What is God?

[AllieBaba]

Er..no. It's a fallacy. Fallacy is not equal to truth.

So organized religion does not make a lot of money on the man in the sky myth?

What rock have you been living under?

There are multiple logical fallacies in that post.

 

[Sky Dancer]

Er..no. It's a fallacy. Fallacy is not equal to truth.

So organized religion does not make a lot of money on the man in the sky myth?

What rock have you been living under?

All organized religion makes money. Christianity is not alone in that. It's the nature of institutions.

That's always an issue discussed in Buddhism.

 

[Anachronism]

My viewpoint on "God" is a little different than most people's.....

I believe that there is a single, all-powerful, Entity who has created everything that is in existance. I actually believe that pretty much all religions and spiritual paths lead back to this same Entity, regardless of the particular Theology, Mythology, or Spirituality that they may invoke. I'm sure that sounds totally unbelievable, but let me explain.

I believe that we as human beings see that Entity very much like we see light from inside a many, many faceted jewel. Each facet of that jewel reflects the light in a slightly different way as it streams forth from inside it. Some of the facets reflect the light in complimentary ways.... these are the individual, poly-theistic pantheons of Gods and Goddesses. In some cases people choose to look at only one facet and ignore all the rest... these are the monotheistic religions. Some choose to look at a vast spectrum of facets. Whichever way one chooses to view the light, it's still the same light; whether you call it Christ, Zeus, Venus, The Goddess, Allah, etc....

 

[Marie888]

How does God create? Is it some kind of super magic? Is God shaped like a man?

Who is God? ( A link)
Who is God?


What does God look like? (A link)
What does God look like?


More than anything, Sky Dancer, if you are interested in knowing if there is a God or not, I'd really encourage you to ask Him yourself, with full heart. Feel free to ask Him anything. "What is the truth?" "Why are there so many religions"? "Why is there death and suffering?" "Why can't we see You?".

I say this because if you think about it... if there is a God (and I know there is but I cannot prove it to you the way you may want) but if there is a God, the best thing to do would be to go direct to the source, wouldn't you agree?

If you are truly seeking God, then surely He would know since He is God, and He will answer. (In the Bible, He promises to do so, and because He is God, He know if we are truly sincere in our hearts to find Him, or if we are set out to try to mock, disprove, or lie about Him)


Hope that helps, take care


.

 

[Skull Pilot]

Er..no. It's a fallacy. Fallacy is not equal to truth.

So organized religion does not make a lot of money on the man in the sky myth?

What rock have you been living under?

All organized religion makes money. Christianity is not alone in that. It's the nature of institutions.

That's always an issue discussed in Buddhism.

Tell me, why would one pay to pray to the man in the sky?

 

[Sky Dancer]

So organized religion does not make a lot of money on the man in the sky myth?

What rock have you been living under?

All organized religion makes money. Christianity is not alone in that. It's the nature of institutions.

That's always an issue discussed in Buddhism.

Tell me, why would one pay to pray to the man in the sky?

Money is needed to build churches and monasteries and temples which are gathering places for people to pray and meditate.

I have no idea why someone would pay to pray. Generally, offerings are voluntary and spiritual teachings are freely offered.

In Buddhism, it is really bad to profit from the dharma.

 

[AllieBaba]

My own POV is that God is not humanoid in any way. He is a separate consciousness from ours, and the Ultimate Good.

I dun care whether he created the Universe; it'd be fine by me if it turns out that was an entirely natural process.

I dun think he alters events if we pray or "hears every sparrow drop"; seeking God improves a person, and thus, even if God needed a "job", he has one.

He is eternal and omnipresent.

So...

to you god is just a pretend being.

Possibly an alien?

What do you base your supposition that he's not humanoid? (humanoid? Really did you say that? Lol)

Here's my understanding of Madeline's view of God. He is not a person, and doesn't look like a man. He is genderless. He is eternal, omnipresent being. He is not a creator or a savior and in no way intervenes in our lives.

Madeline's view as a deist is the closest view to Buddhism I've encountered in a non-buddhist.

