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The Forum > Article Comments > Does God require a special language? > Comments

Does God require a special language? : Comments

By Peter Sellick, published 12/8/2013

This conception, or denial of conception, has been carried by the Christian tradition into the present day. For example Karl Barth framed God as the 'wholly Other', the one who could not be found at the end of any human path.

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Yep, guilty as charged, I should have said "uninterested."
Posted by Sells, Monday, 12 August 2013 9:49:07 PM
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Dear Daffy,

<<And no, it is now impossible to find the Living Divine Reality via the ideology of Christian-ism which is now an entirely reductionist exoteric religion, even essentially anti-Spiritual in its form>>

It goes without saying that nobody can come to God via an ideology - any ideology. It is however possible to come to God by walking in the footsteps of Jesus, through sacrifice and charity as he did. While not a Christian myself, I do know a few Christians who take their religion to esoteric depths and are spiritually well advanced, who sacrifice their own health and quality of life in order to alleviate the sufferings of others.

Dear Individual,

<<Believe in God but for Christ's sake leave religion out of it. Religion opposes just about everything God is supposedly desiring in people. He must be cursing himself for letting people become so bad.>>

I think you got it back-to-front: religion is by definition about coming closer to God - whatever means it takes, while believing in God is just one religious option. Better then forget about God, but follow religion.

Please do not listen to people who hold a position of power in organisations that claim to be religious: they are often spoilers of religion. If certain acts (including beliefs) do not lead one towards God, then these are not part of a religion. Period.

And BTW, God does not desire anything - it is we who desire God, usually once we suffered enough in this world.
Posted by Yuyutsu, Tuesday, 13 August 2013 2:45:12 AM
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Peter, it seems to me that the problem for the church is that there is too much theology, not too little!

What is the purpose of the Word? Is it to try to teach us all how to be better people, or is it to be an immutable and inscrutable Truth that only the initiated can grasp?

I went to church for the first time in over 30 years on Sunday. An Anglican church, because I was raised in an Anglican tradition and I know some of the forms of the practise. It was a good service on the whole, which was quite moving in some ways and I had a nice chat with the Ministers afterwards.

I was struck by two things. The first was that the average age of the congregation was 50+ at what was billed as the "Family Service". A couple of very young children, but no adolescents or even kids of 5-12. The second was that while the Rector was very good at delivering the Lesson, it was all about theology. He spoke of the need to glorify God because God is worthy of recognition as glorious and that god is an embodiment of the human virtues: justice, love, compassion, etc,and that this gives Him the right to be wrathful in turn. A patriarchal/paternal model, which hasn't changed much since I was last in Church. He went on to mention a case of female infanticide in Pakistan and tried to argue that while we are disgusted at such things, we should be MORE disgusted at a failure to glorify God, which I thought put the cart before the horse in a very big way.

If the church has a purpose it is to create a moral backdrop and foundation for society. Worship is not an end in itself, but has the function of making us better people. Preaching theology at people who have already lived their lives cannot do that

Drop the theology and look for the humanity is my advice
Posted by Antiseptic, Tuesday, 13 August 2013 4:29:15 AM
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I think you got it back-to-front: religion is by definition about coming closer to God
Yuutsu,
So which of the countless religion's Gods is the right one then ?
Posted by individual, Tuesday, 13 August 2013 7:02:52 AM
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Antiseptic,<<..What is the purpose of the Word?>>

the word [for me]..is as witness[ie the 4 gospils]
then the creed/the writings of saul/paul

the old testiment..surmises an agenda towards patriarchal dominance/figure heads and the primacy of the house of levie over the feminine/or rather maternal..that turns to loving service..reflected in the christ service unto other..from the house of david..

both books..of books..turn right..as a child of the fat-her
into rite/ritual/creed..via special dispensation/false god/saintly heads/dead ends

via AMASSING turn arounds..[like saul..jesus sworn enemy..
turning into paul..speaking on his behalf..subverting the stone/peter

or the potential child killer
into killing a scape goat[name changers..is a thing even the pope does[now]\

<<..Is it to try to teach us all how to be better people,>>

the work..made into word?
inversion[here in satans realm..of john1?

make us better?
or be seen to be equally fair!
by immersion..of us into satans material realm..to see if the muck..sticks?

here insatans realm..
where good and vile have equal opportunity..to make their case for our souls..[of course..our life giving spirit=sacrosanct..[as our spirit belongs to good..[god]

<<..or is it to be
an immutable and inscrutable Truth..that only the initiated can grasp?>>

so $ATAN$.minions would have us believe..
yet jesus himself said..just by loving [good service]..to other..loving sister..loving brother...can we know the supreme good [god]

<<Drop the theology
and look for the humanity...>> ..[in the l-east]..as much as the grea-test*..

<<..is my advice>>..too

i agree..if love/life/light
/logic/is ob-servable..via service

we reveal the love/life/light/logic/
via our works/service..by the things we chose to *do
or not..*do..unto other/..for other..or to each other
Posted by one under god, Tuesday, 13 August 2013 7:07:54 AM
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Thanks Peter for putting before us the greatness of good thinking about life and matters.
I found your description of special language to be of much help.
Thank you for stimulating thought about such important issues.
Posted by Nhicks, Tuesday, 13 August 2013 10:13:11 AM
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