What IS God

[hope_for_things]

Religions often debate about what God IS in an ontological sense, but I would like to set that question aside for this thread and talk about what God IS from an experiential perspective.  What IS God to each of you, individually, experientially, what IS God.  I think this list of descriptions will be constantly growing and changing, but let me go first with what God IS to me.  

God is love

God is wonder

God is a voice inside my head

God is confusing

God is hurt

God is essence

God is the beautiful leaf, the majestic mountain, the crashing wave

God is silence when I need the comfort and I get nothing

God is there

God is nowhere

God is....

[CV75]

1 hour ago, hope_for_things said:

Religions often debate about what God IS in an ontological sense, but I would like to set that question aside for this thread and talk about what God IS from an experiential perspective.  What IS God to each of you, individually, experientially, what IS God.  I think this list of descriptions will be constantly growing and changing, but let me go first with what God IS to me.  

God is love

God is wonder

God is a voice inside my head

God is confusing

God is hurt

God is essence

God is the beautiful leaf, the majestic mountain, the crashing wave

God is silence when I need the comfort and I get nothing

God is there

God is nowhere

God is....

This is interesting because I’m trying to think of how I experience another person. I am (with one exception) not actually experiencing that other person, but a manifestation of that other person received through my physical, mental and spiritual senses.

The exception I’m thinking about is empathy. My wife and I once woke up, having had the same dream, and we knew, understood and shared each other’s experience.

I think I can come up with many ways I experience the manifestations of God through my various senses, anything from interacting with the natural world (and the godly people in it) to reflecting upon my life’s course (and the godly people in it) to the many practices entailed in my religion, which greatly overlaps the first two things I listed.

As far as empathizing with God: I do this as I desire, think, do and say things that empathize with His children, and as I educate myself on what to desire, think, do and say to empathize with His children. As with experiencing all the manifestations of God, I use all my senses in empathy as well. The trick I think is to practice and engage the empathy with charity.

Edited July 13, 2017 by CV75

[Tacenda]

A scientist....my security blanket...designer/creator....very busy somewhere...running a solar system.

[hope_for_things]

21 minutes ago, CV75 said:

This is interesting because I’m trying to think of how I experience another person. I am (with one exception) not actually experiencing that other person, but a manifestation of that other person received through my physical, mental and spiritual senses.

The exception I’m thinking about is empathy. My wife and I once woke up, having had the same dream, and we knew, understood and shared each other’s experience.

I think I can come up with many ways I experience the manifestations of God through my various senses, anything from interacting with the natural world (and the godly people in it) to reflecting upon my life’s course (and the godly people in it) to the many practices entailed in my religion, which greatly overlaps the first two things I listed.

As far as empathizing with God: I do this as I desire, think, do and say things that empathize with His children, and as I educate myself on what to desire, think, do and say to empathize with His children. As with experiencing all the manifestations of God, I use all my senses in empathy as well. The trick I think is to practice and engage the empathy with charity.

I think the manifestations of God are the experience component, and really the only access we personally have with God.  I know Mormonism typically envisions God as a gloried person, and I think there is utility in that idea, but whether God is person or God is something else, what do you experience in your life and through those manifestations, that is the relationship element.  Good comments, thanks for sharing.  

[hope_for_things]

20 minutes ago, Tacenda said:

A scientist....my security blanket...designer/creator....very busy somewhere...running a solar system.

I like it!  

[RevTestament]

According to His name, YHWH Elohim, He is the life/word of the house/family of immovable power. He is our teacher and exemplar.

Edited July 13, 2017 by RevTestament

[CV75]

47 minutes ago, hope_for_things said:

I think the manifestations of God are the experience component, and really the only access we personally have with God.  I know Mormonism typically envisions God as a gloried person, and I think there is utility in that idea, but whether God is person or God is something else, what do you experience in your life and through those manifestations, that is the relationship element.  Good comments, thanks for sharing.  

I find that manifestations, however evoking of my senses they may be, of themselves lack interpersonal relatableness (there is no relationship element), and hence my reaction or response to them excludes the charitable empathy that I see as the hallmark of my interactive experience with God.

I enjoy both manifestations (the sensory stimuli) and personalities (the relationship elements) in my life. I share many of the things you listed as examples of the former.