Nothing in Madeline's post in any way refers to God as an alien. Why is it so hard to comprehend that others see God different from you? There is no one right way to view God. If there were, there would be only one religion.

Sorry, when someone refers to an all-powerful, non-humanoid being I just assume "alien". People prefer aliens to a *humanoid* I guess.

And I don't have trouble accepting that people view God differently. I understand that they do. My question is ... why would you rather put your faith in a completely subjective fantasy, rather than explore the perfect God we already know about?

It's arrogant.

 

[Skull Pilot]

All organized religion makes money. Christianity is not alone in that. It's the nature of institutions.

That's always an issue discussed in Buddhism.

Tell me, why would one pay to pray to the man in the sky?

Money is needed to build churches and monasteries and temples which are gathering places for people to pray and meditate.

I have no idea why someone would pay to pray. Generally, offerings are voluntary and spiritual teachings are freely offered.

In Buddhism, it is really bad to profit from the dharma.

If the man in the sky is everywhere at all times, all knowing and all seeing, why build a church? Why not just sit on the crapper and pray you know multi-tasking?

 

[Sky Dancer]

How does God create? Is it some kind of super magic? Is God shaped like a man?

Who is God? ( A link)
Who is God?


What does God look like? (A link)
What does God look like?


More than anything, Sky Dancer, if you are interested in knowing if there is a God or not, I'd really encourage you to ask Him yourself, with full heart. Feel free to ask Him anything. "What is the truth?" "Why are there so many religions"? "Why is there death and suffering?" "Why can't we see You?".

I say this because if you think about it... if there is a God (and I know there is but I cannot prove it to you the way you may want) but if there is a God, the best thing to do would be to go direct to the source, wouldn't you agree?

If you are truly seeking God, then surely He would know since He is God, and He will answer. (In the Bible, He promises to do so, and because He is God, He know if we are truly sincere in our hearts to find Him, or if we are set out to try to mock, disprove, or lie about Him)


Hope that helps, take care


.

Thanks for your answer. Your faith is obviously a great souce of peace for you, as it mine for me.

Truth is, I started this thread because people were talking about can God be proven and most of the time people don't agree what God is.

I have already found my own answer. I'm interested in what others think and feel to see where we may have common ground.

My answers have come from Buddhism, not Christianity. I was raised Roman Catholic and discouraged from asking spiritual questions.

 

[AllieBaba]

Yes, Sky. We've all been witnesses to the perfect peace and enlightenment your faith has brought you.

Obviously you have no issues with Christianity. Live and let live. Perfectly happy with your choice and all that. That is why you insist on continually blathering on about it.

 

[Sky Dancer]

So...

to you god is just a pretend being.

Possibly an alien?

What do you base your supposition that he's not humanoid? (humanoid? Really did you say that? Lol)

Here's my understanding of Madeline's view of God. He is not a person, and doesn't look like a man. He is genderless. He is eternal, omnipresent being. He is not a creator or a savior and in no way intervenes in our lives.

Madeline's view as a deist is the closest view to Buddhism I've encountered in a non-buddhist.

Nothing in Madeline's post in any way refers to God as an alien. Why is it so hard to comprehend that others see God different from you? There is no one right way to view God. If there were, there would be only one religion.

Sorry, when someone refers to an all-powerful, non-humanoid being I just assume "alien". People prefer aliens to a *humanoid* I guess.

And I don't have trouble accepting that people view God differently. I understand that they do. My question is ... why would you rather put your faith in a completely subjective fantasy, rather than explore the perfect God we already know about?

It's arrogant.

Anyone who is going to have a personal relationship with God will describe their faith in a subjective way. It will come out of their own experience. That's NOT arrogance.

Thinking your version of God is perfect and everyone else's views are flawed is arrogance.

I don't see that in Madeline's post. After some genuine soul searching, she has come to a view of God that works for her.

Why can't you just differ? Your view of God as Creator and Savior works for you, Madeline's view works for her.

 

[Sky Dancer]

Yes, Sky. We've all been witnesses to the perfect peace and enlightenment your faith has brought you.

