What is a god?

[Mystic]

In the case of many gods, it basically amounts to "Like us, but more powerful. Usually being related to a force of nature, or some aspect of Humanity like love". A popular concept is just some eldritch being that's both incomprehensible, and all powerful. Like a Lovecraftian abomination that may bless or punish you whether you worship it or not. And of course there's the idea that whatever you value most in your life becomes your god. Which is sort of stretching and diluting the concept, but whatever.

Personally I just view it as a tool. "Listen to me because I get orders from someone more powerful than you. Don't overthrow me, or you'll make him angry."

Love is the fuel of our power... the most important question in life to pose question, is one going to create what they devote their lives to (their purpose, their meaning, what they value most) or are they going to recognize it.

If we are going to recognize it and that thing is the Creator, how do we connect to it and do it.  And this where the name of God comes in, it's the love that points to and glorifies the Creator that it is directed to God as a perfect arrow aiming at him.

Love is the center of how we live our lives. 

You don't get to decide what ought to be valued most, you may choose what you value most, but even then, you won't truly believe in that for yourself except by means of falsehood, self-deception, and ignoring that we don't decide what ought to be valued most, but rather must accept it for what it is.

Moses, Aaron, etc, Jesus, Mohammad, Ali, etc, are all names of God that point to him. Loving them means appreciating God and connecting to Him, because that is what they do, they connect us to God. As they are the means to God and the way to know him, consequently they are the greatest gift and appreciating this gift is linked to appreciating God and valuing the path to Him.

[pocaracas]

Thank you for fitting so neatly into my first category:


I did expect most Muslims to align themselves with this version of a god.

The thing is the word "god" just means what we value most relative to everything else. What we devote to the most.

When you say "we", do you mean the aggregate of mankind? or each of us individuals?

Personally, right now, what I value most and what I want to devote to most is a woman. She's a human being, as far as I can tell, and, as such, not a god.

In Quran for example, you will find a verse that talks about a person taking their desire as a god.

Why do you need to refer to the Quran all the time?

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In the case of many gods, it basically amounts to "Like us, but more powerful. Usually being related to a force of nature, or some aspect of Humanity like love". A popular concept is just some eldritch being that's both incomprehensible, and all powerful. Like a Lovecraftian abomination that may bless or punish you whether you worship it or not. And of course there's the idea that whatever you value most in your life becomes your god. Which is sort of stretching and diluting the concept, but whatever.

Nice build up

Personally I just view it as a tool. "Listen to me because I get orders from someone more powerful than you. Don't overthrow me, or you'll make him angry."

It certainly seems to be this, given all the cultures and civilizations that have existed on this planet where this applies.

[Abaddon_ire]

The word means what is worshipped or what ought to be worshipped depending on context.

The highest level of respect and valuing is what we worship.

If it's not the absolute being we worship, then we worship something else.

The greatest loss are those who take their own desire as a god and everyone is trampled upon due to their self-centered perceptions.

The thing about recognizing God is that you must see the signs of God within yourself and in compassion and love to others, and in that, lies a unity, that is loving the face of God in everything, that his light is spread through out all living beings.

Even the worse of beings (Satan for examples) get's some compassion and some beauty of theirs is adored, due to the face of God aspect of them.

The chaotic type unbalanced type love, where we love ourselves more then everything else, and then make idols we equate with God out of that love, and sacrifice the truth and attribute to the light of God darkness all out of that love of ourselves, is the root of the chaos and oppression in the world.

Monotheism is easy to claim by mouth, but to put it in practice, requires to break the idol that we seek to serve, that Iblis makes us think is us, but isn't our true selves.

Had the path been directed to other then God and would be a guidance, God would have let us walk it, but evil and dark are the paths misleading from him.

Sufficient in this although I didn't phrase how is an argument for God that proves him beyond doubt.

Do you think a lying, murderous, incestuous, raping thug is worthy of worship?

[I_am_not_mafia]

Personally, right now, what I value most and what I want to devote to most is a woman. She's a human being, as far as I can tell, and, as such, not a god.

Have you told her that?

[Angrboda]

You don't get to decide what ought to be valued most, you may choose what you value most, but even then, you won't truly believe in that for yourself except by means of falsehood, self-deception, and ignoring that we don't decide what ought to be valued most, but rather must accept it for what it is.

More assertions that if we don't believe as you do then we are deluded. This is poisoning the well, plain and simple. As a result, your conclusions aren't reliable.

But thanks for showing us what we already knew, that you believe things for flawed reasons.

[pocaracas]

Personally, right now, what I value most and what I want to devote to most is a woman. She's a human being, as far as I can tell, and, as such, not a god.

Have you told her that?

She knows very well how I feel.

[bennyboy]

I'd say a god is any sentient being to which we cannot, even conceivably, do harm.