God

[colossians323]

OP. Who or what god are you referring to? So far I've only seen Christian/Catholic chiming in. But are those religions and their interpretations specifically who you are forwarding the query to?
I'd like to see and read the Muslims of Islam point of view too. Along with Buddhists, Taoism and other eastern type of religion or eastern philosophy.
I think you'll find a worlds-worth of interesting flavors than just narrowing it down to 1 form of religion. Afterall, variety is the spice of life. As they say.

There is a reason I only capitalized God when I was referring to the God that I believe in. I was looking for anyones belief in their god and what they believed about their god

[Aldo The Apache]

There is a reason I only capitalized God when I was referring to the God that I believe in. I was looking for anyones belief in their god and what they believed about their god

So by little "g" vs your capital "G" you've already made up your mind on what your opinion is so why wonder what others beliefs are. You've already made up your mind. Especially considering your handle.
Unless you were looking for a debate on why your capital "G" is > their little "g".
That would make more sense to me.

[Not a Cook]

So by little "g" vs your capital "G" you've already made up your mind on what your opinion is so why wonder what others beliefs are. You've already made up your mind. Especially considering your handle.
Unless you were looking for a debate on why your capital "G" is > their little "g".
That would make more sense to me.

Actually, it has been considered proper English to only capitalize the letter "g" in the word "god" when referring to the God of the Bible for many centuries. The OP was simply using a standard, English language convention.

[colossians323]

So by little "g" vs your capital "G" you've already made up your mind on what your opinion is so why wonder what others beliefs are. You've already made up your mind. Especially considering your handle.
Unless you were looking for a debate on why your capital "G" is > their little "g".
That would make more sense to me.

will I would hope as you see that I am not debating with anyone in this thread that I am genuinely curious as to what others believe, and why, and how

[Aldo The Apache]

Actually, it has been considered proper English to only capitalize the letter "g" in the word "god" when referring to the God of the Bible for many centuries. The OP was simply using a standard, English language convention.

Actually, it's a formality out of respect of titles or names.
For instance if your name was Michael I'd spell it as that not little "m"ichael.
In the bible there are tons of references to little g gods but capitalization of titles and names wasn't originally in the Greek or Hebrew. It was interpolated by interpreters of the Catholic religion. So this concept is not found originally in scripture.
Some might find it offensive that their God has been demoted to subpar status without due process but you're at liberty to hold it. I don't agree with that kind of attitude.
That's all

[Aldo The Apache]

will I would hope as you see that I am not debating with anyone in this thread that I am genuinely curious as to what others believe, and why, and how

I dig bro. I just wanted to understand the nature of the thread and I see now. Cheers!
As it is said "the fool who persists in his folly will become wise"

[kcjr1125]

God is God.

[Aldo The Apache]

Crap lol it just donned on me that I may have possibly thread jacked you! My apologies bro. I should've just PM'd you. As you were.

[sixoclockhold]

My conviction is...
GODs plan for our lives has already been preset...its called divine providence.
To some, this means he is actively working in our lives...to me , it means that the order of things has already been set in place and that is evident in nature and all that is natural. I do not beleive GOD is actively planning or changing anything in anyones life. I believe GOD is no longer an active medium in our lives as he was before the coming of Christ. I do believe there is a plan and there has always been a plan but we as humans have something no other creature has and that is a free will...this is what makes us so precious and our souls so coveted. We have the freedom to choose our fate and to make our own destiny so I dont believe that any strings are being pulled by GOD to steer you in the right direction spiritually, emotionally, finacially or what have you.
This is where JESUS comes into play. I believe JESUS is our ONLY line of communication to GOD.
I believe that once you open the door to him and let him in your heart and fill yourself with the SPIRIT you have re connected the severed line and are now under what I like to call the "protection plan". I DO believe that JESUS and the SPIRIT play an active role in peoples live once they have opened that line of communication but they still cannot influence your free will. It is up to the individual to choose BUT once the belief in CHRIST is solidified one cannot help but know and understand and although that knowledge forces accountability it also forces responsibility. I am not a righteous person, I am dirty and scarred and fall back consistently each day but that is the point of the fight....its the action or the act of trying to be right that makes us acceptable even though there is another faceplant right around the next corner. The whole point is to TRY to be like JESUS, even though we will never come close. There is a quote from the movie Man of Steel that reminds me of this... "You will give the people an ideal to strive towards. They will race behind you, they will stumble, they will fall. But in time, they will join you in the sun. In time, you will help them accomplish wonders."
FAITH is what is is and requires no explanation...only action. Never mistake FAITH for Religion... religion is merely a comic book meant to entertain people while the truth slips oput the back door unnoticed.