Obviously you have no issues with Christianity. Live and let live. Perfectly happy with your choice and all that. That is why you insist on continually blathering on about it.

I have issues with the RCC. Why? I am still working through the trauma of being raised a Catholic.

 

[Skull Pilot]

Yes, Sky. We've all been witnesses to the perfect peace and enlightenment your faith has brought you.

Obviously you have no issues with Christianity. Live and let live. Perfectly happy with your choice and all that. That is why you insist on continually blathering on about it.

I have no issues with any religion other than they are all based on a myth.

And I am at peace. Because I know that there is no reward in heaven and no pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. It's people who wish for things that don't exist that have a problem with living.

 

[Sky Dancer]

Yes, Sky. We've all been witnesses to the perfect peace and enlightenment your faith has brought you.

Obviously you have no issues with Christianity. Live and let live. Perfectly happy with your choice and all that. That is why you insist on continually blathering on about it.

I have no issues with any religion other than they are all based on a myth.

Here's how I view the whole myth thing. If you think heaven and hell are real places, that's a myth. If you consider heaven or hell is the reality of your own mind, that's another story.

I think hell is the state of being in murderous rage. Heaven is a state of being in love, compassion, joy and equanimity.

 

[Marie888]

Yes, Sky. We've all been witnesses to the perfect peace and enlightenment your faith has brought you.

Obviously you have no issues with Christianity. Live and let live. Perfectly happy with your choice and all that. That is why you insist on continually blathering on about it.

I have issues with the RCC. Why? I am still working through the trauma of being raised a Catholic.

Skydancer, I don't blame you at all from the trauma from RCC. I didn't have any upbringing in it, thank the Lord, but the small portion of it that touched my live, made me feel "condemned" in a way. Like I wasn't good enough, nor would be good enough.

When in fact, the Bible teaches the opposite about God (can see just one of many verses in my siggy).

So I just want to share some things I've been learning from God, if you aren't interested, no problem He's showed and is still showing me about loving one another, forgiving one another, esteeming others, helping others, and not being "discouraging to them".
Do I mess up? Heck yes, all the time. The truth is, do we know anyone who doesn't? Then He lovingly prunes me, gives me discipline, but He never leaves me.

It is written in the Bible that "Love covers a multitude of sins." Meaning just that. We all will mess up, we all can do things or say things wrong to one another. So, what is it that breaks the cycle of that? Forgiveness/love/goodness/gentleness/etc.

In the RCC, they seem to focus so much on the "church", the "pope", the leadership, and traditions that have nothing to do with Jesus Christ. All we have to do is visit the "Holy See" website of the Vatican to see that the #1 thing the Lord wants us to do - (Put HIM first and our relationship with HIM) is missing. There's a picture of the pope on that opening page, there is no scripture, it's all about the RCC and the priests, etc. It's like they are glorifying "men" instead of God Himself.

The Bible teaches the most important is the relationship ourselves with Jesus Christ. (Love the Lord our God and then love one another) Him first, because He loves us above all, and He teaches us to love, because we all will fail at it sometimes.

It is the most intimate, the most personal relationship, that nothing and no one else can take away. He alone is the one who changes our hearts, He alone is the one who helps us forgive. What He did for us on that Cross demonstrates that it is possible that even in the most horrific of circumstances, there is forgiveness, there is hope, there is love, there is faith.

"There is no pit so deep, that God's love is not deeper still."
- Corrie Ten Boom.

If you've never seen the movie, "The Hiding Place", if you like movies, I'd love to encourage you to watch it. Based on a true story of Corrie Ten Boom.


.

 

[AllieBaba]

Here's my understanding of Madeline's view of God. He is not a person, and doesn't look like a man. He is genderless. He is eternal, omnipresent being. He is not a creator or a savior and in no way intervenes in our lives.

Madeline's view as a deist is the closest view to Buddhism I've encountered in a non-buddhist.

Nothing in Madeline's post in any way refers to God as an alien. Why is it so hard to comprehend that others see God different from you? There is no one right way to view God. If there were, there would be only one religion.

