How do you define 'God'?

Originally posted by Risingfall
I warn you, I am crazy.

Mods, I just realized this should have been in the Philosophy section, Sorry!!!

I was thinking,

How do I define God? I have a friend who believes in Christianity. He said God was a personality, which I do not agree with. This lead me to question the way I was thinking about God. He showed me another possibility, one I have never thought about.

I want to define how I see God. You see, to me, there is a God, and there is no God.
I think or believe that God is wholeness but also, emptiness.
I had an experience where I felt those to feelings. It's VERY hard to describe this feeling. There was feeling of eternal and infinite bliss (People who never experienced this simply cannot fathom this, even I still can't) I felt whole, but also empty. It was Yin and Yang who merged.

Because of this experience, Priorities changed, my perspective of everything changed. After the experience, I KNEW that there was more than this human life.

God is Yin and Yang together. God is Love (Higher density) and since there is also a polar opposite, Hate (Lower Density).

Now, some people may say that God is not the Devil or vice versa, I do not agree.

Without light there would be only darkness (a whole) and without darkness there would be only light (a whole).
If there was only infinite possibility, nothing would be happening (Emptiness, a whole) while at the same time everything is happening (Wholeness, a whole)
You see what i'm trying to say?

This thread has brought me to the conclusion that God is Yin and Yang together.
You can define it how you want, I like to use Yin and Yang.

I hope while reading this, you have found your own definition of God, It's through each other we learn.

I'm out, Peace

edit on 9-8-2013 by Risingfall because: Wrong thread

In occult philosophy, Baphomet is considered to be both concepts of good and evil embodied into one being. It is usually depicted as a goat headed man, and therefore only associated with evil, or satan. But the goat head and the human body actually symbolize the same thing a Yin-Yang does. In western religion, yin and yang are the complete opposite of each other, yet they must exist separate from each other as if there were some great distance between the two, hence God vs. Satan. Yet in eastern religion it is more common to see God and Satan as opposing forces with no distance between them, hence a Yin-Yang being one word, or one thing. Even the Golden Dawn's symbol with the red triangle over the upside down blue triangle represents the union of opposites, water and fire, good and bad, male and female. Why do you think they call it making love when a man and a woman reproduce? They are uniting opposites and creating life from that process. That is a literal interpretation of it but it is also figurative. The word Yoga is actually two words combined to represent the union of opposites, or more specifically, the union of the subjective with the objective. You're not far off from something secretly true here, and I think a more accurate description of God. In philosophy class, it is taught in the ontological argument of God's existence, that God can be defined as "that which none greater can be conceived", or NGC (none greater can be conceived). So whatever idea any human has of God, God must be at least one step beyond that. The greatest thing I personally can conceive of, is the entire universe itself. And that alone encapsulates good and evil within one definition of God, so if a mere mortal such as myself can conceive of that, then God must be even more mysterious and contain something deeper than just good and evil combined. I do not think God is a personality, a person, or even an entity by the traditional definition. As I said, the greatest thing I can conceive of is the entire universe (or multiverse even), so to me, that has to, and must be my God. Just everything. But I don't have to make some religion around that, I think that if I just do my best inside this universe then the universe will respond accordingly.

Originally posted by Risingfall

How do I define God?

[...]

I want to define how I see God. You see, to me, there is a God, and there is no God.
I think or believe that God is wholeness but also, emptiness.

A great question for all those who wish to believe and a non-starter for the rest who do not. For the record, I am a 'Believer', but certainly not in a ' Normal Christian' context.

When you say that there is and is not a God, then you have touched upon a truth I can understand, especially when the next line "God is a wholeness, but also, emptiness" is added.

God is everything in existence within this universe as well as all other possible universes. God is both material and immaterial. God is the smallest particle within an atom and every particle and atom 'knows' every other particle and atom, even if they are at an infinite distance from each other. As a result, God is everywhere and knowledgeable about every moment within the universe(s).

