Hello each and all...

We meet here in the realm of language. Even those who seek to expunge "God" from the discourse. "God" is a fact in our shared English language. Some varient of "God" appears in the languages of all times and places. Using the word "God" we each and all have something in mind.

History offers a broad spectrum of language about "God". Some say "God" signifies life and love. Others say "God" signifies deception and oppression. Each has reasons for representing "God" as they do. These reasons, in every case, are personal reasons.

For me "God" signifies transcendent being, being beyond the boundary of perception and explanation. Experience and reflection have stripped me of all definitions for the word "God" and I am unable to offer any justification for the trust that I place in the being of "God". This trust is not without resources. Drawing on the wide range of language about "God", I find both inspiration and encouragement along my appointed way.

In every context persons have resorted to "God" as the source of freedom, responsibility, creativity and courage. Undertaken with integrity resort to "God" has brought, is bringing and will bring much good to the emergence and flourishing of human consciousness (being) along the trajectory of time. This is verifiable by rational research.

Gretta goes far to reveal the inadequacy of institutional religion in the face of ultimate concern. We cannot fail to notice that the United Church of Canada abandons its norms and standards rather than face the contradiction she makes present. This can be interpeted as a good thing. Her refusal of "God" as transcendent being, perhaps shared by many in the UCC, does not hold water for me.

George

Right on!

George,

I really thought I'd never hear a minister say that ... in the aspect that ignorance, stupidity and emotional reaction is best. Intellectual response is not allowed in the temple of many emotional idealisms! People of intellect (intellectii) are evil as dramatized in Angels and Daemons! Is thus a temple of unrestricted passion thus a very edgy subject? Could this be corrupted, or redacted satyr (even irony)? The depth of entendre becomes complex ...

Are there evil people in and out of church? Consider a psychology of evil can be bad to some listeners; could a person read the bible and take conflict, aggression, plundering, enslavement of victums and murder as good for those on God's side? Perhaps their god is evil and another's god is compassionate! Could this varient exist?

Many psychologists and psychichiatrists say it can be dangerous for some people to study evil as they might take it to be the good norm ... and a turn could take place in that beastly pool ... chilling Revelations?

Some people who actually listened (with me) to ministers preaching on the evils of the tree of knowledge ... found it hard to believe that a minister would do that. A problem of perspective or just the art of alert listening? Would tranfer of true thoughts be transccendental? Probably you couldn't say that in church as it would be taken as mystical (anonymous, unknown) and thuus as alien ... it's bad ...

Understanding words and their evolution across history is slightly hysterical ... could drive a soul out and about ... crazy as that psyche that comes between people of all sects ... and then they'd want to go out and screw up everything!

Such is the nature of misappropriated metaphor ...

Ever watch some of the TED.com talks on mind science (soul study) and plastic mental spirituality ... close to commentary to as how the brae'in can be shaped as a dark reality ... whereas the power residing in it is ... well at least transient as an optical scion, or icon ... semite? Abstract things to be seen amongst the absolutes ... sort of like floaters that some call flotsam-jetsam ... if they don't like being bedeviled with thought. It is said the Caesars didn't like to ... and perhaps even many of the PrimeMinisters and Presidents we could name but won't due to the variability in the liability rules that are very discretionary depending on the position of the source and receiver, or who is highest on the economic ladder.

Has nothing to do with social standing in countries that despise social activity or responsibility for siblings  in the social sense of alchemy ... the science of relationship or interpersonal chemistry in some terms.

Some authorities say there are no metaphors in the biblical record ... but to tell the infinite story of god in one book ... would that not require considerable metaphorical variety in a mortal or limited expression?

God help us all to see into the depths of meaning in evolving and Revelational words that go around differently ... as ghosts of doubt or Tomaes ass shadow of light of the other kind ... dark? Sort of compares ike absolute and non-absolute and some don't know that abstract or absolutely incomplete works too ... but on an emotional basis they wouldn't accept such a metphor ... as it would appear as foreign intelligence and thus evil ...

Isn't it easy to crank a mind of loose motives? Consider Curella in 101 Dale mations ... where a slight alteration of spelling can hide the real ß' Ithchii one in the story for being left out without pups ... she didn't know she was a "cougar" ... and thus the kitty laws should apply ... defining catharsis ...

Can that wash ...?

Hi George:

Although I have some trouble with the word transcendent "being", I would agree that God is the transcendent power, spirit, principle, or force. And "transcendent," of course, also means "creative."

To describe God as the transcendent "being" could imply supernaturalism, with which I don't agree. But I agree that "God" is beyond analytical comprehension, so I can't be absolutely certain about that or anything else I say about God.

All speculation or poetry, eh? But I think that the experience is real, and experiencing God (or the Divine or whatever we wish to call IT) is what we should aim for.

Hi Arminius....

No quarrel with your observations. We use words hoping to express our being in clear language. That language is interpreted in the light of those who encounter and engage it. Our intention is strongly coloured by the particular reader's experience. No matter how clearly we realize our being as "Being", we ever fall short of full disclosure. Yet we press the hope of full disclosure forward by all available language.

George
 

Yes, George, well said.

Great! Mind-reader...

Yet John, many theologians and atheists alike have previously stated they do not believe in the existence of mind/soul/psyche ...

If the BS did not allow for soul ... would the believer be lost for thought?

This would leave them short of wisdom  ... and thus no idealism (or excellence) on wisdom and no God of Wisdom and everything winds down in ignorance! Seems a natural degradation of mind allowing for positive dimentia ... as dictated by the patriarches as they didn't wish people to think anyhow ...

There are some rengades; they went underground thro' the auspices of the tome ... a metaphorical escape factor ... allowing cryptic function of apocrypha ... followed by apocalyptic blasts when hit by the back fires of the chitty's sent out! Wee fecund bits ...

Sort of mimics a chitty storm on the brain that electrifies the inhabitants of that eL-ish place. Some say Samson was a head above all men from the shoulders up ... creating a bull-headed sort of old goat-ish power that could bring down a temple or other fixed things ... like damned domies ...

Does this create a familiar construct of things that arn't, or are diminishing to that point? This may have been the incentive for the Romans to construct the Latin eshe, or ethe that is displayed as "ð" ... an icon that confuses many but not men of letters ... as they break out in giggles about strange black things that can cause brutis of ignorance great fear of words on the page ... virtual unknowns ... that's the word! Po'meis ole to God ...