Sorry, when someone refers to an all-powerful, non-humanoid being I just assume "alien". People prefer aliens to a *humanoid* I guess.

And I don't have trouble accepting that people view God differently. I understand that they do. My question is ... why would you rather put your faith in a completely subjective fantasy, rather than explore the perfect God we already know about?

It's arrogant.

Anyone who is going to have a personal relationship with God will describe their faith in a subjective way. It will come out of their own experience. That's NOT arrogance.

Thinking your version of God is perfect and everyone else's views are flawed is arrogance.

I don't see that in Madeline's post. After some genuine soul searching, she has come to a view of God that works for her.

Why can't you just differ? Your view of God as Creator and Savior works for you, Madeline's view works for her.

We do differ. I haven't stopped you from differing. My view is what it is. Why can't you just accept it?

 

[AllieBaba]

Yes, Sky. We've all been witnesses to the perfect peace and enlightenment your faith has brought you.

Obviously you have no issues with Christianity. Live and let live. Perfectly happy with your choice and all that. That is why you insist on continually blathering on about it.

I have issues with the RCC. Why? I am still working through the trauma of being raised a Catholic.

Skydancer, I don't blame you at all from the trauma from RCC. I didn't have any upbringing in it, thank the Lord, but the small portion of it that touched my live, made me feel "condemned" in a way. Like I wasn't good enough, nor would be good enough.

When in fact, the Bible teaches the opposite about God (can see just one of many verses in my siggy).

So I just want to share some things I've been learning from God, if you aren't interested, no problem He's showed and is still showing me about loving one another, forgiving one another, esteeming others, helping others, and not being "discouraging to them".
Do I mess up? Heck yes, all the time. The truth is, do we know anyone who doesn't? Then He lovingly prunes me, gives me discipline, but He never leaves me.

It is written in the Bible that "Love covers a multitude of sins." Meaning just that. We all will mess up, we all can do things or say things wrong to one another. So, what is it that breaks the cycle of that? Forgiveness/love/goodness/gentleness/etc.

In the RCC, they seem to focus so much on the "church", the "pope", the leadership, and traditions that have nothing to do with Jesus Christ. All we have to do is visit the "Holy See" website of the Vatican to see that the #1 thing the Lord wants us to do - (Put HIM first and our relationship with HIM) is missing. There's a picture of the pope on that opening page, there is no scripture, it's all about the RCC and the priests, etc. It's like they are glorifying "men" instead of God Himself.

The Bible teaches the most important is the relationship ourselves with Jesus Christ. (Love the Lord our God and then love one another) Him first, because He loves us above all, and He teaches us to love, because we all will fail at it sometimes.

It is the most intimate, the most personal relationship, that nothing and no one else can take away. He alone is the one who changes our hearts, He alone is the one who helps us forgive. What He did for us on that Cross demonstrates that it is possible that even in the most horrific of circumstances, there is forgiveness, there is hope, there is love, there is faith.

"There is no pit so deep, that God's love is not deeper still."
- Corrie Ten Boom.

If you've never seen the movie, "The Hiding Place", if you like movies, I'd love to encourage you to watch it. Based on a true story of Corrie Ten Boom.


.

Sky spends most of her time at usmb obsessing over how Christians oppress her. When she doesn't get her daily dose of Christian oppression, she seeks them out and tells them all the reasons she doesn't believe in God, and challenges them to share their own beliefs.

If they dare to state their opinions then she tells them they are *scary* and should not *force* their opinions on others.

If they view God as omnipotent, she tells them they are arrogant and they must change their views to *accept* those who have different views...without ever establishing that they have done anything that shows they don't accept people with different views.

She rejects my God whole heartedly, which is fine. But while she says she's accepting of everyone on the one hand, she is patently unaccepting of anyone who actually has FAITH in God, and seeks ways to draw them out and put them on the defensive.

So after watching her cycle through this silliness, I don't wait anymore. When I see one of her stupid threads I just jump in. This will trigger a period where she follows me around sneering and jeering, posting threads about Christianity to give her a place to bash them, and then she'll collapse on her sofa and we won't hear from her for a while.

