do you believe in god?

[lilsmum]

if so, why?

btw i am not looking for a arguement or anything, just intrigued as to peoples beliefs.xx

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Looks like the convo is being wound up... but will endeavour to answer your question Mrs Bloss (school madame ) at a later date

"Something I've been thinking about a lot lately is what it means for God to be female. I understand through my own journey what it is for God to be Mother, but as we are all made in his image, but not all women are mothers, it's an interesting idea. Well, for me anyway!!! "

Just thought I'd mention, from a Christian perspective in regards to the sacred texts, Man was made in G-d's image and woman was made in Man's image.

lol don't shoot the messenger, its in the book lol

If I'd been asked that question up until very recently, I'd have said no.

But am reconsidering atm.

TBH I almost feel as if I am denying some very strong feelings which really want to get out!

"don't have answers for much. And the answers I think I have may not be correct. I certainly don't understand how a compassionate God who is said to be Love can allow so many attrocities."

...because he gave us all the gift of free will and unfortunatly, some people use theirs in a very negative way with no regard for G-d or man.

I think Judgement day is the answer to why there aren't more "divine lightening bolts" or people being swallowed up by the ground a la OT.

Do I believe in god? In the Christian sense - no.

I believe in an almight source of spiritual energy that can be plugged into. I choose to give that source a face and a name occasionally, simply because I am human and it is easier to focus on an actual entity rather than a source of power. It would suit my purpose just as well to think of it as a battery to recharge myself from, or a well to take a much needed drink at.

Maybe I should just say yes, I believe in god. I call him the Great Big Duracell In The Sky

dinosaur - me too. went to church yesterday (uniformed organisations' church parade) and it felt good to be there. Never been particularly religious but everyone seemed so genuinely nice and great with the kids and interested and kind and welcoming. A refreshing change to what is outside the door usually!

someone in my family is ill at present and I did pray for them and often do but I'm not necessarily sure who I'm praying to. I always ask my darling nan for some support from above when I need it.

Very like my experience KBear. I keep finding myself praying for safe return of DB and pregnant partner from Afghanistan, then feeling a bit silly!

I think everyone prays at some point whether they admit it or not. We've all thought "please god no" at some tragic event or bad news. I don't think it matters where you find comfort, whether a spiritualist church or a regular church or for me, sitting in the garden on a sunny day, remembering loved ones and kind of praying for the health of my family and the safety of my kids and DH, that kind of thing. I don't think it has to be a structured prayer as such. (Lucky for me cos I'm rambling!). I'm sure you get my drift!

dixie expat it is only in the translation of the bible [by men] that you get a solely male God. Actually, in Genesis, it says 'God created Man [meaning the human race] male and female, he created them. And in Hebrew and Greek, the Holy Spirit, part of the Holy Trinity of God, is feminine. Unfortunately the patriarchal society we have grown up in has conned so many for so long.

Absolutely, ruty. I know God is female from my own prayer experiences whne pg with dd1, I was terrified of losing her and my soul was praying that she would be okay. Then I had a sense of my baby growing safely inside my womb, being cushioned and nourished, and of me and my baby being held in God's womb, being fed and held in the same way. I'd never really thought much about God being female before; I knew it of course from reading Genesis, but it hadn't really sunk in. Since then I've read a lot more on the subject and prayed to God as Mother and it is something I fully believe. I agree with you, we need to do away with the patriarchal language and allow people to worship God as Mother because the maleness is a barrier for so many people. I have no doubt that some people reading this will think I imagined the whole thing but it was a very powerful, unbidden experience for me.

glitterfairy - is it a case of knowledge versus ignorance or knowledge versus innocence? When I look at my dds I see then as fully innocent - I reject the doctrine of original sin - and therefore able to feel total happiness. As an adult I can never really feel happy in the same way because my happiness is tempered with the knowledge of evil. And I have to enable my children to lose their innocence because it is the only way to protect them from the evil that others will want to do to them. Given the choice between knowledge and innocence, I choose the latter, even though I enjoy stretching my mind.

Paps - hope the weather is a little more clement soon!

kbear and dinosaur - hope you find what you are looking for.

exactly ionesmum, it is between innocence and experience, a running theme thru the Romantic poets. and so, so glad you had that wonderful experience when you were pregnant with dd1. I have had glimpses of something similar, unfortunately rare tho!

Very rare for me too, ruty, but I was really in need at the time!

dixie expat it is only in the translation of the bible [by men] that you get a solely male God. Actually, in Genesis, it says 'God created Man [meaning the human race] male and female, he created them. And in Hebrew and Greek, the Holy Spirit, part of the Holy Trinity of God, is feminine. Unfortunately the patriarchal society we have grown up in has conned so many for so long.

