How do we define "God"?

Sir Hotbod Handsomeface · **Joined:** Thu Oct 13, 2005 1:17 am **Posts:** 60

How we define the concept of "God"? Is God an actual physical being that we are not aware of or unable to comprehend? Is God anything more than a concept? A culmination of beliefs?

Is there a way to identify God? Discuss!

*I apologize if I am breaking any rules by posting this topic or if it's redundant. Feel free to delete this thread if I screwed up*

Didymus · **Posted:** Sun Oct 16, 2005 8:36 am

Here is about the best definition I can come up with:

Council of Nicea wrote:

I believe in one God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible.

And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of his Father before all worlds, God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father by whom all things were made; who for us men, and for our salvation, came down from heaven, and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the Virgin Mary, and was made man, and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate. He suffered and was buried, and the third day he rose again according to the Scriptures, and ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of the Father. And he will come again with glory to judge both the living and the dead, whose kingdom will have no end.

And I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and Giver of Life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified, who spoke by the prophets. And I believe one holy Christian and apostolic Church. I acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins, and I look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.

Mr.KISS · **Posted:** Sun Oct 16, 2005 9:33 am

woah didymus i wish i kinew your occupation sooner! Im going to try to becoma a priest once i get enough cash to move out of my friends basement!

toastpaint'd

Upsilon · **Posted:** Sun Oct 16, 2005 12:20 pm

The way I've always seen it, 'god' refers to any creator of the universe. That seems as broad a definition as I can come up with. Mind you, Apollo was considered a god and he certainly didn't create the universe.

Okay, new angle. A god is a higher power whose aim is to be worshipped. Although that doesn't cover any potential reticent gods...

Actually, make that: a god is a higher being who either created us or wants to be worshipped by us, or both. I think that covers most circumstances...

khan earl · **Posted:** Sun Oct 16, 2005 11:22 pm

heh the funny thing is that just a day ago I watched a show on the history channel about how the Byzantine empire used to make a huge deal about this holding government and public forums and stuff. If it does exist I think its spirtual.

DeadGuyPerez · **Posted:** Thu Oct 20, 2005 5:56 pm

The Nicean creed pretty much does it for me, too.

seamusz · **Posted:** Thu Oct 20, 2005 6:32 pm

Didymus wrote:

Here is about the best definition I can come up with:

Council of Nicea wrote:

I believe in one God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible.

And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of his Father before all worlds, God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father by whom all things were made; who for us men, and for our salvation, came down from heaven, and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the Virgin Mary, and was made man, and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate. He suffered and was buried, and the third day he rose again according to the Scriptures, and ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of the Father. And he will come again with glory to judge both the living and the dead, whose kingdom will have no end.

And I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and Giver of Life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified, who spoke by the prophets. And I believe one holy Christian and apostolic Church. I acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins, and I look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.

But Didymus, you didn't come up with this definition. Uninspired men almost 1800 years ago did.

hehe, couldn't resist. Btw, is the nicean Creed considenred doctorine by protestants?

Didymus · **Posted:** Thu Oct 20, 2005 11:02 pm

Yes. Which is one of the reasons it is called an Ecumenical Creed. The others include the Apostolic and the Athanasian. I would have posted the Athanasian, but it's just way too long.

Sui · **Joined:** Sun Oct 24, 2004 10:17 pm **Posts:** 396

seamusz wrote:

But Didymus, you didn't come up with this definition. Uninspired men almost 1800 years ago did.

Come up with - i.e. produce. A magician, although he possesses no method of manufacturing rabbits, can be said to produce them from his hat-not making it, but bringing it out to show.

Back at ya. XP

Err... toastpaint.

seamusz · **Posted:** Fri Oct 21, 2005 2:19 pm

Didymus wrote:

Yes. Which is one of the reasons it is called an Ecumenical Creed. The others include the Apostolic and the Athanasian. I would have posted the Athanasian, but it's just way too long.

That is confusing to me, because my understanding has been that Protestants believe that the Bible is closed and revelation has ceased. And if that is true, how can more doctrine be laid forth?

Didymus · **Posted:** Fri Oct 21, 2005 7:25 pm

Well, first of all, the Creeds are considered authoritative, not because they are equal to divine revelation, but because they are an adequate summary of what the Scriptures teach about the nature of God. The teachings of the Nicene and Athanasian Creeds were not new at the time these creeds were written; they had been what the Church had always understood about the nature of God, only those teachings were coming under heavy criticism from various factions of people who deviated from the Scriptures. People like Arius, for example, who wanted people to believe that the Son was not equal to the Father, but was a separate lesser god, despite the fact that Jesus often referred to himself as YHWH (God's sacred name), the Lord of the Sabbath (a name proper only for YHWH), the Good Shepherd (another name attributed to the Father), and even point blank said that he and the Father were one.

So, at least the way I see it, the Bible is the sole authority, but if anyone came to me and said, "The Nicene Creed is wrong," I wouldn't trust them.

Now I have encountered some well-meaning but less educated Christians who have challenged whether the Creed is true or not, but usually when I post it back to them and say, "Which part of it do you disagree with?" they usually turn silent. It's usually because they agree with the doctrine of the Creed, even when they are not familiar with the Creed itself. That, I think is a different story than denying the Creed outright.

Jerome · **Posted:** Mon Oct 24, 2005 8:09 am

A god is a hypothetical supreme non-corporeal higher being, who is either a creator of the universe or in charge of one aspect of the universe in mythology. Another word for it is "deity".

"God" as a proper noun is the English word for the guy who created the universe in the Abrahamic religions.

DeadGaySon · **Posted:** Mon Oct 24, 2005 10:32 am

<3 the dictionary!!!!!! Seriously though, if were not talking about the proper noun god but rather a god in general, I have no definition.

Upsilon · **Posted:** Mon Oct 31, 2005 11:13 am

Nonetheless, I think Jerome's dictionary definition is pretty adequate.

Dakka doodoo · **Posted:** Mon Oct 31, 2005 12:00 pm

god is everything good to me

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