Is god God?

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What can we know about God?
We know He is One, He is Perfect, and He is Unfathomable in His Essense.

To get to know God, it is necesary to contemplate His attributes: Holiness, Justice, Love and Mercy.
 
Hi PJM and MOM,

Regarding your agreement “…that there can only BE ONE TRUTH for a single issue.”

I think we are all familiar with the optical illusion where you can see either a vase or two profiles facing one another. What is the “one truth” of this issue? Some see faces, some see a vase, some see both, and the picture is neither and both at the same time. Similarly, there is one of a turning ballarina. There is even a test that claims to asses what side of your brain you use by which way you see it turning. But it is flat. It only looks like it is turning. Etc, etc. What say you?

Bindar
 
=geometer;5014774]Aren’t there many attributes to the nature of God? What does one truth mean?
Best regards,
Dear friend in Christ,

In this day and age that is a very wise and perceptive question.:tiphat:

Pope John Paul II wrote a letter of instruction that we call an Encyclical Letter, entitledSplendor of the Truth.

The reason he wrote it is because the worlds view and understanding of “TRUTH” is being challanged. We live in a time, when “Relative Thougt” is prevelant.

This is the philosophy that “it is only wrong if you, or me” say that it’s wrong. In other words, the world seems to be shifting from Objective Reality and TRUTH, to a personal Subjective understanding that one makes, ones own truth.

John Paul II taught that one can hide from the truth, ignore the truth, deny the truth, but
noone, absolutely noone, can CHANGE WHAT THE TRUTH IS.

In other words, TRUTH always remains the truth.

Pope Benedicy XVI, in his homily upon accepting his call to the Papacy said: " we cannot have your truth, and my truth or there would be NO TRUTH."

John Paul also taught that there can be “only one truth” for any specific issue.

*2 Thess. 2: "9 The coming of the lawless one by the activity of Satan will be with all power and with pretended signs and wonders, 10 and with all wicked deception for those who are to perish, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. 11 Therefore God sends upon them a strong delusion, to make them believe what is false, 12 so that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness." **

2 Cor. 13: “8 For we cannot do anything against the truth, but only for the truth.”

John 14: "6 Jesus said to him, "I am the* way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but by me. 7

So the point is that we are to seek and covet “the single truth” in our relationship with God.

God is “all” and only everything Good" and in each good attribute, God is the height of Perfection. So God’s Nature consist of every good attribue and is the Perfection of these things.
 
I think we are all familiar with the optical illusion where you can see either a vase or two profiles facing one another. What is the “one truth” of this issue? Some see faces, some see a vase, some see both, and the picture is neither and both at the same time. Similarly, there is one of a turning ballarina. There is even a test that claims to asses what side of your brain you use by which way you see it turning. But it is flat. It only looks like it is turning. Etc, etc. What say you?
\

You are a Buddhist, and a pantheist, as claimed on another thread, and you believe in only the IS as opposed to reality, or truth. Isn’t that correct? Have I misunderstood? 🤷

May God grant you a million miracles, Annem
 
=annem;5016688]\
You are a Buddhist, and a pantheist, as claimed on another thread, and you believe in only the IS as opposed to reality, or truth. Isn’t that correct? Have I misunderstood? 🤷
May God grant you a million miracles, Annem
Seek and ye shall find, ask and it will be given on to you"

Either Truth exist, or we are the mirage!👍

Love and prayers,
 
No, annem, I did not claim to be a Buddhist on any thread, I am not a pantheist, I don’t “believe in only the IS” and as every other time you have commented on one of my posts or any other, yes, you continue to misunderstand. You have, at least, a remarkable ability to be consitent. Clearly, you have a very valuable gift that you can build on.

Bindar Doondat.
 
No, annem, I did not claim to be a Buddhist on any thread, I am not a pantheist, I don’t “believe in only the IS” and as every other time you have commented on one of my posts or any other, yes, you continue to misunderstand. You have, at least, a remarkable ability to be consitent. Clearly, you have a very valuable gift that you can build on.
Bindar Doondat.
My, my, that certainly is not the impression you gave on another thread. So, once again, I am asking: what are you? Is there a reason you won’t tell us? Do you claim to be an advanced ‘master’ advaitist, Sufi, Hindu, or a member of a small cult? Please tell us.

May God grant you a million miracles, Annem
 
I think statements like “God is personal” are completely inadequate. I don’t know how to describe God, other than “Ground of Being”. I’m suspicious of Thomist/Scholastic philosophy’s description of God. I believe it is inadequate and doesn’t approximate the reality. It also gives too much emphasis to reason, and not enough to intuition. Why people perceive God as love, too, I think is debatable.
 