I am aware that the Holy Spirit has feminine qualities...as for G-d being solely male with only masculine qualities...cleary the original text using Elohim as the word for G-d
The Hebrew grammar rule chosen
by the writer of Genesis compels us to admit that Elohim is a collective noun, a plural unity. Elohim=Those Who Have Life in Themselves
are therefore a Couple, as suggests the creation of Adam and Eve.So its not true to suggest the author of Genesis was referring to G-d ONLY as being masculine.

My reference to the order of Man/Male glorifying G-d and Woman man refer to controversial scriptures in the 11th Chapter of 1 Corinthians that most pastors shy away from.

dixiexpat i didn't say the author of genesis referred to God as only masculine, i said the various translators did. But glad you agree Genesis gives a much broader gender picture of God. Gender is such a human thing its seems so ridiculous to reduce the limitless God to this. And as for Corinthians, maybe some pastors don't 'shy away from' Paul's texts, but don't agree with them. Who do you think chose the texts that got in the bible? God? Fraid not. Paul went from killing Christians left right and centre to becoming an Evangelist with some views many theologians are not sure Christ would have approved of. He went from one extreme to another, he had that trait in his personality. Paul was a human being, flawed, like the rest of us. The bible is full of different voices and different perspectives, and we have to step throught its myriad of knowledge carefully, with great thought and guidance. That is why you are always going to get disagreement. Remember Christ took an adulteress and prostitute as on of his closest allies, some would say, one of his disciples. I don't think Paul would have approved of that one bit.

Of course we have a loss of innocence at soem point in our lives guys but that is a good thing not a bad thing. The transition between adult and child has always been a fertile ground for the inclusion of guilt and the admission that one is better than another.

CS Lewis killed his four children in the Narnia chronicles because of his reluctance to allow them to undergo adulthood and that transition. It destroys any kind of real innocence in my opinion by behaving in that way. Philip Pullman on the other hand recognises the loss but does not accompany it with punishment and reveals a love of fairness and justice by his treatment of Lyra and Will as they become adults.

Humans have always had problems with this transtion as we prize innocence but innocence is not always a good thing. I think that adults and complexity are far more interesting and although children can give us guidance at times and be more original innocence has distinct drawbacks.

No, I believe in the possibility of a God.

I have seen no proof, or even hints that there really could be one.

When I go to a church or mosque or religious place I always get a feeling like the 'Emperors new clothes' story, and am waiting for someone to say 'its all a load of bllcks really isn't it.

Needless to say the only one who says it is me.

I'm afraid the need for a belief that there is 'something more' demonstrates to me an high level of arrogance and a slight weakness of character of being unable to cope alone.

Its somewhat childlike and kind of sweet.

I read that as "I believe in the possibility of a Cod"

But then teh rest of teh post also makes sense.

glitterfairy don't think you've read my or ionesmum's posts properly. neither of us said that innocence is a good thing. We said that losing innocence is a crucial part of growing up and gaining one's individual freedom, and also gaining knowledge of what it is to be human, all themes running thru storyu of adam and eve. That is why god made us to think for ourselves as i said before.

by the way i love phillip pullman's books. I don't agree with a lot of what the established church has done to Christianity, but Christ himself was revolutionary, politically, socially and spiritually. There was nothing wishy washy or airy fairy about him or his teachings.

and don't agree with your perspective of Narnia books either but that wpould be a long debate! I hope my children will read both CS Lewis and Pullman to get a broad spiritual picture.

flum don't insult people who have a faith. I would say the arrogance comes from people like you who don't have an open mind. The earth is flat, isn't it?

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Ruty - I have an open mind. My first sentance said 'I believe in the possibility of a God'

Do you believe in the possibility that there isn't a God?

Who is the open minded one?

A slight weakness of character is not really an insult. More of a slight than an insult.

I appreciate your point but there is no need to be overly precious or defensive. I was just anwering the question of the thread.

Flum yes of course i believe in the possibility of a there not being a God. That is what 'Faith' is.I don't know many intelligent christians who don't. I am trying on this thread to give a more balanced perspective of Christianity, and i find myself arguing with the fundamentalist christians and with the non christians alike, and it is tiring. i believe in Christ's teachings, politically in terms of social justice and spiritually. of course i am going to be offended if you suggest i have a weakness of character! and i also feel tho you claim to havean open mind you are pre-judging everything ,whether you go into achurch or wherever, and you are`expecting a bolt hole from the blue to convince you, sorry if that's not the case, but what it seems like. And i do feel it is your weaknessw of character that allows you to 'slight' others who have a faith without knowing them.