[sixoclockhold]

In my years before coming to Christ, I tried to figure this whole Universe, God thing and how I fit in this vast eternity. I came to the conclusion that God probably had a sense of humor like myself, was strict with his children but loved them to death. He surely was all powerful and not something to be messed with or challenged. Lucifer thought he could be top dog and challenged God, big mistake, but lucky for me. I get to interact and maybe just maybe reap the rewards promised by God.

So God, not of this universe, creates it. 5% is of him(what we see, touch and know) and 95% dark matter and dark energy (Lucifer). This is a spiritual game and it's for keeps, between God and his most favorite angel that got too big for his britches. God whips up this universe and disperses Lucy into it, it is now game on, a 9 inning baseball stretch. Lucy and his 1/3 of angels he took can't get out. God is going to replenish his crib with new kids on the block. Battle tested kids. Kids who choose Good over Evil and are willing to not waiver in their faith. He makes a couple, Adam/Eve and says now do it, populate. Lets see who wins this event, of course the end is already written, hey he is God. Lucy is no whiff, God has to reset with the flood in the early innings, he can cheat, it's his game. Some humor there. Lucy is determined, but knows he can't win or get out of the universe. Come the 5 inning God is getting knocked out of the park on his fast balls. Lucy wasn't the best for nothing. God gets a little pissed and sends down Christ and the Holy Spirit to ice this deal. This is where I come in. Go with it, have Faith, we got this, were getting out of here and going to be with GOD if we just field the hits and make even a single for Christ.

Soon the 9th inning will end and we rejoice winners. God tosses old Lucy down in dugout for no applause for 1,000 years. Then the humorous God he is, lets him out to see the stands filled with cheering victors. Then sorry Lucy down you go again, never to be seen again.

God gets his new inhabitants which replace the fallen, and we the saved get a peak at God's crib and a closet full of eternity.

KISS

[ArmedJackal]

I was baptized Catholic and sporadically went to church as a child. In high school I was struggling to understand my place in the world so I started attending a protestant church, accepted Jesus as my personal savior and read the Bible from cover to cover. Instead of leading me to faith however, reading the Bible convinced me utterly that it was most likely created by man as opposed to God as a vehicle for control. I went on to then read the book of Mormon and came away with a similar feeling.

I've mentioned this issue before and have always been told that the answer is to continue to put my faith into Jesus and the Bible. The problem is, as a now objective third-party why would I devote more time in trying to follow one particular God when there are literally thousands of others also espoused by followers no less devout than Christians.

If there is a God, logic and reason are certainly some of the greatest gifts that he bestowed on humanity and that being the case why would he make belief in him dependent on abandoning said gifts? Why would he speak to some and not others... Obviously, anyone he speaks to clearly would accept him. It seems capricious. I also have such a hard time excepting that a loving God who cares it all for his creations would allow such tragedy in suffering to be done by churches in his name over the centuries. All of that of course doesn't rule out the existence of a Christian God just makes it much more difficult for me to believe it.

I don't know if there is a god but, given the scope of the known universe, it seems unlikely to me that it is one humans have thought of. All that said I do hope the Christian God is true and that I am given a revelation before my death because the Christian Heaven sounds frankly fantastic.