Is God punishing and wrathful or...?

Originally Posted by Greenslade

Seriously?

The clue is in the name - CHRISTianity. Christ wasn't born until 0AD so there weren't any CHRISTians before then, although there was a Christian-like sect in Egypt prior to Abraham. Abraham wasn't even a Christian he was a Pagan, and t.

Greenslade,

Now you are beginning to understand….good to see that….:). All of your talk previously about Christians and Christianity before the coming of Christ was befuddling. Thanks for the corrections.

[Moonglow]

Hello,

Just some thoughts and wonderings these discussions bring to me.

When speaking of God, why does it seem the discussions drifts towards a Christian view point?

It is interesting, but is Christianity the only faith that views God and/or holds a faith in God?

The question that comes to mind is; Do “we” even know what God is to begin with?

It seems in some ways a matter of what one believes and hold faith in.

In modern terms God gets referred to as Source, Creator, All, One, and other references. Are these references pointing at the same?

In regards to being wrathful or loving; Aren’t these more a reflection of “us” as humans and how events and view points gets interpreted.

Who has done this and doing this and for what purpose? Perhaps these are the things to reflect upon in order to perhaps further understand ourselves. At least that is my opinion.

(I notice some of this has been touched upon.)

[lemex]

Originally Posted by Moonglow

In regards to being wrathful or loving; Aren’t these more a reflection of “us” as humans and how events and view points gets interpreted.

Maybe this is about learning to. Are we giving God our personality instead of the other way around. Great question. Commune and then listen.

[Moonglow]

Originally Posted by lemex

Maybe this is about learning to. Are we giving God our personality instead of the other way around. Great question. Commune and then listen.

Hi lemex,

To listen seems a big part.

What is being listened to? How does it and has it formed what may be felt?

What is being learned?

It can go on and on. In the process for some perhaps gives how God may be or not to that someone.

[Starman]

Originally Posted by Moonglow

When speaking of God, why does it seem the discussions drifts towards a Christian view point?

Very good question. I refer to a few of the different basic beliefs on the subject of GOD:

Jews are monotheistic, they believe in one God.
Christians believe in a trinity, three in one God, and that God is a man.
Buddhist do not believe in God.
Hindus believe in one God with many deities that are both male and female.
New Age believes that we ourselves are God.
Islam believes in one transcendent God.
Pantheism believes that everything is God and God is the only thing that exists.
There are many other religious, and spiritual practices, some that believe in polytheism, or the existence of many Gods.

“Should you catch even a glimpse of him, you would lose your wits, and if you could see him completely, you would lose your self.”
Conference of the Birds - Attar pg4

“An astonishing thing. They could neither endure his presence for long, nor could they live without him.”
ibid pg 31

[Altair]

Originally Posted by Moonglow

When speaking of God, why does it seem the discussions drifts towards a Christian view point?

Most people on the forum are from Christian countries..
People talk about ''God'' instead of gods, and they often say 'He'.

There are many other 'hidden' assumptions across discussions.

Originally Posted by Molearner

Now you are beginning to understand….good to see that….:). All of your talk previously about Christians and Christianity before the coming of Christ was befuddling. Thanks for the corrections.

Sorry, maybe I should have been more clear. Prior to Jesus there were Christian-like sects or sects that became the Christians and they originated in Egypt.

Originally Posted by Moonglow

It is interesting, but is Christianity the only faith that views God and/or holds a faith in God?

Hey Moonglow

They're the Abrahmic religions and they most notably include Judaism, Christianity and Islam, as well as the Baháʼí Faith, Samaritanism, the Druze Faith, and others. They're the only religions that are monotheist. However they describe God it's all the same God. Almost. Jesus' God was God while the God of the disciples was Saklas, a demiurge. God created Saklas who did the creating of mankind, etc.

God created man, man created religion and religion created God.

How and why that was done is the interesting part, because that takes a Journey into the deepest reaches of the innards of noggins. According to Jung, God and Spirituality are archetypes of the collective consciousness so God and religion might well be 'instinct'. There's also a story about how Mr Caveman was feeling thankful for his blessings one day and was asking where they came from. He had a comfy cave for a home, Mrs Caveman to keep him warm at night and baby Cavekids running around. There were plenty of animals for food and clothing. Someone must have put it there.

Originally Posted by Moonglow

It can go on and on. In the process for some perhaps gives how God may be or not to that someone.

None of this discussion is about God, it's about ourselves.

Originally Posted by Starman

New Age believes that we ourselves are God.

Advaita Vedanta, for example says that we are Atman and therefore/by extension Brahman. Their belief is that there is just Brahman, and sometimes that is equated with God - just "Brahman" is similar to "God is all". The good thing is that they didn't seem to feel the need to elucidate ant further. If you look at what Jesus said - he was an Essene - he says something very similar. The Essene and other Gnostic religions, taught 'God within'. The Roman Catholic church is responsible for 'God within' because it gave them total control.

The Old Testament God was iterations from Sumerian mythology, including Abraham's God. The New Testament God is a demiurge but there seems to be so many parallels between the Gnostic God and Sumerian mythology.

Polytheism's gods were generally 'forces of nature' or noble attributes, and really there's no difference other than Abraham between their gods and all the things that God is.