 

[Sky Dancer]

Yes, Sky. We've all been witnesses to the perfect peace and enlightenment your faith has brought you.

Obviously you have no issues with Christianity. Live and let live. Perfectly happy with your choice and all that. That is why you insist on continually blathering on about it.

I have issues with the RCC. Why? I am still working through the trauma of being raised a Catholic.

Skydancer, I don't blame you at all from the trauma from RCC. I didn't have any upbringing in it, thank the Lord, but the small portion of it that touched my live, made me feel "condemned" in a way. Like I wasn't good enough, nor would be good enough.

When in fact, the Bible teaches the opposite about God (can see just one of many verses in my siggy).

So I just want to share some things I've been learning from God, if you aren't interested, no problem He's showed and is still showing me about loving one another, forgiving one another, esteeming others, helping others, and not being "discouraging to them".
Do I mess up? Heck yes, all the time. The truth is, do we know anyone who doesn't? Then He lovingly prunes me, gives me discipline, but He never leaves me.

It is written in the Bible that "Love covers a multitude of sins." Meaning just that. We all will mess up, we all can do things or say things wrong to one another. So, what is it that breaks the cycle of that? Forgiveness/love/goodness/gentleness/etc.

In the RCC, they seem to focus so much on the "church", the "pope", the leadership, and traditions that have nothing to do with Jesus Christ. All we have to do is visit the "Holy See" website of the Vatican to see that the #1 thing the Lord wants us to do - (Put HIM first and our relationship with HIM) is missing. There's a picture of the pope on that opening page, there is no scripture, it's all about the RCC and the priests, etc. It's like they are glorifying "men" instead of God Himself.

The Bible teaches the most important is the relationship ourselves with Jesus Christ. (Love the Lord our God and then love one another) Him first, because He loves us above all, and He teaches us to love, because we all will fail at it sometimes.

It is the most intimate, the most personal relationship, that nothing and no one else can take away. He alone is the one who changes our hearts, He alone is the one who helps us forgive. What He did for us on that Cross demonstrates that it is possible that even in the most horrific of circumstances, there is forgiveness, there is hope, there is love, there is faith.

"There is no pit so deep, that God's love is not deeper still."
- Corrie Ten Boom.

If you've never seen the movie, "The Hiding Place", if you like movies, I'd love to encourage you to watch it. Based on a true story of Corrie Ten Boom.


.

Lovely post, Marie-

Thank you for your understanding. The kinds of things you describe your Christian faith doing for you are the same things that Buddhism does for me. I use different language than you do to describe the practices that work on purifying my mind and opening my heart.

There has been so much trauma in my life that I have to work so hard on myself in every way I can to do with my triggers--which bring up traumatic memory, flashbacks, nightmares, panic attacks etc.

Forgiveness to me is accepting that the horrible past experiences I had cannot be changed. What it leaves me with still is this strong determination to not allow anything again to crush my spirit.

The RCC was my immersion or indoctrination into Christian dogma via the papal institution.
That is what caused me to seek a path outside of Christianity which completely works for me.

It just so happens that some of the Christian political activism directly impacts my life too, and I speak out against that. I believe in separation of church and state. I believe in religious freedom, I will not allow a theocracy to be created in America, be it Muslim or Christian. I am so grateful to live in America where religious freedom is still a basic right.

Since you are a Christian, you may find the book, LEFT TO TELL, by Immaculae Ilibagiza to be very inspiring. It was to me. It's the story of a Christian woman who survived the Uganda Holocaust by hiding in the bathroom of her pastors home with seven other women for 10 months. It's a beautiful story of faith, and as a trauma survivor myself, I could relate even though I am a Buddhist, not a Christian.

The RCC has let some of us down, and for me, forever jaded my expectations of Christians. It is so delightful to meet you and witness your gentle, loving faith. Care4All is another Christian who restores my faith in your tradition.

Thanks again, some day maybe I'll tell the trauma stories and how Buddhist practice is helping me heal.

sky

 

[Sky Dancer]

I have issues with the RCC. Why? I am still working through the trauma of being raised a Catholic.