God is neither good nor evil… it is Nature and Nature will do what is 'next' without any moralizing. God 'knows' when worlds collide and suns supernova. God 'sees' everything but does not interfere with the 'Natural Order'. It is 'Conscious Life' which interferes with the 'Natural Order' of events in the same way that human beings are presently considering deflecting asteroids away from dangerous trajectories threatening life on Earth.

When we dream of how to save or improve our situation, we pray to God, but we are really praying to 'Conscious Life' and 'Conscious Life' spreads those prayers to the 'Universal Consciousness', creating 'Awareness' of our most dire needs. When almost everyone on Earth is aware of a need like that, we will, by fits and starts, create solutions to counter any such threats by improving our situation. We have been doing so for as long as humans like us existed, be it learning the benefits of fire, growing crops, animal husbandry, making tools or social structure. All were invented through our own creative talents.

God, without intending to do so, inadvertently gave us this talent of 'Creativity' for survival. If any intelligent life exists anywhere else in the universe(s), they will also have the same 'Free Will' to work out their own methods of survival within this seemingly chaotic natural system.

What we call 'evil' and 'good' is no more than how we perceive the effects of the 'Natural Order' to impact our well-being. Sickness, catastrophe, misfortune and madness are what we strive to contain and it is entirely up to us as to how we manage that.

God knows, but it is up to 'God's Creations' to help ourselves grow. God is only interested in 'Knowing'.

God is as close to us as the snapping synapses in our brains and 'Knows' each of us as intimately as the particles in a gas cloud a billion light years away.

Originally posted by Risingfall

This thread has brought me to the conclusion that God is Yin and Yang together.

Yup. Yin and yang are part of a larger whole called the Tao. That's God! The archetype of wholeness.

God is the co-incidence of all pairs of opposites (such as yin and yang) that can be conceived of. God encompasses them, just as the Tao encompasses yin and yang, but also transcends them.

One hand of yin, one hand of yang.

Personal and impersonal.

Good and evil.

Male and female.

Immanent and transcendent.

Esoteric and exoteric.

Real and unreal.

Knowing and unknowing.

East and West.

Inner and outer.

Truth and lie.

Sacred and profane.

Pleasant and forlorn.

The lily and the thorn.

Picture the smallest bug you had ever seen in this vast world. Will it ever comprehend the nature of things. biology, science, math? To argue or try to understand what God is or isnt is like the bug mentioned above, the limits of the human intelligent renders it impossible to understand the true nature of God/Nature that the discussion could be as futile as trying to teach an ant algebra.

In the infancy of the race, man often confounds the Creator with the creature, and attributes to the former the imperfections of the latter. But, in proportion as his moral sense becomes developed, man's thought penetrates more deeply into the nature of things, and he is able to form to himself a juster and more rational idea of the Divine Being, although his idea of that Being must always be imperfect and incomplete.

God exists. You cannot doubt His existence, and that is one essential point. Do not seek to go beyond it; do not lose yourselves in a labyrinth which, for you, is without an issue. Such inquiries would not make you better; they would rather tend to add to your pride, by causing you to imagine that you knew something, while, in reality, you would know nothing. Put aside systems. You have things enough to think about that concern you much more nearly, beginning with yourselves. Study your own imperfections, that you may get rid of them; this will be far more useful to you than the vain attempt to penetrate the impenetrable.

God is no more than a placeholder for areas in our understanding we haven't quite fully explicated enough.

reply to post by Shadow Herder

God exists. You cannot doubt His existence, and that is one essential point.

Many people doubt god exists, making your one essential point quite useless.

Originally posted by NiNjABackflip
reply to post by Shadow Herder

 

God exists. You cannot doubt His existence, and that is one essential point.

Many people doubt god exists, making your one essential point quite useless.

And some people think sexually abusing children is good. Whats your point.

Reread my post

Originally posted by Shadow Herder
the discussion could be as futile as trying to teach an ant algebra............. Such inquiries would not make you better; they would rather tend to add to your pride, by causing you to imagine that you knew something, while, in reality, you would know nothing. Put aside systems. ........ this will be far more useful to you than the vain attempt to penetrate the impenetrable.

reply to post by Shadow Herder


My point is your statement is beyond false.

