01.15.08
How do we define god? by blog author Margaret Johnston
I ran across this question in a forum I follow.
How do you define god? I don’t believe that god is one person - does that make me an atheist?
As the person later deleted the question, I could not answer it within the forum, so I will answer it here. A person’s view of god apparently depends a lot upon their stage of spirituality. “look at the god they follow to understand the person.”
Well, in the case of the Lawless, the only god for these people is their own will. The “god” they follow will thus be as chaotic and Lawless as they are, swinging one way or the other from day to day, as they do.
Next, look at the Faithful - their god is a separate, usually male, being “in the sky.” This is the exact type of god these people need - they need an external being who will judge their worthiness, punish them if they digress, and most of all, favor them over all other groups. Why does this god fit the faithful so well? Well, they themselves are in need of external controls to govern their behavior and there is a certain insecurity to them that makes the idea of being chosen and more right than other groups very appealing. They need a god who will grant their wishes and keep their behavior in order.
For the Rationals, their “god” is some concept of goodness - truth, beauty, justice, other people (humanists!) or possibly even material success! Their god has little to do with rules and being chosen above others because these people do not need to rules to govern their behavior and, while they do want to believe they are right, they have no need of feeling they are more worthy than others.
For the Mystics, their god is mostly within. Within themselves, all others, the world, the universe, consciousness, whatever.
So if you don’t believe that god is one person, well, what does your “god’ look like? Does he look like you by any chance? Your view of god will tell you what level you are at. I believe the word “atheist” only applies if your view of god fails to conform to the description accepted by the Faithful.