It also gives too much emphasis to reason, and not enough to intuition. Why people perceive God as love, too, I think is debatable.
\

Those who are Catholic certainly proclaim God as love, since that is what He has told us.

However, I believe you are not a Catholic. What are your beliefs?

May God grant you a million miracles, Annem
 
I think statements like “God is personal” are completely inadequate. I don’t know how to describe God, other than “Ground of Being”. I’m suspicious of Thomist/Scholastic philosophy’s description of God. I believe it is inadequate and doesn’t approximate the reality. It also gives too much emphasis to reason, and not enough to intuition. Why people perceive God as love, too, I think is debatable.
Many have experienced God as love-an experience that’s received only as a gift.
 
\

Those who are Catholic certainly proclaim God as love, since that is what He has told us.

However, I believe you are not a Catholic. What are your beliefs?

May God grant you a million miracles, Annem
I don’t disagree a human being experiences God as love. I disagree over the why, though.

My beliefs… I don’t know for sure. Panentheistic. I studied Buddhism for a while, but recently I’ve just felt something lacking, even after getting mystical insights. The group I’ve been going to, I’ve been feeling more frustrated with so I just meditate at home, and I’ve realized for whatever reason, Buddhism in the US doesn’t have alot positive going for it. It’s not religion, it’s just spirituality and feel-good stuff, most of the people don’t really live like they believe any of it. If I continued, I’d want to get serious and check into a monastery, but I could also do that at home and come away more enlightened that messing around in a group listening to people whine about not actually meditating or practicing.

However, I don’t find Christianity completely credible, either, but it’s possible it might be somewhat true, and having grown up Christian, I felt like I need to reconsider it. Just a feeling, nothing too concrete or rational.
 
Hi PJM and MOM,

Regarding your agreement “…that there can only BE ONE TRUTH for a single issue.”

I think we are all familiar with the optical illusion where you can see either a vase or two profiles facing one another. What is the “one truth” of this issue? Some see faces, some see a vase, some see both, and the picture is neither and both at the same time. Similarly, there is one of a turning ballarina. There is even a test that claims to asses what side of your brain you use by which way you see it turning. But it is flat. It only looks like it is turning. Etc, etc. What say you?

Bindar
I am not sure, but i believe that PJM was speaking about the law of non-contradiction. Its logically impossible for there to be two truths; as in, it would be meaningless to say that it is true that i exist, but at the same time say that it is also true that i do not exist. I’m not totally sure however, that he was talking about the law of non-contradiction.
 
=Daedelus76;5024410]I don’t disagree a human being experiences God as love. I disagree over the why, though.
My beliefs… I don’t know for sure. Panentheistic. I studied Buddhism for a while, but recently I’ve just felt something lacking, even after getting mystical insights. The group I’ve been going to, I’ve been feeling more frustrated with so I just meditate at home, and I’ve realized for whatever reason, Buddhism in the US doesn’t have alot positive going for it. It’s not religion, it’s just spirituality and feel-good stuff, most of the people don’t really live like they believe any of it. If I continued, I’d want to get serious and check into a monastery, but I could also do that at home and come away more enlightened that messing around in a group listening to people whine about not actually meditating or practicing.
However, I don’t find Christianity completely credible, either, but it’s possible it might be somewhat true, and having grown up Christian, I felt like I need to reconsider it. Just a feeling, nothing too concrete or rational.
Indeed my friend, Buddhism is not a religion as it invokes no god / God.

Perhaps I can share a theme for you meditation that utilizes your skills from Buddhism and apply it to a Chrsitian Theological concept?

Humanity are the only “THINGS” in the Universe that possess a “mind” (not brain), an intellect (ability to rationalize, solve problems ect.), a memory, and that which we do share in a similar sphere with other creatures, that force that annimates, gives being, essence, life to us, that which we term “the soul.”

Now mind, memory, intellect and soul can all be proven to be a vital part of our very existance, agreed?

So my friend, quantify for me your “mind.” How long, wide, deep is it. What is its shape and color. How much does it weigh?

Noone can supply the answer, because each of these “THINGS” are “spiritual” in there essence.

Can we proceed understanding the following?

A THING can only be what it is

A THING cannot be what it is not

A THING can only share what it has

A Thing cannot share what it does not possess

There is a hierarchy of complexity and threrfore merit in the Created Universe.

Ex. atom, a cell, a molucule, a blade of grass, a tree, a fish, a dog, humanity.

