Does God exist

[Paladin]

Excellent! Beautifully put!

[path_of_one]

Originally Posted by earl

This got me curious re the etymology of the word "god," so looked it up. What I found was that word is Germanic and meaning origin somewhat hotly debated but the source I found says most likely meaning same as Greek derivative:

Greek: "khu-" "to pour."
Germanic-"geutan-" "to pour."

So, perhaps God is a verb. Life flows or pours and perhaps 1 definition of spirituality relates to going with that flow-not blocking its course, being "in that flow" of abundance and finding the wellspring of it. (also discovered that 1 definition of "theism," was the morbid condition of too much tea consumption, speaking of flowing ). Yours in the flow, Earl

Interesting... I think we do have a tendency to view things that are a verb (like love) as a noun. We say we are "in love," rather than saying that love is a choice we make each day, an action. We "know" God or "believe in" God, rather than participating in the process that is God, in much of modern Western thought.

As my experience of God deepened and grew, I found more and more that God was more than a personal Being and was also process, one with which I could unite. As Tariki quoted Eckhart, as I came closer to God I also came to the realization that I had to give up my attachments, including my attachments to my definitions of God and my expectations of what God would be like, in order to grow spiritually. This is a work in progress, but I was astonished at the realization that God is not only transcendent, but is also immanent in all- a process in which we are a part. Some of us call this process walking with God (or in Christ), but I have also recognized parallels to Taoism and other concepts (anyone heard of the concept of Des'tai?). My description is that it is walking the Path of Best Action, or the Path of Most Harmony. In the "life flows" idea that Earl is discussing, it is a gradual recognition of that Flow and the path that one should take to be at one with it. My experience has been that this is not the totality of God, but is certainly one facet of God; without going into detail, I will say that this aspect of God has given me incredible joy and peace, and the deep experience of this was a glimpse of heaven for me.

As for the story, nifty, but comparing barbers and gods doesn't quite work for me.

I like the tiger and fox analogy...

[earl]

Originally Posted by Tariki

It does seem an obvious point that seeking "God" as some sort of "object" amid other objects is to seek in vain...........in this sense the various arguments, for and against, will be endless........even futile.

"Nothing that knowledge can grasp or desire can want is God. Where knowledge and desire end, there is darkness. And there God shines" (Eckhart)

Anyway, the barber shop story reminded me of another..........and a slight switching of contexts!

A man walking through the forest saw a fox that had lost its legs, and he wondered how it lived. Then he saw a tiger come up with game in its mouth. The tiger ate its fill and left the rest of the meat for the fox. The next day God fed the fox by means of the same tiger. The man began to wonder at God's greatness and said to himself, "I too shall just rest in a corner with full trust in the Lord and he will provide me with all I need." He did this for many days but nothing happened, and he was almost at death's door when he heard a voice say, "O you who are in the path of error, open your eyes to the truth! Stop imitating the disabled fox and follow the example of the tiger."

The lovely Eckhart quote as well as your comment re seeking "God" as some sort of object-reminds me of your "spiritual materialism" thread-prompts me to share here a quote I recently encountered from Ken Wilber, the transpersonal or integral contemporary philosopher, who, given the volumes of things he's written, can certainly be said to me a fellow long dedicated to trying to "figure out the Ultimate" conceptually:

"In other words, all my books are lies. They are simply maps of a territory, shadows of a reality, gray symbols dragging their bellies across the dead page, suffocated signs full of muffled sound and faded glory, signifying absolutely nothing. And it is the nothing, the Msytery, the Emptiness alone that needs to be realized: not known but felt, not thought but breathed, not an object but an atmosphere, not a lesson but a life."

Have a good one, Earl

[dailogue is the best]

hi, Rudiger

the story is wonderful. it greatly touches my heart. It is magnific.

[sarahamdy]

FAQ's
1. Ask your science teacher why sunsets are beautiful.
2. If your eyes have a purpose for their existense then how about you?
3. How did the heart start to beat without the central nervous system telling it?
4. Who designed the stick bug to look like a stick?
5. Who taught the new born baby to cry and suckle?
6. Who told the ozone layer about the ultra-violet rays?
7. Why is the sky blue and not brown, and why is the ground brown and not blue?
8. If we came from monkey's, then why are there still monkey's?
9. How come for every cause there is an effect?
10. Does God exist?

[lunamoth]

Originally Posted by sarahamdy

FAQ's
1. Ask your science teacher why sunsets are beautiful.
2. If your eyes have a purpose for their existense then how about you?
3. How did the heart start to beat without the central nervous system telling it?
4. Who designed the stick bug to look like a stick?
5. Who taught the new born baby to cry and suckle?
6. Who told the ozone layer about the ultra-violet rays?
7. Why is the sky blue and not brown, and why is the ground brown and not blue?
8. If we came from monkey's, then why are there still monkey's?
9. How come for every cause there is an effect?
10. Does God exist?

Dear sarahamdy,

I see what you mean by this, but science is not opposed to God and theology. Perhaps some scientists actually are atheists and negative toward God but this is not universally true, and science itself is neutral, or silent, on the "question" of God. Speaking as a Christian and a scientist it makes me sad when we antagonize and polarize these two ways of relating to God and His creation. Perhaps you might like to read this thread in Christianity http://www.comparative-religion.com/...ead.php?t=2806 for another view.

Peace,
lunamoth