Skydancer, I don't blame you at all from the trauma from RCC. I didn't have any upbringing in it, thank the Lord, but the small portion of it that touched my live, made me feel "condemned" in a way. Like I wasn't good enough, nor would be good enough.

When in fact, the Bible teaches the opposite about God (can see just one of many verses in my siggy).

So I just want to share some things I've been learning from God, if you aren't interested, no problem He's showed and is still showing me about loving one another, forgiving one another, esteeming others, helping others, and not being "discouraging to them".
Do I mess up? Heck yes, all the time. The truth is, do we know anyone who doesn't? Then He lovingly prunes me, gives me discipline, but He never leaves me.

It is written in the Bible that "Love covers a multitude of sins." Meaning just that. We all will mess up, we all can do things or say things wrong to one another. So, what is it that breaks the cycle of that? Forgiveness/love/goodness/gentleness/etc.

In the RCC, they seem to focus so much on the "church", the "pope", the leadership, and traditions that have nothing to do with Jesus Christ. All we have to do is visit the "Holy See" website of the Vatican to see that the #1 thing the Lord wants us to do - (Put HIM first and our relationship with HIM) is missing. There's a picture of the pope on that opening page, there is no scripture, it's all about the RCC and the priests, etc. It's like they are glorifying "men" instead of God Himself.

The Bible teaches the most important is the relationship ourselves with Jesus Christ. (Love the Lord our God and then love one another) Him first, because He loves us above all, and He teaches us to love, because we all will fail at it sometimes.

It is the most intimate, the most personal relationship, that nothing and no one else can take away. He alone is the one who changes our hearts, He alone is the one who helps us forgive. What He did for us on that Cross demonstrates that it is possible that even in the most horrific of circumstances, there is forgiveness, there is hope, there is love, there is faith.

"There is no pit so deep, that God's love is not deeper still."
- Corrie Ten Boom.

If you've never seen the movie, "The Hiding Place", if you like movies, I'd love to encourage you to watch it. Based on a true story of Corrie Ten Boom.


.

Sky spends most of her time at usmb obsessing over how Christians oppress her. When she doesn't get her daily dose of Christian oppression, she seeks them out and tells them all the reasons she doesn't believe in God, and challenges them to share their own beliefs.

If they dare to state their opinions then she tells them they are *scary* and should not *force* their opinions on others.

If they view God as omnipotent, she tells them they are arrogant and they must change their views to *accept* those who have different views...without ever establishing that they have done anything that shows they don't accept people with different views.

She rejects my God whole heartedly, which is fine. But while she says she's accepting of everyone on the one hand, she is patently unaccepting of anyone who actually has FAITH in God, and seeks ways to draw them out and put them on the defensive.

So after watching her cycle through this silliness, I don't wait anymore. When I see one of her stupid threads I just jump in. This will trigger a period where she follows me around sneering and jeering, posting threads about Christianity to give her a place to bash them, and then she'll collapse on her sofa and we won't hear from her for a while.

Interesting strategy. To address an entire post ABOUT me, but not TO me. None of it relevant to the topic, "What is God'? God to some people is love.

What is God to you?

Let me ask you something. If you were to walk in the woods and find a wounded animal there that you wanted to help how would you approach this being to show you aren't a threat?

If you care to your concerns about my views of Christianity to me directly, I will respond.

Take care,

sky

 

[Sky Dancer]

Marie--

I wanted to add that before I got into Buddhism I had to go through a period of time of renouncing the RCC. While I was in that stage, I had the good fortune to read a book by a man named Murdo MacDonald Bayne called I AM THE LIFE. Dr. Bayne was a scottish Christian minister who traveled to Tibet and studied with Buddhist masters. He used the New Testament to explain Buddhist principles and brought the most amount of peace I've ever experienced with seeing the beauty of Christian principles but in a Buddhist way.

It just so happened that the Buddha's path spoke to me more directly. I love MacDonald Bayne and would love to talk about Christianity in a mystical way with someone sometime.

I just haven't met the right Christians yet.