Edited July 13, 2017 by CV75

[Atheist Mormon]

1 hour ago, Tacenda said:

A scientist....my security blanket...designer/creator....very busy somewhere...running a solar system.

A scientist? Who did not know the age of Universe, Evolution, Plate Tectonics & million other things? 

[thesometimesaint]

9 minutes ago, Atheist Mormon said:

A scientist? Who did not know the age of Universe, Evolution, Plate Tectonics & million other things? 

Who says God doesn't know those things? Tell me everything you know I have a minute.

[Jeanne]

He is my hope and in some dark hours my only friend.  He is the beautiful sunset and sunrise in a desert..or in a green valley..He is the look on my little grandkids face when they have done something new and loved it..He is a Savior in the way where the atonement does not stand a lone..but in my everyday kindness, growing empathy..and love for others.  By natural laws He understands a science and somehow it all comes together.  Those scientific minds and truths are not absolute without Him for He created us using a sort of science that we don't even understand. 

He is a creator that we don't understand and so He is misunderstood.  He is different for everyone..so He changes in light of our personal needs and desires of the heart.  His truth is yet to be known..while we may condemn others..He knows what He knows..and may smile at our perceived notions and cry with our temporary sorrows.  He is just a world away where that said hope is that heart's desire.  No games..no half truths..a person and place where all children can go home.

With sacred being so important..secrets are not.  I aim to use my hope in seeing others when I die...and when I live.

Edited July 13, 2017 by Jeanne

[Tacenda]

8 minutes ago, Jeanne said:

He is my hope and in some dark hours my only friend.  He is the beautiful sunset and sunrise in a desert..or in a green valley..He is the look on my little grandkids face when they have done something new and loved it..He is a Savior in the way where the atonement does not stand a lone..but in my everyday kindness, growing empathy..and love for others.

He is a creator that we don't understand and so He is misunderstood.  He is different for everyone..so He changes in light of our personal needs and desires of the heart.  His truth is yet to be known..while we may condemn others..He knows what He knows..and may smile at our perceived notions and cry with our temporary sorrows.  He is just a world away where that said hope is that heart's desire.  No games..no half truths..a person and place where all children can go home.

The church of Jeanne, right there. Can I belong?

Thanks for this sweet, sweet statement. You hold such a strong position that helps those of us that are in a rocky belief period, (speak for myself, haha), hold onto.

I use to have an article that I just loved about the Divine. I need to find it. It was also included in my RS newsletter back when I was secretary, I was a little worried what the presidency would think about it, but the RS president loved it, yay. And another that I hope I kept about God/Jesus being like your best friend. I envy those out there that have such a close relationship that have Him nearby always. 

[Tacenda]

32 minutes ago, Atheist Mormon said:

A scientist? Who did not know the age of Universe, Evolution, Plate Tectonics & million other things? 

Those are men's words in the Bible aren't they, men speaking for God?

[JLHPROF]

51 minutes ago, Atheist Mormon said:

A scientist? Who did not know the age of Universe, Evolution, Plate Tectonics & million other things?

God is very much aware of the age of the Universe.  And the ages of each component within the universe.
All else is the supposed understanding of men, both scientist and believer.  Plenty of error to go around on both sides.

[Atheist Mormon]

44 minutes ago, thesometimesaint said:

Who says God doesn't know those things? Tell me everything you know I have a minute.

I certainly haven't read anything scientific worth in God's words.  It was Darwin who showed the origins of Life to humanity..

[JLHPROF]

God is my Father first and foremost, both loving and disciplinarian
God is my teacher,  the provider of all truth, the answer to all questions
God is the tester of my very limited faith and patience
God hears my prayers but only sometimes answers. He wants me to speak to him but only occasionally speaks back.
God is my accuser (or maybe that's my own voice) and judge
God is the maker of plans that I benefit from following

God is eternal order, I am temporal chaos...

 

[hope_for_things]

1 hour ago, Jeanne said:

He is my hope and in some dark hours my only friend.  He is the beautiful sunset and sunrise in a desert..or in a green valley..He is the look on my little grandkids face when they have done something new and loved it..He is a Savior in the way where the atonement does not stand a lone..but in my everyday kindness, growing empathy..and love for others.  By natural laws He understands a science and somehow it all comes together.  Those scientific minds and truths are not absolute without Him for He created us using a sort of science that we don't even understand. 

