How to know God other than from mythologies?

[blazeofglory]

I long ago wanted to raise this issue but did not do so thinking that it may not interest the posters of this forum; however I could not dissuade myself any longer thinking that doubts cropping in the mind must be poured out that can find illumination. For asking here is a great boon people with different genres of thoughts, interests and disciplines with great philosophical exposition. What really I always have been inquisitive about is whether or not God or Gods have shapes, sizes, and colors the way our mythological description expound. In Hinduism for instance there are Gods of different figures, Shiva as a naked figured smeared with ash, wrapped with a tiger skin with a large following of ghosts, elves and the like. Vishnu luxuriating in great ease and comfort with Laxmi, and the four-headed Brahma, the creator of this universe sitting on a lotus. The elephant trunked Ganesha, Kali with a garland threaded with a string of heads around her neck. Of course other scriptures too have different gods figuring in a multitude of shapes, sizes, colors and postures. Even in the Bible God is imagined in terms of a certain form. I simply wonder. I in fact subscribe to the idea of God, for I cannot think that life is a physical thing and it ends up with death. I do not think that there was no purpose behind creation. I simply cannot rest with the idea that there was just chaos and out of them the world and we emerged. May be what creation is and how it happened is something inconceivable to us. Maybe this is a question that cannot be answered within the dimensions we try to understand natural phenomena.

The heart of the question I want answered is whether God has form and feelings we mortals do have and whether our prayers, praises, criticisms make any difference to God. Most of us in Hinduism have come to have the idea of God thru images we garnered from mythologies. And if we cannot subscribe to mythological evidences of God what will we be left to in point of fact?

[The Comedian]

if we cannot subscribe to mythological evidences of God what will we be left to in point of fact?

Faith. I think. I'm a bit of a general theist, so I tend to see most religions cultural expressions of yearning and humility towards either an inner or outer spiritual sense. The images expressed by the variety of world religions offer us unique insights into the specific cultures that created them AND a (yes) universal sense of spirituality and reverence that seems to work its way across those cultures.

Is there a true representation of God? I'm not dogmatic enough to say that there is. But, for me at least, any honest drawing, poem, or song that depicts a humility before God is a true depiction of faith. And such depictions, I admire a great deal.

[Dinkleberry2010]

In the Old Testament of the Bible, God is viewed as "personal"; that is, as a being who speaks and acts. God had actual conversations with certain characters, such as Adam, Noah, Job, Abraham, Moses. They spoke to God and God spoke to them in actual language. But God is never described in the Old Testament in physical terms. Now it does state in the Book of Genesis that God walked in the garden of Eden in the cool of the day. But a physical description of God is never given. God also makes the statement that he (David) is a man after my own heart, implying that God possesses or feels emotions. There is an incident in the book of Exodus in the Old Testament where Moses asks God to allow Moses to see him, and God more or less tells Moses that if he saw his face (God's) then Moses would be consumed; that is, literally burnt up. So God allows Moses to view his back for an instant.

There are a number of incidents in the Old Testament where certain characters pray to and praise God, and plead with him, and God responds to them. There is even an incident where Abraham comes close to criticising God to his "face" and causes God to change his "mind."

[NisreenS]

Hello! There is a verse in the Holly Quraan saying"nothing is like Him"

[Lokasenna]

It is tempting, I think, to anthropomorphise God, simply because its easier to relate to an avatar of ourselves. As a student of ancient northern heathenism, the physical descriptions of the old gods are of great interest. Odin, for example, is always descibed as an old, beared man in a grey cloak, with one eye and a broad-brimmed grey hat. Most interestingly, in terms of Norse heathenism, most of the prominent deities seem to possess some form of injury - Odin is missing an eye, Tyr is missing his right hand, Thor has a stone embedded in his temple, Loki's mouth is sown together... and so forth. I fully intend to produce an article on divine ailments sometime, as I think its a really interesting topic, but rather neglected academically...

In terms of my personal beliefs, I'm something between a pantheist and a deist, so I find it very hard to think of god in physical terms... I like to embrace the idea that I cannot 'understand' God.

[Vautrin]

The heart of the question I want answered is whether God has form and feelings we mortals do have and whether our prayers, praises, criticisms make any difference to God. Most of us in Hinduism have come to have the idea of God thru images we garnered from mythologies. And if we cannot subscribe to mythological evidences of God what will we be left to in point of fact?

I once watched an interview of a prominent physicist (whose name I've completely forgotten, unfortunately) who said something very intriguing about God. He said something along the lines of how God created things in the universe, which in turn create other things and so on. When something is destroyed it becomes something else. In other words, God created a universe that is self-sustaining and which essentially does God's work.

Based on that way of looking at the nature of God, my answer to your question is; If there is in fact a God as we understand it, then the closest thing to him/her/it would be those things that create and destroy life. Stars give life to organisms on planets but can also go supernova and destroy that very same life. Perhaps the early religions of the world, which worshiped the Sun were on to something?

[caddy_caddy]

How to know God other than from mythologies?