Thing is... no one can define "God",If you are mortal,and someday you will have to die...then you do not know how to define God.And also,keep in mind that "God/'s",are in the eye of the beholder as to what a specified deity's will,thoughts,actions,and appearance,exude to individual worshipers and even group worshipers/followers.If Morality is your school of ethic then..perhaps a Jesus Christ...or maybe a Hare Krishna,or perhaps Buddah.Or if war is your thing than maybe,Mayan,martian,Satanism is your forte.Christian's versus Muslim's,Catholics,against Jews,etc.etc.Ok letting this get away from me short version:Your belief in the will of another being blessing and creating in your life is really your own will reflecting back upon you!, through the gift of whatever creator/destroyers you put your conscious beliefs into.

Thing is... no one can define "God",If you are mortal,and someday you will have to die...then you do not know how to define God.And also,keep in mind that "God/'s",are in the eye of the beholder as to what a specified deity's will,thoughts,actions,and appearance,exude to individual worshipers and even group worshipers/followers.If Morality is your school of ethic then..perhaps a Jesus Christ...or maybe a Hare Krishna,or perhaps Buddah.Or if war is your thing than maybe,Mayan,martian,Satanism is your forte.Christian's versus Muslim's,Catholics,against Jews,etc.etc.Ok letting this get away from me short version:Your belief in the will of another being blessing and creating in your life is really your own will reflecting back upon you!, through the gift of whatever creator/destroyers you put your conscious beliefs into.

Originally posted by NiNjABackflip
reply to post by Shadow Herder

 

My point is your statement is beyond false.

Now you dont know what your even talking about. Which part of my statement considering that there were many points made? And how can something be beyond false unless you mean it is true. Dont let your ignorance get the best of you.

reply to post by Shadow Herder


You know exactly what I'm talking about. It's as clear as day.

God exists. You cannot doubt His existence, and that is one essential point.

Very bold statement. And then you go on a poetic tirade explaining how one cannot penetrate the impenetrable.

So the question is: why are you contradicting yourself? You seem a little too certain for someone incapable of penetrating the impenetrable.

Originally posted by NiNjABackflip
reply to post by Shadow Herder

 

You know exactly what I'm talking about. It's as clear as day.

God exists. You cannot doubt His existence, and that is one essential point.

God is 'that which is'. 'What is' cannot be understood.
The mind likes to work with 'that which isn't' so has plenty of scope.

reply to post by Itisnowagain

God is 'that which is'. 'What is' cannot be understood.

By this statement, one cannot understand God, yet you seem to understand that God is "that which is." Explain how you of all people have understood what God is.

Originally posted by NiNjABackflip
reply to post by Itisnowagain

 

God is 'that which is'. 'What is' cannot be understood.

By this statement, one cannot understand God, yet you seem to understand that God is "that which is." Explain how you of all people have understood what God is.

God cannot be understood - it is the mind which tries to understand. How can this moment, this aliveness which IS be understood? It is the great mystery.

I discovered online today the truth contest. Please go and read it and see if you can spot any lies in it.
www.truthcontest.com...

A man should look for what is and not for what he thinks should be.
Albert Einstein

reply to post by Itisnowagain

God cannot be understood - it is the mind which tries to understand. How can this moment, this aliveness which IS be understood - it is the great mystery.

Accordingly, God isn't "all that is"?

Originally posted by NiNjABackflip
reply to post by Itisnowagain

 

God cannot be understood - it is the mind which tries to understand. How can this moment, this aliveness which IS be understood - it is the great mystery.

Accordingly, God isn't "all that is"?

How so?

reply to post by Itisnowagain

God is 'that which is'. 'What is' cannot be understood.

Therefore, "what is" cannot be understood as "God".

Originally posted by NiNjABackflip
reply to post by Itisnowagain

 

God is 'that which is'. 'What is' cannot be understood.

Therefore, "what is" cannot be understood as "God".

Why not?
Can you see or hear anything but this present moment. Is there anything else?
The mind tells you of 'other' but it is very deceptive.

reply to post by Itisnowagain

Because it is a lie.