon God more often. We regard God as an airman regards his parachute; it's there for emergencies but he hopes he'll never have to use it.

You can tell the size of your God by looking at the size of your worry list. The longer your list, the smaller your God. ~Author Unknown

Maybe the atheist cannot find God for the same reason a thief cannot find a policeman. ~Author Unknown

**The End** · 06-12-2008, 07:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 47MartialMan

Beacuse people of religion, deal with "absolutes". They have to, that is why it is called "faith'

Yes, and Unfortunately, There lies the weakness of organized "religion" It should be to help bring people together, but since everyone claims to hold the ABSOLUTE truth, everyone else in their eyes must be wrong and that is how we end up with so many "holy wars"