The heart of the question I want answered is whether God has form and feelings we mortals do have and whether our prayers, praises, criticisms make any difference to God؟

He has attributes through them we can know Him .
99 attributes , try to create your own image through them , as far as ur imagination can take you!






AL-QUDDUS --->The Holy
AL-MALIK --->The Sovereign Lord
AR-RAHIM --->The Mercifull
AR-RAHMAN --->The Beneficent
ALLAH --->The Name Of God
AL-JABBAR --->The Compeller
AL-AZIZ --->The Mighty
AL-MUHAYMIN --->The Protector
AL-MU'MIN --->The Guardian Of Faith
AS-SALAM --->The Source Of Peace
AL-GHAFFAR --->The Forgiver
AL-MUSAWWIR --->The Fashioner
AL-BARI --->The Evolver
AL-KHALIQ --->The Creator
AL-MUTAKABBIR --->The Majestic
AL-ALIM --->The All Knowning
AL-FATTAH --->The Opner
AR-RAZZAQ --->The Provider
AL-WAHHAB --->The Bestover
AL-QAHHAR --->The Subduer
AL-MUIZZ --->The Honourer
AR-RAFI --->The Exalter
AL-KHAFIZ --->The Abaser
AL-BASIT --->The Expender
AL-QABIZ --->The Constrictor
AL-ADL --->The Just
AL-HAKAM --->The Judge
AL-BASIR --->The All Seeing
AS-SAMI --->The All Hearing
AL-MUZILL --->The Dishonourer
AL-GHAFUR --->The All-Forgiving
AL-AZIM --->The Great One
AL-HALIM --->The Forbearing One
AL-KHABIR --->The Aware
AL-LATIF --->The Subtle One
AL-MUQIT --->The Maintainer
AL-HAFIZ --->The Preserver
AL-KABIR --->The Most Great
AL-ALI --->The Most High
ASH-SHAKUR --->The Appreciative
AL-MUJIB --->The Responsive
AR-RAQIB --->The Watchfull
AL-KARIM --->The Generous One
AL-JALIL --->The Sublime One
AL-HASEEB --->The Reckoner
AL-BA'ITH --->The Resurrector
AL-MAJEED --->The Most Glorious One
AL-WADUD --->The Loving
AL-HAKEEM --->The Wise
AL-WASI --->The All-Embracing
AL-MATEEN --->The Firm One
AL-QAWI --->The Most Strong
AL-WAKIL --->The Trustee
AL-HAQQ --->The Truth
ASH-SHAHEED --->The Witness
AL-MU'ID --->The Restorer
AL-MUBDI --->The Originator
AL-MUHSI --->The Reckoner
AL-HAMEED --->The Praiseworthy
AL-WALI --->The Protecting Friend
AL-WAJID --->The Finder
AL-QAYYUM --->The Self-subsisting
AL-HAYEE --->The Alive
AL-MUMIT --->The Creator Of Death
AL-MUHYI --->The Giver Of Life
AL-QADIR --->The Able
AS-SAMAD --->The Eternal
AL-AHAD --->The One
AL-WAHID --->The Unique
AL-MAJID --->The Noble
AL-AAKHIR --->The Last
AL-AWWAL --->The First
AL-MU'AKHKHIR --->The Delayer
AL-MUQADDIM --->The Expediter
AL-MUQTADIR --->The Powerful
AL-BARR --->The Source Of All Goodness
AL-MUTA'ALI --->The Most Exalted
AL-WALI --->The Governor
AL-BATIN --->The Hiddeen
AZ-ZAHIR --->The Manifest
MALIK-UL-MULK --->The Eternal Owner Of Sovereignty
AR-RAOOF --->The Compassionate
AL-'AFUW --->The Pardoner
AL-MUNTAQIM --->The Avenger
AT-TAWWAB --->The Acceptor Of Repentance
AL-MUGHNI --->The Enricher
AL-GHANI --->The Self-Sufficient
AL-JAAMAY --->The Gatherer
AL-MUQSIT --->The Equitable
THUL-JALAL-E-WAL-IKRAM --->The Lord Of Majesty and Bounty
AL-HAADI --->The Guide
AN-NOOR --->The Light
AN-NAAFAY --->The Propitious
AD-DAARR --->The Distresser
AL-MAANAY --->The Preventer
AS-SABOOR --->The Patient
AR-RASHEED --->The Guide To The Right Path
AL-WARIS --->The Supreme Inheritor
AL-BAQI --->The Everlasting
AL-BADEI --->The Incomparable

[DanielBenoit]

Faith. I think. I'm a bit of a general theist, so I tend to see most religions cultural expressions of yearning and humility towards either an inner or outer spiritual sense. The images expressed by the variety of world religions offer us unique insights into the specific cultures that created them AND a (yes) universal sense of spirituality and reverence that seems to work its way across those cultures.

Is there a true representation of God? I'm not dogmatic enough to say that there is. But, for me at least, any honest drawing, poem, or song that depicts a humility before God is a true depiction of faith. And such depictions, I admire a great deal.

