Is your God the same as mine?

[Godlovesmetwo]

Yes I am Christian and try to be a respectful one. But I do have doubts. And whilst I accept that God made me and all human beings, I think we all create our own concept of God. As the old question goes, "did God create us or did we create God?"
I mean we all have variable notions of God:
fearful
vengeful
kind
loving
compassionate
sacrificial
just
knowing
mighty
powerful
unconditionally loving

My notion of God is more compassionate than judgemental. I know some of you who quote scripture see God as strong, powerful and not afraid to send us to eternal damnation. So your God is not the same as mine.

 

[jimmyjimmy]

Yes I am Christian and try to be a respectful one. But I do have doubts. And whilst I accept that God made me and all human beings, I think we all create our own concept of God. As the old question goes, "did God create us or did we create God?"
I mean we all have variable notions of God:
fearful
vengeful
kind
loving
compassionate
sacrificial
just
knowing
mighty
powerful
unconditionally loving

My notion of God is more compassionate than judgemental. I know some of you who quote scripture see God as strong, powerful and not afraid to send us to eternal damnation. So your God is not the same as mine.

May I inquire, how does your god ever disagree with you?

 

[Gabe7587]

I see God as a loving Father, who will groan when we groan, and cry when we cry. Others times though I see him as a vengeful Father when I mess up. I'm still figuring that out.

 

[jimmyjimmy]

If I introduced myself to someone and told him that I'm married and like to play chess, and he immediately turned and said that he liked to think of me as single and a fan of backgammon, would he be accurately representing me? Could one even say he knew me?

 

[Godlovesmetwo]

May I inquire, how does your god ever disagree with you?

What he's saying to me now is "Paul, get off these forums and clean up the garage" but I'm only half listening.

 

[Godlovesmetwo]

I forgot to add that my notion of God is also "the patient parent with a sense of humour".

 

[BobRyan]

Yes I am Christian and try to be a respectful one. But I do have doubts. And whilst I accept that God made me and all human beings, I think we all create our own concept of God. As the old question goes, "did God create us or did we create God?"
I mean we all have variable notions of God:
fearful
vengeful
kind
loving
compassionate
sacrificial
just
knowing
mighty
powerful
unconditionally loving

My notion of God is more compassionate than judgemental. I know some of you who quote scripture see God as strong, powerful and not afraid to send us to eternal damnation. So your God is not the same as mine.

What if we all agree to make God the krishna god - will he change and become Krishna?
Will he promise to avoid us in this life and in the next so we never need know that He is not Krishna?
You seem to argue that the Bible cannot be trusted to tell the truth about God - because some "others" who quote the Bible claim it teaches eternal torture. Why not read the Bible before condemning it on mere hearsay evidence?

for example in Matthew 10:28 God says that he is the one who "destroys BOTH body and soul in fiery hell" instead of saying "I keep both body and soul alive supernaturally in fiery hell so that you get infinite eternal torture for your short life of sin".

And there are more texts spelling that out -

 

[Godlovesmetwo]

You seem to argue that the Bible cannot be trusted to tell the truth about God -

Well, I do think it is limited anyway.
None of us know God fully. None of us have a clear and accurate picture of who He really is. We all have varying concepts due to different Christian educations.
God remains a mystery and maybe that is how it is supposed to be.

 

[jimmyjimmy]

What he's saying to me now is "Paul, get off these forums and clean up the garage" but I'm only half listening.

Are you familiar with the Stepford Wives? I ask because it seems you have created a Stepford god. You pull the strings and make his head nod in agreement with your ideas, plans and actions.

Your god can never confront you. He can never tell you that you are wrong. You would simply ignore that which you would rather not hear. That may seem wonderful, but since this god is powerless to contradict you, he also cannot speak words of comfort to you when self-doubt, regret or self-hatred visit you in the cold dark night as you lay your head down on the pillow. . .

 

[BobRyan]

Well, I do think it is limited anyway.
None of us know God fully. None of us have a clear and accurate picture of who He really is. We all have varying concepts due to different Christian educations.
God remains a mystery and maybe that is how it is supposed to be.

Certainly the fact that God is infinite and we are not - puts an infinite gap in our understanding.

But the best we have at narrowing that gap is "the Word of God" -- better that than simply making stuff up.

So while I do find that the Bible does not teach that God tortures people forever - at the same time I do find traditions started in the dark ages where the Bible was not available for checking out doctrine - that created some pretty horrible images of God.

 

[BobRyan]

What is AU-Labor??

 

[Godlovesmetwo]

Are you familiar with the Stepford Wives? I ask because it seems you have created a Stepford god. You pull the strings and make his head nod in agreement with your ideas, plans and actions.

Your god can never confront you. He can never tell you that you are wrong. You would simply ignore that which you would rather not hear. That may seem wonderful, but since this god is powerless to contradict you, he also cannot speak words of comfort to you when self-doubt, regret or self-hatred visit you in the cold dark night as you lay your head down on the pillow. . .

Possibly a good analysis jimmy. I don't know.
How about you?.
Is God happy with you spending a lot of time on these forums?

 

[Tigger45]

What is AU-Labor??

Australian labor party

 

[Godlovesmetwo]

I think a lot of us kid ourselves that we know who God is. Many of us may be just living in dreamland, a delusion.
Perhaps God gives us points for trying. That he can see our hearts and manages to overlook our misconceptions. Our prejudices, our sins.
Those who place themselves as God, as the centre of the Universe will certainly be in for a big shock one day.

 

[jimmyjimmy]

I think a lot of us kid ourselves that we know who God is. Many of us may be just living in dreamland, a delusion.
Perhaps God gives us points for trying. That he can see our hearts and manages to overlook our misconceptions. Our prejudices, our sins.
Those who place themselves as God, as the centre of the Universe will certainly be in for a big shock one day.

There is only one place to meet God. It's in Christ, and He claims the entire OT is written about Him.

 

[thesunisout]

I worship the living God, the God of Abraham, Issac and Jacob. He is the God who sent the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the only true God:

John 17:3

Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent

 

[Godlovesmetwo]

I believe Jesus "is the way the truth and the Life".
All I'm questioning is our concept/image of God/Jesus.
And our concept of God is going to affect how we evangelise. Whether people are going to be drawn to Him or not.

 

[Anguspure]

Well, I do think it is limited anyway.
None of us know God fully. None of us have a clear and accurate picture of who He really is. We all have varying concepts due to different Christian educations.
God remains a mystery and maybe that is how it is supposed to be.

Who is Jesus of Nazareth?

 

[jimmyjimmy]

I believe Jesus "is the way the truth and the Life".
All I'm questioning is our concept/image of God/Jesus.
And our concept of God is going to affect how we evangelise. Whether people are going to be drawn to Him or not.

I agree, but there is no need to choose one or the other. He is both, and the cross proves that. Sin is so bad that He had to die, and He loved so much that He wanted to die in our place.

Reducing Him to one or the other leaves only a poor caricature.

 

[Radrook]

I would say that as long as we all accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior we are worshipping the same God, the creator of the universe who sent him to die for our sins.

John 8:29(NIV)
29 The one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases him.”