God

Meaning of God

What is god?

This is a question we have asked ourselves and probably others, numerous times; often sub-consciously.

First, it is important to understand that overall, 'god' – the word, is an umbrella term.
Of the same, different cultures and religions have their own versions and understandings.

Below are the primary broad generic versions of the term – 'god'.

Types of god

There can be two types of 'god' - that could justify all the above roles, albeit to varying degrees:

1. An animated, personal god, that has a conscience and personality like ours. Who can see, feel, like and dislike, think, and possibly be happy and sad and calm or angry, like us.
2. An inanimate god, that does not have conscience and thus is neither benevolent or malevolent. It just 'is', and it just does what it does.

Personal god

The personal god, that many humans are inclined to believe in simply because it is 'simple', especially for an average human being, for it is like him.
However following are some of the inconsistencies associated with the existence of a personal god:

• If we and everything else require a creator, then who created the creator?
• Where is he? Why does he not show up? Say, on one of the television news conferences?
• If he is so powerful to have created everything, why does he allow so much suffering?
  Would you let one of your children burn and kill your other child? If a normal human being cannot do that then how could a god who is all so powerful and has all the 'love' of the world "allow" such horrible things to happen?
  And before riding out on the escape goat of the theory of "free will", do go through the "Evil god challenge" – by Stephen Law
  It is simply not justifiable, be it ANY reason; for a all powerful personal god is supposed to be beyond any and all earthly 'reasons' and 'limitations'.
• Why are 'godly' i.e. holy objects like a book of the religion, an idol not discovered outside this planet?
• Effectively, there is no undisputable evidence of a supernatural entity altering the world.
  While we are still in the process of knowing more, by now we know why diseases happen, why earthquakes happen etc.
• Why the creation of life is scientifically explainable by the theories of 'the Big bang' and 'Evolution' that have empirical physical evidence in support.

Thus, either a personal god simply does not exist and neither ever did or is an 'evil' god.

Inanimate god

The laws of nature dictates this type of 'god'. The observations and the laws inferred by man from those observations makes this type of god increasingly more Unless of course new evidence is found.

Just as different students might assume different names like 'x' and 'y' for the same unknown of the same question, different communities and thus religions in this same manner name their ‘gods’ differently.
Hinduism, let that be 'Brahman' and Islam, let that be 'Allah'. However we all face the same challenge. We are together in this quest of finding that same ‘unknown’.
Truth is we are all still looking for the same answer.

Miracles

People feel the presence of 'god'. It is true that an everything-god (and not a personal god who has a personality, can think, feel etc.) exists everywhere - for we are alive, and it keeps us alive.
We breathe, our heart beats, I can type this - and you can read it; it is a miracle, every – thing is a miracle. But a scientific one! Nothing is extra special but everything is – extra special.
Unfortunately humans, generally are limited in their reach and experiences, and are biased. They decide based of how they feel and only later cherry pick the 'reasons' that would justify their decision.
For example, in an accident those who die never get an opportunity to assert that the personal god did not save them, but those who survive go on with their tale of the 'special' blessing of their very special – personal god.
When the fact is that it was just a permutation, chosen by the benign incidents that preceded it, say, like a wet seat.

The great mistake

Unfortunately for most, the essence of 'god' is lost in translation.
The problem is, the idea of god is misunderstood as the personification of the inanimate everything-god in to a real human like god.
While "the personal god" is in fact only a mental construct, an idea, not meant to be taken literally.

The true meaning of god

Like a football team is made of a bunch of players working together for a common goal, we too can make a 'god' team. And make common goals and individual goals come true.
Intercontinental flight, international trade, the rule of law - these are all such feats of the human race on a "one for all" team.
It is extremely important to know that there is no personal god with white beard living up in the skies. Instead it is an idea, an ideological spirit that is made up of souls like you and me.

And our wishes?

There is no guarantee that what you wish for and pray for will come true.
But you just increase the 'probability' of it happening by 'wishing' it. More so by sharing that wish with others. And the most, by performing actions towards actualizing that wish.
For example: The more people in a society begin wishing that corruption be gone, and more people begin writing and speaking about it and then begin executing steps towards achieving it – the higher the chances of the corruption actually ending.
But of course there is no absolute certainty!

Remember - alone we are nothing, together we could be everything. So the best you can do is - do god's WORK, and then do not worry of the results;
For god does not need you to succeed but it 'needs' you to try.

— where 'god' is not someone or thing with a personality, but is only an idea!