I agree with this greatly. I too am not dogmatic enough to say that the ontological question of God is answerable, much less by me and my own beliefs. But I do think that the aesthetic high feeling of "God" is important, whether if it is "real" or not is not to my concern.

[NikolaiI]

Everything Caddy said is very good...
I have recently learned a good prayer that Sufis pray:

Toward the One
the Perfection of Love Harmony, and Beauty
the Only Being
United with all
the Illuminated Souls Who form the Embodiment
of the Master
the Spirit of Guidance



God is the source of the universe and of reality. We know that all things have a source. If we can come to the observation that all things have a source, then we can also say the universe and reality have a source, though at present, undefinable.

If we cannot say that all things have a source - by observing that a tree has a source, that a river has a source, that all life on earth has its source in the Sun, and that deducing that everything in the universe, including everything on earth and in the cosmos, has a source, and that ultimately the universe has one source since it is made out of one essence; then we cannot say that the universe has one source, and reality has one source. But if we can say that they do; then we can say that there is one source.

Now, science has recently come to the conclusion that at the most basic level we can find, there is no "fixed" reality. There is no essential substance. In fact there is no "most basic level" because we cannot find the smallest particle of matter, nor can we fully understand the ways of movement of any of the tiniest particles.

Some scientists have also come to a paradigm of the universe which states that everything is a fractal, infinitely repeating, of the same image. So when you examine the tiniest particle, it looks like a tiniest portion of the whole pattern, but as you look at it closer, it never gives up its complexity, and reveals that it itself contains the whole pattern, exactly like a fractal, with no end. So all the "parts" in the whole have the same pattern as the whole.

I don't make any conclusions from this, at least not here. But let it be known that it is not merely scientists in the past who have believed in something divine, nor is it merely naiive or uncritical scientists who have. This is merely a strawman view perpetrated by very limited viewed philosophers, who cannot perhaps, grasp life in a greater, organic perspective. In truth, scientists have never stopped uncovering mysteries which increased the mystery, complexity, and beauty of truth and our best understanding of reality.

People in a skeptical mode are incredulous of anyone who says that they have seen God. There is no external endeavor necessary to know one's self - that is, in the true sense, to know one's greater Self - the Source of one's being. The Self is nowhere external and nothing is needed except an exchange and union between the limited mind with the unlimited Mind. In other words, all the layers of illusion must be bridged. It is possible to know God because God is within, God is the source of Being.

[Dinkleberry2010]

I made this statement on another post, but it applies to this as well: Forget all the arguments about the attributes of God, or even the arguments for or against the existence of God. The fact is that God exists as long as humans exist. God is an integral part of humanity. It doesn't matter what God's attrtbutes are, or what he or she or it is like. As long as humans exist, God will exist.

[Babbalanja]

The fact is that God exists as long as humans exist. God is an integral part of humanity. It doesn't matter what God's attrtbutes are, or what he or she or it is like. As long as humans exist, God will exist.

Are you sure you know what a fact is?

Regards,

Istvan

[Katy North]

The heart of the question I want answered is whether God has form and feelings we mortals do have and whether our prayers, praises, criticisms make any difference to God. Most of us in Hinduism have come to have the idea of God thru images we garnered from mythologies. And if we cannot subscribe to mythological evidences of God what will we be left to in point of fact?

If you believe in god, god is probably everything you want him to be. Personally, I do not believe in god as an entity. However, when I was a child, and a christian, I had a dream that God was a very large, comfortable looking woman with thick glasses. I ran toward her and gave her an exuberant hug.

I believe that god is the ultimate imaginary friend, and that He/She will provide you with what you need, when you need it. If you need a comfortable person, perhaps he will look like a grandmother, if you need a powerful person, perhaps he will look like a king.

As to whether our prayers, praise, and criticism have any meaning to god, the answer to that lies in what you believe. Do you believe in hugely powerful god who regards us humans like so many ants? If so, to you, he might not care for prayers. But if god is a comfortable entity, maybe he does.

The answer to the last question is this... if you cannot subscribe to the evidence of god in mythology, you will have what I spoke of before... a god who changes his shape to fit your needs. And that might give you more comfort than the mythological god. Either that, or you may feel like there is no such thing as the god whose mythologies you don't subscribe to, and become an atheist, agnostic, or choose to believe in another deity.

[Dinkleberry2010]

Yes, babb, I knw what a fact is. Why did you ask such an question? Did it make it feel good to ask the question? What was the reason for you to ask that question?

[Babbalanja]

Yes, babb, I knw what a fact is. Why did you ask such an question? Did it make it feel good to ask the question? What was the reason for you to ask that question?

Well, because the notion of a FACT involves some sort of evidence, or at least the possibility of objective verification. Your certainty that "God" (whatever it is) exists is based on your reluctance to doubt the claim, not because there's any rational reason to believe it.

Are we supposed to accept it as a fact merely because you say it is?

Regards,

Istvan

[JuniperWoolf]

Well, her claim that God exists as long as humanity does sort of makes sense to me; God exists as a story. Like, in the same way that language exists. We create it.