A simple question.

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Soul_Searcher

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Hi Novembres,

"And I honestly felt, and feel even now, rather vunerable before such a light, there are dark corners I would rather stayed dark sometimes...
But I think God is good too. And God is a person. The idea of light does not get his personhood enough across. Such a light could act mechanically, but God does not, God acts supremely personally
."

I like this, thanks. What kind of person would God be? Is God alone, or part of a community of 'gods'?

We all have our dark places, but in the end, I believe, we are better off without them.
 
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a.d.ivNonasNovembres

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Hi Novembres,

"And I honestly felt, and feel even now, rather vunerable before such a light, there are dark corners I would rather stayed dark sometimes...
But I think God is good too. And God is a person. The idea of light does not get his personhood enough across. Such a light could act mechanically, but God does not, God acts supremely personally
."

I like this, thanks. What kind of person would God be? Is God alone, or part of a community of 'gods'?

We all have our dark places, but in the end, I believe, we are better off without them.
Well I guess the most obvious way to look at what kind of person He is, is to look at Christ. But there was a lot about Christ that we don't know and can't easily find out. I guess you'd have to get to know Him personally. Again, not easy to describe.

And of course in Christian terms He is in a community of God (rather than gods) - that is the Trinity.
 
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[serious]

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Hi Serious,

"A supernatural actor upon the natural world."

Intriguing. Who writes the play?

Bob from accounting.

I think my definition fairly accurately describes what people of any religion mean when they say "God".

My own view is that the concept of a divine consciousness is useful in my own life regardless of it's verifiable reality. You might call me an agnostic working on the assumption of the affirmative. I fully realize that what I view as God could be nothing more than my own subconscious but that doesn't bother me. It also doesn't bother me that feynman diagram doesn't necessarily describe the literal paths of particles.
 
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Emmy

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Dear Soul Searcher. You had many good replies. Without God, what would there be? God is our Maker, our Master and Friend, He is our Life and our sure Haven. We know God through Christ, He died that we might live, and I know that Jesus is the Way back to our eternal home with God, our Heavenly Father. I say this humbly, and with utter assurance and love, Soul Searcher. Greetings from Emmy, your sister in Christ.
 
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Ave Maria

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In your own words, without Bible quotes, can you define God?

Thanks.

Sure can. God is love, mercy, and justice all rolled up in to one Supreme Being. :thumbsup:
 
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Criada

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Hi Criada,

"No, I can't... nor with Bible quotes for that matter.
He is God.
I am a human, with a finite mind... if I could define or understand Him, He would be less that God.
"

Nicely put. Do you use the masculine pronouns He and Him for convenience, or do you consider God male?

Jesus was born as a man, obviously He is male.
But I think that God encompasses both male and female. We refer to Him as a father by convention... but the bible also describes Him as a mother. He is Spirit, and I don't think that spirit has gender, though He encompasses all the best of both.
But the 'He' thing is just a convention really.
 
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Soul_Searcher

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Hi Serious,

"My own view is that the concept of a divine consciousness is useful in my own life regardless of it's verifiable reality. You might call me an agnostic working on the assumption of the affirmative. I fully realize that what I view as God could be nothing more than my own subconscious but that doesn't bother me. It also doesn't bother me that feynman diagram doesn't necessarily describe the literal paths of particles."

Very cool, thanks. Much like my own concept, which is basically, "I don't know what God is, but I do believe there is something that 'binds' us all in some way."
 
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Soul_Searcher

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Hi Novembres,

"Well I guess the most obvious way to look at what kind of person He is, is to look at Christ. But there was a lot about Christ that we don't know and can't easily find out. I guess you'd have to get to know Him personally. Again, not easy to describe."

Yes, there is precious little we actually do know about Jesus, so isn't it pretty difficult to know him personally? What does it mean to you to know Jesus personally?
 
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a.d.ivNonasNovembres

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Hi Criada,

"He is Spirit, and I don't think that spirit has gender, though He encompasses all the best of both."

This brings up another question. Are angels spirits?
I have heard angels described variously as pure intelligence on the one hand, or as having incredibly subtle bodies far more subtle than ours on the other hand, to being as you suggest spirit.
I guess there is a lot of different takes on the matter.
 
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a.d.ivNonasNovembres

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Hi Novembres,

"Well I guess the most obvious way to look at what kind of person He is, is to look at Christ. But there was a lot about Christ that we don't know and can't easily find out. I guess you'd have to get to know Him personally. Again, not easy to describe."

Yes, there is precious little we actually do know about Jesus, so isn't it pretty difficult to know him personally? What does it mean to you to know Jesus personally?
Well you get to know Jesus not only from the historical record, but by meeting Him in the liturgy and in those who have been incorporated into (even imperfectly) Christ.
 
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a.d.ivNonasNovembres

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Hi Novembres,

"Well you get to know Jesus not only from the historical record, but by meeting Him in the liturgy and in those who have been incorporated into (even imperfectly) Christ."

Okay, but what is your experience with it?
My experience is pretty new. But I don't think I could put it into words. You should go see for yourself, if nothing else the liturgy shaped many hundreds of years of European civilisation (both the Divine Liturgy of John Chrysostom and the Traditional "Gregorian" or "Tridentine" Mass) and so even if you don't end up meeting Christ there (which I did, in both cases) doesn't mean you won't get something valuable from it.

Also from people... its hard to explain. God often acts through and in others... another thing you have to experience to know what its like.
 
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Soul_Searcher

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Hi Novembres,

"Also from people... its hard to explain. God often acts through and in others... another thing you have to experience to know what its like. "

This I agree with, even if I cannot define God, but there are forces, or a force, that works through people, and through many things and events, etc., that lead me to believe we are tiny parts of something fantastic. :)
 
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