God Talk
A rabbi friend of mine was challenged by a humanist to defend God against the charges of being a primitive superstition. His response was great. He said, "I probably don't believe in the same God you don't believe in."
Why do we assume when we say God that we mean the same thing, and that it refers to a specific religion and theology? Operationally, of course, it doesn't. Yet the pro God people and the anti God people all seem to act as if we were arguing about the same God, the same theology. The question I get most often when teaching comparative religion is this: Do Jews and Christians and Muslims believe in the same God?" The answer is: Depends.
Etymologically, the Hebrew Eloheem, (a plural noun) in its singular form Eloah, is related to the Arabic Allah. The Christian God Deus was shortened from Deus Pater (God the Father), which derived from Zeus Pitar (with Jupiter a linguistic cousin). So, do Christians believe in Zeus? Not theologically, but linguistically--and, I'd argue that the picture we have in our heads, no matter how sophisticated we are, is of Zeus. Say God and see an old white man on golden throne wearing a toga. Hard to get rid of that picture. It, as Wittgenstein referred to Platonic Idealism, is a picture that has held us captive for 2,000 years.
Interestingly, Judaism does not, for the most part, do theology. Relating to or with the divine is not an "ology." In fact, there is no native Hebrew word for theology. We have to borrow the Greek. I suspect this is because Judaism is not based so much on faith (belief) but in faithfulness to a relationship. God is not apprehended rationally or intellectually but encountered in life, in love and in nature. God is summoned by good deeds and not belief, opinion or logic.
Strangely, people often challenge me about my beliefs about God, but no one ever asks if I believe in Love. They know that love is not about belief but experience. It is not a measurable ology but an experience. Do I experience the divine? Absolutely. Is mine bigger and better and more real than yours? That is a non-sense question. We do not capture the infinite in the net of our words. Poets come closer than theologians.
©2009 Jonathan Dobrer
www.Dobrer.org
It matters little what kind of clothes one puts on their chosen, or chosen for them, god creatures. Until someone can produce one, there is little point in wasting time, or as has been so frequently wasted in the past, Human lives, over whose made-up entity is the most correct, or most loving, or the most easily offended. Humanity would be far better off without the lot of them.
Oh David. You can keep pretending that He's not there, but He is.
I think it is an interesting statement that "Judaism is not based so much on faith (belief) but in faithfulness to a relationship." Well, I think you might be playing a bit fast and loose with words here. One can't really have a relationship with "someone" without having a belief in the existence/reality of that "someone."
And don't you think the reason people challenge you on your belief in God, but not your belief in love, is because they have experienced love? Or seen it? However, to experience it they still have to believe it's possible. And the ones who have experienced God -- they're not challenging you, are they?
Poetry comes closer, but God is not vague ideas, or smoke and mirrors. He is a living Creator.
Diane - What color is the sky on YOUR planet? God is the reduction of all that is illogical to the simplest possible non-answer.
Diane - What color is the sky on YOUR planet? God is the reduction of all that is illogical to the simplest possible non-answer.
Wow David. YOU are a poet.