He is a creator that we don't understand and so He is misunderstood.  He is different for everyone..so He changes in light of our personal needs and desires of the heart.  His truth is yet to be known..while we may condemn others..He knows what He knows..and may smile at our perceived notions and cry with our temporary sorrows.  He is just a world away where that said hope is that heart's desire.  No games..no half truths..a person and place where all children can go home.

With sacred being so important..secrets are not.  I aim to use my hope in seeing others when I die...and when I live.

Beautiful!!!  Thanks Jeanne, this speaks to my soul.  

[hope_for_things]

48 minutes ago, JLHPROF said:

God is my Father first and foremost, both loving and disciplinarian
God is my teacher,  the provider of all truth, the answer to all questions
God is the tester of my very limited faith and patience
God hears my prayers but only sometimes answers. He wants me to speak to him but only occasionally speaks back.
God is my accuser (or maybe that's my own voice) and judge
God is the maker of plans that I benefit from following

God is eternal order, I am temporal chaos...

 

This is great, I love to hear everyone's perspectives on this, its so refreshing to me to talk about the experience of God in these kinds of terms.  

[thesometimesaint]

1 hour ago, Atheist Mormon said:

I certainly haven't read anything scientific worth in God's words.  It was Darwin who showed the origins of Life to humanity..

I read them all the time. Perhaps you aren't reading enough. Darwin did no such thing. He did propose how life changed over time, but he was hardly the first to do so.

SEE And in the ages after monsters died,
Perforce there perished many a stock, unable
By propagation to forge a progeny.
For whatsoever creatures thou beholdest
Breathing the breath of life, the same have been
Even from their earliest age preserved alive
By cunning, or by valour, or at least
By speed of foot or wing. And many a stock
Remaineth yet, because of use to man . . .

Lucretius. On The Nature of Things, Book V

[Gray]

God is simply the only thing that exists. There is no circle that can be drawn that excludes God.

To you it was shown, that you might know, that the Eternal is God; there is nothing else. - Deut 4:35

[hope_for_things]

1 hour ago, Gray said:

God is simply the only thing that exists. There is no circle that can be drawn that excludes God.

To you it was shown, that you might know, that the Eternal is God; there is nothing else. - Deut 4:35

Interesting you can tie this to that Deut scripture, its amazing what concepts about God we read about.  Its much more expansive than the typical, God is X and God is not X kind of discussion.  Thanks for sharing.  

[JLHPROF]

1 hour ago, Gray said:

God is simply the only thing that exists. There is no circle that can be drawn that excludes God.

To you it was shown, that you might know, that the Eternal is God; there is nothing else. - Deut 4:35

What Bible version is that?
KJV says "35 Unto thee it was shewed, that thou mightest know that the Lord he is God; there is none else beside him."

Very different meaning.

[Jeanne]

5 hours ago, Tacenda said:

The church of Jeanne, right there. Can I belong?

Thanks for this sweet, sweet statement. You hold such a strong position that helps those of us that are in a rocky belief period, (speak for myself, haha), hold onto.

I use to have an article that I just loved about the Divine. I need to find it. It was also included in my RS newsletter back when I was secretary, I was a little worried what the presidency would think about it, but the RS president loved it, yay. And another that I hope I kept about God/Jesus being like your best friend. I envy those out there that have such a close relationship that have Him nearby always. 

You can so belong...  No donations please...just doing good things.

Edited to add:...I will be so happy to rep you again...!!

Edited July 13, 2017 by Jeanne

[USU78]

Quote

Thou art g-d.

-- Heinlein

[Atheist Mormon]

5 hours ago, thesometimesaint said:

I read them all the time. Perhaps you aren't reading enough. Darwin did no such thing. He did propose how life changed over time, but he was hardly the first to do so.

SEE And in the ages after monsters died,
Perforce there perished many a stock, unable
By propagation to forge a progeny.
For whatsoever creatures thou beholdest
Breathing the breath of life, the same have been
Even from their earliest age preserved alive
By cunning, or by valour, or at least
By speed of foot or wing. And many a stock
Remaineth yet, because of use to man . . .

Lucretius. On The Nature of Things, Book V

Sorry, that shows how much you've read origin of the species. 

 

[changed]

mysterious, hidden, complicated, distant.