Who is God?

by real one 72 Replies latest jw friends

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  sweetface2233

  Real one, you say that "a lot of you don't have a realistic view of what God is."

  Please, tell us what a "realistic view" of him should be? The argument of God being REAL has been debated since the begining of time. If you have pertinant information that proves God is real, please provide it. You may be up for a Nobel Peace Prize, if you do. And before you say that your proof is inner happiness, or some other abstract ideal to avoid my question, please read the definition of realistic that I have provided.

  Realistic

  Adjective

  1. Aware or expressing awareness of things as they really are; "a realistic description"; "a realistic view of the possibilities"; "a realistic appraisal of our chances"; "the actors tried to create a realistic portrayal of the Africans".

  2. Representing what is real; not abstract or ideal; "realistic portraiture"; "a realistic novel"; "in naturalistic colors"; "the school of naturalistic writers".

  3. Of or relating to the philosophical doctrine of realism; "a realistic system of thought".3. Of or relating to the philosophical doctrine of realism; "a realistic system of thought".
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  The Oracle

  very good point elderwho
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  Tyrone van leyen

  I think the real question is, What the hell is the "dark matter" that surrounds the universe? Is it a part of God? It must be eternal, if God is eternal. If dark matter is not part of God, then his existance is surrounded by this darkness. I can see why he might find the need to expand and contract, dividing his own consciousness throughout, and trying all forms of evolutionary creation and possibilities. Imagine if you were in prison and they put you in the hole. Consider the hole, dark matter, in which you are surrounded. You'd go nuts if you stayed in there long enough. God, as Einstein wondered, might have had no choice but to be just as he is. Everything is as it should be.
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  Rapunzel

  "'God is the unique, and is so perfect so to not resemble any of the things that exist or any of the things that do not exist; you cannot describe God using your human intelligence...Of the Unique, you cannot say that It is or is not, the Unique embraces all but is nothing; you can name the Unique only through dissimilarity...because whatever you say of the Unique, you will never express It. God is not body, is not figure, is not form; God does not see, does not hear, does not know disorder and perturbation; God is not soul, intelligence, imagination, opinion, thought, word, number, order, size; God is not equality and is not inequality, is not Time and is not eternity; God is a will without purpose...God is a lamp without flame, a flame without fire, a fire without heat, a dark light, a silient rumble, a blind flash, a luminous soot, a ray of Its own darkness, a circle that expands concentrating on Its own center, a solitary simplicity...God is a space that is not, in which you and I are the same thing, as we are today in this time that does not flow.'" - Umberto Eco, Baudolino
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  BurnTheShips

  I think the real question is, What the hell is the "dark matter" that surrounds the universe?

  I am not sure I know what you are talking about Tyrone. There is no "dark matter" surrounding the Universe. At least none that I have ever heard of. There is "dark matter" in the universe. This is simply matter that can not be observed throught the electromagnetic spectrum, visible or otherwise. It's presence is known by the gravitational perturbations it produces on visible objects. What kind of matter is it? We don't know yet.

  Burn
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  Tyrone van leyen

  Thanks for the clarification Burns. I am more of a philosopher than a phyisist. I just try to take what I can grasp and work it into my understanding, which is vague like everyone else.

  I guess if dark matter is made up of something, than it must be a part of God, which is good to know. I was always under the impression that the expanding universe, was expanding into this dark matter. Hmmm, now you got me thinking again. What is the universe expanding into then? Can it be nothing? I thought for sure I was right about that though. I'll check it out. Back to the old drawing board. Don't get too deep on me Burns!
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  BurnTheShips

  What is the universe expanding into then? Can it be nothing? I thought for sure I was right about that though. I'll check it out. Back to the old drawing board. Don't get too deep on me Burns!

  If Universe means "all that is", then to say the Universe is expanding into something sounds kind of oxymoronic to me. It is expanding into nothing, I would say. A void, in the strict sense. Perhaps this is the Abyss of the apocalypse. Melkor, the Satanic figure of the Tolkien mythos was bound and cast into the Void.
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  Rapunzel

  I think that I should provide some context for the passage that I quoted above. As noted, it is from a novel entitled Baudolino, by Umberto Eco, an Italian professor of semiotics - the study of signs. The pasage that I quoted above are the words of Hypatia who is speaking with the protagonist, Baudolino. In the novel, the hypatia are a beautiful, wise and gentle race of females. They are also devotees of Gnosticism. In her speech to Baudolino, Hypatia uses a form of apologetics called la via negativa or la via negationis. According to this form of apologetics, God is not an object in the universe and, therefore, it is not possible to describe God through words and concepts which are necessarily limiting. It is, instead, better to talk about God based uon what God is not. The via negativa is, therefore, a means of coming to know God - and what God is - through negation.

  Because Thomas Aquinas spoke of it as one of the three ways of approaching God, la via negativa is sometimes associated solely with Christianity. However, it is found in various religious traditions in the world. In Hinduism, it is known as neti neti; in Judaism, ein sof; in Islam, bila faifa.
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  Tyrone van leyen

  Yes, you are correct Burns. I'm glad someone has the courage to correct my thinking. It takes courage for me to post on things I know little about, and some ideas that might sound strange.

  I read a few theories since this correction, some sound good, but I guess a lot of folks are guessing just like me. I see your point , about "all that is" being an oxymoron too. Now I'm gonna have to "Burn" this into my brain.

  I like your void idea. I always figured however, that the abyss was a black hole. It has all the properties that would be essential to containing a spirit creature. Spirit creatures, can defy the laws of physics, but not in a black hole. The key to the abyss or tartarus, would be the event horizon. Not even light can escape a black hole but only if the horizon shifts. Just a thought.
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  Tyrone van leyen

  I wonder Rapunzel, if the Hypatia mentioned, was the daughter of Theon in Rome who was one of the first female matematicians and defenders of science in the library of Alexandria. She was murdered for creating agst against christianity. I Like the poetic fashion the quote is written in.