So the meditation question is of three parts:
  1. Why is humanity alone “gifted” with these special and individually unique (no two alike)
    THINGS?
  2. Because these THINGS are spiritual, what is there origin.
  3. Do they have an “assigned” purpose?
Love and prayers my friend,
 
I am not sure, but i believe that PJM was speaking about the law of non-contradiction. Its logically impossible for there to be two truths; as in, it would be meaningless to say that it is true that i exist, but at the same time say that it is also true that i do not exist. I’m not totally sure however, that he was talking about the law of non-contradiction.
Some forms of logic actually don’t have a law of bivalence. For instance, in some forms of Hinduism/Buddhism, the law of bivalence doesn’t apply to God/Brahman/Ultimate Reality.

Even in Christianity, what would you make of “True God and True Man”, or the Trinity? There persons in one being. It is a contradiction by the laws of bivalence, unless you define these words in an unusual way.

I do think reality is at least somewhat perspectival. There can be relative truths. If I say “this tea is hot”, I am saying something that is neither true nor false. It is true… for me, but maybe not for you. It’s subjective, in other words.
 
Humanity are the only “THINGS” in the Universe that possess a “mind” (not brain), an intellect (ability to rationalize, solve problems ect.), a memory, and that which we do share in a similar sphere with other creatures,
I don’t think that is true. There are plenty of animals that can solve problems. Maybe not as advanced as humans but I’m not sure there is actually a strict seperation between human beings and animals. I’d be more tempted to say that humans are unique, because, in the words of Jain Goodall, we are one of the few species that intentionally does things knowing they are cruel, because they are cruel. Implying evil. Maybe an exaggeration, but it is something to think about.
 
=Daedelus76;5036119]Some forms of logic actually don’t have a law of bivalence. For instance, in some forms of Hinduism/Buddhism, the law of bivalence doesn’t apply to God/Brahman/Ultimate Reality.
Even in Christianity, what would you make of “True God and True Man”, or the Trinity? There persons in one being. It is a contradiction by the laws of bivalence, unless you define these words in an unusual way.
I do think reality is at least somewhat perspectival. There can be relative truths. If I say “this tea is hot”, I am saying something that is neither true nor false. It is true… for me, but maybe not for you. It’s subjective, in other words.
Actually, my post was I feel specific and truthful. Agree?

Subjective reality (reality being key) can too be truth. It’s just for difficult to prove.

“The Trinity” for Chrsitians means: "ONE GOD / ONE DEVINE NATURE / THREE DIVINE PERSONS… Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

“True God and true man” for Chrsitians means: Two “Persons” the Person of God and the Person of “man.” With two seperate and complete Natures. One the Nature of God and at the same time the other the Complete nature of “man.”

Love and prayers,

And I cleary understand that their can be but a single truth on any single THING.

Love and prayers,
 
Some forms of logic actually don’t have a law of bivalence. For instance, in some forms of Hinduism/Buddhism, the law of bivalence doesn’t apply to God/Brahman/Ultimate Reality. .
You accept those forms of thinking for various reasons which have nothing to do with logic, but desire. The fact that you find them appealing doesn’t mean that they are logical or that the presence of those thinking forms undermines the reality and necessity of logic. In other words, nobody who enjoys thinking can take these ideas seriously. To say that there is no such thing as absolute truth, is to tear down ones ability to think logically. Being is truth and is the bases of understanding it. If there is no truth, then there is no being.
Even in Christianity, what would you make of “True God and True Man”, or the Trinity? There persons in one being. It is a contradiction by the laws of bivalence, unless you define these words in an unusual way.
That depends on how you perceive God and your ability to comprehend. Firstly, your inability to understand does not necessarily mean that something is not true. Secondly; It is not a contradiction once you comprehend the nature of the first cause. Once you understand the nature of God, the idea of 3 persons in one nature, becomes logically consistent. God is first and foremost a nature of being, and it is within that nature we find that which necessitates a personal nature that is necessarily shared among multiple persons. There is no contradiction; we are dealing with a different order of being that cannot be defined or restrained by the laws of physical reality. However; it cannot be proved by logic that God, as an expression of being, is 3 persons. We do not understand why God is 3 rather then 1 or i billion. This is beyond our ability to understand.
 
MindOverMatter
Regular Member Religion: Catholic
Re: Is god God?
Dear friend, did I miss you’re reply to my suggested meditation post? Or did you choose to gloss over it? Either is OK, just want to be sure I did not miss a question or two that you may have had.

**MindOverMatter **

I’m curious friend, does this also imply “MindOverSpirit”🤷

Love and prayers,
 
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